USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 54
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After living in dreary loneliness as a bachelor for twelve years on this farm in Higdem township, Mr. Heierstad was married in 1890 to Miss Christine Torgeson, who died six months later. Then, on Feb- ruary 22, 1891, he contracted a second marriage, which united him with Miss Maret Sletten. They have three children : Mary, who is the wife of Henry Hanson and has one ehild, their son Arthur, but who, with her husband and child, is still living with her parents; and Gina and Hilda, who are also living at home. All the members of the family belong to the Synod Lutheran church and take a very cordial and helpful interest in the affairs of the congregation in which they hold their membership.
ARNT OLSON.
Owning one of the finest farms in the northern part of Polk county, which he has redeemed from the waste and made what it is, and which he has improved with
a fine large dwelling house, commodious barns and other necessary structures, Arnt Olson, whose land is the Northwest quarter of Section 10 and the Northeast
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quarter of Section 9, in Higdem township, is well fixed in worldly possessions, and he has the satisfac- tion of knowing that all he has he has acquired by his own persistent industry, his careful frugality and his good judgment in the management of his affairs.
Mr. Olson was born in Norway about eighty years ago, and when he first came to the United States passed about six years and a half in Wisconsin work- ing in the pincries, at sawmills and on river drives. He then returned to his native land, where he remained two years and a half. On his return to this country in 1879 he located in Polk county, Minnesota, and took up a homestead which is part of the farm on which he now lives. He had only $200 in money, but settled down determined to win his way in spite of all difficulties that might arise in his progress. He built a little log house with no floor in it, but this he occupied only a few months. He then built a better dwelling with a floor and turned the first structure into a stable.
The second quarter section of land Mr. Olson acquired was railroad land for which he paid $8 an acre. This was flat and wet, as was a large part of his other land, and he was not able for some time to raise any crops of value. The new section was devoted
largely to raising hay, but this was often spoiled by the water on the land and his other crops were injured by early frosts. But he persisted in his efforts, grad- nally getting his farm drained and improved, and then it began to respond to the persuasive hand of the husbandman in a very fruitful manner, which it has done in an increasing volume steadily ever since. In addition to this farm he owns a tract of eighty acres half a mile distant in Marshall county, the farm being on the line between that county and Polk, two miles east of the Red river, three and one-lialf miles southeast of Oslo, five and one-half miles southwest of Alvardo and twenty miles north of Grand Forks. He raises wheat, oats and barley, and produces large quantities of each.
Two years ago, that is in 1913, Mr. Olson built his present large dwelling house and fine new barns. He has had three sons. One of them died in childhood. Another is now a resident of Seattle. Carl, the third son, is still living with him and now has charge of the home farm. The father has long been one of the active members of the church at Granville. He has taken none but a good citizen's part in public affairs and never held or desired a political office of any kind, either by election or appointment.
THOMAS SANDEM.
The life of this enterprising and useful citizen of Scandia township, this county, has been the unevent- ful one of a quiet and unostentatious farmer, and he has sought no place in the limelight of public esteem or prominence among men. He has, nevertheless, ex- hibited the qualities of sturdy and sterling manhood and the public-spirit and progressiveness of wide- awake, initiative and productive American citizenship of a serviceable character.
Mr. Sandem is a native of Norway, where he was born February 21, 1863, and where he lived until he reached the age of twenty years. In 1883 he emi- grated to the United States and located in Minnesota. During the first year of his residence here he worked
at whatever he could find to do in this state and Canada, and after that confined his operations to Minnesota, but continued to work for other men until 1887. In that year he took up a homestead of 160 acres on Section 26, Seandia township, on which lic settled in 1889, and on which he has since resided.
To make a tract of wild land over into a productive and profitable farm, and to build a comfortable and attractive home in a new locality on the frontier, is a work of magnitude and requires constant and well- directed industry, along with the endurance of much privation, a considerable degree of hardship and some danger. Mr. Sandem has achieved this great work because he had the qualities needed for its accomplish-
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ment, and he is now enjoying the fruits of his long years of toil and endurance in a comfortable home of 280 acres of good land enriched with buildings suited to his needs erected by himself. He has also given good service to his fellow citizens and the general publie around him as township treasurer and treas- urer of School District No. 211.
On April 12, 1893, in the city of Crookston, Mr.
Sandem was united in marriage with Miss Selma M. Johnson, who is a native of Sweden and came to this country in May, 1892. Five children have blessed their domestie shrine and brightened their home. They are Marie, Thorine, Esther, Soffus and Eveline, all of whom are still members of the parental family cirele.
ED SALVERSON.
Ed Salverson, for many years a successful farmer of Bygland township, was born in Norway, January 2, 1842, and died at his home in Polk county, February 15, 1912. When Ed Salverson died he was the owner of 104 aeres of land. He was brought to the United States by his parents when four years of age and was reared in Wisconsin and lived until 1890 in Waupaca county in that state. He owned also 160 acres at Waupaca and a big building. His life was devoted to farming interests and the years of industry attended by marked business ability brought the noteworthy success attested to in the large and prosperous estate which he built up. For twenty-five years his activities were confined to Polk county and he was one of the leading farmers of Bygland township where he owned and operated two farms. The home farm is a four hundred and eighty aere traet in sections one and twelve, located on the south bank of the Red Lake river, six miles west of Fisher and the other farm lies but one mile distant and comprises two hundred acres. Mr. Salverson was three times married. Two children were born to the first union, who are both dead, thie son, Oscar Salverson having died in 1911, in Washing-
ton, and Thea Caroline, who was married to Elias Eriekson and died one year after. His second mar- riage was contracted after coming to Polk county, with Seger Krostue, a sister of Gunder Krostue and a son, Sherman, survived the death of the mother. On March 15, 1896, Mr. Salverson was married to Berget Stallemo and five children were horn to them, Annie, Gertie, Julia, Josephine and Norman. They also took in their home, in her infaney, a little girl, Alice, who is now four years of age. Since the death of Mr. Sal- verson, the direction of the estate has been most capably assumed by his wife who is ably forwarding the prosperous interests. She was born in Norway, the daughter of Nels Stallemo and was brought at an early age to Wisconsin where the family remained until 1879 when Nels Stallemo removed to Polk county and took a homestead, five miles west of Fisher, in Bygland township. Both lie and his wife spent the last years of their life in the Salverson home, where he died in September, 1912. Her death occurred one year later. Their son, John Stallemo, is a farmer in Polk county, operating the 160 aere farm in Bygland township, for his sister, Mrs. Salverson.
