An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 65

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 726

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OLE S. DAHL (1892) owns 160 acres of farm land on section 35, Lucas township, and in addition farms 320 acres of rented land on section 25. He is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of the township.

Oxendal, Norway, is the birthplace of our subject and the date of his birth was May 28, 1874. His father, Sigbjorn Dahl, died at the age of ninety years, and his mother, Anna (Jodestal) Dahl, is living in Norway at the age of eighty years. Ole received his education in Norway and attended school until fourteen years old, after which he worked out at farm labor until 1892. In

the latter year he came to America and located first at Cottonwood, Minnesota, near which village he worked for some months. Then he went to Superior, Wisconsin, where he worked the following summer, and then returned to Lyon county.

The next four years found young Dahl working at farm labor in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, in Winnebago county, Iowa, and in Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota. At the end of that period he took up his perma- nent residence in Lucas township, where he has since resided. He has been active in the affairs of the township and served one year as road overseer. Mr. Dahl's church affiliations are with the Norwegian Lutheran denomination. He is a member of that church in Cottonwood and has been a trustee for several years.

On June 16, 1901, Ole Dahl was joined in marriage to Josephine Johnson, the wedding taking place at Cottonwood. His wife is a native of the township and was born De- cember 28, 1877, a daughter of Joe and Martha Johnson, pioneer settlers of Lyon county. The father died in 1909; the mother lives on the farm in Lucas township. Mr. and Mrs. Dahl are the parents of the follow- ing children: Sam Oliver, born January 22, 1903; Anna Marie, born June 8, 1905; Stella Amanda, born June 9, 1910; and Norman Nordahl, born March 17, 1912.

DE ALTON PROUTY (1887) is a farmer and stock raiser of Amiret township and owns 240 acres on the north half of section 25, Amiret township. He raises Polled An- gns cattle and Poland China hogs and buys and ships stock. He makes a specialty of sheep.

Mr. Prouty was born in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, May 11, 1869, and is a son of Fosdick and Catharine (Blancherd) Prouty, natives of Vermont and New York, respectively. The parents moved to Wis- consin in the early days, about 1845, and were farmers. De Alton was brought up in the county of his birth and his earlier edu- cation was gained in the country school and in the high school in Brandon.

The family moved to Minnesota in the eighties and bought the west half of the southwest quarter of section 25, Amiret township. The subject of this sketch

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came to Minnesota and entered the state university, where he took a two years' course, and later he took a six months' course in the Curtiss Business College of Minneapolis. Mr. Prouty then returned to Lyon county and taught school here and in Redwood county during the next ten years. It was in 1890 that he bought the northeast quarter of section 25, Amiret township, part of his present holdings, and the next year he made his home in Tracy. He then went to live on his mother's farm on section 25 and conducted both places and taught school until 1902. In that year he was married and since then has been farming his present place, but still makes his residence on his mother's farm.

Mr. Prouty was married at Marshall to Vera L. Leavitt, the wedding taking place March 21, 1902. Mrs. Prouty is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leavitt and was born in Redwood county in April, 1881. Her parents live in Ashland, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Prouty are the parents of five children, Catharine, Alice, Ethel, Charles H. and D. Alton.

Mr. Prouty served one term as a member of the town board and one term as treasurer of school district No. 36. Fraternally he is allied with the Modern Woodmen and I. O. O. F. lodges.

EVAN C. JONES, JR. (1879), hardware dealer and undertaker of Russell, has grown to manhood in Lyon county, having lived here since he was eight years of age. He is a son of E. C. Jones, Sr., and Catherine (Goodman) Jones, an account of whose lives is found elsewhere in this volume.

Our subject was born in Rutland county, Vermont, May 1, 1871, and eight years later he accompanied the family to Lyon county. He grew up on his father's homestead on section 8, Lyons township, attended the dis- trict school two miles from home, and spent his boyhood days herding cattle on the prai- ries. When he became of age his father gave him an eighty-acre farm, and there- after he engaged in farming on his own ac- count, making his home with his parents. He bought the home place in 1900 and farmed it until moving to Russell in the spring of 1904. He bought the Purdy stock of hardware and implements and has since

carried on that business, dealing in real estate also to some extent.

During his residence in Lyons township Mr. Jones served four years as chairman of the Board of Supervisors and for twelve years was clerk of his school district. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and is secretary of Coteau Lodge No. 244 of Rus- sell.

