USA > Minnesota > Lyon County > An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota > Part 54
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James A. Harris was of Pennsylvania stock, the son of John and Cynthia Harris. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, January 15, 1849. In 1873 he, too, be- came a resident of Wabasha county, Minne- sota, where he resided until March, 1880. At that time he and his family moved to Lyon county, in which he spent the rest of his life. He took a homestead in Island Lake township, which he sold two years later. He resided one year in Lynd town- ship and seven years near the little village of Ghent. Then he bought a farm on sec- tion 8, Lynd township, later added to his real estate holdings, and resided on that farm until his death on June 28, 1911, after an illness of eight years.
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harris, named as follows: William, born September 26, 1876, died April 4, 1880; Frances V., born August 23, 1878; Albert Lee, born September 30, 1880; Charles E., born March 12, 1883; Harry R., born Septem- ber 6, 1885; George E., born December 12, 1887.
All the children except Frank and Lee re- side at home and assist their mother with the management of the home farm. The Harris family are large holders of Lyon county real estate. Mrs. Harris owns 400 acres of land on section 8, Lynd township. Frank and Lee, who are independent farm- ers, own 520 acres in Island Lake township. Charles, Harry and George are the possessors of 480 acres on section 5, Lynd township. In addition to grain farming, the Harris fam- ily engage extensively in stock raising. Charles Harris is a director of school dis- trict No. 17, an office which his father held continuously from 1891 until his death. James Harris also served as chairman of the Lynd Township Board of Supervisors for ten years.
Mrs. Harris has four brothers and one sis- ter, as follows: Elmer Foster, of Marshall; L. F. and Ulysses Foster, of Lynd township;
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James Foster, of Raymond, South Dakota; Oceana (Mrs. Henry Wilson), of Cotton- wood.
RICHARD R. BUMFORD (1878), who con- ducts a loan and real estate office in the city of Marshall, has been a resident of Lyon county thirty-four years. He is a native of Racine county, Wisconsin, and was born October 26, 1856. He was educated in the district school and in the grammar school at Racine.
In 1876 Mr. Bumford moved to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where he engaged in teaching district schools two years. He came to Lyon county in the spring of 1878, took a homestead claim in Monroe township, and for a few years was engaged in teaching school. He was elected register of deeds in 1882 and held the office three terms, until the first of the year 1889. That year he en- gaged in his present business. Mr. Bumford makes a specialty of real estate loans and has built up a very large business along that line.
The subject of this review was married at Marshall in June, 1886, to Lucy Lewis, a native of New York State. Mr. and Mrs. Bumford have two children: Gladys E., a graduate of the Marshall High School and who for two years attended the Conservatory of Music of Oberlin, Ohio, and Truman Lewis, who was graduated from the Mar- shall High School in 1911 and who is now attending Carleton College. The family are members of the Congregational church of Marshall, Mr. Bumford being one of the trustees of the church.
Richard R. Bumford is a son of the late David and Ellen (Roberts) Bumford. The parents were born in Wales, came to Amer- ica when young, and were married in Racine, Wisconsin. David Bumford was a veteran of the Civil War, having served as a member of Company F, of the Twenty-second Wiscon- sin Volunteer Infantry. He died at the home of his son, Abner G. Bumford, in Custer township in December, 1889. The mother of our subject died in Wisconsin a number of years ago. There were only two children in the family-Abner G. and Richard R. Bumford.
JOHN B. CULSHAW (1880), farmer and land owner of Nordland township, has lived in that precinct since he was eight years of age. He was born in England August 20, 1872, a son of Robert and Helen (Parker) Culshaw, also residents of Nordland.
It was in 1880 that the Culshaw family came from England and made settlement in Nordland township, the father having pur- chased a quarter section of land on section 3 through Father Hanly the year before their arrival. John received his schooling and grew to manhood on the farm. After grow- ing up he assisted his father in the manage- ment of the home farm and was so engaged until 1909. Then, having purchased the southwest quarter of section 2 from his father, he engaged in farming for himself.
Mr. Culshaw raises Guernsey cattle and Poland China hogs. He has served as treas- urer of Nordland township and as clerk of school district No. 77. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the M. W. A. and K. C. lodges.
The marriage of Mr. Culshaw to Ann O'Brien occurred in Minneota November 8, 1905. She was born in Illinois December 6, 1879, a daughter of John and Margaret O'Brien. Her father was born in Ireland and died in Nordland township in 1896; her mother was born in Scotland and died in Nordland township in 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Culshaw have five children: Helen B., Mar- garet, Agnes, Mary J. and Ann T.
