An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota, Part 44

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 738

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Mr. Spafford holds a record as a township officer which is equalled by few men. With the exception of the first year he has held a township office ever since Ewington town- ship was organized. Ile was elected town clerk in 1881 and held the office for twenty- five consecutive years. finally giving up the office in 1906. Still longer service has he seen in the school district. When the dis- triet was organized in 1875 he was elected to the office of treasurer and a few years later to that of clerk. He still holds the office. making a continuous service of thirty- three years. Besides the offices mentioned he has been township assessor, member of the board of supervisors. and for a short time was chairman of the board.

In 1894 Mr. Spafford applied to the post- offire department for an office to be loea- ted on his farm. Ile was successful in his efforts, and in September of that year the office, named Spofford in his honor, (although the name was incorrectly spelled) was put in operation. with Mr. Spafford as postmaster. The next year he opened a general store and operated it in connection with the office. He continued this business six years, and then sold out the store and resigned the post- mastership.

Mr. Spafford was married in Bloomington, THI .. April 5, 1865, to Mary Stoutz. daughter of Geo. Stoutz, a coach builder in the shops of the Chicago & Alton Railway company. To this union have been born seven children as follows: Edith Cecelia (Mrs. Joel Edward White). Aberdeen, S. D .: George Walter. Ewington township; William Charles (died in 1874. aged four and one-half years) ; Frank Addison. Ewington township: Clara Angus- ta (Mrs. Robert Edward Davis). Worthing- ton: Emma Elizabeth (Mrs. Charles E. Gehrke), Ewington township; John Heman. Ewington township.

Mr. and Mrs. Spafford were both charter members of the Methodist church of Worthington, having brought letters from their church in Illinois.

EDWIN S. TERRY. of Worthington town- ship, is one of the pioneer settlers of No- bles county. having come with the vanguard of the settlers of 1872 and having made his home on his original homestead ever since.

In the village of IJenrietta, seven miles

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south of the city of Rochester. V. Y., Mr. Jerry was born July 5, 1831. the descendant at a long line of Ameri an ance try. Ilis Joen . Rin-lier and Polly (Jone-) Terry, Here native of Long Island, N. Y. In his native town Mr. Terry was reared an! edu- oated atd after growing to manhood engag- el in farming. With the exception of four years when the was engaged in the oil Imsiness in Pennsylvania he followed the occupation of farmer in New York state until the year 1871.

In the last named year Mr. Terry started out to look for a home in the west. lle stopped off for a short time in Michigan and then went to thetopa. Kansas, where he passed the winter of 1871-72. A friend by the name of Branch had a claim and was living in Nobles county at this time, and through him Mr. Terry heard of Nobles county and decided to try his fortunes in the new country. It was in March. 1872, that he arrived in the county and purchased a homestead relinquishment from a man in Spirit Lake to the southeast quarter of section 20. Worthington township. There he builded him a home and there he has resided ever since, a continuous residence of over thirty six years. He and family suf- fered from the grasshopper scourge, the severo winters, the prairie fires and other hardships incident to pioneer life.

On April 4. 1974, at Henrietta. N. Y., Mr. Terry was united in marriage to Miss Emma Davis, daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Mary (Bell) Davis, both natives of Vermont. but residents of Grecee, N. Y., at the time of the birth of Mrs. Terry. To Mr. and Mrs. Terry have been born the following named children: Mary Abby (Mrs. ('lyde Ager). Worthington: Edna and Will- mar, who reside at home.

In the early days Mr. Terry served two years as a member of the board of supervis- ors. He was a member of the school board of distriet No. 48 for eight or ien years.

GARDNER ESTES. One of the pioneer arfilers of Elk township is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was born in Malden, Mass., (the town is now known as Everett) June 24, 183t. Ilis father. Zera Estes, a native of Massachusetts, was born

Jan. 9, 1SO5, and died April 9, 1895. His mother was Lydia (Vinning) Estes, also a native of Massachusetts, who was born Inly 12, IS12, and died March 4, 1900. Both par- ents of our subject descen led from colonial stock, one of the Vinning family having taken a part in King Phillips war (1675 76) and others in the war of the revolution.

Gardner lived in Malden until he was twenty-one years of age. Ile secured a com- mon school education, and in 1855 went to Troy. N. Y., where for four years he was in the tannery business a business he followed un- til he came to Nobles county. After leav ing Troy he lived in Pennsylvania several years, and thereafter in the towns of Spun- cer and Candor. N. Y .. and other phhees in the same state.

