USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74
LANE R. FISHBECK.
Lane R. Fishbeck, well known and successful farmer of Sletten township, was born near Oshkosh, Wiscon- sin, December 16, 1859. His parents were natives of
that state. The death of his father occurred in his early childhood, and his mother, Betsy (Stokes) Fish- beck, married Freeman D. Dowd. When he was six
L. W. LARSEN
243
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
years of age he accompanied his mother and step- father in their removal to Mower county, Minnesota. In 1881 Mr. Dowd brought his family to Polk county, and two years later took a soldiers' homestead in section eighteen, Sletten township. This farm re- mained his home until 1896, when he removed to Bermidji, settling on land close to the town, which has sinee included part of his property within its corporation limits. Since his death there in 1910, in his seventy-second year, his wife has made her home in Bermidji. Lane R. Fishbeck was the only child in his step-father's home and continued to make his home there until 1883. In March of this year he was married at Janesville, Minnesota, to Julia Seha, the daughter of a pioneer family of Lesueur county, Minnesota. Two years after his marriage he located on a preemption claim of eighty acres in section thir- teen of Sletten township and soon after he bought an adjacent quarter seetion, with forty acres of improved land, the former claim of James E. Vanworth. He continued to add to his farm, buying for the most part improved land. His present property ineludes five
hundred and twenty acres, all of which is under culti- vation with the exception of the pasture land. Very little ditching has been necessary as he has required the low land tracts for pasturage. With capable management he has developed a notably productive and prosperous farm, raising grain and hay and en- gaging extensively in the cultivation of the latter, harvesting about two hundred tons annually. In 1903 he erected the pleasant farm home, which is delightfully situated in a grove. IFe is a shareholder in the cooperative creamery. Mr. Fishbeck is a mem- ber of the Republican party and voted at the first township eleetion in Sletten township. He has a family of three sons and four daughters: George, Lillian, Mabel, Alfred, Etta, Victor and Winnie, all of whom are at home with the exception of the two older daughters. Lillian became the wife of Peter Klein and lives on an adjoining farm, and Mabel is the wife of Wilfred Raboin of Grand Rapids, Minne- sota. Mr. Fishbeck's family are members of the Catholic church at Hansville.
L. W. LARSEN.
This enterprising gentleman, who is one of the pioneer merchants of Crookston and prominent in the farm implement trade throughout Polk county, was born on a farm in Wabasha county, Minnesota, Sep- tember 11, 1860. He is the son of Jorgen and Annie M. (Sobije) Larsen, the former born November 19, 1826, on the Island of Fyen, in the Great Belt, off the coast of Denmark, and the latter also a native of Denmark. They came to the United States in 1854, and for four years lived in the state of New York. In 1858 they located at St. Paul, Minnesota, and the next year moved to Wabasha county, where the father took up a homestead and improved it into a good farm. In 1880 they moved to Wiseonsin, and there the father died. The mother returned to this state and passed the rest of her life in Crookston, where she died January 22, 1901. They had three sons and
four daughters, but only L. W. and two of his sis- ters are now residents of Minnesota.
L. W. Larsen grew to the age of seventeen on his father's farm in Wabasha county, and during the next three years worked on lumber rafts and steam- boats on the Mississippi. Life on the river then was wild and daring, and the adventurous youth had many thrilling experiences. In 1882 he came to Polk county and took up his residenee on a farm in Ando- ver township near Crookston. He followed farming until 1886, when he moved to the city, and during the next six years he was employed by several firms in the implement trade, serving them as a salesman.
In 1892 he went into partnership with George F. Carpenter in the same line, and until 1907 the busi- ness was eondueted under the firm name of Larsen & Carpenter. In the year last named Mr. Larsen be-
244
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
came its sole owner, and since then he has carried on perity of the city. Fraternally he is a Freemason the enterprise himself. He was one of the founders of the Knights Templar rank and also a member of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and takes an active part in the work of the fraternity. of the Polk County State Bank and is now its vice president and one of its directors, and he takes a serviceable interest in other business institutions in the city and county. He also ereeted the Larsen block, one of the best business and office buildings in the city.
