USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 43
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Mr. Bedford was married in October, ISSO, to Miss Alida Detmering. To them have been born six children, one dying in in- fancy, as follows: Bessie (Mrs. Burr Lud- low), Rushmore; Mabel (Mrs. A. C. Con- stable), Goodland, Ind .; Clayton, Rushmore; Alida, Rushmore; Arba, Rushmore.
HENRY DAVIS (1847-1887). During a residence of sixteen years in Worthington in the early days llenry Davis ranked as one of the leading spirits of the little town. lle was held in high esteem by the people with whom he was associated, and is remem- bered kindly by all the early settlers.
Mr. Davis was born in Ohio Jan. 1, 1847, next to the youngest of a family of nine children. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Davi-, were born in Wales, came to America and settled in Ohio, where they were mar- lied. They died in Mankato in recent years. In the early fifties, before the town of Mankato was organized, the Davis family moved to that frontier village, and there the subject of this biography grew to man- hood.
In the summer of 1871. when it became known that a town was to be founded on lake Okabena, Henry Davis came to the site of the proposed town. and before the land was surveyed started a store and be-
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came to hr-t bu-me .. man of Worthing:va. llis store building was a sud shanty, lo cated near the present site of the fouring mill. In that he had his store for a short time, and then built a frame building on Main street, which Was replaced by his brick building a few years later. When the Black Hills boom was on in the late seventies Mr. Davis left his wife in charge of the Worthington store and started with a stork of goods for the new country. In a little town near Deadwood he opened a store and secured the cream of the business. Mthough gone only from April to Angust, so prosperous were the times during the boom that he made considerable money. Returning to Worthington he erected his brick store building and the handsome resi- dence on Fourth avenue, where his widow now resides.
Mr. Davis was married at Worthington June 1, 1873, to Anna Ulveling, daughter of Peter and Rosa (Bosting) Ulveling, Mrs. Davis was born in Luxemburg, Germany, came with her parents to America when a child, and lived in Wisconsin until her mar- riage to Mr. Davis. They were the parents of one child a boy, who died in infancy. Mr. Davis Jeft considerable property at the time of his death, which Mrs. Davis, . with rare business ability and sagacity, has well taken care of and added to. She now owns about 1,500 acres of farm land in Minnesota, Canada and the Dakotas, be- side residence property.
Mr. Davis died at his home in Worthing- ton of consumption Sept. 5, ISS7.
ERICK B. PAUL., retired farmer of Worth- ington and one of the county's pioneers, has led an eventful life. He was born in Nor- way April 17. 1841. and came to the United States with his parents in the fall of 1848. They settled in Wyoming valley, lowa coun- ty, Wi -.. where the head of the family pre- empted a quarter section of land and en- gaged in farming. There Erick made his home until the outbreak of the civil war ..
When the call for vohmteers was made in ISG1. Mr. Paul enlisted in company (, of the 12th Wisconsin infantry, and served throughout the war. lle received his dis- charge at Natchez, Miss., in January, 1861, but immediately reenlisted as a veteran and
received an honorable discharge May 30, 1865. During the fore part of his service his regiment was on the western plains, but he was soon transferred to the army of Temlessee and saw considerable fighting. Ile Was with Grant and Sherman in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and participated in the capture of Memphis and the siege of Vicksburg. In the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, he played an heroic part. lle was the first of fifty men to vol- unteer to go up the mountain to ascertain the strength and situation of the Confeder- ates. This little party was attacked June 15, 1864, by a force from Ben llill's division, and, so far as Mr. Paul knows, he was the only one of the fifty to escape with his life. lle was shot twice, and to this day carries one of the bullets he received. lle was taken prisoner, and for five weeks was in the Confederate hospital at Atlanta, Georgia. Then he was taken to Andersonville prison, where he remained until the close of the war. With a fellow prisoner he made his escape from that noted prison, but was re- captured eighteen days later, near Jackson- ville. Florida, and returned to the jail on Christmas day, 1864. The companion with whom he escaped was shot and killed. At the time of his return to prison Mr. Paul was without clothing. lle was promised a Christmas dinner upon his return, but did not receive it. Just forty years later he re- turned to the scene of his incarceration and took that Christmas dinner.
After the war Mr. Paul went back to his old home in Wisconsin, but remained there only a short time. During the next two years he roughed it on the western plains in company with "Wild Bill." lle then ro- turned to Iowa county, Wis., and engaged in farming on a farm which he had pre- viously bought. Selling out there one year later, he came to the new country of Nobles county, in May, 1870.
