USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 32
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an extensive trade that kept pace with rapid settle- ment and development of the town and county. In 1888, Alexander McKinnon retired from the company and the firm was dissolved, Allan J. MeKinnon and Archie MeKinnon assuming entire charge of the business, which has met with steady prosperity under his management. The selling of farm implements was added to the manufacturing enterprise and this has become the principal activity, although Mr. Me- Kinnon still engages in manufacturing to some extent. As a successful business man and pioneer citizen, Mr. MeKinnon is popularly known throughout the county and is highly respected by all his associates. He is a member of the Democratic party and has been honored with various positions of public trust and has been prominently identified with the direction of city affairs as mayor and as a member of the city council for twelve years. He also served for three terms on the library board. He is a member of the Catholic church. Mr. MeKinnon was married in
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1888 to Rose M. Powers, of Canada, and they have five children, Arehie, John, Allan, Donald and Annie. In fraternal organizations, he is affiliated with the
Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
PAUL K. FOSSBAKKEN.
Paul K. Fossbakken, for many years a prominent farmer of Brandsvold township, was a native of Nor- way, born October 20, 1860. In 1879, at the age of nineteen he was married to Ellen Dalen and soon afterwards came to this country to find a home on western land. He spent two years in Ottertail county, Minn., where he had a farm of forty acres. In 1885 he came to Polk county and took a homestead in Brandsvold township, six miles north of Fosston; the southeast quarter of section 10. He later bought another tract of land, increasing his farm to two hundred and eighty aeres, all but fifty of which, he cleared and put under cultivation. With unceasing industry and skillful effort he developed this plat into one of the finest farms and most attractive country homes in the county. He devoted his best interests to this work and took a just pride in his achievements. A county ditch crosses the farm and with the exception of the barn all of the present buildings, which occupy a pleasant situation, a quarter of a mile removed from the publie highway, were erected by him. He kept a large herd of dairy cows and was a stockholder in cooperative creamery at Olga. In 1908, his barn burned and during his heroie efforts to save the other buildings, he suffered injuries which resulted in his death on February 25, 1908. He did his share toward founding the agri- eultural prosperity of the county and is gratefully
remembered by its citizens as a worthy pioneer of Brandsvold township. He was a member of the Republican party and an efficient member of the school board for several years. He was a faithful supporter of the United Lutheran church at Brands- vold. Mr. Fossbakken was twice married. Five children were born to the first union, Mollie, who is a teacher in the Polk county schools, Christopher, Lewis, Ida and Ella. His second marriage was with Anna Hansel, who survives her husband. They had four children, Elmer, Ira, Ruth and Esther, all living at Dalton, Minn. The five older children are the present owners and managers of the Fossbakken homestead and are capably advancing the interests of the estate which their father founded. They have all attended the agricultural college at Crookston and their farming enterprises are flourishing under pro- gressive and able management. The place is well equipped with a silo, with a capacity of one hundred tons, a fine well and tank, a gas engine and windmill. In 1912 they began to breed Holstein cattle and have four head of registered stock and a large herd of blooded cattle. They engage in the dairy business and sell their produee to the Fosston creamery, and are further interested in the stock business in the raising of pure bred Yorkshire hogs. The Foss- bakken family are members of the United Lutheran church at Brandsvold.
JOHN D. MACPHEE.
Successful in all departments of his private busi- ness and displaying commendable energy, progres- siveness and judgment in the administration of public affairs, in which he has been engaged for some years in various capacities, John D. MaePhee, former
mayor of Crookston and present county commissioner from the third distriet, is a typical representative of the citizenship of this scetion and creditable alike to it and to American manhood in general. He was born in Ontario, Canada, May 14, 1855, the son of
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
John and Hester (Galbraith) MacPhee, natives of Scotland who emigrated to Canada in 1847. They were farmers in their native land and held to the occupation of their youth in their new home, where the mother died in 1894 and the father in 1903. Their offspring numbered six, four sons and two daughters. The parents were highly respected where they were known for their genuine worth.
