USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 48
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FRANK FLESWORTIF is one of the pio- neer settlers of Westsik township. having made his home there since he was less than right years of age. He is the son of the late John A. and Laura (Fish) Ellsworth.
John A. Ed-worth was born in Ithica, N. 1. Ot. 11. 1825, and when a young man moved from there to Stranac, Mich., with his parents. In Michigan he helped clear a farm
in the forests, and made his home at Sar- anac until 1865. lle worked on the farm, taught school and engaged in the mercantile business. In 1865 he moved to Blue Earth county, Minn., where he lived until May, 1872. During that month he and his family arrived in Nobles county. He took as a soldier's homestead the northeast quarter of section 18 the first homestead entered on land in Westside township - when there were only two houses on the road between Lu- verne and Worthington. John A. Ellsworth moved to Adrian in 1896, and lived there until his death, which occurred July 17, 1901. Laura Ellsworth, the mother of our subject, was born in Whitehall, N. Y. She is now living in Adrian at the age of 74 years.
To these parents Frank Ellsworth was born at Saranac, Mich., Nov. 2, 1864. One year after his birth the family moved to Blue Earth county, Minn,, and in May, 1872. he come with them to Nobles county. He was educated in the district schools of Westside township and was raised on the farm. llis home has been on the original homestead ever since his arrival, with the exception of three years spent in South Dakota prior to his marriage and one year spent in St. Paul. Ile now owns and farms 320 acres of land on sections 18 and 7.
Mr. Ellsworth was married at Sioux Falls July 9, 1891. to Miss Nell Beaty, who was born in Virden, 111 .. March 24. 1868. She is the daughter of James and Mary ( Lewis) Beaty. To Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth have been born four children: Clifford, bain Feb. 1. 1893; Lucile, born Oct. 14. 1894; Phyllis. born May 23, 1899; Mitford. born Jan. IS, 1901.
At various times Mr. Ellsworth has served on the Westside township board and his wife was clerk of school district No. 50 for eleven years. He is a member of the Ml. W. A. lodge.
JAMES NAYLON, a farmer of Grand Prai- rie township, living a few miles south of Adrian, is one of the carly settlers of wes . i'm Nobles county, having made his per. monent home there for thirty years.
Mr. Naylon is a native of County Clare. Ireland, where he first saw the light of day ont June 12, 1836. His father, James Nay- Ion. died in Pennsylvania in 1872, and his
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mother, Nora (Maloney) Naylon, died in that village, he served as supervisor of Ol- Minnesota in 1881. The parents had come to America about 1840 and located in Can- ada, but later moved to Springwater Valley, in New York state. At that place our sub- jeet joined them in 1854, having arrived in New York city in June of that year.
During the first two years of his resi- dence in the new world James Naylon lived at Springwater Valley, where he spent most of his time attending school. The family home was then made at Elmira, N. Y., and there Mr. Naylon did his first manual labor. Ilis father and brothers were engaged in railroad construction work, and that was the nature of his first work. They assisted in the building of a railroad south from El- mira to Williamsport, Pa., and there the family located. Mr. Naylon made his per- manent home in that city until 1874, work- ing in saw mills and at railroad work.
The subject of this biography came west in 1873 and purchased a farm near Roches- ter, Minn., and the following year moved out with his family. There he engaged in farm- ing until the spring of 1878. In the fall of 1877 he came to Nobles county and con- tracted to buy the farm upon which he now resides-the northwest quarter of section 1, Grand Prairie township. lle then returned to his home in Olmstead county, and in May of the following year returned to Nobles county with his family and erected the buildings and made other improvements on his farm. Owing to the operations of the grasshoppers he did not at once begin farm- ing, but for the first three years ran a boarding house in the new town of Adrian. At the end of that time he moved onto the farm, and that has been his home ever since. Mr. Naylon was married in Williamsport, Pa., April 11, 1868, to Margaret Naegle, who was also a native of Ireland. To them have been born the following children: John, Michael, Joseph, Ellen and Grace. All the children reside at home except Joseph, who lives in Vaneouver, B. C. Mr. and Mrs. Naylon are members of the Catholic church of Adrian.
Mr. Naylon has taken an active part in the affairs of the community in which he has resided and has held many offices of trust within the gift of his neighbors. While liv- ing in Adrian, before the incorporation of
hey township and as clerk of the Adrian school board. When the village was incor- porated in 1881 Mr. Naylon was elected one of the first trustees. After moving to Grand Prairie he served as clerk of the township for eleven or twelve years and for many years was a member of the school board of the district in which he resided.
