An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 99

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 99
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 99

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The events that led to Dr. Taylor's be- coming a resident of Pipestone county are similar to those recorded for the settle- ment of many of the pioneer places of the west. In seeking a location in some new western country Dr. Taylor, in the spring of 1874, had paid a visit to Nebraska. On his return trip he stopped off for a visit with his sister, Mrs. E. H. Bronson, who resided at Beaver Creek, in Rock county. There he was told of the pretty country about the famous Pipestone quarries, and in June, 1874, he set out with a companion to visit the site. Where the city of Pipe- stone now stands he found the Sweet cab- in, occupied by Daniel E. Sweet, wife and son and John Lowry, then the only residents of Pipestone county, Charles H. Bennett having been there a short time before but having then departed for his home in LeMars, Iowa. At the time only forty acres of land had been broken-ten acres on Sweet's claim, ten on Mr. Bennett's and two ten- acre tracts on tree claims west of the spot where Pipestone was later builded.

Dr. Taylor became enamored of the spot and at once decided to make his fu- ture home there. While on this initial

visit he participated in the first republican county convention of Pipestone county- participated in by the only three men then in the county-and had the bonor of being chosen to represent the county at the con- gressional convention held at Owatonna later in the year, the story of which is to be found in the historical part of this vol- ume. Dr. Taylor remained at the quarries only long enough to select his claims, choosing the northwest quarter of section 18, Gray township, as a soldier's home- stead, and the southwest quarter of the same section as a tree claim He return- ed to his Wisconsin home and in August, 1874, filed his claims in the government land office.

The doctor spent the winter of 1874-75 teaching school in Dane county, Wiscon- sin, but the next spring, in company with H. D. Sanford, he organized a small party of homeseekers and drove again to Pipe- stone. He built a small house on his claim, broke some of the land, and remained in the land of his future home until the month of June. There were then five peo- ple living in the county or with intentions of soon becoming residents, and these par- ticipated in the second county convention, Again Dr. Taylor was chosen to represent the unorganized county, this time in the state convention at St. Paul. Dr. Taylor attended the convention and then spent the winter of 1875-76 in Wisconsin.

During the month of March, 1876, Dr. Taylor came to Pipestone county to reside permanently, his wife joining him that year. H. D. Sanford also came and both gentlemen seeded the lands they had brok- en the year before. The newcomers did not escape the devastation that visited the country during the seventies. On the twenty-seventh of July the grasshoppers swooped down upon their fields and al- most totally destroyed their crops. Dr. Taylor took a "grasshopper leave" and in August moved to Luverne, where he en- gaged in the practice of his profession. For a few years he spent most of his time in the Rock county village, his family re- siding on his claim, however, until he proved up.

In the month of March, 1879, Dr. Taylor moved from Luverne to his claim, where for a number of years he conducted the

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farm on the edge of town and engaged in practice in the village.' In 1889 he erected the stone building in Pipestone which is now occupied by the Cook drug store and the Johnson & Taylor jewelry store, and the following year lie moved to the city. He bas since devoted his time to the practice of his profession (being now the senior member of the firm of Taylor & Rice) and in looking after his land hold- ings, he now owning 400 acres of land in one tract.

Pipestone has been made the city it is today almost entirely through the efforts of its citizens, some of whom devoted their energies to the upbuilding of the city at great personal sacrifices. Among the num- ber who took the lead in everything that might eventnate a greater Pipestone were five or six citizens, and among the num- her none took a more prominent part than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. It was largely through his in- strumentality and that of other influential citizens that the Burlington railroad (later the Rock Island) was builded to the city, lie with Messrs. Nichols, Goodnow and Moore spending one whole summer in help- ing secure the right of way for the com- pany, and in almost every enterprise of a like nature he has taken a leading part.

In an official capacity Dr. Taylor has served his community on various occa- sions. He was a member of the pension ex- amining board for a number of years, has been a member of the city council, of the board of education, was county coroner for a number of years, and has been a member of the local board of health. Fraternally the doctor is associated with many worthy orders, holding membership in the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council of the Masonic order, Grand Army of the Republic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Modern Wood- men and Ancient Order of United Work- men.

Dr. Taylor is a man of family, having been married at Madison, Wisconsin, on November 19, 1868, to Jennie Sanford, who was born in lowa, but who grew to woman- hood in Middletown, Wisconsin. Dr. and Mrs. Taylor are the parents of five chil- dren, named as follows: Orville S., of Lemmon, South Dakota; Luella (Mrs. Wil-

liam McGillivray), of Pipestone; Maude S. (Mrs. Grant S. Beardsley), of Eugene, Ore- gon; Mayme and Jane E.

