USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 57
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Mr. Nolan was married in Ireland Sept. 15, 1861, to Mary Murphy. MIr. and Mrs. Nolan have been the parents of the fol- lowing children: Mary Ellen (Mrs. Sylves- ter Jenkins), Sioux City, lowa; Marcella (Mrs. Burnham Adams), Jackson, Tenn .; John (married Mary Smith, of Mankato), New Ulm, Minn .; Celia (deceased) ; Lizzie, Omaha, Neb .; James, at home; Gertrude (Mrs. Edward Blevins), Fairfax, Mo .; Mar- garet, Doise, Idaho; Josephine, at home; Frank, at home.
HENRY OLSON, retired farmer of Lis- more, was born in Norway April 5, 1853, the son of Ole Halvorson and Celia (Rasmus- on) Halvorson. Our subject's father died in his native country in 1863 at the age of 60 years. llis wife lived to the age of 90 years, dying in the old country in 1905.
Henry Olson emigrated to the United States in 1881 and during the first ten years lived in Grundy and adjoining coun. ties in Illinois, engaged in tiling. He moved to Nobles county in 1891 and bought the
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northeast quarter of section 28, Leota town- ship, then unimproved, and for fourteen years made his home on the farm. He then rented his place and moved to Lismore, in the north addition to which place he owns 221/2 acres. In addition to the home place Mr. Olson also owns the northwest quarter of section 34 and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 21, both in Leota township, making a total acreage of 400 acres.
Mr. Ofson was married in Kendall county, Ill., Oct. 15, 1891, to Alice Heckerson, who was born in Norway Nov. 12, 1867, and who came to the United States with her parents when a child of thirteen years and located in Kendall county. Her father was Lars Heckerson, who died in Kendall coun- ty in 1893 at the age of 63 years. Her Inother, Julia (Peterson) Heckerson, now . lives at Big Grove, Kendall county, Ill., and is 77 years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Olson have been born four children: Celia, born Oct. 5, 1892; Lulu, born Sept. 25. 1897; Elmer, horn Aug. 26, 1899; Mabel, born April 0, 1904.
The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Lismore township, the church having been built through the in- strumentality of Mr. Olson, Chris Nash and others. He was secretary of the church so- ciety ten years and is now a trustee. Mr. Olson was appointed administrator of the estate of the late Mrs. Sarah Olson. his wife's sister-in-law.
CHIRIST NASH is one of the big grain and stock farmers of Lismore township and has made his home on his present farm twenty-eight years. Ile owns the northwest quarter of section 10 and the southwest quarter of seetion 3. When he bought his homestead right in 1880 there were no im- provements on the place. He now has im- provements valued at $5.000 and has one of the many fine homes of Lismore township.
Christ Nash was born in Norway March 28, 1852, the son of Ole and Christina Nash. The father died in Norway about ten years ago, aged 70 years; the mother about eight years ago, aged 80 years. Christ the youngest of a family of eight children, of whom the following six are living: Austin, Isabelle, Christina, Bertha, Annie Marie and
Christ. Two children, John and Ole, have died.
Our subject was educated in the com- mon schools of his native land and lived on his father's farm until twenty years of age. He came to America in 1872 and set- tled in Lee county, Ill., where for cight years he engaged in farming. He came to Nobles county in 1880 and bought a homestead relinquishment to his present farm, later buying the other quarter which he owns, and he has since been engaged in farming and stockraising. He raises pedigreed Short- horn cattle and lots of other stock.
Mr. Nash was married in Norway in l'ebruary, 1886, to Miss Elizabeth Hague, having returned to his native land for his bride. Mrs. Nash is a daughter of Gilbert and Ragnhild Hague. Mr. and Mrs. Nash are the parents of the following named children : Otto, Gilbert, Christina, Regina. Lizzie, Clara and Arthur.
Mr. Nash is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church, which was built upon land he donated ten years ago. He was one of the organizers of the church and it was largely through his activity that the church was built. When school district No. 78 was organized Mr. Nash was chosen freas- urer of the district and served in that ca - pacity eight years.
ESLER KENT SMITH, treasurer of No- hles county, resides at Worthington, and that city has been his home since he was a boy seven years old. His birthplace was Williamsfield, Ohio, and the date of his birth was March 3. 1867. His father. Sam- nel M. Smith, and his mother, Harriet O. (Kent) Smith, both natives of Ohio. are still living and reside at Omaha, Neh. The gen- eology of both of the Smith and Kent fam- ilies ean be traced back to colonial times. The great grandfather of our subject on the maternal side was a veteran of the Ro- volutionary war.
