An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 117

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924

USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 117
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 117

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George Rae of this review grew to man- hood in his native country, As a boy he learned the trade of stone mason from his father and worked with him in that line until his marriage at the age of twenty- three. In 1881 his career in America be- gan. Ile worked at his trade in Wisconsin for two years and for another two years was a stone mason in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. le next located at Dell Rapids, the same state. While there he was in- strumental in bringing about the organiza- tion of the Dell Rapids Co-operative Stone company. Thirteen men were interested in the company, which owned a big stone quarry and yards and employed over 300 men. One year the firm shipped 1400 cars of street paving blocks.

In 1890 Mr. Rac moved to Jasper and for the next five years was engaged in the

general mercantile business. On selling out, he ran a pool hall and lunch counter for three years, or until 1898, when he started his present business. His is a popular eating house and he carries a full line of sweets, fruits, cigars, soft drinks, etc.

Mr. Rae was married while yet a resi- dent of Scotland to Anna Mitchell, also a native of Aberdeen shire, having been born in October, 1858. The wedding cere- mony took place July 31, 1870. Eight children have been born to this union, all of whom are living. They are Annie, Bar- bara, Elizabeth, Bella, George, Andrew, Clarence and Wallace. Mr. Rae served on the city council for three terms. He is a member of the Presbyterian church.

CARL OPPEN (1900) is the efficient manager of the plant of the Pipestone Electric Light, Heat and Power company, the concern which is responsible for the up-to-date system of illumination in vogue in that city. The plant was established and the present building erected in 1901 by Minneapolis parties, who controlled the franchise until December, 1909, when it was sold to a Huron, South Dakota, company, headed by Mr. C. Campbell, the present secretary and treasurer of the corporation.

Carl Oppen, the subject of this biography, was born in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, August 24, 1876, the son of O. K. and Julia Oppen, also natives of the Badger state. The former parent now resides in Chicago, but the mother has been deceased for a number of years. Carl lived on the home farm in Wisconsin until sixteen years of age, until 1892, when the family moved to Worthington, Minnesota. There he learned the trade of machinist in the shop which the elder Oppen established in that town. Our subject was employed in a Chicago machine shop for six months, then return- ed to Worthington in October, 1898, to ac- cept a position in the municipal electric light and power plant. He was employed there as fireman and engineer until 1900, when his residence in Pipestone commenc- ed. For eighteen months he was the en- gineer at the flouring mill and then became connected with the electric light plant. He worked as engineer and electrician until

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

March, 1906, when he was promoted to his present post of manager.

At Worthington, on December 14, 1898. Mr. Oppen was married to Lola McCracken, a native of Hickory county, Missouri. She was born September 5, 1876. To these parents the four following named children have been born: Homer R., Mabel M., James C. and Ralph L. Our subject holds membership in the following Masonic or- ders: Quarry Lodge No. 147, of Pipestone; Triune Chapter No. 51, of Pipestone: Min- nesota Consistory No. 1, of St. Paul; St. Paul Council No. 1, of St. Paul. He is also an Odd Fellow and a member of the State Firemen's association.

OLAF HANSEN (1906) is the proprietor and operator of the Holland creamery, a leading industry of that village and of the county, as it is the most extensive butter manufacturing plant in the county outside of Pipestone. It is entirely through Mr. Hansen's untiring efforts that such a con- dition has come to pass. He came to Hol- land in 1906 and found there the idle plant of the Holland Creamery company, a co-op- erative concern which had proved a failure. Mr. Hansen forced a reconstruction. He opened the plant. which had been idle more than two years, bought the stock, installed an entire new and improved set of ma- chinery, and, backed by years of practical experience, soon had the business on a pay- ing basis. The weekly shipments of butter average about 6000 pounds and the checks paid to farmers for cream amount to nearly $5000 per month.

Olaf is the son of Ole Hansen, whose home has always been in Denmark, and he is one of a family of three children. A brother, Carl, is a resident of Ruthton. His only sister, Annie, met her death while crossing the Atlantic on the ill-fated ship "Norge," which went down in the sea and cost the lives of 676 out of a passenger list of 888. The mother of our subject died when Olaf was a child.

In Denmark, on September 2, 1883, Olaf Hansen first beheld the things of earth. He received a common school education and early became an adept at the butter-mak- er's trade. He followed that occupation in his native land until coming to America at

the age of twenty-one. He secured employ- ment at his trade successively in Rosen- dale, Wisconsin, and Tyler, Minnesota, go- ing from the latter place to Browu county, South Dakota, where he served the Savo Finnish Creamery company as butter-mak- er for three months. Previous to locating in Holland in 1906, he followed his trade at Granite Falls and Ruthton. Minnesota. Mr. Hansen is unmarried. He holds membership in the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.