Ile came to Nobles county April 2. 1873. and took as a homestead the east half of the northeast quarter of section 2S. Elk township. That has been his home ever since. and few Nobles county men have lived for a longer time on one farm. In the early days he worked at his trade in Milwaukee. Wis., part of the time, but his home was always in Nobles county. During his long residence in Elk township Mir. Estes has held many offices of trust within the gift of his neighbors. Ile was township supervisor ton years, being chairman of the board part of the time. He was treasurer nineteen con- seentive years and held the office of clerk of the school district twenty-one years.

Mr. Estes was married at Newfield. N. Y .. May IG. 1865, to Sarah E. Johnston. a native of New York state and the danghier of John C. and Hester (Wooster) Johnston. descendants of carly settlers in New York state. To Mr. and Mrs. Estes have been bonn the following children: Minnie (Mrs. Theo. Hinrichs), born Feb. 23, 1867. Worthington township; Fred Johnston. born Oct. 3. 1869. now of Casselton. N. D .: Lydia (Mrs. Carroll S. Mabec). born April 5. 1874. now of Ithaca. N. Y.

ERICK MAIILBERG. Among the pioncer settlers of Nobles county is the man whose name heads this sketch a man who has made his home in Bigelow township thirty-seven years, having come with the first who took claims in that township.

Mr. Mahlberg was born in Sweden Der. 28,

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1836, the son of IIalvor and Carrie ( Erick - son) Mahlberg. His parents died in Sweden in recent years. During the thirty-six years of his life that he lived in his native coun- try Mr. Mahlberg worked at many occupa- tions. Ile worked in the mines, in the tim- ber, at farming, and learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for several years.

In company with several other of his countrymen, many of whom are now resi- dents of Nobles county, he came to the United States in 1870. He spent the first sum- mer in Michigan, and then went to St. Paul, where he remained only a short time. At lastings, Minn., he and his companions se- enred work with a railroad construction crew and spent the first winter near that village. In the spring of 1871 the party went to St. James, which was then the end of the new Sioux City & St. Paul railroad, and secured employment as graders. Mr. Mahlberg accompanied the other members of the party when they left the work to make filings on land in Nobles county. he taking as a homestead claim the southwest Quarter of section 12, Bigelow township. That land has been his home ever since. In recent years he has given over the active management of the farm to his sons, Fred and Carl.

Soon after his arrival in Nobles county Mr. Mahlberg was married at Worthington to Christine Erickson. To them have been born the following children: Alfred. a Bige- low township farmer; Annie (Mrs. John Swanson). of Eagle Bend, Minn .; Carrie (MIrs. John Benson), of Worthington; Emil (de- ceased). Fred, Ida. Carl and Otto. The last four named reside on the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Mahlberg and family are mem- bers of the Swedish Lutheran church of Worthington.

ANTHONY THOMPSON. When there was hardly a settler in the whole of western Nobles county, in June, 187], a small party of men came out from Wisconsin and set- tled in what later became Little Rock township. Among these was Knute Thomp- son and his son. the subject of his biography. who, with the others, became the first set- tlers of the township. Knute Thompson is now living in the state of Washington. Ilis wife, Annie (Arneson) Thompson, is dead.

To these parents Anthony Thompson was born in Jowa county, Wis., Oct. 18, 1851. lle was raised on his father's farm and came to Nobles county with his parents when less than twenty years of age. The father homesteaded the southwest quarter of section 14, and on that place Anthony resided until his parents left in 1876. Up- on becoming of age he took as a tree claim a quarter section of land on section 14. A little later he filed a homestead claim to the north half of the southeast quarter of section 14.

Discouraged by the depredations of the grasshoppers and the severe winters, Mr. Thompson decided to leave the county, and in 1877 he sold his land rights, receiving about $175 for the 240 acres, and went to Woodbury county, Iowa. He was there two years working out as a farm laborer, and then went to Nebraska. where he remained six months. Not finding land there to suit his fancy, he returned to Nobles county. Ile farmed rented land for two or three years and then bought eighty acres of his present farm on seetion 1], and has made his home there ever since. He now owns 240 acres on sections 11 and 15.

Mr. Thompson was married in Little Rock township Oct. 24, 1878, to Annie Anderson, who was born in Norway in 1849 and who came to America when four years old. They are the parents of two children-Oscar and Elmer, both of whom reside at home. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church. He has served as director of school district No. 1] for several years.