Until he was five years of age Esler lived with his parents in the town of his birth and other villages in eastern Ohio and west ern Pennsylvania. His father was a minis. ter of the United Brethren church and changes in assignment to different pulpit- caused the family to change their place of abode frequently.
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Early in 1872 the family joined the Na- tional colony. which was then engaged in bringing settlers to Nobles county, and in May of that year arrived in Worthington. Arriving here, Mr. Smith was dissatisfied with the prospects, or rather, believed that he could do better elsewhere, and was in- thueed to locate at Mountain Lake and re- moved to that place almost immediately after his arrival in Minnesota. There he took a homestead. but in March. 1874, re- turned to Worthington. Esler received his edneation in the public schools of that city. going through the graded and high school and finishing the course about 1883. But before he had quitted school he had started to learn the printer's trade. On the first day of April, 1880, he made the type click for the first time. This was in the office of the Worthington Journal, then published by Geo. Ogle. After five months' employ- ment on that paper, he entered the employ of \. P. Miller, then the publisher of the Advance. with whom he remained until June 18, 1881.
On the last named date he was taken seriously sick, and for a long time was un- able to engage in any kind of work. Re- covering from his long illness, he again entered school. After quitting school in 1883. he worked at the printer's trade and for a short time was engaged with a str- veying party. He continued to be a jour- reyman printer. working on varions papers until 1893. On September 1 of that year, in company with Ernest Perry, he leased the Worthington Globe from Poter Thompson. Mr. Perry withdrew from the firm on the first day of the next year on account of ill health and died a few months later. Mr. Smith then took over the lease and con- finued to publish the paper until July 1, 1895. On November I, of the same veir, he purchased a one-half interest in the Worth- ington Herakl from T. G. Nicholson and as- -mamed the editorial management. In July of the next year he purchased the remain ing interest and became the sole publisher. lle continued to own and publish the Herald until November, 1901. when he sold to N. Weinandt and cuterel upon his duties of county treasurer, to which office he had just been elpeted.
Mr. Smith was elected village recorder in 1897 and the following year was elected
member of the city council. Ile was elected county treasurer in November, 1904, and was reelected two years later, and is now serving on his second term. lle is a re- publican and has always taken an active interest in Nobles county politics.
GEORGE W. DEALAND, after having spent many years of his life as an educa- tor, came to Nobles county in 1895, pur- chased land in the southern part of Worth- ington township, and since that date has been engaged in farming.
Ile is a New Englander by birth. having hcon born in Carroll county. N. H., Dee. 21, 1850. Ilis father. Thomas T. Dealand, was a native of the same state, and for many generations the Dealand family have re- sided there. His mother was Mary E. ( Beals) Dealand, a native of Massachusetts. the Beals being among the early settlers of Massachusetts. Both his parents are dead.
Mr. Dealand spent his boyhood days in his native state, where he attended the public schools. He entered New Hampton academy. of New Hampton. N. IT., from which he was graduated in 1874. He then entered a state normal school at Bridge- water. Mass .. but before completing the course, when about 25 years of age, he re- moved to Indiana. There he became a stu- dent in the Indiana state normal school. and was graduated from that institution a few years later. Before removing from Now England he had begun his career as an odu- cator. having taught in graded schools ih New Hampshire and Vermont for four or five years. After his graduation from the Indiana school ho resumed his profession, and during the next fifteen years he was thus employed in schools in different parts of Indiana. During his residence in the Hoosier state he served from 1886 to 1890 as county superintendent of schools of Ver- million county.
While still residing in Indiana Mr. Dea- land became acquainted with Nobles county. and before taking up his residence here had made several visits to his future home. In 1885 he purchased the southwest quarter of setion 33. Worthington township, and a little later he bought 205 aeres in section 31. of the same township. Besides these two properties Mr. Dealand now owns a small
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tract in section 4. Bigelow township. Giv- ing up his school work in 1895, he moved to Nobles county and has since made his home on his farm near Org.
While Mr. Dealand now devotes his ener- gies to farming, he takes an active inter- est in politics and school matters. Ile has been a member of the board of supervisors of Worthington township for ten years, and with the exception of two years, was chair- man of the board during that time. He has been clerk of school district No. 48 for the last six years. He is a member of the Masonic lodge of Worthington.