Mr. Jones was married in Rock Lake town- ship September 21, 1910, to Emma Goltz. She was born in the precinct in which she was married and is the daughter of Gottlieb Goltz, one of the early settlers of Rock Lake.

MRS. LUDOVICA H. ENGELS (1883), of Westerheim township, is the widow of Vin- centius Engels. She is an early settler of Lyon county and the largest real estate owner of her precinct.

Mrs. Engels was born in Groede, Holland, October 21, 1859. She married Mr. Engels in 1880 and the day after their marriage they sailed for America. Their first home was in Henry county, Illinois, where they engaged in farming three and one-half years. They came to Lyon county in 1883 and bought the northwest quarter of section 26, Westerheim township, then bare of improve- ments. Today the farm is one of the best improved in the vicinity and with additions purchased later is the largest farm in the township.

Mr. Engels prospered exceedingly and be- fore his death was the owner of 1160 acres of Lyon county soil, 920 acres in Wester- heim and 240 in Fairview. He became one of the big farmers and substantial men of the township and was prominent in local affairs. He was one of the organizers of school district No. 44, gave the land upon which the school house is located, and was treasurer of the district until his death. He served as a member of the Board of Super- visors of Westerheim and was later town- ship treasurer. He was a stockholder and a director of the Ghent State Bank.

Vincentius Engels was born in Caprycke, Belgium, July 26, 1850, one of a family of twelve children born to Dominico and Jo- hanna C. (Van Hyfte) Engels. Only two of the children are now living: Frank, of Illi- nois, and John, of Belgium. Mr. Engels came to America in 1880 and to Lyon county

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in 1883. He died at Eecloo, Belgium, Febru- ary 13, 1910, while in the old country for the benefit of his health, and he was buried in the cemetery at Ghent, Minnesota. He was a universally esteemed citizen. All good works found in him a generous helper and he was a father to the needy and the poor.

There are nine children in the Engels family, as follows: Amelia (Mrs. Mathew Hennen), of Westerheim township; Henry, who conducts his mother's farm on section 29; Levi, John and August, who assist in the management of the home farm; Eliza- beth, Joseph, Aloysius and Vincent. The eldest child, August, died in Illinois at the age of eight months.

Since her husband's death Mrs. Engels, with the help of her sons, has managed the property. They have added to the farming lands until they now have 1560 acres. The family farms 880 acres of the farm and rent out the balance. They engage in stock rais- ing extensively, feeding and shipping from three to five car loads per year. In 1912 they have 450 acres in small grain and about 200 acres in corn.

LEE SWIFT (1892) has been superintend- ent of the Tracy schools for the past twenty years, a record as a superintendent sur- passed by only one other in Minnesota. Un- der his management the Tracy schools have attained a high standard of excellency.

Lee Swift was born at Cazenovia, Wiscon- sin, December 5, 1859. His father, Charles B. Swift, was born in Ohio and died in Wis- consin. He served throughout the War of the Rebellion, in Arkansas and Missouri, as a member of Company F, Third Wisconsin Cavalry. The mother, Caroline (Huntley) Swift, was born in Ohio and now resides at Ireton, Wisconsin.

The subject of this review received his primary education in the public schools of Cazenovia and Ireton and was graduated from Ripon College in 1886. After receiving his diploma Mr. Swift made teaching his life's profession. He taught the eighth grade of the public school of Elroy, Wisconsin, one year, was superintendent of the Hills- boro, Wisconsin, schools one year, of the Faulkton schools one year, and of the Clark, South Dakota, schools two years. Professor Swift took the superintendency of the

Tracy schools in the fall of 1892 and has ever since held the position.

In addition to his school work, Mr. Swift is the owner and manager of the Tracy City Dairy, which he has conducted for the past ten years. He is a member of the Presby- terian church and of the Masonic and Work- nien lodges.

At Ireton, Wisconsin, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Swift to Carrie May Blanchard. She is a daughter of Orin C. and Hannah Blanchard, and she was born in the city in which she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Swift have three children, Carrie May, Vera Blanchard and Ernest Fremont.

JOHN P. NELSON (1887) is a Shelburne township farmer who has resided in Lyon county for a quarter of a century. His parents, Nels and Aluf Parson, are both deceased. John Nelson was born October 21, 1861, in Sweden, where he attended school until fourteen years of age. He then worked out as a farm hand two years, when he went to Denmark and worked in a rope factory two years. Returning to Sweden, he worked at the carpenter's trade, which he followed until 1887.

