USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 62
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MR. JULIUS PAPKE,
now a retired farmer, was born in Prussia and came to America in 1861 with his family. He married Miss Eliza Buscho in Prussia, February 15, 1857. They first lived in Wisconsin, remaining there until 1865, when they located on section 26, St. Mary. Mr. Papke and wife were good farmers and accumulated a handsome property. They have been the par- ents of eleven children: Adolph, Melia, Augusta, Fred, John, Julius Jr., Sarah, Mary, Edward, Lewis and Elia. Adolph became a prominent far-
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mer of Blooming Grove: he died June 16, 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Papke are now residents of Waseca.
MR. WILLIAM MITTELSTEADT,
born Feb. 15, 1848, in Prussia, came directly to Waseca county in 1867. He settled on section 9, and has become one of the wealthy farmers of the county. He has been married three times. His first wife was Caroline, widow of John Priebe, of St. Mary, by whom he had two children. She died June 19, 1880. Jan. 13, 1881, he married Augusta Fischer, who died March 20, 1884, leaving one child. His third wife was Mrs. Wilhelmine Leeck. He was town treasurer of St. Mary for a number of years, and is influential among his neighbors. He has also served as town supervisor for three terms.
MR. PATRICK FARLEY,
a native of Ireland, was born March 16, 1836, came to America in 1855, tarried a year in Albany, N. Y., then moved to Wisconsin where he lived until 1865, when he came to Alton, where he resided until 1887. He then bought a farm of Ed Brossard, in St. Mary, where he lived up to the time of his death, which occurred February 2, 1902. He married Miss Mary Ann Hagearty Feb. 2, 1870. She was born in Wisconsin in November, 1848. Eight children were born to them: Emma May, Thos. P., Wm. H., Edward, Nellie J., Katie, James and Sarah. An account of Mr. Farley's sudden death is noted elsewhere.
MR. S. S. PHELPS,
was a prominent citizen of this county during his life time. He was born in the state of New York, April 5, 1840. He was the son of John and Nancy Phelps and was reared on their farm. When Seth S. first came West, he lived near Portage, in Wisconsin. He and Miss Elspa Sutherland were married there Oct. 13, 1861. In 1865, Mr. Phelps visited Waseca county and purchased land where the family residence now stands. He then returned to Wisconsin to settle up his business. He moved hither with his family in 1866. In 1867 he became a railroad contractor and hauled freight from Waseca to Mankato, St. Peter, and New Ulm. He also had the contract for distributing ties along the railroad track as the road bed was completed west from Waseca. In 1869 he took a contract to furnish a very large quantity of wood for the W. & St. P. railroad com- pany. This business he followed for six or seven years. He put up a number of wood sawing machines and kept a boarding car for the ac- commodation of his workmen. His large and convenient farm residence now occupied by his widow, was built by him in 1869, and cost about $10,000.
The death of Mr. Phelps caused a sensation all along the line of the C. & N. W. railway in Minnesota. On the 11th of March, 1884, he had been in Waseca on business and started to drive home late in the afternoon.
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As he reached the crossing of the C. & N. W. railway just west of Waseca, he was struck by an engine and instantly killed, cut off in the prime of life. He left surviving him his wife, two danghters, and two sons. The two sons are married and live on the farm; Ellen, Mrs. Fitch, resides in Belview, Redwood county; Nancy, Mrs. Henderson, now a widow, makes her home on the farm with her mother.
MR. MICHAEL GALLAGHER,
born in Marquette county, Wis., Feb. 22, 1858, is one of the prominent men of St. Mary. He came to Waseca county with his parents, Michael and Maria (Foley) Gallagher, about the first of July, 1863. On the 20th of October, 1886, he married Miss Ellen Lynch, who was born in St. Mary, Jan. 16, 1861. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lynch, were among the very early settlers of that town. Michael Gallagher, Sen., and his wife came to America in 1847, and first lived in the state of New York for seven years, and then moved to Wisconsin. The children of Michael, Sen., were six in number: Bernard, Rose Ann, John, Michael, Maria, and Celia. The last was burned to death when eleven years old, at the time the family residence was destroyed by fire. Mr. Gallagher senior, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Barden, at the advanced age of ninety-four years. His death occurred Sept. 24, 1903.
MR. HUGH HEALEY
was one of the prominent early settlers of Iosco, having settled there in 1857. He was a native of County Mayo, Ireland, born in September, 1821. He came to America in 1849, landing in New York, March 31. He lived for some time in Pennsylvania. He married Miss Sarah Coleman, Dec. 14, 1852, and they reared a family of eleven children.