FRANK E. STARR (1873), of Tracy, is the son of one of the first settlers of southeast- ern Lyon county and has lived in the county all except the first four years of his life. He engages extensively in the stock business with his brother, Charles Starr, the firm be- ing Starr Brothers.
The brothers are sons of the late E. L. Starr, one of the pioneers of Tracy and a man who took a prominent part in the af- fairs of his community. The family came to the county in 1873 and took as a homestead claim land adjoining the future city of Tracy on the east. There a small frame house was erected and a sod barn was put up to shelter the oxen. On the claim the 'Northwestern Railroad Company established the first sta- tion in the vicinity, the predecessor of that of Tracy.
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E. L. Starr engaged in farming and stock buying and conducted a butcher shop in Tracy when the town was started. Before that time the household supplies were hauled from Currie. The elder Mr. Starr served as county commissioner in the early days. He died in 1908. The following named seven children are members of the family: Mary A., Frank E., Charles E., Lillian, Lucy, Eva and Mabel.
Frank E. Starr was born near Winona, Minnesota, March 19, 1869, and when four years old came with the family to Lyon county. Prior to his father's death he and his brother were associated in business with their parent. Frank bought his present place on the outskirts of Tracy about ten years ago. Besides his other business interests he engages in farming. He also owns an 110- acre farm near town. Our subject is a mem- ber of the A. O. U. W. lodge.
Mr. Starr was married in Tracy to Cyn- thia Beeman, a native of Wisconsin. They have three children, Leroy L., Warner and Alice.
MARTINUS ANDERSON (1880) farms 280 acres of land in Lucas township, a short dis- tance west of Cottonwood. The farm is the southeast quarter of section 6. He was born on the adjoining farm, the homestead of his father, October 14, 1880. With the exception of a few months spent in Colorado and Can- ada, Martinus has always lived in this vicin- ity. The farm on which he now resides he has farmed since 1905 and he has since made many improvements on it, including a large barn built in 1912.
Gabriel Anderson, the father of our sub- ject, superintends the farming of the home place, although he resides in Cottonwood. He is one of the largest land owners of Lyon county, having purchased about 1600 acres since taking up his residence here. He was born in Norway and came to America when one year old. He came to Lyon county in the early seventies and was one of the first settlers of Lucas township. The mother of our subject is Margaret (Olson) Anderson, a native of Fillmore county, Minnesota.
The oldest child of the Anderson family, Edward, was drowned when five years old. The other children are Martinus, Mrs. Ber- nard Dahl, Mrs. J. Von Williams, Mabel, Joseph, Henrietta and Hartford.
Martinus Anderson was married at Granite Falls, Minnesota, October 18, 1905, to Annie Wangsness, a native of Fillmore county. Their only child, Gifford J., died at the age of five months.
JAY P. PETERSON (1886) is a member of the Home Land Company of Russell and is interested in other business enterprises in that village. He is an early settler of south- western Lyon county and was the first sta- tion agent at Russell.
Mr. Peterson was born in Denmark May 4, 1874, the eldest of four children born to Hans and Ellen Peterson, who now reside in Rus- sell. The other children of the family are Hans C., William C. and Carrie K., the wife of Peter Hanson, of Russell.
When Jay was nine years old the family came to America and made settlement at Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa. In 1886 they moved to Lyon county, bought the northeast quarter of section 36, Coon Creek township, and on that farm Jay lived with his parents a little over a year. While liv- ing there, during the memorable blizzard of January 12, 1888, Hans Peterson and our subject had an experience that will never be effaced from their memory. An account of their experience in the storm can be found in the historical part of this volume.
At the age of fourteen years Jay Peterson left the parental roof and set out in life for himself. His first work was on the grade of the Willmar & Sioux Falls road, which was then building through the county. In 1891 he went to Tyler and in the railroad station at that place learned the telegrapher's trade. On September 12, 1892, he located at the new station of Russell, opened the station, and had charge of the company's interests there until 1900.