GEORGE CLAUSEN (1900) is the owner of a well improved farm in Elmer town- ship, of which he has been a resident for eleven years. He was born across the seas, in Schleswig, Germany, the first of August, 1867. His parents, George and Maren (Jor- genson) Clausen, were farmers by occupa- tion. George was educated in the German public schools and resided on the home farm in his native land until twenty years of age. On coming to America he located in Shelby county, Iowa. He worked out three years and then farmed rented land until moving to Pipestone county in 1900. At that time Mr. Clausen bought his home farm, the southwest quarter of section 32, Elmer, and later he bought the northwest quarter of the same section. He is a large stock raiser. In an official capacity our subject served his township as treasurer and school district No. 17 as clerk.

While living in Towa, on February 19, 1889, the subject of this biography was married to Annie Schack, who was horn April 12, 1866, the daughter of Jacob and Johanalı Maria (Nelson) Schack, both na- tives of Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Clausen the following nine children have been born: Hannah, born June 23, 1890; George, born February 5, 1892; Marius, born January 15, 1894: Alma, born June 30, 1898; Dora, born October 29, 1900; Annie, born April 19, 1902; Sophus, born March 13, 1904; Olga, born November 10, 1907; and Walter, born June 6, 1909. Mr. Clausen and his family belong to the German Lutheran church.

AMIL, NISSEN (1891), who resides on the northwest quarter of section 24, Aetna township, and engages in general farming,

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

has been a resident of the county twenty years, lle was born in Audubon county, Towa, May 30, 1880, and is the son of Peter Nissen, a Dane by birth and a resident of Tyler, Lincoln county, His mother, Mary Nissen, who was also born in Denmark, died when our subject was eight years of age.

From Towa Amil moved with his father to Lincoln county, Minnesota, in 1888 and located on a farm north of the village of Tyler. They lived there three years and then located in Pipestone county- in Aetna township. He assissted with the manage- ment of the home farm until becoming of age, then was employed at agricultural pursuits until 1904. That year Mr. Nissen rented his father's Rock township farm, which he conducted four years, moving then to a location two miles east of Hol- land. He moved from Rock township to the farm he now operates in Aetna in the spring of 1911.

The subject of this review was married at Pipestone to Clara Murphy, a native of Rock county. To them have been born the following five children: Laura, born July 14, 1904; Lawrence, born July 16, 1906; Ella, born October 12, 1907; Frankie, born March 2, 1909; Florence, born March 10, 1911.

HARRY N. STODDARD (1910) is man- ager of the Pipestone branch of the Gam- ble-Robinson Fruit and Produce company, whose main office is located in Minneapo- lis. The company also maintains branches at Aberdeen, South Dakota; Miles City, Montana: Oelwein, Iowa; Mankato, Roches- ter and St. Paul, Minnesota. One traveling representative covers the territory adjac- ent to Pipestone. Mr. Stoddard has been in the employ of the company fourteen years.

larry is one in a family of four children, the othern being Will R., of St. Paul; Earl B., of Stewartville, Minnesota; and Blanch G. Sauer, of St. Paul; who were born to Ros- coe N. and Lizzie M. (Porter) Stoddard, both natives of Maine. Roscoe N. Stod- dard died January 24. 1892, but his wife survives and resides at Stewartville, Min- nesota.

The subject of this biography was born

at Elgin, Minnesota, March 16, 1870. Thir- teen years later the family moved to Mon- tevideo, Chippewa, county, lived there four years, and then going west located at Ana- heim, California. The Stoddards returned to Minnesota and conducted a large stock farm at High Forest three years. From

there Harry went to Monticello, at which place and later at St. Paul he was connect- ed with the Crescent Creamery company. Mr. Stoddard's next move was to Winona, out of which city he traveled for the R. A. Foster whole-ale egg house for six years. In 1897 he accepted a similar position with the Gamble-Robinson company and was on the road until placed in charge of the Pipe- stone branch in August, 1910. Our subject is a member of the U. C. T.

At Owatonna, Minnesota, on August 29, 1905, Harry N. Stoddard was married to Edna S. Brown, a native of Steele county. Two children have been born to these par- ents: Evelyn, born June 22, 1906, and Ger- trude, born December 20, 1908.