MR. CHRISTIAN KOESTER
was born in Alsace, France, July 31, 1832. His father died when his son was eight years of age. Christian came to America in 1853. He resided in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, but finally settled in Iosco, in 1864, where he purchased a farm. He married his first wife, Miss Catherine Eppingler, in 1858. She died March 9, 1873, leaving five children. March 22, 1874, he was again married, his bride being Anna Rudolph. He still resides on the old farm enjoying the fruits of a well spent life.
MR. JOHN McWAIDE
Is another of the early settlers of Iosco. He married Miss Ann Lynch, at Lowell, Mass., in 1855, and they came to Iosco in 1856. Mr. McWaide was born in Ireland on Christmas, 1829, and came to America in 1849, accompanied by his sister, Ella. They landed in Boston after being on the water seven weeks and three days. Mr. and Mrs. McWaide have a fine, large farm of 280 acres with a large residence, and are possessed of
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all the comforts of life. Mr. McWaide has held many town offices and for several years has been president of the Waseca County Horse-thief De- tectives. With this society he is very popular. Mr. and Mrs. McWaide have had five children, three of whom are living. Mrs. McWaide is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Lynch and one of a family of six chil- dren. Her brother, John Lynch, enlisted in 1861 and served during the war. He participated in many battles, and was especially commended for his bravery in the battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley.
THE HONORABLE JOHN MOONAN.
In this connection it is proper to correct a mistake made on page 41. It is there stated that Patrick Moonan settled in Janesville in 1855. It should have read Iosco instead of Janesville.
Hon. John Moonan was born in the township of Iosco, Feb. 9, 1866, the year before the present city of Waseca was founded. His parents, who had lived in Iosco since 1855, moved to the village of Janesville about 1870, where they resided until November 22, 1882, when they removed to Waseca, and built what is now known as the Waverly Hotel. John is a graduate of the Waseca high school and studied law in the office of Lewis Brownell, Esq., being admitted to the bar March 21, 1887, by Judge Buckham. He at once took front rank at the bar of this county, and now has an extensive practice in this and adjoining counties.
He was married to Miss Rosemary Breen, of this city, February 12, 1890. Their children number six-three boys and three girls.
Mr. Moonan was elected Mayor of Waseca in 1897, and served one term. He was elected and served as county attorney two terms-from Jan. 1, 1899, to Jan. 1903. He is now a member of the school board of this city and takes a deep interest in our educational affairs.
Mrs. Rosemary Breen Moonan is a daughter of the late Nicholas Breen, of this city. She was born in Iosco, in this county, in 1868, and came to Waseca with her parents when she was about four years of age. She is a graduate of the Waseca high school, and was for a time a teach- er in one of the departments of the same school. She is a woman of marked ability and force of character. This county can't have too many such women.
MR. GEORGE H. GOODSPEED.
Mr. George H. Goodspeed of Waseca, son of Henry Goodspeed, a Union veteran of the war of the Rebellion, was born in Barnstable, Mass., March 8, 1858, and came to Minnesota with his parents in 1872. His father dled in 1876, leaving a widow, three sons, and two daughters. George was the oldest and upon him devolved the duty of carrying on the farm and business pertaining thereto.
On the 25th of May, 1880, he was married to Miss Orilla Justina Child, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Child. Orilla was born In Wilton, Dec. 15, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Goodspeed are the parents of three
HON. JOHN MOONAN.
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sons: Henry Erwin, dentist, of Waseca, born March 23, 1881; Claude Martin, born July 13, 1883; Frank Bradford, born Jan. 25, 1888. Claude is a sheep herder in Montana, and Frank is in the senior class of the Wa- seca high school at this writing.
George H. held the office of chairman of the board of supervisors of the town of Woodville prior to his removal to the city of Waseca. He was elected sheriff of the county in 1896, and again in 1898. In 1901 he opened up a small farm in the eastern part of Waseca. He soon after became foreman of R. P. Ward's large farm just west of Waseca, a po- sition ne still holds at this writing.
THE HONORABLE HENRY GOODSPEED.
The subject of this sketch was born in Barnstable, Mass., Nov. 13, 1834, where he grew to manhood. He was the first man to enlist in Company E of the Fortieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers under Captain Bearse. His health failed him to some extent, but he was ad- mitted to the reserve corps and served until the 28th day of June, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He was elected a member of the Mas- sachusetts legislature, house of representatives, in 1871. In 1872 he came with his family to Minnesota and resided on a farm on the west side of Clear Lake, just northeast of Waseca. He was never a very rugged man, and died of consumption October 19, 1876.