On August 1, 1893. occurred the marriage of Mr. Dealand to Amy Royse, daughter of Andrew J. Royse, of Indiana. They are the parents of two children, Alma L. and Mar- ian IT., both of whom reside at home.
D. J. ANDRESEN is an Elk township far- mer who was born near the city of Schles- wig. Germany. (at the time, however, a part of Denmark) July II, 1856. His father was Andreas Andresen, who died in his na- tive land Oct. 18, 1891. His mother was Christina (Nissen) Andresen, who died in the old country in 1873.
The boyhood days of our subject were spent on the farm and securing a common school education. He learned the mason's trade and followed that occupation three years before coming to the United States. He arrived in the new world in March, 1883. and went first to Grundy county, Towa. Tle was there only a few weeks and then moved to Tama county. For four years he worked at farm work for wages; then rented land and farmed for himself six years. In 1892 Mr. Andresen came to Nobles county and farmed one season in Summit Lake township. In January, 1893, he moved onto the northeast quarter of seetion 30. Elk township, which he had pur- chased in 1891, and has ever since made his home there.
Mr. Andresen was married Feb. 8, 1888, in Grundy county, Iowa. to Mary Fraulsen, who was born in Germany Oct. 16. 1866. came to the United States and to Grundy county, Iowa, July 24, 1885, and made her home there until she came to Nobles county with her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Andresen are the parents of the following children,
all of whom are living at home: Annie. Henry, John. Willie, Carl, Christina, Hans. Rosa and Roland. They are members of the German Lutheran church of Rushmore. Mr. Andresen has served several years as director of school district No. 6. and for two years was road overseer.
TIENRY HORNSTINE. Dewald township farmer, has resided in the county fourteen years. He is a German by birth, having been born in Hessen May HI. 1856. the son of John and Lizzie (Clond) Hornstine. His mother died in 1874: his father in October. 1882.
The family came to America in the fall of 1865 and located in Lee county. Ill .. and that was the home of our subject several years. Two years were spent in Marion county. Towa and then for two years more the family resided in their old home in Illinois. During these years when he was growing to manhood Henry worked on the farm. In 1879 he went to Odebolt. Sac county. Iowa, and for one year was fore- man of the Will ranch near that city-a ranch upon which were employed four hun- dred men. He then spent two years in Woodbury county, Towa. He was married there April 24, 1880. to Minnie Wagner. a native of Germany. To them have been born the following children: Otto, who died when two years of age; Lizzie (Mrs. Edward >anger), of Dewald township: John, Nellie. Frank. George. Bessie and Henry, all re- siding at home.
From Woodbury county Mr. Hornstine moved in 1881 to Plymouth county, Łowa, and there he resided two years. TIe then move. to Battle Creek. Madison county. Neh., where he farmed three years. Going thence to Keyapaha county. Neb .. Mr. Horn- stine took a homestead, upon which he lived and farmed eight years. He came to Nobles county in 1894 and located on the northeast quarter of section 26. Dewald. which land he rented. In 1898 he bought his present place-the southwest quarter of see tion 25. Dewald-and on it he has since made his home. In addition to his Nobles county property Mr. Hornstine owns a
quarter section in Wilkin and a quarter section in Big Stone counties, Minn. Ile
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raises considerable thoroughbred stock, hav- ing Shropshire sheep and Duroc.Jersey swine.
Mr. Horn-tine has served as school clerk of district No. 97 for the past six or seven years, and has been road supervisor of the two districts in which he has re- sided. Tle is a member of the 1. O. U. W. lodge of Worthington.
WILLIAM W. LOVELESS, proprietor of a Worthington grocery store, has been a resident of that town since he was seven- tren years of age. He was horn in Onon- daga county. N. V .. April 21. 1857. the son of Captain Charles B. and Mary C. (Page) Loveless.
In the county of his birth he was raised and received his primary education. Ile completed his education in the University of Kentucky. at Lexington, where he was a student during the years 1870 and 1871. He came to Worthington with his parents in 1872. arriving in that village on June 20. TTO spent the first five years working in his father's hotel and livery, and then for one year was manager of the Hotel Inverno. Returning to Worthington. he ao- cepted a position as clerk in H. E. Tor- france's store which he held six years. After spending one year in Pueblo. Col .. he returned to Worthingion and managed the Lake View hotel until his father's death in December. 1890. In the fall of 1892 Mr. Loveless opened a grocery store. which he has ever since conducted. He creeted a handsome brick block in 1900. in which his store has since heen located. Mr. Loveless was married at Worthington in April. 1885, to Miss Tva Bolle Allen. a native of Ripon. Wis .. and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Allen, of Worthing- ton. They are the parents of the following children: Clifford. Areoline. Willie D. and Mildred.