RICHARD H. O'CONNELL (1878) presi- dent of the Ihlen State Bank, is one of Pipe- stone county's earliest settlers, a home- steader of 1878. There were but three buildings' on the present site of Pipestone at the time, and he arrived in season to lose his first crop by the ravages of the un- welcome grasshoppers. The son of Rich- ard and Letitia O'Connell, our subject was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, May 14, 1857. His parents came to America from Ireland in 1848.

Mr. O'Connell was a year old infant when he located with his parents in Saint Croix county, Wisconsin, where he grew to man- hood on his father's farm. On arriving at his majority Richard left the shelter of the parental roof and journeyed to the new country of Pipestone county. He took as a homestead claim the northeast quarter of section S, Eden township, land which he developed from a prairie waste to a well- improved farm with elegant and substantial residence and barns. He farmed the place until 1902, when he hecame a resident of Pipestone, moving thence to Ihlen in 1908 to engage in the banking business. Mr. O'Connell still retains possession of the old homestead, other real estate he later ac- quired. and also residence property in Pipe- stone.

In May, 1883, in Luverne, our subject was united in marriage to Ellen Dickson, who was also born in Janesville, Wisconsin. The following eight children have been born to this union: Letitia, Henry, Thomas, Rich- ard, Mary, Lillian, Patrick and Ellen. Hen- ry and Thomas are twin brothers. Mr. O'Connell is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge. During his long residence in Eden township he has held many offices of trust. Besides his interest in the bank, he is one of the owners of the Ihlen Mercantile company.

The private bank of which the Ihlen State Bank is the successor was founded In 1904 by L. L. Dale, who disposed of it after two years to M. C. Duea. A year later the institution was reorganized as a state bank, with a capital stock of $10,000.

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as it is today. The present officers are: President, R. H. O'Connell; vice president, R. G. Larson; assistant cashier, Lillian O'Connell. S. B. Duea and William F. Eik- meier are additional directors.

CHRIST GILBERTSON (1878), one of the earliest of Aetna township's settlers, now living a retired life in the village of Ruthton, dates his residence in the county from May 10, 1878. Only two men, Ed. Ginzel and John Mooney, can claim a long- er settlement in Aetna township, and that by only a few months. Mr. Gilbertson was an active participant in the events incident to the township's organization.

A native of the land of the midnight sun, the subject of this biography was born on June 8, 1845. His father, Gulbrand Han- son, died in Aetna township in April, 1882. His mother, Carrie (Oldsdatter) Hanson, passed away in 1879, while the family were residents of Fillmore county. Christ passed the first twenty-two years of his life in Norway. He was reared on a farm and after growing up commenced working out, doing farm work in the summers and dur- ing the winter seasons following a woods- man's life. In June, 1867, Mr. Gilbertson commenced his career in America. He went direct to Fillmore county, Minnesota, worked at farm labor for the first several years, then rented land and farmed on his own account. He later bought a forty acre farm in that county. While there he was joined by his parents, who came from Nor- way.

Pipestone county was a raw, untempered prairie land when it was first beheld by this honored pioneer, and settlement had scarcely begun. The trip was made over- land from Fillmore county. Mr. Gilbertson filed homestead and tree claims to the east half of section 28, Aetna township, and that continued to be the scene of his re- warded industry until 1898. His first abode was a 16x24 feet, two-room sod house, which was the family home four years. He was engaged in the livery business in Ruthton for a number of years. For the past thir- teen years he has lived in the residence he built just outside of Ruthton. Mr. Gilbert- son has served terms as supervisor and treasurer of Aetna township. He is a mem-

ber of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Ruthton.

Christ Gilbertson was first married in Norway on April 4, 1865, to Bertha Olson. Two sons and two daughters were born to this union, named Gilbert, Ole, Matilda and Emma. With the exception of Gilbert, of Ruthton, all these children are deceased. To the second union no children were born. On December 26, 1872, in Fillmore county, Martha Hanson became the wife of our subject. Again, in Ruthton, on November 10, 1898, he was joined in marriage to Mary Christina Peterson, who was born in Den- mark April 5, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert- son are the parents of the following named children: Chris Melvin, Arlo, Norva, Glenn Theodore and Bertha Evelyn.