Mr. Nelson came to the United States in the year last mentioned and located at Bala- ton, where he resided about eight months. Then he moved to Burchard and worked on the section four years. Next he engaged in carpenter work for four years, two years for the Marfield Elevator Company, building and repairing elevators, and two years in Lyon county. He then purchased the eighty acre farm upon which his buildings now stand, and since that time has added 240 acres to his holdings. This land was all prairie when he purchased it, and he has improved it until now he has one of the finest farms in Lyon county. He raises considerable stock, including Poland China hogs, Shorthorn cat- tle and Plymouth Rock chickens. He is one of the most successful farmers in Lyon county.

Mr. Nelson is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church. He holds membership in the following lodges: the Blue Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic order; the United Workmen and the Eastern Star. Mr. Nelson has been a director of school district No. 49 nine years and was road overseer in Shel-

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burne township five years. He holds stock in the Florence Telephone Company, the State Bank of Florence, and the Farmers Co-operative Store Company of Balaton.

On November 28, 1886, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Anna Sanquist, a na- tive of Sweden. Mrs. Nelson was born No- vember 7, 1863, in Lunskroom. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are the parents of the following named children: Alfreada, born October 3, 1887; Charles. born February 4, 1889: Emil. born April 21, 1891; Edwin, born March 9, 1893; Lawrence, born May 8, 1896. All ex- cept Charles reside at home. Alfreada is a graduate of the Shorthand Department of the Mankato Commercial College.

Mr. Nelson has two brothers and one sis- ter: Andrew W. Nelson, of Rock Lake township; N. P. Nelson, of Two Harbors. Minnesota; Annie, of Rutledge, Minnesota.

WILLIAM B. PENISTON (1883), of Mar- shall, is proprietor of Sunnyside Feed Ranch and is an extensive dealer in horses. He has built up a prosperous business and con- ducts one of the big institutions of Lyon county.

Mr. Peniston was born in Bermuda Islands, of English parentage, September 10, 1864. At the age of fourteen years he went to sea and led a seafaring life four years. He served as ordinary seaman, later as able sea- man, and became second mate before he left the sea. For two years his service was on the George F. Seymour, which plied between the West Indies and London and back to the Bermudas, carrying English government supplies. The other years of his service were on the Eliza Bars, which carried cattle and horses from New Jersey to England for the English government.

In 1883 Mr. Peniston quit the sea and came to Lyon county. He was a perfect stranger in the county, and at the time of his arrival was possessed of only twenty-five cents. The first year he worked for Alonzo Peniston, to whom he was not related, on section 33, Grandview township. His wages were ten dollars per month, and at the end of the first year he had saved twenty dollars.

With that start Mr. Peniston began farm- ing on a small scale. For two years he rented land in Camden, Lynd township: then he moved to Old Lynd and farmed two years.

At the end of that time he purchased the Charles Goodell farm in Lyons township, paying therefor $10 per acre, and farmed it for a number of years. He rented the Baker farm one year and in 1901 bought his present place in Marshall-the Van Fleet farm- then known as Sunnyside Stock Farm. He has resided on the place ever since. The first year Mr. Peniston fed cattle and hogs, and since that time he has dealt in horses exclusively.

Mr. Peniston's love for horses is doubtless inherited. His father was a veterinarian and his paternal grandfather, William Penis- ton, was a dealer in horses. His maternal grandfather, Nicholas Hinson, was also a horseman. Our subject is the largest dealer in horses in Lyon county, buying, feeding and selling F. O. B. Marshall. He has made shipments to New York, Boston, Catskill, Chicago, Omaha, Cincinnati, Sioux City, Fargo, Duluth, Tacoma, Seattle, St. Paul and Minneapolis. He buys in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Northern Iowa.

Mr. Peniston's first shipment was made twelve years ago to the Bermuda Islands. To illustrate the increase in price: The average cost of the first load was $50 per head; at the present time he pays from $150 to $350 per head. Mr. Peniston claims to have sold the highest priced car of horses that ever went out of Lyon county. In 1902 an express load of sixteen head was shipped to Seattle, the average price of which was $365 per head. Among the number was a pair of matched roans weighing 3680 pounds. They were sold in the barn for $900, estab- lishing the state record.

It is Mr. Peniston's estimate that Lyon county annually sells $100,000 worth of horses. This year his sales alone amount to $40,000. His business is one of the important industries of the county, and he has done more to raise the standard of breeding draft horses than any other agency in the county. In 1907 he sold nine draft horses in the coun- ty, from which nearly all the best draft horses here have originated. Mr. Peniston's farm of 320 acres adjoins the city. He raises crops as well as horses.