In religious, social and business matters Mr. loveless has always taken a prominent part. He has been ruling elder of the Presbyterian church for many years, and during the last eight years has been superinten- dont of the Presbyterian Sunday school. le is a member of the prohibition party, and in 1902 was ile nominee of his party for secretary of state. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens National Bank of Worthington.
JOIN CONDON (1839-1904) was for twenty-four years a resident of Grand Prai- rie township and Ellsworth village. He was born in Ireland in 1839, and came to the United States when a young man. His home was in Boston until 1880, when he beeame a member of Bishop Ireland's colony and came to Nobles county.
Arriving in this county. he at once pur- chased from the colony managers the north- west quarter of section 29. Grand Prairie, and that was his home until his death, which occurred in 1904. His wife was Mar- garet Condon, whom he married in Boston. She was born in Ireland and died at the family home in Grand Prairie township in 1901, aged 65 years. Mr. and Mrs. Con- don were the parents of six children, all of whom are living. They are .James, Viel. George. W. J .. Mary (Mrs. Mike Hol- Jaren) and Bridget (Mrs. C. A. Bird). The sons all make their home on the home ptare: the daughters reside in Ellsworth. George Condon owns the home quarter. James owns the northeast quarter of ser- tion 3], and W. T. owns the southwest quarter of section 19. all in Grand Prairie.
GEORGE ASQUITH has made his home in Larkin township during the last twenty- two years and is one of the older settlers of that precinct. Ile owns and farms the northwest quarter of section 7 and also has residence property in the village of Lismore.
Mr. Asquith was born in Huron county. Ontario, Canada. Nov. 26. 1861. the son of George and Elizabeth (Kilbern) Asquith. is parents were English. but eame to Canada about 1958. The father, who was a sailor. was born in 1828 and died April 6. 1907. The mother died in Ontario in 1893.
Until he was 22 years of age George Asquith lived in Ontario, in the vicinity of his birth place. At the age of twelve years he began working in a saw mill, pack- ing shingles. Later he was given a posi- tion as engineer. and during the last six years of his residence in Canada was so emplovel. Leaving Canada, Mr. Asquith went to Blackhawk county, Iowa, where for thurteen years he was employed as a farm Taborer. In the fall of 1885 he bought one eighty of his present farm, which was
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then raw prairie land, paying therefore $7.50 per acre, and in 1886 he moved onto the land. Later he bought the other eighty acres of his farm. for which he paid $10.00 per acre. Ever since his arrival so many years ago Mr. Asquith has resided on his farm, having seen the country advance from a trackless prairie to a fine farming country. lle engages in stock raising extensively, raising Poland-China hogs, Aberdeen-Angus cattle and Plymouth Rock chickens.
During the first three years of his resi- denee in the county Mr. Asquith lived the life of a bachelor. On July 30, 1889, at Adrian he was united in marriage to Annie Whalen, who was born in Kings county. Ireland, in 1861 and who came to the United States when sixteen years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Asquith are members of the Catholic church of Lismore. During the last eight years he has served as asses- sor of Larkin township.
OLLAS B. BRATAGER, postmaster of Lis- more and proprietor of that village's lead- ing merchantile establishment, is a native of Jackson county, Minnesota, and the son of the late Lars 1. and Bertha Bratager.
The father of our subject was born in Norway in 1833, came to the United States in 1863. and located in Wisconsin. In 1865 he moved to Jackson county. Minnesota. becoming one of the pioneer settlers of our neighboring county. Ilis home was in Jack- son county until his death in 1905. Mrs. Bratager died in Jackson county , when her son was twelve years of age. Ollis is the youngest of a family of six children, all living.
Until he was eighteen years of age Mr. Bratager lived in his native county. was edneated in the public schools, finish- ing his schooling with a course in the Sioux Fall- Business college. In 1894. in partner- ship with George Chisholm. he engaged in the merchantile business at Beaver Creek, Minn. The partners conducted the store until 1898, when Mr. Bratager soll ont to his partner and moved to Sherman, S. D. There he opened a general merchandise store, which he conducted a year and a half. serving as postmaster of Sherman during the greater part of the time.