JOHN P. VAIL, a retired farmer residing at Worthington, is one of the pioneer set- tiers of the county, having made his home here continuously since 1872. During the greater part of this time he resided in Seward township, but since 1896 his home has been at Worthington.
Jolın P. Vail was born in Tompkins coun- ty, N. Y., May 26, 1833. He descends from one of the colonial families of America, and the family can be traced back to the year 1300 in England. The founder of the Amer- ican branch of the family was Jeremiah Vail, whom we find living at Salem, Mass., in the year 1639, engaged in the blacksmith business. He left three children, all born in Salem, from one of whom is descended our subjoet. The paternal grandfather of John 1. Vail was David Vail, born at Chester, Orange county, N. Y., July 23, 1763. 1Ie was a weaver by trade, and later moved to Smith's Cove, N. Y., and at the time of his death lived at Newfield, Tompkins coun- ty, N. Y. One of his sons was John Vail, the father of our subject. He was born in New York state August 26, 1785, and died in 1878. He was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth Strang, the mother of our subjeet. She was born May 30, 1803, and died about 1870.
Mr. Vail lived in the county of his birth until 22 years of age. There he secured a country school education, and there during his early years he worked on farms in that vicinity. Hle moved to Rockford, Ill., in 1×55, and near that city he engaged in farm- ing until the outbreak of the civil war. He enlisted in company K, of the 74th volunteer infantry. August 6, 1862, and was at onee sent to the front. He took part in the battles of Perryville and Stone River, and in the last named engagement was seriously wounded on December 31, 1862. So serious
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
s.s . w .. .. from that time until ms mlage, July 22, 1805, he was i Hospital at Camp Dennison, Ohio.
After his discharge from the army Mr. Vai fictuimel to his old home at Rockford. Int - on afterward moved to the extreme Wirthern part of Hhmois, near Beloit, Wi -. There he engaged in farming until his re postal to Nobles county in 1972.
Mr. Vail was married at Rockford. Ill., Ph 5. 157. to Soplonia II. Sisson. She lied Otober 10, 1853, at the family home in Nobles county, and was the first person bur- iel in the Seward cemetery. To that union tive sons were born: Louis Baldwin and Jay C. both of whom have died; Ora S., unos P. ani Jan es R. Ora S. is now super- intendent of the Breckenridge, Minn., school -. 1mi ten yer- prior to accepting that posi Mon ne was superintendent of the Canby, Minn., schoch. Amos P. farms the old home. - end in Seward township. James R. is in the civil service, being collector of customs at Linden, Washington. Mr. Vail's second marriage ovenned September 15. 1575. when he was unice in marriage to M. Jennie Linderman, daughter of Luther G. and Olive M. Linderman. One child, a boy who died in infancy, was born to this union. An adopted daughter. Daisy Lucha Vail, is one of Soil county's school teachers.
October 6, 1572, was the date of the ar- rwal of Mr. Vail to Nobles county, he hav- ing fjed on the land in June of the same year. He filel a soldier's homestead claim on the northwest quarter of section 22. Seward township, which land he still owns, There h engaged in farming and made his home until 1596. Hle passed through the grass- hopper scourge, the Indian scare, and other unpleasant incidents of Nobles county pio- meer life. While enduring many hardships in the early days, he prospered, and is now red as one of the solid men of the county. 1le teired in the fall of 1896. moved to Worthington, and has made his home in that city siver, where he has one of the finest residence- in the place.
The standing of Mr. Vail in the com. womity in which he lived for 24 years is ost attested by the fact that during his oFire residence there he was a township offi er. Immediately after his arrival in the fall of 1972, he was elected chairman of the loard of supervisors of Seward township.
Thereafter at different times he was a mem- ber of the township board, clerk of the loard, roadmaster and school director. lle was appointed postmaster of Seward post- office when that office was established in 1874 and served three years. He was one of the organizers and builders of the Seward Methodist Episcopal church and always took a prominent part in church matters. Mr. and Mrs. Vail are both members of the Worthington Methodist church, and Mr. Vail is one of the trustees.
ROBERT BIRD (1836-1903) was one of the pioneer residents of Nobles county, having come to the new country in 1872 and having made his home here fiom that time until his death in 1903. The story of his life is an interesting one.