The parents of our subject were Henry M. and Mary Jane (Hinson) Peniston, both of whom died in England. There were five children in the family, as follows: Hulbert and Ada ( Mrs. Nathaniel Vesey ), of the Ber-

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muda Islands; William B., of this biography; Alice, of St. Paul; and Henry, deceased.

William B. Peniston was married in Mar- shall in 1886 to Clara Bennett, a native of New London, Wisconsin. She died in 1906 at the age of forty-five years. Four children were born to the union: Helen (Mrs. Rich- ard Whitney), of Oregon; George, Ada and Evelyn. The second marriage of Mr. Penis- ton occurred January 22, 1908, when he wedded Blanch Robinson. She was born in Centerville, South Dakota, and her parents are the late William Robinson and Roselle (Golden) Robinson, who resides in Marshall.

SOLOMON JOHNSON (1894) owns the southwest quarter of section 16, Shelburne township, a short distance east of Florence. He has resided on that farm only one year, but he has been a resident of Lyon county eighteen years.

Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden Septem- ber 7, 1859. After securing his education he learned the cabinet maker's trade and con- tinued to reside in his native country until twenty years of age. He came to the United States in 1879 and his first home in the New World was at Lockport, Illinois. After a short residence there he moved to South Bend, Indiana, and for a year was employed in the Studebaker shops.

We next find Mr. Johnson in Pullman, Illinois, where for ten years he worked at his trade in the shops of the Pullman Car Company. The next three years were spent in the shops of the Wagner Car Company in Buffalo, New York, and one year in a shop in Minneapolis. Mr. Johnson gave up his trade in 1894 and turned farmer. He bought land in Coon Creek township and engaged in farming it until 1911, when he purchased and moved to his present farm.

During fifteen years of his residence in Coon Creek township Mr. Johnson was a member of the school board of district No. 56. He is a member of the Swedish Mission church and for fifteen years was superin- tendent of the Sunday School in Coon Creek.

Solomon Johnson is the son of J. N. and Marie (Orn) Johnson, who came from the old country in 1889. The father now resides with his son; the mother died March 6, 1912. There are five children in the family,

namely: Mary, John, Solomon, Hattie and Manda.

Mr. Johnson's first marriage occurred in- Minneapolis June 24, 1884, when he wedded Hilda Swanson. She died in Buffalo, New York, December 4, 1891. Three children were born to the union: Elmer, who is de- ceased, Edla and Leonard. The second mar- riage of Mr. Johnson occurred in Marshall July 16, 1897, and his bride was Augusta Larson. They have four children, named Arnold, Winnie, Myrtle and Lilly.

KNUT LARSON (1899), of Lyons town- ship, is a farmer and land owner. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, May 10, 1866. Knut received his early education in Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood. When nineteen years of age he moved to Lincoln county, South Dakota, where he pur- chased a quarter section of land, which he farmed until 1899, when he came to Lyon county. At that time he purchased the southeast quarter of section 32, Lyons town- ship, where he has since resided. He raises considerable stock and has fine improve- ments on his place. Mr. Larson also has other interests. He is a stockholder of the Farmers Elevator Company of Russell and is treasurer of school district No. 93.

On March 27, 1887, the subject of this re- view was united in marriage to Ella Thomp- son at Lincoln, South Dakota. Mrs. Larson was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, July 30, 1861, a daughter of Falkver and Gurie Thompson, both natives of Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have two children: Lula G., born April 29, 1890; Florence, born Octo- ber 15, 1894.

GEORGE W. PURVES (1886) owns 115 acres of good farm land on the northeast quarter of section 9, Monroe township, and also a residence in Tracy, where he makes his home. though he gives personal atten- tion to the management of his farm.

It was in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, that our subject first saw the light of day November 25, 1862. His father, Peter Pur- ves, was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to this country at the age of twelve years, living in Waukesha county, Wiscon- sin, until 1886, and following the occupation

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of a farmer. He came to Lyon county in 1886 and made that his home until his death two years later. Elizabeth (Johnson) Purves, the mother of George W., was also a native of Scotland, coming to America at the age of twenty, and marrying Mr. Purves in Wis- consin. She died in 1898. Besides George W. there were four children in the family.

