USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 42
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August 15, 1914, to Anna Butler of Fargo, North Dakota. Mr. Buckley is a follower of the pleasures of the out-of-door sports and devotes his vacations to hunting, the sport so naturally favored by the sons of Minnesota. The postoffice at East Grand Forks reflects the prosperity of the region and was advanced a few years ago to a second elass office. Its rapidly increasing business requires the services of three clerks and an assistant postmaster, which later position is eapably filled by Miss Theresa Thoreson, who held the same office for eight years under her
father, O. A. Thoreson, the immediate predecessor of Mr. Buckley. The office maintains four rural routes, serving the localities of Northland, Davidson, Byg- land, and Key West, where all local offices have been discontinued. Other well known citizens who have been identified with interests of the office as post- master, previous to the administration of Mr. Buek- ley, are, W. C. Nash, J. R. Johnson, who served for eight years and O. A. Thoreson, whose re-appoint- ments to the position total twelve years of occupancy.
AARON BROWN.
Aaron Brown, city treasurer of East Grand Forks and formerly a prominent building contractor of that place, has been a resident of Polk county since 1881, when he located in Fisher, then in the first days of its settlement. He is a native of Canada, born in County Dundass, Ontario, September 8, 1830, and until his removal to Polk county, made his home in his native land, employed as a stone cutter and brick layer. In 1881, the business district of Fisher con- sisted of a store and postoffice and two or three saloons, but other enterprises were under way and Mr. Brown engaged in the construction of an engine house for the elevator, which was being erected by Thompson and DeMers. He left Fisher after two years for East Grand Forks, where he has since resided. In the same year of his removal, 1883, he spent some time on the Indian reservation at Fort Totten, Devils Lake, North Dakota, employed by Major Cranby, the agent, in the building of the mission schools. In East Grand Forks, one of his first contracts was with Budge & Eshelman for the erection of the Syndicate block, one of the first brick edifices in the town and which is still standing. Sub- sequently, in his capacity as one of the most success- ful contractors of that region, he was identified with all the important building enterprises of the locality and continued his business operations for a member of years, retiring in 1905. Aside from his many
private interests, he has ever acknowledged the responsibilities of good citizenship and has devoted his talent and ability to the promotion of the general welfare and has been honored by his fellow citizens with various offices of public trust. He is a member of the Republican party but in local polities, places the best interests of the community above the restriet- ing bounds of party lines. He has given capable service as mayor for three years and has also served as alderman and justice of peace. In 1913 he was elected city treasurer and in this office, is in charge of the city funds of $32,000 annually. Mr. Brown is devoted to his home and enjoys all the interests of his own fireside and garden plot with the keen zest of the man who finds his greatest recreation in the cultivation of those interests. Of a personality, quiet but forceful, with his career marked by able accom- płishment as business man and citizen, he enjoys the esteem of his many associates, most particularly among the substantial pioneer citizens, and has enter- tained a friendship of many years with Judge Watts. He was married in Canada, in 1862, January 1st, to Helen M. Henry, who is a native of Scotland and several years have passed since the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of their union. Twelve children were born to them, three of whom are dead. The surviving members of the family are, Ellen, who married William Benson, of East Grand Forks;
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George, living at the same place; Agnes; the wife of George Coulter, of Bemidji, Minnesota; James, who is a piano dealer; Libbie, the wife of Freeman L. Corliss, a contractor in East Grand Forks; Christie and Mary who are both married and at present resid- ing on homesteads in Canada ; Margaret, who married
Arthur Vickery and lives in East Grand Forks, and Robert J., who resides in East Grand Forks. Mr. Brown is a member of the Presbyterian church, in the organization of which he was influential and has continued to loyally serve its interests as an elder.
SAM T. EVANSON.