WARRINGTON B. BROWN (1878). With one exception, the gentleman whose name heads this review has had a longer con- tinnous residence in Pipestone county than any other man now living in the county. The exception is Charles H. Bennett. J. H. Nichols came to the county for perma- nent residence one day after Mr. Brown. During these many years he has been a resident of Pipestone county, Mr. Brown has been an influential citizen, many times having been called upon to serve in an official capacity. When the county was organized he was chosen as a member of the first board of county commissioners and was chairman of the board from 1880 to 1885. He was a member of the Minnesota legislature during the session of 1885 and was state senator in the sessions of 1887 and 1889.

The birthplace of Mr. Brown was Colchester, Chittenden county, Vermont, and he first saw the light of day on June 4, 1845. At the age of twelve years he accompanied the family to Janesville, Rock county, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood and secured his education. He served in the union army during the war of the rebellion as a member of company 1, Thirty-eighth Wisconsin infantry, his regi- ment being in the army of the Potomac. At the battle of Petersburg he was wounded by being struck on the head by a minie ball, and carries the scar of the wound to this day. After receiving the wound he re.

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPIIIES.

ceived his discharge from the army and in September, 1865, took up his residence in Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he en- gaged in farming until 1878.

In March of the last named year Mr. Brown came to Pipestone county, then al- most entirely uninhabited. He spent the first few days in the shanty of Daniel E. Sweet, now deceased, which stood on Main street in the city of Pipestone, where the Sellers furniture store now stands. He at once filed a homestead claim to the north- east quarter of section 30, Grange town- ship, improved the place, and made his home there during the next eight years. He then took up his residence in the city, where he has since resided, having been engaged in the machinery business during alt of that time. Mr. Brown holds member- ship in Simon Mix Post No. 95, G. A. R., and is a member of the A. F. & A. M. order. For five years he was chief of the Pipestone fire department.

Mr. Brown is a man of family, having been married at Red Wing, Minnesota, Oc- tober 30, 1875, to Mary Holliday. She was born in Westmoreland, England, Oc- tober 27, 1848, came to the United States with her parents, John and Anna Holliday, when seven years of age, and settled with the family at Janesville, Wisconsin, later moving to Goodhue county, Minnesota. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born the following named six children: Dr. Paul F., of Minneapolis; Warrington S., of Lem- mon, South Dakota: Garfield W., a lawyer of Glencoe, Minnesota; Annie B. (Mrs. George W. Winters), of Big Stone county, Minnesota; Mabel C. (Mrs. William Mor- gan), of Pipestone; Ruth H. (Mrs. Roland Donaldson), of Pipestone.

The parents of our subject were Jason and Sarah Brown, both natives of Vermont. They moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1857 and while a resident of that place the father of our subject enlisted in company D, Second Wisconsin infantry. He was killed in the first battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Mrs. Brown died at Apple- ton, Wisconsin. There are five living chil- dren of this family: Sarah Schulte, of Apple- ton, Wisconsin; Nettie Carpenter, of Mil- waukee, Wisconsin; W. B. Brown, of this sketch; Luke Brown, of Pipestone; Myna Brown, of Appleton Wisconsin,

EUGENE S. BUTMAN (1878). There is no better known or more successful agri- culturist living in Pipestone county today than the gentleman whose name heads this review. Mr. Butman was one of the home- steaders of Troy township, taking a claim in 1878, and that town has ever since been his home and the scene of his rewarded ac- tivities. His original farm of 160 acres on section 12, range 47, has been added to year by year until now more than 1000. acres of Troy's choicest soil is the property of this man of industry.

Eugene S. Butman was born in LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, October 4, 1856, the son of Stark and Mary J. (Lynn) Butman, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Our subject was educated in the district schools of his native county and lived on the farm of his father until he commenced his ca- reer in Pipestone county, thirty-three years ago. Mr. Butman devotes considerable at- tention to the breeding of high grade cat- tle, sheep and hogs, and he directs the ship- ment of all his stock. He owns stock in a number of substantial enterprises, among them the Pipestone State Bank, Farmers Elevator companies of Airlie and Cazenovia, the Independent Harvester company of Plano, Illinois, and the Pipestone Rural Telephone company, of which he is the president.

Mr. Butman has always taken an active interest in matters of the public good and has labored zealously for the promotion of every worthy enterprise in both his home precinct and the county at large. He has had an opportunity to do this in a service of twenty years as a member of the board of township supervisors, and as a school director for a quarter of a century. Our subject is an ex-member of the board of county commissioners. He is a Maccabee by fraternal affiliation.