In political faith and allegianee Mr. Larsen is a Republican and an energetic and effective worker for his party. He has served as alderman at large in Crookston, and always manifested deep and produe- tive interest in the growth, improvement and pros-
Mr. Larsen was married in 1890 to Mrs. Christine (Anderson) Larsen, who was born at Lillehammer, Norway, and brought to the United States in her childhood. They have four children : Roy W., who is assistant cashier of the Polk County State Bank; Clarenee M., who is a student at the University of Minnesota ; Lawrence Howard, who is living at home, and Helen M., who is also still a member of the parental family eirele.
E. M. HAUGE.
E. M. Hauge, superintendent of the schools at Fertile and one of the progressive educators of the county, is a native of the state, born at Winona, Sep- tember 9, 1886, the son of Reverend A. Ilange, a member of the Lutheran clergy in Minnesota for over thirty-three years. E. M. Hauge received his early education in the Normal school at Winona and then attended a private academy, which is conducted in connection with St. Olaf college at Northfield, Minne- sota. After completing his preparatory studies he entered St. Olaf college for a collegiate course and graduated from that institution in 1909. In the fall of the same year he came to Fertile as principal of the high school during the superintendency of H. R. Tonning, and after two years' of efficient serviee in that position was promoted to the office of superin- tendent. During the four years under his direction the school has made rapid advance in educational efficiency and has witnessed notable accomplishment in the edneational field. Mr. Hange conducts the
school along the modern lines of pedagogical theory. The measure of his success and the interest accorded the school by the citizens appears in the almost unani- mons vote cast on the bond issue for the new school building, which is being erected at the cost of some forty thousand dollars. The school district includes eight sections of Garfield township and has an enroll- ment of two hundred and forty-nine pupils, with a teaching force of eleven. The high school was estab- lished in 1900 and is a commissioned state high school, with an attendance of forty-nine and a faculty of five instructors. The school graduated eleven students in 1915, which is the average number of graduates for the last four years and has ninety-nine members in its alumni association. Reverend A. E. Strom is the president of the school board, with J. A. Gregerson, clerk, and Norman Hanson, treasurer. The other members of the board are A. P. Hanson and Rev. . J. MI. Sundheim.
0. EDWARD BRATRUD, M. D.
O. Edward Bratrud, M. D., of Fertile, an able November 7, 1888. He is the son of Hon. O. C. member of the medical profession in the county, is Bratrud, a prominent pioneer citizen of the state, who was among the first of his eountrymen to emi- a native of Minnesota, born in Fillmore county,
245
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
grate from Norway to the United States, he having settled in Wisconsin in 1848. In 1855 he removed to Fillmore county where his death occurred after a useful and notable career. IIe was elected to the state legislature, as a Republican, in 1870 and served as a member of that body for two years. Dr. Brat- rud was reared in Fillmore county and there re- ceived his early education. After completing his studies in the high school, he entered the state Uni- versity and received the degree of Bachelor of Sci- ence in 1910. He enrolled as a medical student in the same institution and graduated from the medical eollege in 1913. He continued his professional train- ing after graduation and became a resident house
physician in the city and county hospital at St. Paul, serving for a year in this capacity and then secured further training and experience in post graduate work in the eastern clinics. He began the practice of his profession in Fertile in September, 1914, where his thorough qualification and efficiency have brought him a successful practice. lle is a member of the District, State and American Associations and a mem- ber of a medical fraternity. Dr. Bratrud is an en- thusiastic out of door sportsman and is allied with the Gun club of Fertile. 1Ie was married at Litch- field, Minnesota, in August, 1914, to Hazel A. Parsons, who was a student of the University of Minnesota.
GILBERT H. HOYNE.