He married Miss Temperance H. Parker in 1856. She was also a native of Barnstable, Mass., born July 15, 1836. For years prior to her death she suffered from cancer of the breast and side, and finally departed this life at Waseca, Dec. 9, 1896, at the age of sixty years, respected and mourned by all who knew her.
Mr. and Mrs. Goodspeed had five children: George H., Allen C., (de- ceased) Stanton W., Mrs. O. L. Smith, and Mrs. Elmer Herrick. Stanton and Mrs. Herrick reside at Glendive, Mont. The others are residents of this county.
MR. EMIL H. PRECHEL.
This gentleman was one of the earliest settlers of St. Mary township. He was born in the town of Princeton, Wisconsin, April 13, 1855. His father, Mr. Gottlieb Prechel, started with an ox team and a covered wag- on for Minnesota about the 1st of May following, in company with Martin, John F., and Gottlieb Krassin, Frederick Wobschall and Frederick Pre- chel, the last known as "Big Fred." Emil came a babe and was reared in St. Mary where he has ever since resided. He married Miss Alvina Lawin of the same town Nov. 26, 1880. Mrs. Prechel was born in Germany April 27, 1857, and came to America with her parents in 1864. They first lived in Wisconsin, near the city of Oshkosh, where they remained until 1878, when the family came to Minnesota, making their home on a farm near the south line of St. Mary township. Mr. and Mrs. Prechel have
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a large well-improved farm and good buildings. They are the parents of three sons all grown to man's estate.
THE HONORABLE GEORGE A. WILSON.
Judge Wilson was born Jan. 22, 1856, in the town of Hammond, St. Lawrence county, New York. He did not come West to "grow up with the country" for he was fully developed in old St. Lawrence county, and must have come because the West at that time needed such a man. He moved to Janesville and captured first place in that village without a struggle. In 1894 he was a candidate for judge of probate against one of the most popular men in the county and was elected by a safe ma- jority. In the campaign of 1904 he had the field all to himself. He married Miss Mary E. Wilson of Janesville July 3, 1895. Mrs. Wilson is also a native of St. Lawrence county and is prominent in church and W. C. T. U. work.
MR. EDWARD BENNETT
was one of the early pioneers of Blue Earth county and our city of Wa- seca. He was born August 17, 1839, and moved with his parents near Mankato in 1856. In 1861, he enlisted in company A, Forty-fourth New York infantry and was afterward transferred to the One Hundred and Forty-sixth New York. He participated in nearly all of the battles of the Potomac, and was discharged as lieutenant July 26, 1865. He was married August 22, 1865, to Miss Eliza J. Brackett, of New Hampshire. In 1867 they settled in Waseca and he engaged in the meat market busi- ness. In 1872 Mr. Bennett platted Bennett's Addition to Waseca, which still bears his name. He died after a long illness Oct. 16, 1898.
His widow, his son, Moses E., and daughter, Georgiana, who reside in Waseca, and his daughter, Jennie, now Mrs. Campbell, survive him.
MR. J. W. AUGHENBAUGH.
Mr. John W. Aughenhaugh, a member of the enterprising milling com- pany of Everett, Aughenbaugh & Co., is a native of Ohio, born Dec. 25. 1846. His parents removed to Vandalia, Illinois, where they tarried about two years. They came to Minnesota in 1856 and settled in Freeborn. Freeborn county, where his father engaged in farming. When J. W. Aughenbaugh was only fifteen years of age he enlisted to serve in the navy. While in the navy he served on the lower Mississippi and along the Red River under Commodore Porter. After three years' service in the navy he enlisted in Company B, First Minnesota, and served about two years in Virginia. At the close of the war he returned to Minnesota and entered the milling business at Faribault Aug. 25, 1865. He remained thus employed for four years, and mastered the millers' trade. He then entered a mill at Redwing, Minn., where he worked at his trade. He afterwards had charge of mills at Warsaw, Waterville and for a time ran a windmill at Freeborn. He came from Waterville to Waseca in
J. W. AUGHENBAUGH.
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1877 and formed a partnership with Mr. William Everett, which continued until about 1888 when E. A. Everett, son of William, was admitted to the partnership. He married Miss Carrie Kocher, of Faribault, Nov. 18, 1868, and they are the parents of two daughters, Mrs. Harry Miller, and Mrs. G. W. Strong; and of one son, Master Dana. Mr. Aughenbaugh stands at the head of the flour milling business and knows all about the manufacturing of flour from A to Z.
MR. EDWARD A. EVERETT.