On New Years day, 1883, in Wisconsin. Eugene S. Butman was joined in wedlock to Anna M. Stillpflug, a native of the Badger state. She was born May 4, 1863, the daughter of Christopher and Mary (Sever) Stillpflug, both of whom were of German birth. To Mr. and Mrs. Butman have been born three sons and five daughters, all but one of whom are living. Their names are Mary Jane, born April 26, 1884, died May 28, 1904; Nellie L., born July 25,

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1886; Roy, born November 16, 1888; Hiram, born January 17, 1890; Ida M., born March 5, 1893; Start, born July 7, 1895; Clara, born February 18, 1901; and Elizabeth, born January 3, 1905.

JOHN E. DANNEKER (1878) has been a leading resident and agriculturist of Grange township since the first year of that precinct's existence. He homesteaded the west half of the northeast quarter of sec- tion 28, in 1878, adding later by purchase the east half of the same quarter. He is now the owner of as substantially improved a quarter section of farming land as is to be found in the county. Mr. Danneker experienced many reverses and discourage. ments during the pioneer days, especially during the memorable winter of 1880-81, which will ever be remembered for its un- usual severity.

The subject of this biography is a native German and was born on a farm in the prov- ince of Wurttemberg September 20, 1850, the son of Anton and Anna (Riede) Dan. neker. John was educated in the German lower schools, and he assisted with the du- ties on the home farm until twenty years old, when the America of many oppor- tunities beckoned him, and he responded to the call. Ile journeyed direct to Minnesota and for a time was variously employed, as gardener, in a brick yard, and in a saw mill in the city of St. Paul. He then went on a farm in the vicinity and re- mained until the commencement of his suc- cessful carcer in Pipestone county. Mr. Danneker is an extensive stock raiser, mak- ing a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and Po- land China hogs. He owns stock in the farmers' elevator at Pipestone and in the Midway Telephone company. Our subject has served for sixteen years as township supervisor and is the clerk of school dis- irict No. 16.

Mr. Danneker was married in Fountain Prairie township December 2, 1880, to Ju- lia E. Heathfield, the daughter of Charles and Jane (Giles) lleathfield, now of Pipe- stone. She was born in New York on No- vember 28, 1854. Four daughters, Laura, Sabina, Jane and Ruth, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Danneker. The family are members of the Catholic church.

DANIEL B. WHIGAM (1878), of Pipe- stone, is one of the pioneers of 1878 who settled in the county about the same time as C. H. Bennett, J. H. Nichols, Dr. Taylor, Daniel Sweet, Charles Smith, the Stuarts, and others who were so intimately con- nected with the early history and develop- ment of Pipestone county and city. Mr. Whigam entered Pipestone county in 1878, driving an ox team from eastern Minne- sota. He is given the credit for building the second dwelling in Troy township.

Our subject has one brother, William, a resident of Lake county, Illinois, and a half- brother, L. R. Ober, the hardware merchant of Pipestone. In Lake county. Illinois, on February 8, 1840, Daniel B. Whigam was born. At the age of seventeen he severed home times and undertook the long journey to California, going by way of the isthmus of Panama. In the Golden West he was employed for nearly four years in driving freight wagons to the frontier mining towns. Returning to his old Illinois home, Mr. Whigam was married and for seven years thereafter was a Lake county farmer. He then became a resident of Minnesota, lo- cating in Faribault, where he engaged in the restaurant business six years. It was from Faribault that the ox team journey was made to Pipestone county.

Arriving in the land of promise with $100, Mr. Whigam at once took as a home- stead claim the southwest quarter of sec- tion 10, Troy township, which he made a fruitful farm, and resided there sixteen years. The lumber to build his first house was hauled from Luverne. During the severe blizzard of 1888 this Troy pioneer lost twenty head of cattle. In 1894 Mr. Wbigam became a resident of Pipestone. For four years he carried on a dairy busi. ness, then bought the George Warner cigar manufactory and store, which he still con- ducts in the same building. His first an- nual output was 80,000 cigars, and since then it has averaged between 50,000 and 60,000 cigars per annum. Mr. Whigam served two terms as a member of the city council. He has been a member of the Masonic order since 1864, having been received into membership during his resi- dence in Illinois.