The first twenty-four years of our sub- ject's life were spent in his native county in Wisconsin, during which time he received his education in the country schools and worked for his father and for the neighbors. In 1886 the young man came to Lyon county and located in Amiret township, where he bought a farm and made his home eleven years. In 1897 Mr. Purves moved to Tracy, where he has since lived, but has spent much of his time on the farm. While a resident of the township of Amiret he served as a school director and as an elder of the Amiret Presbyterian church.

Our subject married Elizabeth Mitchell September 17, 1890, in Amiret township. Mrs. Purves is a daughter of Joseph Mitchell and Sarah Mitchell, of Amiret township, and was born at Elida, Illinois, June 19, 1872, coming to Lyon county when a child. Mr. and Mrs. Purves have the following children: Ada, born June 14, 1891; Elizabeth, born July 21, 1892; Vivian, born April 5, 1901; George Harland, born November 2, 1902; and Bertram Norcross, born February 13, 1907. Mr. Purves is a member of the Presbyterian church.

GEORGE ARTHUR FITCH (1884) is the pioneer piano dealer of Tracy. He was born in Lake Sarah township, Murray county, just over the line from Tracy, on March 25, 1882. When a child two years of age he accompanied his parents to Tracy and that city has ever since been his home.

Our subject is a graduate of the Tracy High School and he completed his education with a course in Hamline University. His father engaged in the piano business in Tracy in an early day and his son grew up in that business. After reaching mature years he became a partner in the business and continued so until 1908, when the elder Fitch withdrew from the firm, since which time George has conducted the business alone. He handles pianos, organs, sewing

machines, musical merchandise, etc. His leading piano is the Busch & Gerts. He handles the Edison and Victor phonographs and records.

Mr. Fitch was married to Alma Lloyd at Mankato on June 20, 1910. She is a native of Blue Earth county and a daughter of Peter Lloyd, a well-known resident of that county and a former county treasurer. Mr. Fitch holds membership in the A. O. U. W. lodge and in the Illinois Commercial Travel- ers Association.

George D. and Louisa (Bach) Fitch are the parents of our subject. The former was born in Rochester, Minnesota, the latter in Wisconsin. They homesteaded land in Lake Sarah township, Murray county, in the seven- ties, moved to Tracy in 1884, and resided there until their removal to South Dakota in 1908. There are seven children in the family: Mrs. L. Hillman, of Livingston, Montana; George A., of this biography; Mrs. W. J. Priest, of Livingston, Montana; Caral, of Tracy: Lowell G., of Livingston, Montana, an employe of the Northern Pacific Railway Company; and Madge and Tracy, who re- side with their parents.

ALDOR B. SWANSON (1896), a farmer residing in Coon Creek township, was born in Aby, Kalmarlane, Sweden, on March 2, 1871, the son of Adolph and Marie (Johan- son) Swanson. The mother died some years ago; the father resides in Sweden. Aldor attended school in Sweden until fourteen years of age.

In 1892 our subject immigrated to America, locating at St. Paul, Minnesota. He at- tended school there for some time and the next four years were spent engaged in the following lines of work: Digging cellars and grading lots at St. Paul, working on the Soo railroad in North Dakota, working at the blacksmith's trade in Minneapolis and at the same trade on the iron range between Vir- ginia and Mckinley, Minnesota; at Wahpe- ton, North Dakota, as a blacksmith; work- ing for the government at Hastings, Minne- sota, taking out rock from the quarries; cut. ting brush along the Mississippi river for the government, in the lumber camps of Wiscon- sin as a blacksmith, on a government boat on the Mississippi, in the lumber camps near

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Grand Rapids, Minnesota; railroading in Minnesota.

In 1896 Mr. Swanson became a resident of Lyon county and hired out to Archie Ste- ward, who lived north of Marshall, as a blacksmith. He worked there some time and then went to Marshall, where he worked for over a year in the machine shops. Then he returned to St. Paul and went to the woods for the winter. The next summer he returned to Marshall, where he worked a short time and then moved to Russell, where he operated a blacksmith shop two and one- half years. The next ten years were spent in Marshall, two years in the machine shops and eight years conducting a blacksmith shop. He then moved to the farm he now operates in Coon Creek township, consisting of 560 acres. In addition to general farming, he raises considerable stock, among other breeds, Połand China hogs, Shorthorn cat- tle, Percheron and Coach horses and White Plymouth Rock chickens. Mr. Swanson is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church. He has one brother and one sister, both of whom reside in Kalmarlane, Sweden. They are Albin F. and Elvira Swanson. Mrs. Swanson has one sister, Ester, who resides at Kalmarlane.

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An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 65

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 726

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 726