During the next three years Mr. Peterson was agent, respectively, at Lester and Doon, Iowa; Yankton, South Dakota; and Pipe- stone, Minnesota. He was then promoted to traveling freight agent for the Great North- ern, with headquarters at Sioux City, and held the position until 1909. That year he gave up railroading. returned to Russell, and opened a general store. He conducted that one year and has since been engaged in the real estate business. In 1910 he organized the Home Land Company in company with
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B. Leknes, cashier of the First State Bank. He is also engaged in the jewelry business and is a stockholder in the Russell Tile and Cement Manufacturing Company.
Upon the incorporation of Russell Mr. . Peterson was chosen the first village re- corder, and he was one of the first trustees of the Presbyterian church of Russell. He is a Blue Lodge and Chapter Mason and a member of the Woodmen and Workmen lodges. His wife is a member of the Eastern Star, Royal Neighbors and Degree of Honor orders.
The marriage of our subject occurred in Russell November 27, 1899, when he wedded May E. Patton, a native of Lodi, Wisconsin, and a former resident of Esmond, Kings- bury county, South Dakota. Her parents, James and Jane Patton, were born in Scot- land and in the early seventies located in Kingsbury county.
JOHN H. HUGHES (1876), one of the early settlers of Custer township and a farmer who has prospered on his eighty- acre farm and been active in the affairs of the community, was born in New York State March 22, 1852. When a small child he accompanied his parents, Hugh R. and Ann (Pew) Hughes, to Wisconsin, where the family resided until John was ten years old; then the family moved to Blue Earth county, Minnesota.
Blue Earth county continued to be the home of the Hughes family until John was twenty-four years of age. He was brought up on a farm and attended school in the home district. He had been helping his father on the farm several years when, in 1876, the family came to Lyon county, the father and John each taking homesteads in Custer township. The parents made their homestead their home until their deaths, and John has been a continuous resident on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 14 ever since taking it as a homestead in 1876. He is a stock- holder of the Garvin Creamery Company.
John Hughes and Margaret J. Owens were united in marriage January 1, 1877. Mrs. Hughes was born in Waukesha, Wis- consin, March 25, 1856. To them have been born six children, named as follows: Hugh, Philip, Hannah, Mary, Margaret and
Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are mem- bers of the Congregational church of Cus- ter township.
THEODORE JANSEN (1885). One of the most prosperous farmers and stock raisers of Lyon county is Theodore Jansen, of Lake Marshall township. He was born in Beubwe, Holland, August 31, 1865, and resided there until twenty years of age. Theodore is a son of Albert and Annie (Boerboom) Jansen, both deceased, the former having died in 1891 and the latter in 1895.
In 1885 our subject accompanied his parents to Lyon county and the father bought land near Ghent. Albert Jansen died there in 1891 and Theodore then as- sumed charge of his father's farm in com- pany with his brother Jacob. They farmed together until 1901, when they sold out and moved to Oklahoma. Not finding the latter country to their liking, they returned to Lyon county and purchased 560 acres of land in Lake Marshall township. They farmed together until 1905, when they divided, and our subject became the owner of 400 acres of improved land. He raises a great deal of stock, including Shorthorn and Durham cattle and Poland China hogs. Our subject is a member of the Catholic church.
The subject of this review was married in Ghent June 30, 1891, to Caroline Hen- nen, a native of Lemberg, Holland. Mrs. Jansen was born October 19, 1872, and is a daughter of Arnold and Helena (Becker) Hennen, who came to America in 1884 and located at Ghent, later moving to Green Bay, Wisconsin. The mother died in 1905; the father is living at the age of seventy- three years. Mrs. Jansen died March 9, 1907.
Mr. and Mrs. Jansen were the parents of the following children: Mary H., born July 20, 1892; Albert A., born August 1, 1893; William O., born November 11, 1894; Agnes W. J., born October 12, 1896; Leo T., born April 24, 1898; Annie H., born May 4, 1899; Helena C., born February 15, 1903; Carolina M., born March 7, 1905.
Mr. Jansen was married a second time, to Maria Vergot on February 28, 1911. She was born in Belgium September 4.
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1878, and is a daughter of Julius and Louisa (Nayeart) Vergot.
JAMES GRIEVE (1889), senior member of the firm of Grieve & Laingen, is a prosperous merchant of Cottonwood. The proprietors built the large and commodious two-story brick building which they occupy and the firm handles a large line of general mer- chandise and is one of the most popular business institutions in the county. Grieve & Laingen also own a well improved quarter section of land in Lucas township, to which they give their personal supervision.