Sam T. Evanson, a prosperous farmer of King township, came to Polk county in 1894 and has since devoted his interests to the affairs of this community as citizen and farmer. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, June 25, 1858, and in early childhood accompanied his family to Goodlive county, Minne- sota, where his father took a preemption elaim and resided until his death. Sam Evanson remained in the parental home until twenty-one years of age and then availed himself of the homesteader's privilege in Trail county, North Dakota. Here he took an active part in the organization of the pioneer com- munity, faithfully performing the duties of citizen- ship in the establishment of township and county. During the years of his residenee there, he gave his attention to his agricultural interests and developed his land into a productive farming property, which he later sold for $25 an aere. On removing to Polk county, he bought the former homestead of Ole Quale, in section twenty-four of King township, two and one-half miles east of MeIntosh, and this has since been his home. He also was the owner of another quarter section of Polk county land which, after improving it for cultivation, he sold in 1914. His home farm has developed under his able management into one of the prosperous estates of the section.
Upon coming into his possession, but thirty-five acres had been cleared and the usual log buildings of the settlers, occupied the place. The clearing of the remainder of the land which was covered with brush presented years of arduous labor. IIe has now one hundred acres under cultivation and has equipped his property with buildings of modern convenience and appearance. In his agricultural operations, he has given his efforts to the various farming enter- prises and is a patron of the co-operative creamery, keeping a herd of twelve cows. Mr. Evanson was married, in Polk county, in 1895, to Lena Bagstad, of North Dakota. She was a native of Norway and had come with her parents, as a young girl, to her home in North Dakota. Her death occurred April 11, 1912. Their only child, Henry, died at the age of sixteen. Mr. Evanson survives with the two nieces of his wife, Clara Brovold and Sena Brovold, who since their entrance into the Evanson household in their child- hood, have been reared as daughters of the home. Clara Brovold is the home maker for Mr. Evanson and Sena Brovold is the wife of Odwin Johnson, residing on a farm two miles distant, in Brandsvold township. Mr. Evanson is a trustee in the Synod Lutheran church, where he and his family have always been devoted members.
HANS OLUS ROSAAEN.
Extensively engaged in the lumber trade and bank- ing for a number of years, with centers of business at several different places, the late Hans Olus Rosaaen, whose life ended on July 9, 1904, was an
important factor in the mercantile and financial life of Polk county and one of its most useful and enter- prising citizens in connection with its public affairs and governmental activities in a variety of ways.
NO Paraum
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He was born at Stavanger, Norway, February 19, business. He was married on May 8, 1889, to Miss 1860, which was also the native place of his parents, Ole and Gunhild (Sebby) Rosaaen, who came to the United States in 1861 and settled near Sheldon, in Houston county, Minnesota.
The father took up a homestead, and in his time improved 480 acres of wild land. He died in 1871. The mother was 89 when her death occurred in 1914. They were the parents of five sons and three daugh- ters. During the Indian uprising of 1862 they had some very exciting experiences and narrow escapes from the brutality of the savages. Their son Hans was reared to the age of 19 in Houston county, and in 1879, accompanied by his brother James, came to Polk county and found employment in a lumber yard at Hillsboro, where he worked for one year. Afterward he bought a lumber yard at Fisher, making the pur- chase of a Mr. Mallery, and later owned other yards at Halstad, Shelly, Nielsville, Climax and Crookston, to all of which he gave close personal attention.
After confining his energies to the management of his lumber business for a number of years he and his brother James founded the Citizens' Bank at Fisher, of which he was president until his death. In addition he carried on a general loan and real estate
Maggie Hansen, a daughter of Christopher and Marion (Hansen) Hansen, who came to Polk county in 1874 and took up their residence three miles west of Crooks- ton, journeying to this county direct from their native land of Norway. The father served as county com- missioner and also as township clerk, and both he and his wife died here.
Mr. and Mrs. Rosaaen became the parents of five children, Clarence, Mabel (now Mrs. W. E. Peter- son), Orrin R., Ilugh and Arnold. The father was a Republican in political faith and allegiance and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in re- ligious connection. His widow and children now live in Crookston, where they are universally esteemed. Mrs. Rosaaen's parents were pioneers, and she and her mother were left alone on the homestead, which was in the wilderness and among the Indians, while the father worked at Grand Forks, 30 miles distant, to support them, and made his trips to and from that place on foot. Indians often came to the cabin and ate all the food in it, and sometimes remained over night, harming nothing, however, but the larder and the garden, which they always left empty.