This gentleman was born in the town of Arena, Wisconsin, February 20, 1867, and sometimes remarks that he is two days older than Wash- ington. His parents came to Waseca the following August and his father, Mr. Wm. Everett, commenced the erection of the first store building in Waseca. Edward is therefore a Waseca pioneer of the old school. He played marbles and fished and hunted and attended the village school until he was fifteen years old when he entered the school of schools, a business career with his father in the mercantile and milling business. He could shoulder as much wheat, pack as much flour, or shovel as much coal as the hest man in the yards. By universal consent he soon became general manager of the immense business of the company, and throughout the state he is known as a safe and reliable business man. He is also president of the First National Bank of Waseca, having held that position since its organization. His mother's maiden name was Amelia S. Addison. She was the daughter of Dr. Addison, an English physician of note in Wisconsin. On the 2nd of September, 1890, Mr. E. A. Everett and Nettie Miller of Waseca, were united in marriage, she being the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Miller of Waseca. They are the parents of two children, a son, William R., and a daughter, Constance Antoinette. In addition to his extensive milling business, both in Waseca and New Rich- land, he has large interests in Louisana and Texas in connection with the rice lands of those two states.
MR. GUY W. EVERETT,
brother of E. A. Everett, was horn in Waseca, Sept. 21, 1876. He attended the public schools of Waseca for some years and then was a student in a school in San Francisco, Cal., during the sojourn of his parents in that city. Upon his return from California after the death of his father which occurred June 16, 1892, he took up work in the milling business of Everett, Aughenhaugh & Co. He was salesman on the road for some time and then took charge of the sales department of the business. He thoroughly understands his branch of the business, and gives it the most careful attention. He married Miss Esther Lewis, daughter of the late B. S. Lewis, of Waseca, June 15, 1898. They are the parents of one child, a daughter named Esther.
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MR. WILLIAM EVERETT
founder of the Eaco mills, of Waseca, was born in New Jersey, near New- ton, in the year 1828. There he lived until twenty-two years of age when he came West and lived at Hayworth. Wis. He married at the age of twenty-four and in May, 1859, came to Minnesota, with his family, and re- sided at the south end of Lake Shetek, Murray county. There he opened a farm and cultivated it until Aug. 20, 1862, when the murderous Sioux Indians commenced the indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children all along the western frontier. On that terrible day the little band of white settlers, consisting of some six families, were surrounded by a band of two hundred Sioux Indians, and the most of them either killed or wounded. Mr. Everett was shot in one leg and one arm and his wife and two little boys were murdered after having surrendered to the Indians. His little daughter, Lilly, was taken captive and afterwards recovered. Mr. Everett lost all his property, besides being ill for a long time of his wounds and exposures. He remained in the Mankato hos- pital till the following February when he went to Wisconsin. His loss at Lake Shetek was fully $5,000 of which he afterwards recovered of the government only $800. Mr. Everett then resided in Arena, Wis., and married Miss Amelia S. Addison, daughter of Dr. Addison, Oct. 29, 1865. In August, 1867, he came to Waseca and erected and opened the first mercantile house in the village of Waseca. He continued the sale of mer- chandise in this city until he commenced the milling business. By nature he was a very strong, robust man, but wounds and exposure at the time of the Indian Massacre so undermined his physical strength that he never recovered. He went to California for his health and died there June 16, 1892.
MR. JOHN B. SULLIVAN,
cashier of the First National Bank of Waseca, is a native of Newbury- port, Mass. His parents came to Minnesota in 1863 and lived on a farm in Dakota county, near Farmington, until 1872, when they settled in the town of Bath, Freeborn county. John attended the public schools of his neighborhood until about 1883-4 when he attended school at Winona and graduated from the Winona Commercial College. In 1885, he went to Kingsbury county, D. T., and opened a real estate and loan office at Lake Preston. For two winters he returned to Minnesota and taught school. In 1888 he bought a half interest in the Merchants Exchange Bank at that place, and in 1893 went into the flour milling business at the same place. He continued in the milling business until 1896, when he sold his interest in the mill and accepted the position of cashier of the First National Bank of Lake Benton. In 1901 he became interested in the Citizens State Bank, of Arlington, S. D., which was afterwards changed to a National Bank. About October 1, 1902, he, in connection with others, bought the Citizens State Bank of Waseca and changed it to the present First National Bank of Waseca. This institution began
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business under its new charter Jan. 2, 1903. Mr. Sullivan has been cashier of this bank since its opening. He is familiar with all the details of the banking business, and is very kind and obliging In all business and social affairs. He was joined in marriage with Miss Gertrude Utley Anderson, Nov. 10, 1892, at De Smet, S. D. Mrs. Sullivan was born in Fryeburg, Maine, Feb. 16, 1875, and settled with her parents in South Dakota at an early day. Mrs. Sullivan, who was never very rugged, died of heart disease Sept. 3, 1904, leaving two little boys to the care of the father and a maiden aunt.