John D. MacPhee grew to manhood in Canada and was engaged in farming there until 1879, when he came to the Red River valley and took up his resi- denee in Polk county. From the time of his arrival in this county he has been actively employed in farming, having been manager of the Lockhart farm of 6,000 acres for seventeen years and since the end of that period in charge of several farms of his own in Polk county.
Although his private affairs have been exacting in their requirements at all times, Mr. MacPhee has always taken an active and leading part in local public affairs also. He served in the city council of Crookston for some time, and was mayor of the city from Sept., 1906, to Jan. 1st, 1910, being the first mayor under the new city charter. Since 1912 he has been a member of the board of county commis- sioners. Politically he is a Republican. Fraternally he is a Freemason and a member of the Order of Elks. He is widely known in this part of the country and everywhere he is highly respected. In 1888 he was united in marriage with Miss Susan Cheney, a native of Bellevue, Jackson county, lowa. They have one child, their daughter Lucy.
ANDREW PETERSON.
Andrew Peterson, a well known business man of MeIntosh, has been a resident of the county since 1883, when he located on land in Hill River town- ship. He was born in Sweden, August 8, 1860, and there grew to manhood, apprenticing himself to the trade of cabinet maker and engaged in that work until 1881 when he came to the United States. He settled in North Dakota and took a preemption claim near Grafton but after two years removed to Polk county and filed a homestead claim on the southwest quarter of section seven of Hill River township, eight and a half miles northeast of Melntosh. Here he built a log cabin and entered upon the task of clear- ing the land which partly covered with brush and small timber. A few years later he ereeted a larger log house and for several years devoted his efforts to the development of the farm, putting about one hun- dred aeres under cultivation. He continues to own the homestead which is one of the good farm proper- ties of the region and in 1914 replaced the log house with a modern frame building. In 1901 he withdrew from his farming activities and returned to his trade and engaged in carpentering work in MeIntosh for
a time and was then employed in the sash and door factory at Crookston for a year. He opened his shop in MeIntosh, for cabinet and general wood work, in 1903, and has built up a successful business and is widely known for the skill and thoroughness of his workmanship. He conducts a prosperous trade in the various lines of his production and engages in the construction of store fronts, doors and makes a specialty of church fixtures. his handieraft being represented in a number of the church interiors of the county. He has also given his attention to the contracting business. Mr. Peterson has ever given freely of his services and interests in the promotion of the general welfare of the county and as business man and citizen has won the respect of all his asso- eiates. Although his ready support is given any worthy project of public moment. he has always avoided official recognition in local government, pre- ferring not to ineur any restrictions on the independ- ence of his activities. He is a member of the Lutheran church. His marriage to Olivia Enarson occurred in 1893, in Hill River township. She was born in Sweden and came to Polk county when eleven years
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
old with her father, Olaf Enarson, a well known farmer and land owner. Mr. Enarson, upon his arrival in the county, suffered the loss of his entire capital, which consisted of a twenty dollar gold piece, in attempting to extricate his wagon from its lodg- ment in a stream, en route to his new home, and so began to build his fortunes in this county with no financial assistance, but with native ability and un- ceasing labor and thrift has become the largest land
owner in Hill River township. A brother of Mr. Peterson, John Peterson, was also a homesteader in Hill River township and was well known in the county as registrar in the United States land office at Crookston, serving in that position until the appointment of the present registrar, Mr. Ringdal. John Peterson resides in Crookston but has been compelled to retire from all activities because of fail- ing health.
A. J. HEATH.
A. J. Heath, editor and proprietor of the MeIntosh Times, one of the popular newspapers of the county, was born near Portland, Maine, and came west in his childhood. In his youth he devoted his ambitions and energy to sceuring an education and with deter- mined effort and steady application to his purpose, after receiving an academic training in the night schools at Minneapolis, pursued his studies through the collegiate course. Since his carly activities in the commercial world, he has been identified with the printing business and was employed for some time as a pressman and later as a reporter on a metro- politan daily. Subsequently he spent three years in southern Minnesota, where his work supplied a thorough mechanical and literary training for the newspaper business, his duties ranging from the job
room and type setting to the editorial chair. Since August, 1914, he has been the proprietor of the Me- Intosh Times, where his able management has not only advaneed the popularity of the sheet and the prosperity of the business but has attested to his intelligent understanding of his profession and his efficiency and natural ability as a newspaper man. The McIntosh Times was established in 1887 and is Democratic in its editorial poliey. The plant is fully equipped for competent operation, with a good four page press and linotype machine and commands a successful trade in job work. The paper is a weekly publication and is a elean, progressive sheet of eight pages and is all home print, with a circulation of one thousand subscribers. ,
EVERETT A. WEBSTER.