CHARLES MCCARTY.
Charles McCarty, a prominent farmer of King township and well known citizen of the county, has given able service as township clerk for twenty years and has ever maintained an active cooperation with the public affairs of this section. He was born in Vermont, at Northfield, June 4, 1856, but has been a resident of Minnesota since infancy, the family having located in Scott county in 1857. His father, F. McCarty, was a native of Ireland and became a homesteader in Scott county, where he lived some fifteen years and then removed to Stearns county. Here he again took up the labors of the pioneer farmer and gave his attention to the development and cultivation of his land until his death in his
seventieth year. Charles McCarty left the paternal home as a lad of sixteen to seek his own fortunes and found employment as a farm laborer. In 1882 he came to Red Lake Falls, then in Polk county and worked there until the reopening of the Thirteen Towns for settlement, in 1883, when he filed a claim and secured the land which has since been his home, two miles west of McIntosh, in section twenty-three of King township. He erected a claim shanty and the first years witnessed the slow progress and laborious task of clearing the land, during which time he worked in the harvest field to finance his enterprise. The present prosperous farm attests to the capable management and ambitious industry
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which have marked his career. Beside the original homestead he also operates an eighty aere traet about one mile distant. All phases of his farming activities have been brought to a high standard of efficiency and he engages extensively in dairy and stoek farm- ing, breeding Short Horn cattle, which he regards as the most profitable double purpose stock. He has put all the land under cultivation and has erected good barns and a pleasant home, which is surrounded by the equally attractive and proteetive grove which he set out over twenty-five years ago. Ilis improvements on the farm have ineluded some drainage. Since the first meeting held for organization of the township, Mr. MeCarty has displayed an active interest in the welfare and progress of the community. On that historie oeeasion, Ephriam King, an honored pioneer was elected township elerk and the township became formally known by his name. Mr. King and his four sons, Ephriam, John, Paul and Peter, had been early settlers in the northern part of the township and were prominent in early affairs. Mr. MeCarty has been honored with a number of offices of publie trust, the commendation of his worthy serviees having kept him in the office of township elerk for twenty years. He has also served as assessor and chairman of the
township board. In 1896 he was elected county com- missioner and eontinned in that capacity for eight years. Ile was prominently associated with the short history of Columbia county, being appointed auditor for the new county by the commissioners and serving during the five months of its existence, when he resumed his interrupted duties as commissioner of Polk county. Of later years he has not been a candidate for county office, preferring to give his attention to local responsibilities. Aside from his official service, he has ever given his influence and support in all matters of publie enterprise and is a stockholder in all the cooperative business activities of the community, including the ereamery, elevator and stock shipping association. His marriage to Georgia Halvorson, a native of Meeker county, Minne- sota, occurred in 1885, in Crookston and they have the following children, Fred, Mae, Frank, Ruby, Flor- ence Leona. Mr. MeCarty and his family are members of the Congregational church at MeIntosh. In frater- nal eireles, Mr. MeCarty has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, during which he has occupied all the chairs and has been a representative to Grand Lodge.
ANDERSON BROTHERS.
Succeeding to a farming and stock raising industry which their father started and eondueted with enter- prise and profit, Andrew and Arnold W. Anderson, live on and enltivate the northeast quarter of Seetion 33, in Andover township, this eounty.
Andrew was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, on February 21, 1872, and Arnold W. in Wabasha county, Minnesota, on April 18, 1880. They are the sons of Andrew and Sarah (Bordahl) Anderson, natives of Norway. The father emigrated to the United States in 1863 and located at Reed's Landing on the Mississippi river, in Wabasha county, Minne- sota. He was a carpenter by trade and built boats for use on the river and also put up houses for
dwellings and other purposes, many of which are still standing. He was married in Wabasha county to Miss Sarah Bordahl, and in 1881 they came to Polk county, where the father purchased of the railroad company the land on which the sons now live, paying $6 an aere for it with a rebate.