Gilbert H. Hoyne, for many years a prominent farmer of Polk county, was a native of Minnesota, born in Freeborn county, December 18, 1863. IIis parents, Hoven and Dorothy Hoyne were born in Norway and came to this county before their mar- riage, which occurred in Iowa. They came to Min- nesota in 1859 and later spent several years in Dakota but preferring the Minnesota region, re- turned to Albert Lea and settled in Hayward town- ship. Subsequently they removed to a farm six miles south of Albert Lea, which became the perma- nent home of the family and is still owned by one of the sons. The mother of this pioneer home is now living at Albert Lea, at the advanced age of eighty- three years. Gilbert H. Hoyne grew to manhood on the old homestead and received his early education in the schools at Albert Lea and then pursued his studies at Northfield and in the normal school at Mankato. For a short time he engaged in teaching and then became apprenticed to the tinners trade and was employed in that work until taking charge of his father's farm which he operated for three years and from that time continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1892 he took a homestead in Pine county, fifteen miles from Hink-
ley, Wisconsin, and two years later suffered serious losses through the disastrous fire which destroyed Hinkley and swept over that section of country. A brother of Mrs. Hoyne, K. E. Flaskerude, was then living in Polk county and in 1895 Gilbert Hoyne brought his family to this county and bought a farm in Rosebud township, where he engaged in success- ful farming operations for eight years and then re- moved to King township and bought a quarter sec- tion of land four miles southwest of McIntosh. No buildings had been erected on the tract and the land had been but partially improved. Mr. Hoyne gave the zealous efforts of the remaining years of his life to the development of this place, building up a fine farm property through his experienced and able man- agement. He engaged in the various farming activ- ities, raising grain and stock and was also interested iu dairying, meeting with success in all his enter- prises. His death occurred in his country home, April 8, 1909, after several years of failing health, and the interment was made in the cemetery of the Gosen United Lutheran church in Knute township, of which he was a member. Mr. Hoyne was that type of man whose influence is felt in every phase of community life and his many worthy services
246
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
live in the memories of his friends and associates. As a farmer and citizen, his career was marked by snecessful accomplishment and he was honored by his fellow citizens with various offices of publie trust and was particularly active in school and township affairs in Freeborn, Pine and Polk counties. In the political arena, he was an enthusiastie and loyal supporter of the principles of the Republican party. His marriage to Carrie E. Flaskerud, was solemnized at Albert Lea, on February 5, 1888. She was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and is a sister of K. E. Flaskerud, a well known farmer of Brandsvold town- ship. Mrs. Hoyne, like her husband, enjoys a wide circle of friends and is actively associated with the interests of the locality in which she lives, as a mem- ber of the women's clubs and church organizations
of McIntosh. Three children were born to Mr. Hoyne and his wife, two of whom are now living, Hattie Ellen and George Daniel, who assumed the manage- ment of the farm after the death of his father and is now a student in the Aakens Business college at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Ilattie E. Hoyne has been a teacher in the schools of Polk county for five years and has met with eminent success in her profession. She was edneated in the high school at Meintosh and in the normal school at Moorhead and has also been a student at summer schools, the measure of her qualification appearing in her attainment of a first grade certifieate as a teacher. In 1915, the Hoyne family removed from the farm in King township to McIntosh, where they have ereeted a pleasant home.
A. F. CRONQUIST.
A. F. Cronquist, of Erskine, an eminent citizen and cashier of the Scandinavian State bank, has been a resident of Knute township sinee the early days of its settlement. Ile is a native of Sweden, born on Mareh 10, 1866, and eame to the United States when sixteen years of age. Ile lived for a time at Minne- apolis and later at Ellsworth, Wisconsin, where he attended the publie sehools. In 1884 he came to Polk county and two years later was joined by his mother, who took a homestead in Knute township, two miles west of the present site of Erskine. This farm re- mained her home until her death in 1913 and then became the property of her son. When they located in the township, it was in the early stages of develop- ment, before the establishment of any postoffice or business enterprise in its precinets. Two years later, in 1888, the railroad was built through the region and George Q. Erskine, who was then president of the National bank at Crookston, purchased the homesteads of Martin Rathstoek, Mr. Mitchell and Daniel Cam- eron, a pioneer whose name is given to one of the local lakes, and platted the village of Erskine, selling the lots privately. Commercial activity immediately