ALBERT OLSON (1891), of Eden town- ship, was born on the farm he now con- ducts on December 11, 1891. His father was born in Norway August 15, 1885, and died February 14, 1910. Ile came to this country and to Pipestone county when thir- ty years old and homesteaded the south- east quarter of section 24, Eden. Albert has farmed the land since this family mis- fortune. His mother, also a native of Nor- way, was born January 2, 1858, and is now a resident of Jasper, Our subject has a sister, Tillie, born August 6, 1889, and a brother, Elmer, born September 11, 1894.

CHARLES A. CALKING (1893) is manag- er of the ('olman Lumber company at Edger- ton and is the postmaster of that village. His birth occurred November 4, 1868, in Clayton county, Iowa. While a young lad he moved with his parents to Dickinson county, in the same state, where he grew to manhood. After finishing his education in the public schools of Spirit Lake, he clerked for a time in a store of that town and then entered the employ of Capt. D. L. Riley, in his lumber yard. That business Mr. Calking has followed ever since.

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

In 1891 our subject moved to Tyler and later to Benson and Alexandria, Minnesota, managing the yards of the Blackenor-Cur- ran company at those places. Since 1893 he has resided at Edgerton and has held his present position continuously. The Cotman Lumber company was the first to engage in business at Edgerton, building in 1878 before the railroad was built, when it was necessary to haul the supplies in wagons. Mr. Calking is now serving his second term as postmaster of Edgerton, having been first appointed through the ef- forts of Ex-Congressman MeCleary. John Grundler is the assistant postmaster. Mr. Calking served five years as a member of the village council. He is a Knight of Py- thias by lodge affiliation.

Charles is the son of George and Maria (Waugh) Calking, natives of England and Dungannon, Ireland, respectively. They were married at Toronto, Canada, and soon after, in 1856, they came to the United States and located in Clayton county, then Dickinson county, Iowa. Mrs. Calking died March 17, 1874, but her husband is still a resident of Spirit Lake. They were the parents of ten children, two of whom, Wil- liam and James, were drowned together in Turkey river, Fayette county, Iowa, while swimming. The names of the living chil- dren are Mary, Ella, Amelia, Charles A., Minnie, Elva, Jesse J. and Harry.

Charles A. Calking was united in mar- riage at Benson, Minnesota, on July 21, 1892, to Mary E. Hogan, who was born at Anoka, Minnesota, February 8, 1874, the daughter of J. M. Hogan. Two daughters have bless- ed this unien: Mabel M., born May 7, 1893, and Clara G., born November 11, 1895.

FRANK WAGNER (1905), of Fountain Prairie township, owns and farms the southwest quarter of section 32, land upon which he has lived since moving to the county in 1905. A native lowan, he was born in Blackhawk county September 21, 1863, the son of Moritz and Carrie (Gles- ser) Wagner, both natives of Germany.

Frank was reared on the parental farm in Blackhawk county and educated in the near by district school. On severing home ties at the age of twenty-three years, he went to Colorado and farmed

three years; then for a year he was located in Montana. He pushed further west and for two years we find him identified with the agricultural interests of California. Mr. Wagner returned to rent and manage the home farm in Blackhawk county, and was so engaged until he bought and located on his Pipestone county land. He has made many substantial improvements on the place and only recently completed a fine new harn.

Our subject was united in marriage at Pipestone on December 20, 1905, to Edith Parnitzke, a native of Warrenton, Missouri. She was born in Warren county, Missouri, January 13, 1883. Mrs. Wagner is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph and Mary Agusta (Ockershausen) Parnitzke. Her father is a native of Germany; her mother is of German parentage but was born at Lansing, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are the parents of one son, William A., born November 9, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are members of the German Evan- gelical church.

MRS. LUKE M. BROWN (1905) is the proprietor of a millinery store and is a dressmaker of Pipestone. She is a nattve of Woodhull, Steuben county, New York, and was born November 20, 1861. She is of Scotch-English descent. Her father, David C. Bullard, was born in New York state November 14, 1829, and her mother, Mary Ann (Tubbs) Bullard, was born in the same state July 3, 1833. Both were descendants of early Scotch and English families in America. Mrs. Brown is one of a family of twelve children, of whom the following named seven are living: Wal- ter, of Winnebago City; Emily Richardson, of Fairmont; Maryeth Kinney, of Winne- bago City; Mrs. Brown, of this sketch; Euna Oulman, of St. James; Selden E., of St. James; George W., of Havre, Montana. The Bullard family came west in 1866 and settled in Mitchelt county, Iowa. Later they lived in Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, and in Houston county, Minnesota, and in 1875 located in Martin county, this state. In Rutland township, on Lake Mar- tin, the father of our subject took a home- stead claim, and there the family resided until 1897. That year Mr. Bullard died and

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

soon thereafter the family took up their residence in Fairmont, where they resided a number of years. The mother of our subject, who is now seventy-nine. years of age, resides with a daughter in St. James.