He was born in Edinburg, Scotland, Dee. 31. 1836, and the first fifteen years of his life were spent in his native land. He came to the United State in 1851. returned to Scotland the following year, but remained only a few months. During the civil war Mr. Bird served nine months as teamster with the l'nion army. In 1854 he started to cross the plains from Atchison, Kansas, to Cali fornia, going by way of Salt Lake City, and arrived in San Francisco several months later. In that coast city he resided until 1869, when he took employment with a com- pany to go to Alaska to trade with the In- dians. He traversed the Yukon river as far as the little village of Anvik, and was em- ployed with this work nineteen months, at the end of which time he returned to the States. In 1871 he made a trip to New Zealand. Returning to America he settled in Dupage county, Ill., near the city of Chi- cago.
In Dupage county, Ill., on Jan. 20, 1872. Mr. Bird was married to Miss Dorathea Blome, who was born in the province of Hanover. Germany, and who came to the United States and to Illinois in 1870. She was the daughter of Frederick and Mar- garet (Hanfield) Blome, who came to the United States the year after their daughter. The father died in Dupage county, Ill .. in 1885. aged 57 years. The mother died Feh. 7. 1901. aged 72 years. To Mr. and Mrs. Bird were born the following children: Marion (Mrs. A. E. Veske), of Bigelow, born
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May 25, 1874; Robert, born Feb. 16, 1877, died Mareh 12, 1878; Rudolph, born July 28, 1879; Fred, born June 27, 1882; Margaret, born July 21, 1889.
Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bird came to Nobles county and set- tled on the farm where the widow and chil- dren now reside. Coming to the new country at this early date they passed through all the hardships which the pioneers were sub- ject to. Mr. Bird died at his home in Bige- low township March 26, 1903. Since his death Mrs. Bird and sons, Rudolph and F'red, have operated the farm.
F. II. THOMPSON, Seward township farmer, is one of the pioneer settlers of that township and is conversant with most of the incidents of pioneer life in Nobles county. Coming to the county when a boy thirteen years old, he grew to manhood here.
Mr. Thompson was born in Augusta, Maine, April 14, 1860, the son of B. L Thompson, now of Seward township. Ilis mother died at the age of 63 years. When lie was a year and a half old he was takeu by his father to Mauston, Juneau county, Wis., and there he lived until the spring of 1873. He then set out in life for himuseli, and on March 28, 1873, arrived in Nobles county. He had known W. Il. Booth before that pioneer settler had coure to Nobles county, and he came to his Seward township farm, and for two years was employed by him. He spent the next winter husking corn in O'Brien county, lowa. Ife then rented the east half of the southwest quarter of see- tion 24, Seward, bought a yoke of oxen, and for one year farmed for himself.
When the Milwaukee road was built in 1879 Mr. Thompson went to Fulda and took employment in the round house there, where he was employed eight years. Ile started with a minor position, but was later made dispatcher of the round house. During the time he was so employed he spent part of the time liring on the road. Giving up his position on the road, he entered the cm- ploy of L. L. Coburn, of Chicago, who had large land interests near Fulda. For sixteen months he had supervision of Mr. Coburn's farms. lfe then bought teams and for a short time was engaged in putting up hay for William Iloward in the country north of
Fulda. Mr. Thompson then reentered the employ of the Milwaukee road and was in the Fulda roundhouse until the division was removed from that village.
Mr. Thompson then purchased of A. Boysen the south half of the southwest quarter of section 23, Seward, and has since engaged in farming operations there. He rents 160 acres of land which he tills in addition to his own farm. Ile served as clerk of school distriet No. 38 for six years, and under bis administration the debt of the school was wiped out. .. Ile is now serving his third term as road overseer. He belongs to the Methodist church of Seward and is a mem- ber of the A. F. & A. M. and M. W. A. lodges of Fulda.
Mr. Thompson was married at Fulda Dec. 26, 1888, to Emma Worby, a native of Dwight, Livingston county, III., and a daughter of Thomas and Frederick Worby, who now reside at Creston, Wash. To Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born the fol- lowing children: George, born Jan. 2, 1891, died Feb. 26. 1891; Alta, born March 15, 1893; Marvin, born Nov. 28, 1894; Everett, born Jan. 18, 1898; Nellie, born Jan. 24, 1900: Edith, born July 31. 1902; Maybelle, born May 12, 1904, died Oct. 9, 1904.
GEORGE W. WILSON, attorney at law, has been practicing his profession at Worth- ington for the last twenty-eight years, and is one of the leading members of the bar of southwestern Minnesota. During his Jong residence in Nobles county he has ever taken a prominent part in the affairs of his county and the city in which he has made his home.