In Lake county, Illinois, on August 20, 1863, Daniel B. Whigam was joined in

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PIPESTONE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

wedlock to Lucy A. Smith, who died in 1890 at the age of forty-five years. To this union, one son, L. Bert, of Seattle, Washington, was horn. On August 20, 1902, Mr. Whigam was married to Grace Larmon, a school teacher and a native of Kentucky.

PETER H. NORVOLD (1877), who lives a retired life at Jasper, has been a resi- dent of Rock and Pipestone counties thirty- four years and is one of the highly respected citizens of the village in which he. makes his home.

Mr. Norvold was born in Skedsmo, Nor- way, in 1842. He came to America in 1851 and became a resident of Allamakee county, Iowa, where he purchased land in 1860. He was married in 1862 to Maren Olsen Saga, who emigrated from Christiania, Norway. To them ten children were born, of whom the following named seven are living: Al- bert H., of Volga, South Dakota; Herman M., of Luverne; Carl W., who resides with his father in Jasper; Mrs. L. Erickson, of Pipestone county; Mrs. Erick Ausen, Mrs. Oscar Ausen and Mrs. Otto K. Steen, all of Rock county.

Mr. and Mrs. Norvold came to Rock county in the fall of 1877 and the next year filed a homestead claim to the southwest quar- ter of section 2 and a timber claim to the southeast quarter of the same section, in Rose Dell township. They improved the place and there they resided until 1908, when they, with their son Carl, retired from farm life and moved to Jasper, where they had purchased a home. Mrs. Norvold de- parted from this life on December 2, 1910, at the age of sixty-nine years.

O. B. JOHNSON (1879) is retired from active pursuits and resides in Ruthton. He was born in Denmark April 15, 1851, and in that country he attended school and grew to manhood on a farm. At the age of twenty years he came to the United States and settled in St. Louis. In 1879 he located in Pipestone county, taking as a homestead claim the northeast quarter of section 2, Aetna township.

Mr. Johnson was one of the first settlers of Aetna township and is one of the few re-

maining homesteaders in the precinct. His first house was a dug-out, the lumber in the roof of which was hauled from Tracy. The initial home was replaced in 1880 with a house of lumber, the building being com- pleted by the construction of an addition in 1888. He set out a big grove and otherwise improved the homestead, land which he still owns.

The subject of this review passed through the days of Pipestone county's early history when twisted hay was used for fuel to sup- ply warmth during the long, cold winters. In 1887, when the Great Northern rail- road was building through the county, the chief engineer and his crew stopped at Mr. Johnson's house for several months and were compelled to twist hay to keep from freezing. Ten years ago Mr. Johnson erect- ed a fine house in the village of Ruthton, and since that time has led a retired life.

O. B. Johnson is the son of John Johan- son and Margareta Johanson. The father died in the old country; the mother came to the United States with her son in 1871 and died in Ruthton in 1894, at the age of seventy-four years. The following named children of this family are living: Hans, Peter, Ole, Mary and Anna.

O. B. Johnson was married at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, October 22, 1872, to Miss Anna · L. C. Young, who was born in Christianstad, Sweden. Both are members of the Meth- odist church of Ruthton. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have two children: Oscar, of Lig- nite, North Dakota, and Alma (Mrs. Ben D. Martinson ), of Ruthton.

JOHN HARVEY (1877) is one of Pipe- stone county's very earliest settlers and his home since 1877 has been continuously on the land he homesteaded at that date, the southeast quarter of section 24, Oshorne township. He was born in Lee county, Illinois, October 26, 1854. His father, Ed- ward Harvey, who died in Pipestone county in August, 1904, was a native of county Armagh, Ireland. His mother was Ann (Smith) Harvey, a native of New York state. She died in December, 1907, at Stew- artville, Minnesota.

When John was in his third or fourth year the Harvey family moved from Illinois to Olmsted county, Minnesota, and there

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he lived until coming to Pipestone county in 1877. In the fall of that year he took as a pre-emption claim the Osborne town- ship farm already described. The following spring Mr. Harvey broke twenty acres of the land aud in the fall erected thereou a frame shanty, 10x14 feet. He spent the sum- mer of 1878 working near Luverne. The on- ly other settler within a large radins when our subject took his claim was A. D. Kings- bury, who had located on land upon which the town of Edgerton now stands. During the troublesome grasshopper days in 1879 Mr. Harvey was forced to seek other em- ployment than farming to keep body and soul together. Since those days he has pros- pered and is now one of the substantial farmers of the precinct.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 99

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