Mr. Grieve is a native of Ontario, Canada. He was born October 24, 1872, and when a child the family moved to Saginaw, Michigan, where James resided until 1889, when he was seventeen years of age. At that time he came to Lyon county and worked out as a farm laborer about two years, finally seek- ing employment in Cottonwood and securing a position as clerk in the store of Arneson & Olson, which he held four years. The ambition to get into business for himself led Mr. Grieve to form a partnership with John Michie, and the two young men bought Dahl Brothers' general merchandise stock and ran the store under the firm name of Michie & Grieve six years. In 1902 C. R. Laingen bought out Mr. Michie, and the firm name has since been Grieve & Laingen. In 1904 the partners built the present mod- ern building.
Our subject was married in Lucas town- ship August 5, 1896, to Ellen Garry, a native of Canada and a daughter of John Garry, an early settler of Lucas township. In the summer of 1911 Mr. Grieve built a fine resi- dence of the bungalow type, and he and his wife are now comfortably installed in the new home. Mr. Grieve's mother is still liv- ing and makes her home in Cottonwood. The father, Joseph Grieve, died in the early seventies.
James Grieve was a member of the Village Council two terms. Fraternally he is asso- ciated with the Masonic lodge.
PEDER GILBERT RONNING (1879) has spent his entire life as a resident of Shel- burne township. He is the son of Thomas and Maret (Otton) Ronning, who came to
Lyon county in March, 1879, and have ever since resided in Shelburne.
Peder was born on section 18, May 18, 1879. He was educated in the schools of Florence and the vicinity and was a student until eighteen years of age. Thereafter until he reached his majority he worked on his father's farm. Since becoming of age he has farmed for himself. During the past four years he has farmed the east half of the southeast quarter of section 28. Besides general farming, Mr. Ronning raises consid- erable stock, including Shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs and Percheron horses.
Randy Christensen became the wife of Peder Ronning on May 18, 1902. She was born in Norway June 8, 1876, and is the daughter of Rasmus and Andrena Christen- sen, pioneer settlers of and still residents of Coon Creek township. To Mr. and Mrs. Ron- ning have been born the following named children : Alma Matilda, born November 5. 1903; Torvel Roy, born May -12, 1906; Pleda Ruth (deceased), born January 13, 1909; Almer Olea, born January 16, 1911.
The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Florence. Mr. Ronning is a member of the Modern Woodmen order and was formerly one of the officers of the local lodge.
LORENTS KLAITH (1875) is a general merchant of Minneota and a man who has resided in Lyon and Lincoln counties for thirty-seven years. He is a native of Norway and was born October 18, 1856, one of a family of seven children. The other living members of the family are Mrs. Anna Spillum, of Racine county, Wisconsin, and Mrs. Oleni Feste, of Williams county, North Dakota. The father of this family died in Norway when Lorents was a child: the mother, Marie Klaith, died in Lincoln county about 1899, aged seventy-four years.
In the spring of 1873 Lorents came to the United States with his mother, brothers and sisters and located in Racine county, Wis- consin, where he remained until the summer of 1875. Then he came to Lyon county and worked on farms near Minneota until 1879. That year he homesteaded land in Lime- stone township, Lincoln county, where he lived until the fall of 1901. On that farm he "batched" for two years in a dug-out and
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then built a log house, which still stands on the farm. He went through all the hardships of early days, but when times bettered he became a prosperous farmer. Mr. Klaith still owns the old farm besides another quarter section adjoining it.
In 1901 Mr. Klaith moved to Minneota, where he bought livestock for a year and then purchased an interest in the general store of Christ Urdahl. Later he bought Mr. Urdahl's interest and has continued the business. Mr. Klaith is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church. While on the farm he was assessor eight consecutive years, chairman of the township board four years, one of the first constables in the township, and was clerk of the school dis- trict from its organization until he left the farm.
Mr. Klaith was married in August, 1886, to Gorgine Feste, a native of Norway who was then a resident of Nordland township. They have five children living, Martin, Jo- sephina, Annie, Amanda and Laura. Those deceased were Martin, Annie, Lewis.
KASPER FISCHER (1888), of Lynd town- ship, is a farmer and land owner of Lyon county who has resided here many years. He is a native of Germany and was born at Bavaria August 1, 1847, the son of John and Marguerite Fischer. Both parents are deceased.