After her school days the subject of this review went to Eldora, Iowa, where for a few years she was engaged in the millinery business, clerking in a dry goods store and trimming hats. She was married December 24, 1882, to Seward W. Pratt, a native of Cattaraugus county, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt made their home in Fairmont, Minnesota, until his death, which occurred February 22, 1901, at the age .of forty-three years. To them were born four children, as follows: John C. Pratt, of Baker City, Oregon, born Sep- tember 24, 1885; Maud M. Pratt, a school teacher, born January 13, 1SS7: Dee Il. Pratt, born November 15, 1889; Lillian M. (Mrs. Harry Schapler). of Sioux Falls, born August 27, 1891.

The second marriage of our subject oc- curred at Estherville, Iowa, August 3, 1905. when she was wedded to Luke Brown, of Pipestone. Since that date she has resided in Pipestone. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents of one child, Margaret Stan- nard Brown, born July 21, 1906.

For several years after the death of her first husband Mrs. Brown conducted a millinery store in Fairmont. In the spring of 1910 she opened a store and dressmak- nig parlors in Pipestone. She carries the largest and most complete line of goods in the city. Mrs. Brown is an active lodge worker, holding membership in the Royal Neighbors, Brotherhood of American Yco- men, Mystic Workers, Mystic Toilers, Lady Maccabees, Degree of Honor and Woman's Relief Corps. In all the orders except the Mystic Workers she has held office. She was assistant deputy organizer of the Lady Maccabees and the Mystic Toilers. She is a Presbyterian.

FRED J. BINNEBOSE (1902), an Altona township farmer, was born on the tenth of April, 1882, in Joliet, Illinois. Ilis par- ents, Charles and Lena (Robeke) Binne- bose, were born in Germany and are now residents of Gray township.

One year after the birth of our subject

the family became residents of Plymouth county, Iowa, which was their home until moving to Pipestone county in 1902. Fred was reared on a farm and educated in the district schools of Plymouth county. For four years after -the Binneboses made set- tlement in Pipestone eonnty, he assisted on the farms of his father in Sweet and Gray townships; then he commenced farm- ing on his own account. For a year lie was located on a farm near Hatfield and in 1909 moved to his present place, the west half of section 36. Mr: Binnebose is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge at Cazenovia.

At Pipestone, on March 23, 1909, the subjeet of this review was joined in mar- riage to Lottie Pollock, who was born in Towa March 10, 1891. One son, Leslie, was born to these parents, on December 27, 1909.

MAGNUS K. STEEN (1877) is the owner of one of the fine farms of Eden township, the southeast quarter of section 24. His handsome, new farm residence is modern in every particular, as are also the other buildings on the place. Mr. Steen filed a timber claim to his land in the early days, making entry on the same on his twenty- first birthday, July 12, 1884. He also owns a quarter section of land in Clark county, South Dakota, four miles from the county seat.

Magnus is one in a family of three sons and four daughters, all but one of whom are living, born to Knut K. and Karn (Bartelson) Steen, natives of Norway. Knut K. Steen was born December 12, 1827, and. died May 14, 1891, while his wife passed away in June of the year fol- lowing, at the age of sixty-nine years. Be- sides our subject the living children are Otto K., a Rose Dell township farmer: Caroline Nelson, of Jasper; Hannah Nel- son, of Chicago; Matilda Ellefson, of Rose Dell' township; and Clara Norvold, of Volga, South Dakota. 1

The birth of Magnus K. Steen occurred in Allamakee county, lowa, July 12, 1863. He was fourteen years of age when the family departed from Iowa and made set- tlement in Rock county. The father home- steaded on section 14, Rose Dell town-

RESIDENCE OF C. H. BENNETT. PIPESTONE

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FARM HOME OF M. K. STEEN, EDEN TOWNSHIP

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

ship, and upon that farm our subject made his home until he was twenty-seven years old. Then he settled on his present Pipestone county farm, which he had taken as a timber claim a number of years pre- vious. In addition to being a progressive farmer, Mr. Steen is a useful citizen of his community. He served six years as a member of the township board and was a school director for five years. He is a di- rector of the Rose Dell Mutual Insurance company and is the treasurer of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church, of Rose Dell.