R. W. MOBERLY, now a resident of Ok- lahoma (postoffice address Chickasha. Okla .. ) was one of the carlier settlers of western Nobles county and spent the host years of his life in this county, removing to the south in 1901.

He was born in Owensboro. Kentucky. April 26. 1847. His father. Lewis B. Moberly. was also a native of Kentucky and died in 1894. ITis mother, Susan (Owen) Moberly. was born in Kentucky and died in 1864. The first seventeen years of our subject's life were spent on his father's farm in Kentucky. During the summer months he worked on the farm, and during the winter attended

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the district schools. In the spring of 1964 los father soll the home place in Kentucky and moved to Clay county, Il. There R. W. Moberly worked on the farm until the fall of Isto, when he entered the high school at llora Ill .. of which school he was a student for one year.

After quitting -chool Mr. Moberly traveled in a patent me liine f'rm, which work he was engaged in until the spring of 1868. Then he went to Quincy. Ill., and in July, of the same year. he removed to Winona comn'y. Min. Four years weres spent in smitheastern Minnesota. Summers he would «gage in work on the farm. and winters he tanght school. These ccenpations were varied by occasional trips down and up the Mis- -issippi river. working in several different localities. While in Winona county Mr. Mo- berly came in contact with the literature of the National colony and he decided to cast his lot with those who were booming the new country. Ile accordingly started for Worthington, arriving in that frontier vil- Jage May 23, 1872, shortly after the railroad train- began making regular trips. He im- mediately filed a preemption claim to the southeast quarter of section M. township 102. range 42. then an unorganized town- ship, now the township of Olney. Accom- panying Mr. Moberly was J. V. Bartow. These two gentlemen entered their claims in the land office at Jackson on the same day, and were the third and fourth to make Glings in Olney township. being preceded by S. D. Tinnes and Andrew An- derson.

Mr. Moberly took an active part in the organization of the township in which he had selected his home, and when the township was formed in July, 1873. he was made the first town clerk. The township was first cal- Irl Ilebbard. later New Haven, and finally the name Ofney was selected. the name being suggestel by Mr. Moberly. For the first four or five years after settling in Nobles comity Mr. Moberly, in common with all the early settlers, suffered greatly from the grass- hoppers. seeing crop after erop destroyed by the pests. He spent the winter of 1873- 71 working in the woods near Minneapolis, he having suffered an almost total failure in 1873. Again in 1874 he lost his entire cop. and that winter ho and his family moved back to Winona county, where he

engaged in school teaching. They returned to the Nobles county farm in the spring of 1875 and again fought with the hoppers for a portion of a erop. Mr. Moberly sold his Olney farm in the spring of 1877 and removed to Westside township, taking a homestead claim on section 10. He made final proof on his claim and lived there until the fall of 1883, farming during the summer months and teaching school during the win- ter months.

In the fall of 1883 he sold his farm and moved to Adrian, taking employment with his brother-in-law, James Cowin, in the grain and lumber business. He was appointed dep- uty county treasurer by Captain William Wigham in February, 1884, and that fall his family moved to Worthington. lle held the deputyship two years. Then, in ISSG. he was elected county treasurer. being endorsed by both the republican and democratie parties. his only opposition being a prohibition can- didate who received 102 votes. Ile was nominated by the republicans in ISSS and was reelected by a big majority over both the democratie and prohibition nominees. his principal opponent being II. C. Shepard. Again was he reelected treasurer in 1890. de- feating Mr. Shepard again. He was nomina- ted for the same office by the republicans in 1892, but was defeated by E. W. Goff, the democratic nominee, by six votes. Ile was nominated by the republicans for county auditor in 1894, and was defeated by J. . I. Kondlen, the democratie and peoples party nominee. by 36 votes. In addition to his service in the treasurer's office Mr. Moberly served in an official capacity for several years in Olney and Westside townships. Hle served as clerk of Olney from 1873 to 1877. with the exception of one year. Ile was elected chairman of the board of super- visors of Westside in 1877. The next year he was elected clerk, and hekl that office until his removal to, Adrian in 1883.

To fill the unexpired term of postmaster of Worthington of Frank Lewis, Mr. Moberly was made deputy in the spring of 1890. and served one year as acting postmaster, Mr. Lewis having left the city. After his ro- firement from public office Mr. Moberly entered into a partnership with A. C. Hed- berg and engaged in the real estate business in Worthington. For only a short time was the firm of Hedberg & Moberly in existence;

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tben Mr. Moberly engaged in farming in the vicinity of Worthington. The hard times fol- lowing the panic in 1893 caused Mr. Moberly to meet with financial reverses, from which he was several years in recovering.