Kasper Fischer received his early educa- tion in Germany, where he attended school until eighteen years of age. He then worked for his father on the farm until twenty-two years of age, when he enlisted in the Ger- man army and fought in the Franco-German war, spending about four years in the serv- ice. He then returned home and worked for his father until 1875.
Mr. Fischer came to Lyon county in 1888 and has been a very successful farmer and stock raiser. Previous to coming to Lyon county he worked in Chicago for six years.
Our subject is a member of the Catholic church. He has stock in the farmers' eleva- tor companies of Marshall, Ghent and Lynd. He is also a stockholder in the Independent Harvester Company of Plano, Illinois. Mr. Fischer engages extensively in stock raising, breeding Hereford cattle, Red Jersey hogs, White Plymouth Rock chickens and Bel-
gian horses. He was road overseer in Lynd township for three years. He owns four hun- dred eighty acres of land in Lynd township and four hundred acres in Island Lake town- ship and has one of the best improved farms in Lyon county. He drives an International automobile.
On February 1, 1875, Mr. Fischer was united in marriage to Babata Stachar, a native of Germany. To this union were born the following children: Katherine, Anna, Elizabeth (deceased), Joseph, William and Harry. All reside at home. Mrs. Fischer died in 1905. Joseph is a member of the M. W. A. lodge and a graduate of the Minne- sota State Agricultural College. Katherine is a member of the Catholic Order of For- esters.
FREMONT SHARPE BROWN (1880) has practised law in the city of Tracy for the past thirty-two years and has been promi- nently identified with the affairs of Lyon county during all that time. He has served as judge of probate and county attorney and held many minor offices. His part in the political and business affairs of the county richly entitles him to a place in this History of Lyon County.
Judge Brown was born in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, June 15, 1856. His ancestry can be traced back to colonial days in New England; his parents, Myron Holly Brown and Sarah M. (Sharpe) Brown, were both born in New York State. In May, 1865, the family became residents of Minnesota, locating in Wabasha. There young Brown read law and in 1879 he was admitted to the bar. He practised in his home city a few months and then located in the young but growing town of Tracy, which has ever since been his home.
Many times has Judge Brown been called upon to serve in an official capacity. Before the incorporation of Tracy he served as clerk of Monroe township, and after the incorpora- tion he was the first village recorder. He was elected county judge of probate in 1882 and was re-elected four consecutive times, serving until January, 1893. He was chosen county attorney in 1896, was re-elected in 1898, and held the office until the beginning of the year 1901. In 1887 the Minnesota Legislature provided that the governor ap-
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point a commission of three members to codify and revise the probate laws of the state. Judge Brown, who was then serving as probate judge, was named as one of that commission and assisted in the work. In 1889 the Legislature adopted and enacted into law the probate laws as revised and codified by the commission.
In business affairs Judge Brown has also had considerable to do, having perfected the organization of several incorporated com- panies for investment in lands. In Masonic circles Judge Brown has taken advanced de- grees. He holds membership in the Minne- sota Consistory, Paladin Commandery No. 21, Osman Temple, St. Paul Council, R. S. M., Bower Chapter No. 44, R. A. M., Tracy Lodge No. 155, A. F. & A. M., and Virginia Chapter No. 14, O. E. S.
Judge Brown was married in Mankato to Sue B. Gleason. She died in September, 1896. To them were born two children. Mary Kathrine and Hoit Sharpe. The sec- ond marriage of Judge Brown occurred in February, 1907, to Flora A. Hartigan, a na- tive of Plainview, Minnesota.
WILLIAM J. BRULL (1884), the subject of this sketch, was born in Bocholtz, Hol- land, July 17, 1860, was educated in the public schools of Holland, and learned the blacksmith's trade, after which he was em- ployed by the government as mail carrier, and during that time, on the first day of May, 1882, he was united in marriage to Mary E. Rycken, to which union Mary Lizzie was born February 8, 1883.
On the eleventh day of April, 1884, Mr. Brull and his family, accompanied by his father and mother, immigrated to America, and they arrived in the village of Ghent, Lyon county, Minnesota, on April 28 of the same year. Soon thereafter he rented a farm and settled on the southwest quarter of section 24 in the township of Lake Mar- shall, at which place and on the nineteenth day of April, 1885, his only son, William J. Brull, Jr., was born. In 1887 he purchased the south half of section 34 in the town- ship of Grandview and moved thereon in the spring of 1888. He continued to operate the farm in Grandview until 1899, at which time he purchased the south half of section 36 of the same township and moved thereon
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