George W. Wilson was born October 2, 1844. at Wilson. Ohio, a village named in honor of the family. His father. Robert M. Wilson, and his mother, Margaret ( Plummer) Wilson, were both natives of the same state. When George was seven or eight years of age the family moved to Brown county, Ohio, and there our suhjert grew to manhood. Ile received his education in the country schools of Brown county and the city school at Ilamersville, in the same county. After quit- ting school he taught for two or three years in Adamis and Brown counties. At Hamers- ville he was engaged in the mercantile busi- ness for about five years, and in 1866 was
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Imate prima for of the town by Pre -i- loot Vahew Johnson, which position he held Ihr sent -. During the Seats between 1805 Lad Isto he was town clerk and town tre- nor of Hamersville. During these years he studied law. and Jate in the sixties wi- admitted to the bar at Georgetown. this. He practicel hi- profession on a limitel - ale in his native -tate before moving west.
In IGo Mr. Wilson moved to Olathe City. Kansas, and opened a law office. He was Very successful in his practice there, and in the spring of IST2 was elected municipal mage. He was reelected in 1873 ant again in 154. the last time for a two year form. Believing that Nobles county, Minnesota, of. fred superior advantages. he moved to Worthington in the spring of 1880, and that city has ever since been his home. He had hardly established a residence in this county when he was elected county actorney (No- vember. Istih. He was reeleeted in 1882, and so served four years in that capacity. Since moving to Worthington he has been elected to other positions of trust. In 1884 he was elected mayor of the village and servel one year as the head of the city gov ernment. He was elected to the lower house of the Minnesota legislature from Nobles and Murray counties in 1902 and served one term in a very acceptable manner to hi- constitu- unt -. Mr. Wilson has been a life-long repub. lican, and his election to the various offices his been as the nomince of that party.
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JUNIUS F. CASS is one of the county's curly settler- and the owner of one of Sum- mit Lake's finest farms. Ilis farm consists of 320 acres, comprising the southeast quar- ter of section 31, Summit Lake, and the northeast quarter of section 3. Dewald, which are adjoining pieces of land. When Mr. Ca-s came to the county in 1978 the Indl was raw prairie. His residence of thirty years ha- wrought many changes there. Where was hen nothing but prairie land is now to be found a comparative wooded country, be having one of the finest groves of the county. This furnishes fnel for do- mestie purposes, and he has sufficient to lui-t a generation. His buildings are all comparatively now and up to date in every respect; the location is a sightly one, and the land is very productive.
The subject of this biography furnishes ah excellent illustration of what a man can accomplish with no other capital than energy, perseverance and good management. He be- gan life for himself in early boyhood, and since that time has been dependent upon himself entirely. Mr. Cass was born on his father's farm at Bowen's Mills, Richland county, Wis., May 1. 1855. His paternal ancestors were early settlers of New Hamp- shire. In a very early day one of the Cases was a party of eight who emigrated to Stan- stead, Quebec, Canada, when that part of the country was an undeveloped wilderness. In Stanstead was born James M. Cass, the grandfather of our subject. on March 24, ISOS. He moved from there to Ohio in 1835. and to Sauk county, Wis., in 1847. Four years later he became a resident of Richland county. Wis. Our subject's father was lliram Osman Cass, who was born in Barnsion. Canada. Jan. 27. 1831. He was married to Cloa Manley, a native of Tolland county, Conn., and they began their domes- tie life at Bowen's Mills. Wis. For many years Hiram Cass was a farmer, but spent his later years operating a sawmill at Loyd. Wis. where he died April 26. 1896. His wife died about 1862.
Junius F. Cass, whose name introduces this review, spent his boyhood days in the county of his nativity. He received his edu- cation in the district schools and in the Sextonville and Richland Center high schools. having been a student at the latter insti tution three years. He finished his education when sixteen years of age and then began life for himself. In 1872 he began working at farm work in Winona county. Minn .. where he was thus engaged six seasons, his official residence during this time being in Wisconsin. During the time he was work- ing in Minnesota he also spent some time learning the carpenter trade, which he fol- lowed several years.
During the month of October, 1878, Mr. C'ass enme to Nobles county, and this has ben his home ever since. making a continu- ous residence of thirty years. He at once filed a preemption to the southeast quarter of section 34, Summit Lake township, and Itter filed a homestead claim to the same property and proved up on it. During the first five years of his residence here he farmed on a small scale, but devoted most of
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his time to his trade, having erectedl many of the first buildings in the community in which he lived. lle also worked at his trade some in Sanborn. Iowa, during these years.