It was on August 4, 1870, that Mr. Paul preempted the southwest quarter of see- tion 20, Indian Lake township. Only a few settlers hal had the hardihood to make their homes in Noble county at that time. and Mr. Paul's neighbors were not many. lle daims to have been the first to receive a deed to a quarter section of land in Nobles county. He was one of the first Nobles county farmers to turn attention to apple
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raising. and his success was the signal for many others engaging in the business. Mr. Paul lived on his farm until 1902, when he sold and moved to Worthington, where he has since lived a retired life. He owns a residence in Worthington and property in Madison, Wis. He holds a membership in the G. A. R.
Our subject was the son of Edward Paul. at one time a body-guard to the king of Norway and Sweden, and an experienced military man. He was a sergeant ir the same company and regimens of which his son was a member. Ile was taken sick at the siege of Vicksburg and died on the hospital boat "Belle of Memphis" on a trip from Vicksburg to Memphis. He is buried in the National cemetery at Memphis, and over his grave his son has erected a fitting monument. There Erick has been several times to see his father's grave. arranged in the bivonae of the dead.
ROBERT L. DAUGHERTY is one of the pioneer settlers of Dewall township. He resides on the southwest quarter of section four. of that township. Ilis father, Robert Daugherty, was one of the best known men in the township. having homesteaded there when there were only a few other settlers in the vicinity. The elder Daugherty was horn in Scotland-in the city of Glasgow- in April, 1830, and came to the United States when a young man. He was a puddler by trade. and followed that. ocenpa- tion all his life until he came to Nobles county. The first years of his residence in the new world were spent in New Jer- sey. He was a veteran of the civil war, having enlisted in company B. of the 4th New Jersey infantry. in 186]. He was se- verely wounded at the battle of Fredericks- burg. and soon thereafter received his dis- charge. He then returned to Trenton, N. J., where he lived until 1870. His wife, Jane (Marshall) Daugherty. survives him and is living in Dewald township.
To these parents was born Robert L. Daugherty on March 4, 1858. Ilis boyhood days were spent in that New Jersey city. In 1870 the family moved to Champaign county, Ill., which was the home of our subject for two years. There the Daugh- ertys eame in contact with advertising mat-
ter of the National colony, which proposed to settle the new country of southwestern Minnesota. and it was decided to seek a home in the west. May 16, 1872. is the date of the arrival of the family in Worth- ington. The elder Daugherty at once filed on the southeast quarter of seetion eight. Dewald township. At the time of taking up their residence in that township, the only other settlers in that township were Messrs. Pepple, Lambert, Houghton, Sherlie, Dewald, Churchill, Joe Mason, Joe Poots, W. R. D. MeChord. A. B. MeChord, Richard Berggraf, Tom Childs and Sam Childs. Robert Daugh erty. Sr., died Sept. 15. 1903.
Robert L. lived with his parents on the homestead until 1890, when he began farm- ing for himself on the southwest quarter of section four. which has since been his home. During his residence there he has served many years as a member of the school board of his district. He is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church of Rushmore. Mr. Dangherty was married Feb. 5. 1889, to Miss Gertrude Ager, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Ager, of Worthington. Mrs. Daugherty is a native of the state of Ohio. To them have been born the following child- ren. all of whom are living at home: Al. bert, Esther and Clifford.
HENRY M. ANDERSON. The oldest No- bles county settler now living in Bloom township and one of the pioneers of the county is Henry M. Anderson, who came with the settlers of 1872.
Mr. Anderson is a Norwegian by birth, having been born near the city of Christiana in December, 1857. His father, Martin An- derson, died in the spring of 1873, at the age of 45 years, and is buried in the In- dian Lake cemetery. His mother, Mary An- derson. died in 1905. The family came to America in the fall of 1871 and first settled at Lansing. in Allamakee county, Iowa. That winter they removed across the state line to Brownsville, in Houston county. Minn .. where the father secured work on the Southern Minnesota railroad.
It was on the third day of July, 1872, that the family arrived in the little village of Worthington with the determination of mak- ing a home in the new country. The parents of our subjeet at onee moved to Horton
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township Devolt county, lowa. just over the line from Indian Lake township. where they took a homestead claim. Henry did not move to the claim with his parents Fut moved to the home of J. N. Dodge. on the bank of Rome lake, where for four ur five years he was employed herding cat- the. For several year- thereafter he worked ont at different places, making his home at Isaac Horton's, in Indian Lake township. In the spring of Iss Mr. Anderson started in the well boring business, which he con- tinned. in connection with his farming opera- tions. until ten years ago. He moved to Bloom township in 1886 and bought a home- strad relinquishment to the northwest quar- ter of section 20, proving up on it some years later. He has since added to his real estate hollings by the purchase of the northeast quarter of the same section and eighty acres in Murray county. His home has been on his present farm twenty two years.