Everett A. Webster, of McIntosh, a leading busi- ness man of the county, extensively identified with the interests of the north west as a merchant and land owner, was born at Daleville, Lackawana county, Pa., May 20, 1873, and has been a resident of Minne- sota since his early childhood. He was reared in Lake City, and there attended the publie schools, graduating from high school in 1891. For five years he was in the employ of Miller & Foote in Crookston and subsequently spent a year in Colorado. In 1902 he located in McIntosh and embarked upon an inde-
pendent commercial career, buying a half interest in the Larsen & Carpenter Co., dealers in hardware, agricultural implements and furniture, forming a partnership with Paul Carpenter. The firm of Car- penter & Webster have conducted a steadily in- creasing trade during the eight years of their operation and since the destruction of their building by fire in 1909, which entailed a loss of about fifteen thousand dollars. Mr. Webster then became sole owner of the business and las ereeted a large modern business block, with a frontage of over two hundred
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
feet. Beside his commercial activities, Mr. Webster was also associated with his brother in the manage- ment of farm on a quarter section of land near MeIntosh, where they engaged in dairy farming and the breeding of Holstein cattle. The success of this projeet led to larger operations and they sold the farm and established a wholesale house at Virginia, Minn., as Webster Brothers, with Walter Webster as resident manager. This company engages in the ship- ping of stoek and hay and the buying and selling of general produce and commands a large territory, including such trade centers as Hibbing, Inter- national Falls, Grand Rapids, Deer River and is the distributing point for hundreds of miles of surround- ing agricultural country. They buy seven or eight car loads of blooded Holstein cattle, annually, in Wisconsin, which they sell in Minnesota and North Dakota, and in 1914, shipped one hundred and sixty- three cars of hay, a record which the steady growth of the business will advance to two hundred, in 1915. Mr. Webster is that type of business man and eitizen who is never content with present achievement but who uses each success as a stepping stone to larger accomplishment and is possessed of those positive qualities which have led inevitably to his valuable services in the public interest and to ramification of his business enterprises throughout the northwest. In 1906, he erected the first building in Epping, North Dakota, establishing a hardware, agricultural implement and furniture store, which he operated for seven years in partnership with C. F. Carpenter and P. W. Carpenter. Epping has now grown to a population of 100 and is a thriving village with four
elevators, two banks and various mercantile con- panies and enjoys the unique distinction, which like- wise attests to its prosperity, of owning, in its twenty- eight machines, automobile accommodation for its entire population. Mr. Webster's most recent enter- prise is the Webster Mercantile company, of Me- Intosh, which represents an investment of $10,000. Mr. Webster is the sole proprietor and opened the store for general mercantile and retail trade on March 1, 1915. As one of the large property owners of the section, he has conducted extensive land transactions in this region and in North Dakota and has also become interested in the lumber business. His keen understanding of the elements of success has contributed to his notable industrial career and he has applied the same confident and forceful service to the promotion of the publie welfare, and is ever alert to the worth of public or private enterprise and an energetic and fearless advocate of any cause which he espouses. As a member of the town couneil, he was influential in the regulation of the liquor traffic and the construction of side walks and has also been associated with eivic affairs in official capacity as president of the Commercial club. In political belief he is pledged to no party organization and among fraternal orders is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Webster was married, in 1904, to Martha Munch, of Crookston. She was born in Wisconsin and is the daughter of the late William Munch, who was for many years a grain buyer at Crookston. They have four children, Leslie, Marie, Tom and John.