started on the town site and one of the first projects was a general store opened by Eber Cameron on what was formerly the Cameron land and is now the loca- tion of the variety store on the corner of Vanee avenue and the railroad right of way. Other enterprises were the hardware store of Gilbertson & Espeseth Co., where the first postoffice was kept, with H. T. Gilbert- son as postmaster, and the general stores operated by O. T. Berge and Tollof Torgeson. A hotel was opened by G. T. Torgeson and about a year later a second one was erected on the present site of the Merchants hotel by O. T. Rovang. Mr. Cronquist entered upon his business career in early manhood and spent eight years in MeIntosh, employed for a time as clerk in the J. P. Johnson store and then working for the South- mayd & Balstad company. In May, 1899, he re- turned to Erskine and embarked npon his successful career in the financial world, establishing a private bank, with L. Ellington, of Crookston, president, and Ilalvor Steenerson, vice-president. A bank had been started two years previous by Frank Drew and Ed Drew of MeIntosh and had proved an unprofitable venture and had been elosed, but the Bank of Erskine,
247
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
organized by Mr. Cronquist, met with steady prosperity and growth and became one of the successful banking institutions of the county. Mr. Cronquist was promi- nently identified with its management and the busi- ness interests of the township as eashier for thirteen years. The bank had, at first, occupied the building vacated by the first bank and was later removed to a building erected by the directors, and had been re- organized as a state bank. Under the able manage- ment of Mr. Cronquist it had grown, to the time of its sale in 1912, to a capital stock of $10,000, with deposits of $170,000 and loans aggregating $150,000. During the years of his association with that institution his able services as eashier had won him a wide popularity in the section and soon after selling the bank, upon the urgency of his many former patrons, in 1913 he organized the Scandinavian State bank of Erskine, with a capital stock of $15,000 and deposits of $85,000. Mr. Cronquist assumed the responsibilities of the posi- tion of cashier and has been largely influential in its rapid growth and success. Julius Bradley is the president of the board of directors, with Carl Christianson, vice president ; A. F. Cronquist, cashier, and I. I. Steenerson, assistant cashier. The other stockholders are D. W. Wheeler of St. Paul and Carl Paulson. Aside from his financial activities, Mr. Cronquist devotes his attention to the direction of his farming interests, giving the same keen business ability and careful study to all phases of agrienltural enterprise, that have brought him success in com- mercial cireles. One of his successful experiments in seeking to advance the efficiency of farming methods is known as the cheap man's silo, his demonstration showing that the stacking of green corn in the same manner as in silo use produces an ensilage equal to
the more complicated and expensive method. The novelty and simpleness of this idea has been given much favorable comment in a number of farm pub- lications and enthusiastically received on its presenta- tion at various conventions. He condnets his farming operations on the old homestead, to which he has added, making an estate of three hundred and eighty acres, which he has equipped with good modern build- ings. IIe engages in diversified farming but gives particular attention to the raising of stock and dairy- ing and has stocked his place with Red Polled cattle, Poland China hogs and Shropshire sheep. He has taken an active interest in advancing the prosperity of the district through the promotion of dairy and drainage projects and has reclaimed some fifty aeres of valuable meadow land from the small ponds which were on his land. He was the first treasurer of the local cooperative creamery and continued to serve as treasurer and director for twelve years. And for the same length of time gave competent service as a mem- ber of the board of education and was actively iden- tified with the progress of school organization and the erection of the present building. He has been twice honored by his fellow citizens with the office of mayor, his election effecting the elimination of the liquor traffic in the village. Mr. Cronquist was married in September, 1889, at Ellsworth, Wisconsin, to Nellie Robbins, a native of that state, and four children were born to them, one of whom, a daughter, died in her infancy. The family are Floyd Clark, Ruth Marie, Vera Irene and Bernice Audria. Mr. Cronquist and his wife are active supporters and faithful members of the Rodness Congregational Lutheran church, five miles west of Erskine.
MARTIN G. PETERSON.