In 1881 the family settled on the farm and the father began to elear and eultivate it. He also worked at his trade, building houses and doing other earpen- ter work for his neighbors. He took an active part in the public affairs of his township, serving on the board of supervisors for a number of years. His death oeeurred on his farm in 1903, March 17, when he was about sixty-seven years old, and the mother died there
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on November 13, 1909. He put up good buildings on the farm, but the house burned down later, and the present dwelling was erected by the sons soon after- ward.
When the parents took up their residence on this land in 1881 they were farther out on the prairie than any other residents. There were no roads to the place
and for several years the crops were light. But the father persevered, got all his tract under cultivation and then bought another quarter section in Section 32. This was an old homestead and he paid $1,200 for it. Of the children born to him and his wife three are living: Julia, who is the wife of Ole Volland, of Andover township, and the two sons.
CARL A. GRONBERG.
Taking an earnest and intelligent interest in the affairs of his locality, in mercantile, governmental and agricultural circles, and exhibiting progressiveness and public spirit of a very commendable character in connection with them all, Carl A. Gronberg, one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Vineland township, this county, is proving himself to be a very forceful factor in the life of his township and a useful and estimable citizen of the county in every particular.
Mr. Gronberg is a native of Vineland township and has passed his life to the present time (1916) on the farm on which he is now residing. His life began May 20, 1882, and he is a son of Andrew and Mary Gronberg, who were born in Norway and came to the United States in the early summer of 1882. Three years later they located on Section 32, Vineland town- ship, where the father came into possession of 160
acres of land. He passed the remainder of his years on this land, dying on the farm in the spring of 1904, when he was fifty-four years old. The mother is still living. They became the parents of six children, John, Carl, Olaf, Marten, Inga and Emma, all of whom are living. Inga is now the wife of Andrew Dale.
Carl A. Gronberg was reared on the farm on which he now lives, and on which he has labored from his boyhood. He obtained a common school education, and since leaving school has been continuously engaged in farming, and cultivating now 200 acres of fruitful and valuable land. He has been a justice of the peace for a number of years and has also rendered the public good service as road overseer for Vineland township. In addition he is president of the Climax Co-operative Mercantile company.
HON. REUBEN REYNOLDS.
The Honorable Reuben Reynolds formerly a judge in this Court died at his home in the City of Crookston on the eighth day of March, A. D., 1889. Judge Reynolds was born at Covington, Genesee county, New York, on the 25th day of April A. D., 1821. He early removed to Michigan and came to the Territory of Minnesota in the year 1835, since which time he has held the offices of Judge of Probate Court, Clerk of District Court, Receiver of United States Land Office and Judge of District Court in this State.
On the 23rd day of March, 1889, at a fully attended meeting of the bar of Polk county, Minnesota, a
Memorial Resolution was adopted and William Watts was instructed to present the Memorial to this District Court.
MEMORIAL.
We, the Members of the Bar of Polk County in the State of Minnesota deem it appropriate that we should place upon the record an expression of our sense of the great loss to our State and to our profession caused by the death of Hon. Reuben Reynolds, a former Judge of this Court which occurred on the eighth day of this month after a long and painful illness.
He practiced his profession in our midst from the
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time Court was first established in this County until his elevation to the Bench in March, 1885. He was really a remarkable man, endowed with great strength and clearness of judgment, close application, and a fluent, earnest and forcible speech. Though he did not begin legal study until past the meridian of life, he excelled in all branches of the profession of the Law and stood foremost at the Bar in this part of the State.
The same qualities made him one of the most effective public speakers, and he was ever ready to give his time and talents to the promotion of morality and temperance and the advancement of projects and principles that he deemed to be for the public weal.
By his natural endowments and attainments he was peculiarly fitted for judicial life. His learning and ability were quickened by strong sense of justice and
a deep love for the equity of the Law, and his essen- tially kind nature made him courteous to all.
In his death our profession has lost one of its brightest ornaments, the community a useful and up- right citizen and his family a devoted husband and father. We deeply mourn his loss and extend our sincere sympathy to his family in their bereavement.