L. SHADDUCK,
L. Shadduck, a well known eitizen and business man of McIntosh, was born in Clinton county, Iowa, April 14, 1865, and came to Polk county in 1886. For a year he was in the employ of his cousin, H. C. Misner, a merchant and grain dealer at Enelid, whose son is now engaged in the abstract business at Crookston.
In the fall of 1887, Mr. Shadduek went to Douglas county and for several years operated an elevator at Garfield for the Minneapolis & Northern Ele- vator company. He returned to Polk county in 1894 to assume the management of the company's elevator at MeIntosh and during the nine years of his asso-
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ciation with that enterprise conducted a successful business, handling some six hundred thousand bushels of grain. In 1903 he left this position to engage in an independent business venture and became the pro- prietor of the McIntosh Dray line and has since devoted his attention to its management, employing two teams in his prosperous operations. Through his recognition of the responsibilities of eitizenship and his ready serviees in the promotion of the best in- terests and progress of the community, Mr. Shadduck is widely known and respected and, as an influential citizen and a member of the town council has en- thusiastically supported all local improvements, his own home, in its attractiveness and pleasant sur- roundings suggesting the sincerity of his efforts for the best civic conditions. Mr. Shadduck is prom- inently known in fraternal circles as a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern
Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias and has given efficient serviee in various lodge of- fiees, having passed all the chairs in Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is the chief consul of the local camp of Modern Woodmen. He has also been honored with office of representative to the grand lodges of both organizations. He was married at Alexandria, Minn., to Diana B. Sweet. She is a native of Illinois and came to Minnesota when tell years of age with her father, Stephen R. Sweet, who was for many years a farmer near Alexandria and whose death occurred in August, 1908, at his daughter's home in MeIntosh. Mr. Shadduck and his wife have five children, Vera A. the wife of Morris Narverson of McIntosh; Harold, who grad- nated from the high school in 1914; Hazel, Grace and Martha.
TOLLOF KJOLHAUG.
Tollof Kjolhaug, a sueeessful farmer of Rosebud township, was born in Norway, November 7, 1873 and is the grandson of Tollof Kjolhaug, one of the pioneer settlers of that township. The latter had been a farmer in his native land and had also served as a sailor on merchant ships. IIe eame to the United States in 1881, bringing his family to Fergus Falls, Minn., and in May 1883 located on the farm in Rose- bud township which continued to be his home through- out his life. He was one of the organizers and a faithful member of the United Lutheran church at Fosston. Ile never acquired the use of the English language but preferred to speak his native tongue. He was married to Gurine Berg and they had seven children, Simon, Iver, Oliver, Mary, who still lives in the old home; Caroline; Karey, wife of E. O. Esten- son, living near Climax, Polk county, and Trine, who married Anton Hanson and resides near the same place. Tollof Kjolhang died Mareh 8, 1906 at the age of eighty-one and is survived by his wife, who is living on the homestead farm with her grandson,
in her eighty-eighth year. Simon Kjolhaug took a claim in seetion fourteen of Rosebud township and was a well known thresherman in this region. He was active in township affairs and was one of the organizers of the township and held the office of assessor until his death in 1893. He married Anna Anderson of Polk county and they had two children, Martin, who is a graduate of the Crookston high school and county surveyor in Clearwater county, Minn., and Selma who with her mother makes her home in Gonvick, Minn., with Martin Kjolhaug, and is employed as teacher in the publie schools. Iver Kjolhaug was a farmer in section fifteen, Rosebud township, for a number of years and since 1907 has resided in British Columbia, which is also the home of his brother Oliver. The subject of our sketch is the son of Andrew and Caroline Kjolhang. His father died in Norway and he was reared by his grandfather and when eight years of age aeeompanied him to this country. He has always lived on the farm which was his grandfather's homestead, devot-
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ing his efforts to its development and since 1895 has had the entire management of it. The farm is equipped with good barns and the original house has been remodeled into a pleasant home. He has drained much of the marsh land with ditches and is now engaged in the construction of a county diteh, which will eross his land. Ile engages in diversified farm- ing, raising grain and eattle and is interested in the dairy business, keeping a herd of cows for that pur- pose. He was an organizer of the Fosston Coopera-
tive ereamery company and has served as president of the company since its organization. IIe is a mem- ber of the Republican party and is active in political matters and has been delegate to a number of eon- ventions. Mr. Kjolhaug is interested in the public welfare and progress and has given able service in local affairs as supervisor and chairman of the board of supervisors and is the present treasurer of the township. Ile has never married.