During the years 1899 and 1900 he was immigration agent for the Santa Fe road, his work consisting in making up parties of im- migrants from Nobles county bound for Ok- lahoma. At the opening of the Kiowa and Commanche Indian reservation in September, 1901, he secured a claim near Chickasha, I. l'., the land being just over the line in Okla- homa. There he engaged in farming and there he has since made his home.

Mr. Moberly was married at St. Charles, Minnesota, March 17, 1872, to Miss Annie Campbell of St. Charles. She was of Scotch parentage, having been born at Bar- ry, Pike county, Ill., August 24. 1852. Both her parents died of cholera soon after their arrival in America and the birth of

Mrs. Moberly. Mrs. Moberly died

at Worthington June 19, 1907. To Mr. and Mrs. Moberly were born six children, as follows: Su-an M. (now Mrs. H. H. Smith), S.ewart, Minn .; Lura C. (now Mrs. W. C. Poland), Livermore, Cal .; Russell B., Worthington; Ar- chie L., Worthington; Maude (died in in- fancy) ; Mary D. (now Mrs. Thos. Moore), Chickasha, Oklahoma.

Mr. Moberly is a member of the Bap- tist church of Worthington. He is also a member of Worthington Lodge No. 65, A. O. U. W., having held the office of past master workjuan of thai lodge for many years.

HIANS NELSON, of Ransom township, is one of the very first to locate in that town- ship, and he is one of the very few there who are living on their original homestead. Ile owns a half section of land on sections 20 and 19.

Mr. Nelson was born in Norway Dec. 19, 1833, the son of Nels and Betsy (Jenson) Ilan- sen, both of whom died in Norway, the former when Hans was only three years old. Our subject was raised on his father's farm and made his home there until he was nearly twenty-one years of age. Ile came to the United States in 1854 and located in lowa county. Wis .. where he engaged in farming until 1871. During his residence there he en- tered the union service during the war of the

rebellion, enlisting in the 49th Wisconsin volunteer infantry in January, 1864, and serv- ing a little less than one year. He saw ser- vice in Missouri, most of his time being spent guarding prisoners and on provost duty.

In the month of November, 1871, Mr. Nel- son, accompanied by Gullick Gullickson, came to Nobles county and took as a soldier's home- stead the northwest quarter of section 20, Ransom township, and remained in the county seven or eight weeks. He then returned to Wisconsin, but came back in the spring of 1872 and spent the summer here. He broke out a part of his land, erected a "shack," and then returned to his old home. In the spring of 1873 he came back to his homestead with his family and has ever since made his home on the place. He added to his original quar- ter section later by the purchase of another quarter adjoining. During the grasshopper days Mr. Nelson did not suffer so severely as many of the pioneer settlers did. Ile raised only a limited acreage of grain, devoting most of his energies to the raising of stock, and so was enabled to weather the hard times brought on by the hoppers, and was not obliged to take the relief offered to the des- titute.

Mr. Nelson was married in Iowa county, Wis., in the fall of IS56 to Caroline Davis, nee Peterson, a native of Norway. They are the parents of the following named children: Ellena (Mrs. Jens Langseth), of Indian Lake; Liza (Mrs. Fred Thompson), of Dewald; Ne- kolena (Mrs. C. D. Thompson), of Johnstown, Nebraska; Julia (Mrs. J. O. Arewick), Silver- ton, Orgon; Anna MI., Lanra E. and Hannah S., who live at home. Mr. Nelson is a mem- ber of the Lutheran church of Ransom and is one of the charter members.

THOMAS GUNDERSON. Among the first settlers of Olney township is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, who has re- sided on the farm he now occupies thirty- five years.

Thomas Gunderson was born in lowa coun- ty, Wis .. Jan. 7. 1851, and was the son of Ole and Hviel (Venass) Gunderson. Both parents were born in Norway and were married there. They came to the United States in 1847, located in Wisconsin, and later came to Nobles county. The father died in Olney township in June, 1892, aged 72 years; the

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mother died in Olney in 18744, and was 45 years of age.