At Old East Point Creek, on June 26, 1894, Magnus K. Steen was joined in the bonds of matrimony to Mattie Jensen, daughter of Engebret and Ragnel Jensen, both living in Allamakee county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Steen have three children: Clara, born January 9, 1897; Lester, born Febru- ary 1, 1901: and Myrtle, born November 20, 1906.

ELMER E. HURD (1908), of Pipestone, is the popular conductor on the Pipestone- Ileron Lake branch of the Omaha road and the owner of the Victoria airdome, a popular amusement resort of that city, of which his son, Victor E. Hurd, is the man- ager. Mr. Hurd rented Holt's hall in 1909 and launched this enterprise. In the spring of 1910 he erected his own commo- dious and well arranged building and has met with pronounced success in his un- dertaking. The Victoria is unrivalled by any similar enterprise in this section of the state.

In the town of Maxwell, Wisconsin, on September 14, 1866, occurred the birth of Elmer E. Hurd of this review. At the age of thirteen he moved with his parents to Gary, Deuel county, South Dakota, where his father, C. P. Hurd, homesteaded a quarter section of land. Elmer complet- ed his education in the schools at Gary. On attaining his majority he left home and for three years was located in differ- ent portions of the west, principally in Colorado and New Mexico. He returned and commenced his railroading career with the Rock Island line at Estherville, lowa. Six months later he became con- nected with the Great Northern . as a brakeman, and during the four years of

such employment made his headquarters at Willmar. Mr. Hurd then accepted a run as conductor on the main line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad, with which he has now been con- nected for fifteen years. He has operated trains on the main line and many of the branches of the Minnesota & fowa division, and prior to moving to Pipestone was lo- cated at St. James and Worthington.

Elmer is the eldest of six children born to C. P. and Maggie (Bates) Hurd, both natives of New York and now residents of Clear Lake, South Dakota. They were married at Madison, Wisconsin. C. P. Huru is a civil war veteran, having served for four years as a member of company G, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin volunteer infantry. Besides our subject the following are the children born to these parents: Wallace A., who died June 23, 1898, at Chickamauga Park, Tennessee, while serving as a volun- teer in the Spanish-American war; Fred E., a conductor on the South Dakota Central; Minnie (Mrs. Axel Hanson), of Watertown, South Dakota: Libby (Mrs. Fred Warner), of Clear Lake, South Dakota; and Myrtle (Mrs. Louis F. Hanley), of Clear Lake.

At Watertown, South Dakota, on Janu- ary 18, 1895, Elmer E. Hurd was united in marriage to Mary E. Phillips, of Clark, South Dakota. Mrs. Hurd is a native of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and was born July 1, 1865. One son, Victor E., was born to these parents, on December 8, 1895. Ir a fraternal way our subject is affiliated with the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Eastern Star branches of the Masonic order, the Yeo- men, Modern Brotherhood of America, the Mystic Workers, Order of Raitroad Con- ductors and the Railway Protective asso- ciation.

ROBERT W. COLBURN (1908), grocer of Pipestone, is one of that city's most enterprising men of business. He is an enthusiastic booster for Pipestone and is confident of a most promising future pros- perity for southwestern Minnesota's rail- road center. Mr. Colburn is the successor to the old established grocery business of A. C. Wright, which is one of the two ex- clusive grocery stores in the county.

To the parents, Asa W. and Frances D.

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

(Giles) Colburn, both natives of New York and both deceased, Robert W. Col- hurn of this sketch was born at Cedar Rapids, lowa. July 19, 1872. In that Jowa city he was educated, completing the com- mercial course offered by the high school, and in that city he grew to manhood. He moved from his home city to St. Paul, where he resided continuously until com- ing to Pipestone. From the first Mr. Col- burn engaged in the grocery business in the capital city, and for many years he was a leading spirit in the large and influential organization, the Retail Grocery Clerks' association. For three years he was honor- ed with the presidency of the association and in 1903 was delegated the St. Paul representative to attend the national con- vention at Buffalo, New York.

In 1906 our subject became connected as salesman with the fruit and commission house of Gamble-Robinson company, and it was largely through his recommenda- tions and efforts that the company estab- lished a branch house at Pipestone. At the time of establishment Mr. Colburn was placed in charge of the Pipestone house, which prompted his removal to that city in September, 190S. He resigned his position after a year's service and until buying his present business, in October, 1910, he traveled through southwestern Minnesota for C. Shenkberg & Co., whole- 'sale grocers of Sioux City.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 117

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924