Mr. Anderson was married Nov. 18. 1883. in Indian Lake township to Miss Iney Hor- ton. daughter of the late Isaac Horton and wite, pioneer settlers of Indian Lake. Mrs. Anderson was born in Ohnstead county, Minn., Feb. 24. 1866. To them have been born the following children: Ive May (Mrs. ( has. Weitgenant), of Bloom, born May 1. ISS1; Heury Leroy, born Dec. 17. 1888; Lena Pearl (Mr-, John Whalen). of Wilmont, born May S. 1591: Martin I-aae. born Dce. 7. 1595: Bertha Louisa and Lilly Frances (twins). born Jan. 26. 1901. died Feb. 9 and Feb. 13. 1001. respectively; Justin Thomas. born Nov. 23. 1903: Rolland Earl, born Oct. 6. 1906.
Mr. Anderson has hell several official positions during his residence in the county. He has served as treasurer, clerk or director of old school district No. 7] and of the new district, No. 103. during nearly all of the time he has lived in Bloom township, and is now a director. He served two term- on the Bloom township board.
HENRY H. READ, in whose honor the town in which he now resides was named. is one of the pioneer settlers of Nobles county. He is a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, where he was born Feb. 17. 1851, son of Joseph E. and Czarina (Honser)
Read, natives of Maryland and Ohio, ro- spretively. Both parents are dead. the mother having passed away in 1884 and the father four year- later. On his father's side Mr. Read is of German and Irish descent; on his mother's side, German.
In his native county Mr. Read lived until hy was four years of age, at which time the family moved to Pulaski county, Ind., when that part of the state was a new and wild country. Heury Read received his edu- cation in the Pulaski county schools, fin- ishing with a course in a graded town school in Ohio. In the fall of 1868 the Reads moved to Shelby county, Ohio, and there our suh- jeet lived. engaged in farm work. until April, 1873. He was married in Logan coun- ty. Ohio, April 17, 1873. to Eliza Catherine Will. daughter of George and Jane (Gish) Hill. Her father died in 1894: her mother in 1905. Mrs. Read's great grandfather enme to America when an infant and founded the American branch of the family. Both the parents died during the trip over. and the passengers, not knowing the family name, took care of the infant and named him nill.
After his marriage Mr. Read moved to Worthington, arriving in that town May 2. 1873. Ho contested a tree claim on land upon which the village of Reading is now situated, but by reason of the grasshopper scourge changed the filing to a preemption and proved up on it. He did not at once move onto his land. but from 1873 to 1876 farmed his father's farm on Loon lake, in Jackson county. In the last named year he took up his residence on his Summit Lake township farm, and that has been his home ever since. For a number of years Mr. and Mrs. Read lived in a little shack, which was without a floor and many other ac commodations.
When Reading was founded in' 1899, Mr. Read retired from active farm work. In the early days he served as a member of the board of supervisors of Summit Lake township three or four years, was township treasurer one term. and has held the office of directar or clerk of school district No. 7 nearly all of the time he has resided in the county. Mr. Read is a member of the prohibition party and a temperance worker. It has been largely through his influence that saloons have been kept out of Reading.
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OLE A. FAUSKEE, of Bigelow township, is one of the oldest living pioneers of Nobles county, having had a continuous residence here of over thirty-eight years. He was born in Waldur-t. Norway, March 5. 1845. and spent the first twenty-two years of his life in his native land. His early days were spent on his father's farm. After obtaining a primary education in the district school> he entered Land's seminary, from which institution he was graduated in 1864. He then spent one summer in Asker semi- nary. near Christiana. studying military matters, singing and other branches. After securing his education he engaged in teach- ing. which he followed two years prior to his coming to America.
He arrived in the new world July 1. 1867. and located first at Decorah, Iowa. During the fall he spent most of the time travel- ing. visiting Chicago, LaCrosse. and other places. Then he entered an English school at Decorah. where he was a student several months. taking a high school course. 1Ie made his home with Professor Breckenridge of the school. and improved his opportunity of taking private lessons in English. repay- ing the professor by teaching him the Nor- wegian language. So proficient did Mr. Fauskee become in the use of the English language that he was teaching an English school near Decorah the second winter after his arrival in America. an occupation he followed two or three years.