Thomas secured his education in Iowa county and was raised on his father's farm. The tather came to the county in June, 1872, and filed a homestead claim to the southeast quarter of section 30, Olney township, being among the first to file on land in that town- . ship. During the fall he erected a little house on his claim and broke some land. Hle spent the winter in his old home in Wiscon- sin, and returned to his claim early in the spring of 1873. The family came later, ar- riving in June. During the early days the family suffered some hardships, but were not i: as poor condition as many of the neigh- bors. The head of the family had property and some money, and the days of adversity were weathered. The grasshoppers took two crops entirely and did damage to several others. At the time the family settled in Olney, Worthington was the nearest trading point, and from that village lumber and pro- visions were hauled. Thomas Gunderson and his father worked the home farm together until 1890. Since that date our subject has farmed the place alone. In addition to the original homestead, Mr. Gunderson now owns eighty acres adjoining. lle raises thorough- bred Duroc-Jersey hogs and considerable graded stoek.

Mr. Gunderson is a member of the Luth- eran church of Adrian. He served seven years as clerk of school district No. 43 and was then elected treasurer, which he held nineteen years, resigning the office in July, 1907. Mr. Gunderson has never married.

HENRY SLATER, stockraiser and farmer of Larkin township. is the oldest settler now living in that town-hip, his residence there covering a period of many years. Ile owns 320 acres of land on sections 11 and 12, only a short distance south of Wilmont, and he has the home farm finely improved.

Mr. Slater was born in Germany Feb. 2, 1:51, the son of Henry and Dora Slater. now living in Red Wing, Minn. The father, who is now 74 years of age, came from Ger- many in 1854, homesteaded in Goodhne county, and has made his home there ever since. Our subject's mother is 75 years of age.

For only six months did Henry Slater live in the land of his nativity. Coming to America in the year of his birth, he was raised on his father's farm in Goodhue county, Minn., and made his home there till past twenty years of age. In the fall of 1874 he came to Nobles county with a party of about fifteen men, spent two weeks looking the country over, and then returned to his old home. In April, 1875, he came out again with his father, who took a home- stead of eighty acres on seetion 2, Larkin township. A year or two afterwards our sub- ject bought from Sherman llarding, of Worthington, the homestead relinquishment to the southwest quarter of section 12, pay- ing 875 for the same, and on that place he has resided ever since. He bought his other quarter section in 1898. During the pioneer days Mr. Slater suffered from the inroads of the grasshoppers and other annoyances of those days. But, not having sufficient means to get out of the country, he was obliged to remain and today he is in comfortable circumstances and glad that he stayed. Ili- first home was a 10x12 frame shanty, and his stable was built of sods.

In Chisago county, Minn., Mr. Slater was married in January, ISSI, to Kellen Adelman, who was born in Germany, but who came to America when a girl. To Mr. and Mrs. Slater have been born the following named children: Otto, of Browns Valley, Minn .; William, Barnard, Henry, Hubbard, Bertha (Mrs. George Miller), of Brown- Valley, Minn., and Rosa. All except the two whose addresses are given reside at home.

Mr. Slater is a member of the Catholic church of Wilmont. In the early days he took part in the organization of school dis- triet No. 84, and has served as a director of the district ever siner. Ile served on the Larkin township board for about fifteen years, and has always been active in loenl affairs.

CHARLES J. WICKSTROM, retired farmer of Worthington, is one of the county's pio- heers and one of the very first to locate in Bigelow township. He was born in Jemt - land, Sweden, May 1. 1848, and was the son ot Aaron and Mary (Peterson) Wickstrom. The father died in Sweden at the age of 41 years when our subject was seven years

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old. The mother died in Sweden in 1899 at the age of 83 years.

Until he was eighteen years of age Charles Wickstrom lived in his native land, working on farms, in the mines and at other work. lie went to Trondjam, Norway, in the fall of 1866, and was there one year working in the mines. Ile then moved to a place near the city of Stavanger, Norway, where he followed the occupation of miner about two years.

It was in May, 1870, that Mr. Wiekstrom, accompanied by Erick Mahlberg, now of Bigelow township, his brother Peter Wick- strom, Hans and Ole Nystrom, of Indian Lake township, left Scandinavia and came to America. During the first year of his residence in the new world he was employed at various occupations in different parts of the northwest. He located first in Holland, Mich., where he remained only about six weeks. Going from there to Muskegon, Mich .. he was unable to find work, but remained in the vicinity two or three weeks. He then went to Duluth when that city was just starting, and re- mained there two months. His next stop- ping place was St. Paul, where he remained a few weeks, and then he went to Hastings, where he worked in the quarries and on a railroad bridge during the winter of 1870-71.

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An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota, Part 44

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History Number of Pages: 738

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 738