ALEXANDER FYFFE.
Alexander Fyffe, a prosperous farmer, of Brands- vold township, is a native of Ireland. Born in 1864, he was reared on a farm in a northern county of the old country and receiving an opportunity to come to the United States, having his fare paid to Boston, he began to win his way to sueeess and prosperity in the new land. For about seven years he engaged in farming in Maine and 1890 came to Fosston. He spent several years working in the woods in the sur- rounding country and rented farming land until he finally secured the quarter seetion, which is his pres- ent home, purchasing it in 1896 from the bank in Fosston. It contained about seventy aeres of pro- dueing land and he has now twice that acreage under cultivation. When he purchased this land and started his farming enterprise, he possessed a eapital of two hundred and fifty dollars and a few head of stock, and from this with eapable management and
steady effort he has developed a fine property, and has erected good buildings and a delightful country home, pleasantly located on an elevation and in a grove. The land is in seetion twenty-two, and four miles north of Fosston. Mr. Fyffe also operates another quarter seetion. He is devoting particular attention to dairying and keeps blooded stock, Guern- sey cattle and fine strains of draft horses. Mr. Fyffe is a self made man in the best sense of the word and as farmer and citizen enjoys the respect of all. He was married to Bertha Carver of Maine and they have six children, Angie, who married Carl Tuffte, a farmer in Canada, Albert, Rose, Mark, Everett and Vernie. Mr. Fyffe and his family are members of the M. E. ehureh at Fosston. He takes great pleasure in out-of-door sports and is an enthusiastie hunter and fisherman.
W. A. MARIN.
W. A. Marin, of Crookston, a well-known attorney and prominent eitizen of the county, was born at Lexington, Sanilae county, Michigan, January 13, 1874, the son of William and Adelaid (Moore) Marin. The latter was born in Canada and was the deseend- ant of the English family of Moore, of which Sir John Moore, the famous Seottish general, was a mem- ber. William Marin is a native of Ontario, Canada,
and of Irish aneestry. He engaged in the contract- ing business and in 1879 came to Crookston, then a small village, and opened a lumber yard and con- tinned for many years to be identified with the business development of the town as a contractor and lumberman. He now makes his home at North Yakima, Washington, and his family of three daugh- ters and a son are all residents of the state. W. A.
E
W. A. MARIN
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
Marin was reared from early childhood in Polk county and was a member of the first graduating class of the Crookston high school, in 1891. He spent some time as a teacher and for one year was the principal of the schools at Thief River Falls, but his ambitions een- tered on a legal career and he began his preparatory studies by reading law in the offices of Miller & Foote. IIe completed his law course with two years' attend- anee at the University of Minnesota and in 1898 was admitted to the bar and began to practice in Crookston, where he has established a high reputation as a successful lawyer and is widely known in the state for his noteworthy professional attainments and efficient services in the public offices with which his ability has been recognized. He is actively asso- ciated with political matters and maintains independ- enee in his opinions and vote, but is a forceful supporter of the principles advocated by the Progres-
sive party, and as a presidential elector in 1912 cast the vote of his district for the candidate of that party. In local affairs, he has served the public interests in various offices, as chairman of the sinking fund committee, as alderman at large in 1902 and is at present the chairman of the charter commission. In 1910 Mr. Marin was a candidate for membership in the state legislature. He is prominently identified with the interests and activities of the legal pro- fession as president of the Northwestern Lawyers association, and is associated with the business enter- prises of Crookston as a stockholder in the Seandia bank. Among the fraternal orders he holds member- ship in the Masonie fraternity and Elks lodge. Mr. Marin was married in 1899 to Emma Poelhler, of Minneapolis, and two daughters have been born to this union, Pauline and Adelaide. Mr. Marin and his family are members of the Episcopal church.
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