In 1870, in company with his brother, Ole Fauskee. and the latter's family he came to the then thinly settled Nobles county and his home has been here ever since. He took a preemption claim on section 6. Indian Lake township, and six months later took as a homestead the northeast quarter of section 12. Bigelow township, where he now resides. On his preemption claim he built a log house, which was burned by . a prairie fire. The house on his homestead was a dugout. in which he lived about three years. During the winter of 1870-71 he returned to Towa and taught school, but came back to his claim the next spring.
Mr. Fauskee was married in Faribault county, Min., March 14. 1973. to Hannah Johnson. daughter of Jacob and Maria (Knutson) Johnson. Mrs. Fanskee was born in Wisconsin but went to Fillmore county Minn .. with her parents when a baby. To
Mr. and Mrs. Fauskee have been born the following children: Albert Julius, of Worth- ington. born Feb. 20. 1874; Minnie Jose- phine (Mrs. Oscar Pear-on), of Worthington. born May 11. 1875; Ida Louise (Mrs. Rod Hecox), of Barron, Wis., born March 15, 1877: Annie Julia. of Minneapolis: Henry Oscar. of Barron, Wis,, born Aug. 13, 1881; David II., of Worthington, born March 1, 1883: Daniel W .. of Bigelow township, born Dee. 19, 1885: Ella Marie, born Feb. 24, 1889. died July 3. 1893.
In local affair- Mr. Fauskee has taken an active interest during his long residence in the county. He served as the first assessor of Bigelow township. In the early days he served as township clerk for some time and was township treasurer three years. Mrs. Fauskec served as clerk of school dis- triet No. 83 for three years.
JOHN JHANSBERGER. Among the old time residents of Nobles county and among the very first to settle in Lorain township is John Hansberger, who has resided on his present farm thirty-six years.
Mr. Hansberger is a native of Berks county. Pennsylvania. where he first saw the light of day on Dre. 18. 1838. His parents. Joel Hansberger and wife. were natives of the same county. the father having heen born in 1808 and the mother in 1812. When John was a boy his parents left the old home in Pennsylvania and sought a location in Ohio, stopping first in Pickaway county. subsequently going to Fairfield county and finally to Sandusky county. The subject of this biography accompanied his parents on their several moves and remained in Ohio until 1872.
On September 7, 1861. Mr. Hansberger en- listed in company K. of the 17th Ohio in- fantry, and was a member of that company and regiment until July 16. 1865. when he received his discharge at Louisville, Ky. He participated in the battles of Mills Springs. Corinth. Stone River. Chickamauga. Raseca. Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Sa- vannah. Goldsboro and Raleigh.
With the colonisis of 1872 came Mr. Hansberger to Nobles county. He took as a homestead the northeast quarter of sec- tion 20, in what was later organized as
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Lorain towoch od of that farm he bas siner made his home. He has a beautiful he me ans a well megrovel farm and is one of the best known agriculturists of eastern
In Fairfield county, Ohio, in November, 1-67. Mr. Hansberger was unitel in mar- ringe to Miss Hannah Catherine Myers, who is of German and English descent, but who deacordo from a long line of American an- cesters. The mother was reared a Quaker. She was born in Bucks county, Pa., in ISOS and diel in Fairfield county, Ohio. in 1868. The father was also a native of Bu k- county, having been born in 1804 and having died in Ohio in March. 1890. To Mr. and Mrs. Hansberger have been born the fol- lowing children: William L .. born Dec. 10. 1-08: Lizzie R. (Mrs. E. C. Wilson). horn Feb. 25. 1872: Imnella C.,, born April 27. 1875: Vietor Clyde, born Fcb. Il. ISTS; James Arthur. born Sept. 19. 1SS).
Wr. and Mrs. Hansberger are members of the Methodist church of Worthington. He belongs to Stoddard Post No. 31. G. A. R. For the last twenty years he has held the office of township treasurer and has been a school director for several years.
JOHN A. SPAFFORD, of Ewington towr- ship. Jackson county, was one of the very earliest settlers of Worthington. Although he has been a resident of Jackson county for a good many years his farm is just over the line from Nobles county and he is more closely identified with the history of Sobles county than he is with the county in which he lives.