MR. EUGENE A. SMITH.
Among the very early settlers in the village of Wilton came Mr. E. A. Smith, brother of our county surveyor, Orson L. Smith. E. A. was born at Kingsville, Ashtabula county, Ohio, Dec. 26, 1833. He graduated at the Norwich University of Vermont in 1856, and immediately after came to Minnesota and settled in Wilton. He married Miss Sarah Ide, of that place, about 1861. He was an honorable and highly respected man. He died of typhoid pneumonia, Sept. 19, 1864, at Wilton, leaving a widow and one daughter, Miss Winnie, who is a resident of California at this writing. Mr. Smith had accumulated quite a property in real estate at the time of his demise.
MR. ORSON L. SMITH,
for twenty-five years county surveyor of Waseca county, was born in the town of Perry, Lake county, Ohio, April 7, 1845. He attended the public schools of his county, and at the age of seventeen, in 1862, enlisted in Company K, Fifty-second Ohio infantry and served for three years. At the close of the war, he went to Montana and worked in the mining re- gions five years. He then enlisted in Company E, Second United States cavalry, and served five years under Gen. Crooks, the noted Indian fighter. The most serious fighting in which he participated was at the destruction of the "Crazy Horse" camp, March 17, 1876, near the close of his term of service. He was honorably discharged soon after, and came to Waseca county in December, 1876. In the spring of 1877, he bought the farm on the north shore of Clear Lake where he has ever since resided. He mar- ried Miss Ruth Mabel Goodspeed, sister of George H. Goodspeed, Nov. 28,1878. They are the parents of two daughters, Mrs. Herbert Star, and Miss Isadore T. Mr. Smith was first elected county surveyor in 1880 and has held that office continuously by re-election ever since. He has also acted as city engineer for the city of Waseca for many years.
MR. JEROME E. MADDEN,
insurance agent and real estate dealer, of Waseca, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 14, 1854, and is one of the youngest old settlers in Waseca county. His father, Jerome Madden, deceased, came to this county in the summer of 1856, in company with Patrick Kenehan, Terrence Lilly 25
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and their families. Jerome Madden, Sr., secured a halt section of land in the township of Wilton which belongs to his heirs at this writing. The fam- ily moved to Faribault about 1864, and opened a hotel where the Rice county court house now stands. Mr. Madden sold out in Faribault about 1868 and came to Waseca and erected what was known as the Madden House. Jerome E. attended St. John's college, near St. Cloud, Minn., at a place now known as "Collegeville," for some time, and then went to Prairie du Chien, Wis., where he finished his school studies and gradu- ated from St. John's college, at that place, June 24, 1875. Very soon after that he accepted the position of deputy auditor of Waseca county under Mr. Cronkhite. He held this position until the close of the year 1880. He then went to Faribault where he was deputy auditor of Rice county for two years. He next went to Deadwood, S. D., where he was employed as bookkeeper in the First National bank until the death of his mother which occurred in Waseca, August 30, 1888. Shortly after her death, he went to Ely, in St. Louis county, Minn., where he spent one year as book- keeper in a store owned and operated by a large mining company, a hun- dred miles north of Duluth. He soon after returned to Waseca, and in 1895 opened a real estate, loan and insurance office. He also has a com- plete set of abstract books and furnishes abstracts in connection with his other business. His father died in Waseca, Nov. 18, 1895.
J. E. Madden and Miss Edith Bellm, of New Ulm, were united in mar- riage Feb. 9, 1899. Miss Bellm was born July 2, 1872, in New Ulm, of German parents. Mr. Madden is a stockholder and one of the directors of the First National bank of Waseca, and a first-class business man.
HALVOR K. STEARNS.
of New Richland, was born in Nomedal, Norway, Christmas Day, 1836. At the age of seventeen he came to America, and lived in Rock county. WIS- consin. Here he was married in 1860 to Miss Betsy Sevets, who was born in Norway in June, 1840. He came to Waseca county, accompanied by his wife and one child, in 1862, settling on a farm about two miles east of the present village of New Richland. He lived on his farm from 1862 to 1880, when he removed to the village of New Richland and opened a general merchandise store. He served as county commissioner from Jan- uary, 1874, to December, 1879, with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He departed this life February 16, 1905.
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