Martin G. Peterson, of Fertile, an eminent eiti- zen and leading business man of Polk county, has been widely identified with the history of northern Minnesota and is a member of a well known pioneer
family of Nicolet county. His parents were natives of Norway and crossed the ocean to this country on the Christina, a sailing vessel, that was thirteen weeks in making its destination and it was during this voy-
248
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
age to the new home, on May 17, 1854, that Martin Peterson was born. A brother of his father was then living in Dane county, Wisconsin, and Gilbert Peter- son set out with his family for that place. At White- water they reached the end of the railroad and the father continued his journey on foot and on arriving in Dane county, dispatched Knute Nelson, now U. S. Senator, with a wagon to convey his wife and four children. This wagon was of home manufacture, the wheels constructed from section of logs and was drawn by an ox team. A most interesting account of the trip has recently been recorded by Peter Peter- son, the eldest son, in his recollections of the early days. Peter Peterson and Knute Nelson became elose companions and sehoolmates in Wisconsin, a comrade- ship which was further strengthened during the trou- blous times of the Civil war, and has continued throughout the various experiences of their busy careers. Peter G. Peterson was a member of Com- pany H of the Fourth Minnesota regiment and active service in important campaigns under Grant and Sherman. In 1856 the Peterson family removed from Wisconsin to Minnesota, making the trip in a lum- ber wagon with oxen, there being but one span of horses in the party which included seven families. They located in Nicollet county, where Gilbert Peter- son took a preemption elaim, four miles north of the village of Nicollet and here experienced the hard- ships and triumphs of pioneer life. In 1862, at the time of the Indian outbreak, all the settlers in this region were compelled to desert their homes and crops and seek refuge at St. Peter. During the days of organization and agricultural development, Gil- bert Peterson took an active part in public affairs and served in various offices. His death occurred on his eighty-fifth birthday, on the old homestead which has since been operated by Peter G. Peterson, who like his father, is widely known in the publie activities of the county and served as township elerk for many years. Martin G. Peterson grew to man- hood on the farm and received his early education in the country schools and later spent two years studying in a school in Illinois and in Luther col-
lege at Decorah, Iowa. His marriage to Emily Baker, who was born in Norway, occurred in his twenty- fifth year and for three years they made their home on the Peterson farm. In 1882 he came to Polk county and took land on the northeast quarter of section seventeen of Garden township, eight miles east of the present site of Fertile, being one of the early homesteaders to settle in that township. For the ensuing ten years he gave his attention to the building up of his farm. In 1892, failing health de- manded the cessation of such arduous labor and he sought recuperation during the winter months in Norway, enjoying the mild elimate of the west coast. Ile returned to his farm the following summer and again resumed his agricultural pursuits until 1898 when he was summoned to publie service by an ap- pointment from the county commissioners to the of- fice of county treasurer, filling a vacancy occasioned by defaleation. Mr. Peterson had previously served as township clerk and chairman of the township board and this appointment received the hearty ap- proval of his fellow citizens as was evideneed in the next two elections when he was returned to the office, serving for five years as county treasurer, and dis- eharging the duties of the office in the notably capa- ble and conseientious manner which has character- ized the many services in publie interest of his busy career. At the elose of his second term, in January, 1903, lie located in Fertile and entered the eommer- cial circles as a member of the firm of Nesseth & Peterson, dealers in flour and feed and agricultural implements and engaged in that business for three years when he returned to his farm. In 1905 he again took up his residence in Fertile as the secretary of the Farmers Mutual Insurance company. This eom- pany, which is one of the most thriving co-operative enterprises of the northwest was organized in 1891 in the interests of the farmers of Polk and Norman connties, by O. P. Renne, Hans Nelson, T. H. Nes- seth and Martin G. Peterson and has exceeded all expectations in its rapid growth and prosperity. It has now some nine hundred policy holders, with over one and a half millions of insurance in foree. The
249
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
men who have directed its affairs so successfully have demanded no large remuneration for their work and since the first year, the fees on policies have met all the expenses of operation. Mr. Peterson has been prominently identified with the company since its incorporation, when he drafted the constitution and by-laws and was made treasurer. He has served almost continuously on the board of directors and became secretary as the successor of Mr. Nesseth, who held that position until his death. Mr. Peter- son retains his farm interests and has added forty acres to his original quarter section in Garden town- ship and is further associated with the business activities of the community as a director in the Farm- ers State bank at Fertile. His influence has always been a potential factor in the broader interests of the town and county and his many services have been recognized by important appointments of pub-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.