Mr. Spafford descends from one of the oldest families of America. For several con- turies before the American family was founded the Spaffords. or Spotfords, as the name was originally spelled. were a people of high rank in England. So early as 10GG we find the name in the Doomsday Book. which is a book of record of the lands of England as parcelle l out after the cougnest of William. Duke of Normandy. The Amer- ican branch of the family was founded by John Spufford, who came to America in 1638 with a colony nudler the leadership of Rev. Tzekiet Hours. 'Ile colony was com- posed of many families from Yorkshire and made settlement in April, 1639, between
son
Newbury and Ipswich, in Massachusetts. The name of John Spofford appears on the rec- orl of the first division of lands into home- stead lots, which was made in 1043. His lo consisted of one and one-half acres, and was located on Bradford street, so called, near the center of the present town of Row- ley. In the spring of 1669 he moved to Spufford'- Hill. in the west part of the town, and he was without doubt the first settler of Georgetown and the progenitor of all of the name in the United States and Canada. ,Ilis wife was Elizabeth Scott, who vame to Americi in the ship Elizabeth in 1634, when nine years of age.
The John A. Spafford of this skeich belongs to the eighth generation in this descent. One of the sons of the original John Spof- ford was also named John. He lived on the site of the original settlement on Spofford's Ilill. in what is now Georgetown, Mass., where he died April 27. 1696. Jonathan, son of John, was a resident of Rowley, where he died Jan. 16, 1772, aged 89 years. Jacob. of Jonathan, emigrated to Salisbury, Conn., where he lived for many years, and where he died. Col. Solomon Spafford was a son of Jacob Spafford. He moved from Comeetient to Hallowell, Canada, at which place he died Feb. 2. 1837. One of the sons of Col. Solomon Spafford was Ira Spafford. who was born in Vermont, emigrated with his father to Canada, and settled at Hal- lowell, now Athol. One of his sons was Ileman Spafford, the father of the subject of this sketch. Heman Spafford was horn in Prince Edward county, Ontario, Canada. Feb. S. 1805, and died in Picton, Prince Hlward county. August 26, 1876. He was married to Cecelia Abrams, who was born in Ireland in 1812 and died in Bloomington, 111., June 11. 1891.
To Heman and Cecelia Spafford was born John \. Spafford. His birthplace was Pie- ton. Prince Edward county, Ontario, and the date if his birth was August 20, 1837. In Fis native county he grew to manhood. Ilis carly life was spent in securing a common school education and in working on the farm. When twenty-four years of age he left home and sought his fortune in the west. Ho departed from his native town on the 15th of April. 1861, and arrived in Chicago three days later. There he secured employment in the grain commission house
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of Baker & Spafford, for which firm he worked two years. In August, IS63, Mr Spafford moved to Wapella, DeWitt county, Ill., where for two years he was grain buyer for a Chicago commission house.
During those two years he made consider- able money, but owing to a general collapse in prices at the elose of the civil war, he lost it all, and what was still worse he found himself considerably in debt. During the win- ter of 1865 he was engaged in buying and sacking corn and oats for the commissary department of the government through a sub- agent, who, at the close of the war, found himself over-stocked with grain for which the government would have no use. Mr. Spafford had contracted for much grain from the farmers. advaneing some money on each lot, and when the department's demand was cut off. and the markets in the large grain centers tumbled fifty per cent or more, there was nothing left for him to do but take in the contracted grain at former prices, to wit: 65 to 70 cents per bushel for oats and 75 to 80 cents per bushel for corn. and put it on the Chicago market at 30 to 40 cents per bushel. In this deal his fortune was swept away, and for six or seven years he knocked about at various occupations un- til his removal to Nobles county.
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With the rush of homeseckers to south- western Minnesota in the spring of 1872 came Mr. Spafford, the date of his arrival in Worthington being May 9. For a time he made his home in the new town, engaging in teaming for T. N. Sater. the pioneer lum- ber dealer, and other business men. In June he filed a homestead claim to the north- west quarter of section 26. in Ewington township. Jackson county, which is now his home. Three months later he returned to his old home in Illinois, straightened out his business affairs there, and on Oct. 6 returned with his family. He lived in Worthington until the spring of 1873. and then moved onto his homestead. He began farming then. but the grasshoppers took nearly every- thing, and late in the fall of 1875 he was forced to return to Worthington and seek employment. He secured work in the flour- ing mill. in the fall of 1876 being promoted to the office of heal bookkeeper. ITis resi- dence was in Worthington about a vear and a half. and then he returned to the farm, which has been his home ever since.
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