Mr. Cass was married at Richland Center, Wis., Jan. 26, 1884, to Minnie E. Sonle, who was born Dec. 9. 1859, in Richland county, Wis., only one-half mile from the birthplace of her husband. Her parents were James J. and Fannie M. (Thompson) Sonle. The for- mer was born in Illinois Feb. 2, 1828. and was a son of John J. Soule. a native of Dutchess county, N. Y. On the 18th day of November, 1851, he married Miss Fanny Thompson, who was born Nov. 2, 1833, and was a daughter of Aaron Baker and Lydia (Hamilton) Thompson. The former was born in Surrey, N. Il., and was a son of William and Betsey (Baker) Thompson. the former born July 13, 1776, the latter on the, day of the nation's birthday- July 4, 1776. Mr. and Mrs. Cass became the parents of five children: Cloa Grace, horn Jan. 23, 1885; Fannie May. born May 16, 1886; Leona Maude and Fred James (twins), born May 18. 1888, the latter dying in infancy; George Lee. horn Oct. 27. 1893. The four living children reside at home.
After his marriage Mr. Cass devoted his time exclusively to farming, and he has ever since made his home on the land he took in 1878. During the last eight years he has devoted most of his time to the raising of sheep, of which stock he has about 200 head. Besides the half section of Nobles county land that he owns Mr. Cass has city property in Ladysmith. Wis.
Mr. Cass has held a township or school office ever since his arrival in the county, with the exception of the first year, and he has held every township office with the exception of chairman of the town board. Beginning in 1879 he served as constable for many years; he was town clerk ten years; and has hell the offices of supervisor, justice of the peace, assessor and treasurer. He has been clerk of school district No. 88 ever since the district was organized about twelve years ago. Mr. Cass is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Worthington and of the M. W. A. lodge of Reading. He was one of the organizers and is a stockholler in the Reading Mutual Telephone company.
PETER GEYERMAN, senior member of the mercantile firm of P. Geyerman Sons, Brewster, has been a resident of the town in which he lives twenty-seven years. and has lived in Minnesota over fifty years. He participated in the stirring events of pioneer days, and is not unfamiliar with the whistle of Indian bullets.
Peter Geyerman was born in Germany Dec. 13, 1825, the son of Henry and Chris- tina (Nell) Geyerman. Ilis father, a weaver and a veteran of Napoleon's army, was born Der. 6. 1791, and died Nov. 5. 1841. Ilis mother was born in Germany in 1795 and died in Aurora, Ill., in 1854. Mr. Geyerman came to America July 7, 1851, and located first at Milwaukee, Wis., near which place he worked on a farm for a few weeks. Then for a short time he worked on the Michigan Central railroad in Indiana, but soon began chopping wood in northern Illinois, at which he was engaged two years. He purchased a tract of timber land in Ili- nois along the line of the Chicago & Aurora railroad in 1833. and during the next two years was in the mercantile business in Aurora.
In IS55 Mr. Geyerman came to Minnesota territory, and took a preemption claim in Carver county. Two years later he sold out and moved to Shakopee, where for twenty- five years he was in the mercantile busi- ness. On Oct. 5, 188I, he came to the little town of Brewster (Hersey, it was then called) and started a general merchandise store, in which he has been interested ever since. He has taken into partnership two sons-Rudolph and E. A. Geyerman and the business is now conducted under the firm name of P. Geyerman & Sons.
Mr. Geyerman was married at Shakopee, Minn., to Amelia Berreau, who bore him six children, of whom the following are living: Rudolph, of Brewster, born March 7 1864; E. A., of Brewster, born in 1867; Dr. Peter T., of Worthington, born Aug. 20, 1874.
MICHAEL REFTER. ex-sheriff of Nobles county, and a Grand Prairie township farmer and stockraiser; has been a resident of the county twenty-four years. He was born in Kenosha county, Wis., Jan. 9. 1864, the son
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
vi Jacob and Mary Seivert Reiter. The father is a native of Germany, but came to the United States when a boy. He is now living in Kenosha county. Wish, and is ; Jul - of age. Our subject's mother was also a native of Germany. She liel in Wisconsin in 1901. .
Mike Reiter was raised in his na ive county on his father's farm, and there curel to mim on school education. In Isst he left home and went to Osceola county. lowa, where he spent the summer season working on a farm. In the fall of the Same year he came to Nobles county and scoured employment in the threshing business and at farm work, spending the winter in the western part of the county. During tle smamers of 1885 and IS86 he worked on the farm of William Althoff, working at the threshing business during the falls. He pur. chised a team of horses in ISST and there after until 1590 he was engaged in western Nobles county in breaking prairie land an! threshing.
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