When the new town of Lismore started
in the spring of 1900 Mr. Batager was olle of the first business men to come to the site of the new town, arriving there in the month of April. When he bought the lot where his store was erected the site of the town was a plowed field, and when he erected his store building it was the second one in the village. He opened his store on July 6. 1900. and has conducted it ever since. He carries a stock of general mer- chandise valued at from $8,000 to $10,000. Mr. Bratager received the" appointment of postmaster of the village when the office was established, opened the office on Sep- tember 22. 1900, and has served ever since.
In the city of Minneapolis, on Dec. 18. 1891. Mr. Bratager was married to Miss Bertha Welliver. a native of Independence, lowa, and a daughter of Francis Welliver. They are the parents of the following named children: Grace Beatrice. born Oct. 2. 1892: Lillian Fedora. born May 12. 1898; Gladys Wenefred, born March 24, 1901; Or- lando Burdett, born Jan. 5. 1906.
Mr. Bratager was one of those who in the summer of 1900 brought about the or- ganization of the Lismore school district. and he was chosen a member of the board. serving three years. He served three years as a member of the city council. Mr. Brat- ager is a member of the Odd Fellows. Woodmen and Workmen lodges, having been a member of the last named order for the last fifteen years.
Mr. Bratager assisted in the work of incorporating the village at a time when the place was so small that it was necessary to take in five square miles of the sur- rounding farming country in order to get sufficient population to incorporate. The farmers consented to this movement on the promise that the town's limits would be ent down and reincorporated as soon as the popn- Tation would justify such a course. In just one year this promise was fulfilled. and the limits of the village were reduced to less than one-half section .
THOMAS IT. HAGGE has been engaged in farming in Elk township twenty-one years, his prosent farm being the northwest quarter of section 26. which is a finely im- proved tract of land. Mr. Hagge was born in Prussia Nov. 4. 1867. the son of Klaus
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and Katie (Kuhl) Hagge. His father died in Benton county, Iowa, June 9, 1902; his mother died in 1884.
Mr. Hagge's boyhood days were spent in his native land. There he secured a com- mon school education and assisted with the work on his father's farm. In 1883 he came to the United States and located in Ben- ton county. lowa, where he lived four years, working for wages at farm work. He then came to Nobles county (1887), traded a threshing machine for a piece of land in Elk township, and that township has been his home ever since. lle purchased his pres- ent place a few years ago. During the last nine years he has served as treasurer of school district No. 6, and for the last five years has been a member of the township board.
On March 17, 1889, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hagge to Miss Ida Dohlheim. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Dohlheim, of Elk town- ship. To them have been born three children. all living of home. They are Henry C .. John II., and Arma.
MILTON P. MANN, real estate dealer, Worthington. is one of the pioneer resi- dents of Nobles county. having lived here for thirty-five years. He was born in Ful- ton county. Pennsylvania, November 2. 1857, the son of James A. and Mary J. (Stillwell) Mann, both of whom were natives of Penn- sylvania. The father died at Worthington in 1871; the mother is still living in Port- land, Oregon.
During the first ten years of his life Milton Mann lived in the county of his birth, removing with his parents in 1867 to Bedford county, in the same state. There. at the town of Everett. he began his school- ing. The family came west a few years Jater, arriving in the little village of Worth- ington in March, 1873. For two years after the arrival in Nobles county Milton lived with his parents on a farin in Lorain town- ship. Then he moved to Worthington, and that city has been his place of residence ever since. He attended the Worthington publie school and for a time was a student. at the Worthington seminary, that insti- tution of higher learning established by Prof. R. F. Humiston, at about the time he found - eil the city of Worthington.
In 1876 our subject entered the employ of Daniel Shell, who was at that time pro- prietor of the Worthington hotel, and for five years was elerk at that famous hos- telry. Then, in IS8], he became an em- ploye of the Nobles County Bank, who-e president was then Peter Thompson. Dur- ing the next fourteen years of his life he was identified with that institution, for a time as bookkeeper, and later as cashier. After the failure of the bank the result of the panie of 1893 Mr. Mann took a proml- nent part in the reorganization of the in- stitution.
After severing his connection with the bank- ing business in 1895 he and Daniel Shell founded the real estate firm of Shell & Mann, which had an existence of eleven years. In 1906 the firm was dissolved and Mr. Mann has since that time conducted a real estate office for himself.
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