We respectfully request the Court to direct that this expression of our respect for our departed brother be entered upon its records with such other proceed- ings as may be had in connection therewith, and that a copy thereof be transmitted to his family.
Addresses were then made by Wmn. Watts, H. Steenerson, and P. C. Schmidt of the bar and by Hon. Judge Mills. By Order of the Court the memorial was entered upon its records and out of respect for the memory of Judge Reynolds, Court was adjourned.
W. S. BREKKE.
One of the enterprising and progressive farmers, extensive and successful potato growers and accom- plished musicians of Polk county, W. S. Brekke, whose attractive farm is located in Section 30, Hubbard township, is a useful resident of the northwest in many ways, and is esteemed in accordance with his usefulness and genuine merit as a farmer, a man and a citizen. He takes an earnest interest and a helpful part in everything that seems likely to promote the welfare of his township and the county generally, and can always be depended on for assistance in any worthy undertaking in this line.
Mr. Brekke is a native of Norway, where his life began April 3, 1873, but he has lived in this county since he was nine years old. He is a son of Saave and Gunield (Gunhild) Brekke, also Norwegians by nativity, and the first born of their ten children. In 1882 the parents brought their family to the United States and found a new home in Hubbard township, this county, where the father bought 160 acres of land. He was a blacksmith but continued to reside on his farm and cultivate it until his death on March 17,
1912, at the age of nearly sixty-seven years. The mother passed away November 21, 1915, aged seventy years.
From the time of his arrival in the county until now W. S. Brekke has had his home on the farm purchased by his father in 1882, and which he pur- chased in 1905, but he has enlarged it to 280 acres and greatly improved it with good buildings, abundant fenees and other necessaries, and made it highly pro- ductive by skilful farming. He makes a specialty of raising potatoes on an extensive scale, his erop in 1914 aggregating 18,600 bushels, which he raised on about 125 acres of land. Since January, 1907, he has also been one of the rural mail carries in this section and covers in his route about twenty-four miles a day with a machine.
Mr. Brekke has given a great deal of attention to the cultivation of his natural talent for music, having been a close student and an industrious practitioner of musical science and having pursued a course of special training at the Northwestern Conservatory of Music in Minneapolis. After leaving the conservatory of
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music at Minneapolis he has been a pupil a long time of the world's famous violinist and teacher, Maximil- lian Deck. He was married in Hubbard township, this county, February 3, 1904, to Miss Clara Hanson,
a daughter of Christian and Tilda Hanson. They have four children, Viola, Eleanore, Cardiff and Speneer.
BRNT M. BENNES.
The whole of the life of this estimable citizen of Polk county to the present time has been passed in cultivating the soil and raising live stock, and by striet attention to his business and industry and good judg- ment in conducting it he has been very successful in it, making substantial gains for himself and con- tributing essentially to the improvement of the country around him. He has taken an earnest interest and an active part in the public affairs of his township and illustrated the best qualities of its citizenship in his own record of success in his business and useful service.
Mr. Bennes was born in Norway October 18, 1859, and lived in that country until he reached the age of nearly twenty years, working on his father's farm and obtaining his education there. In July, 1879, he emigrated to the United States, landing at Philadel- phia and coming at once to Brown county, Minnesota. In that county he worked out at farm labor until June, 1880, then came to Polk county and took up a claim of 160 aeres in Garden township, where he lived until 1900. In that year he moved to Section 11, Gar- field township, in which he owns 166 aeres, well improved with good buildings and in an advanced state of cultivation, on which he has made his home
ever sinee, having sold his Garden township farm. He also owns 145 acres in Clearwater county.
Mr. Bennes was married October 13, 1900, to Mrs. Margaret H. (Messeth) Solheim, who was born in Norway February 7, 1867, and was the widow of Andrus O. Solheim, who died in 1897. The late Thomas Messeth was her brother. By her first mar- riage she became the mother of two children, Selma and Aleda. She and her present husband are the parents of five children, four of whom are living, Melvin, Henry, Edwin and Ivel. Their only daughter, Ida, died when she was five years old. The parents are members of the United Lutheran church and actively interested in all the undertakings of the congregation in which they hold their membership.
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