OLE G. OLSON.
Ole G. Olson, a pioneer of Polk county and prom- have extensive farming interests in Polk county. Ole inent farmer of Huntsville township, was born in G. Olson was eighteen years of age when he aecon- panied his parents to the United States. This was in the early forties, during the first movement of emigra- tion from Numdalh, Norway. Wisconsin was the Norway and died at Grand Forks, February 26, 1909. His sons, Gustav Olson and Andrew Olson have oper- ated the Olson homestead for a number of years and
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destination of the family but their funds giving out at Rochester, N. Y., they were compelled to remain there a year before completing their journey. From Milwaukee, they traveled with ox teams to Rock county, Wisconsin, where they located and were among the first Norwegian settlers in that country. In 1852, Ole Olson heard the call of the west and sailing around Cape Horn, joined the prospeetors in California. Here he remained for six years and then returned to Wisconsin, having saved sufficient capital from his Californian sojourn to finance a mercantile enterprise. For a few years he engaged in business at Edgerton, Wisconsin, and then removed his in- terests to Decorah, Iowa, where after several years, in 1865, he sold his store and invested his capital in a woolen mill, of which he was one of the organizers. This venture proved a failure but during the years of its operations he visited the Red River valley several times, selling the products of the mill and in 1878, when the end of the milling enterprise left him prac- tically penniless, he decided to seeure land in that region and rebuild his fortunes, and took a homestead claim and a tree elaim in Sullivan township, three miles east of East Grand Forks. With a few hundred dollars and a team of horses, he entered upon his farm- ing activities in the frontier country, working his way to success and prosperons accomplishment during the fourteen years of his farming operations. His first buildings were a small shanty for a home and a sod stable which he was soon able to replace with good modern buildings. The tree claim, he turned over to his son Gustav Olson, who filed upon it, and secured the title. In 1892, Ole Olson retired from the farm, renting his property to his sons and took up his resi- dence in Grand Forks where he opened a feed store and continued active in the business circles of that
city for several years. His death eame at the end of a long and useful earcer, marked by successful busi- ness attainment and worthy service as a pioneer citi- zen. IIe is survived by his wife and three children, Gustav, Andrew and Ellen, who married G. L. Holton, a retired farmer, living at Grand Forks. Mr. Olson was married in 1861, at Decorah, Jowa, to Betsy Amundson, who like her husband was a native of Nor- way, coming to the United States in early childhood. She was reared in Dane county, Wisconsin, and since the death of her husband has made her home with her daughter. Gustav Olson and Andrew Olson have sue- eceded to their father's farming interests and since assuming management of the estate in 1892, have steadily added to the property and now own eight hundred acres of Polk county land, which includes four farms, all of which are devoted to their extensive operations as dairy farmers. Although they harvest large crops of grain their principal interest has been given to dairying and stoek farming, in which they have been eminently successful and they operate a milk route in Grand Forks. Their farm is stocked with blooded stock, cattle and horses, among the latter being many fine specimens of Percherons. The Olson brothers are both that type of citizen whose earnest co-operation is freely given to the broader interests of the community and whose ability is devoted not only to the advancement of their private interests but for the development of the commonwealth. They have each served as a school director and actively promoted good roads and drainage projects. Andrew Olson was married to Bertha Olson of Postville, Iowa, and they have four children, Oscar, who is a student in the North Dakota Agricultural college at Fargo; Anna, Theodore and Bertina.
CHARLES J. BYE.
Endowed by nature with a keen insight into the purposes and motives of men, which has been intensi- fied by extensive contact with his fellows, and possess-
ing clearness and quickness of vision in seeing and alertness in seizing opportunities and using them for his advancement, Charles J. Bye, one of the leading
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and successful merchants of Nielsville, this county, is justly regarded as an excellent business man, and his abiding and serviceable interest in the welfare and progress of his community has given him a high rank in the confidence and esteem of the people around him as an enterprising, far-seeing and productively useful citizen.
Mr. Bye is a native Minnesotan and devoted to the enduring good of the state. He was born in Houston county, March 28, 1867. In 1871, his parents, John O. and Mathea (Jacobson) Bye, natives of Norway, moved to Cass county, North Dakota, and there their son Charles remained until the fall of 1884. For five years he was assistant in the office of the county treasurer of Cass county, North Dakota, and during that same period of five years and until 1891 he was manager of a musical organization at Fargo, North Dakota.
In 1891 Mr. Bye again became a resident of Minne- sota, locating at Comstoek, Clay county, where he was employed as a bookkeeper for about four years. In
the fall of 1894 he moved to Nielsville, this county, and started the mercantile business in which he is still engaged. Ile earries a general stock of merchandise and conducts his business with enterprise and breadth of view, studying the needs of his community and taking every necessary step to provide for them eom- pletely in every particular.
Sinee taking up his residence in Polk county, Mr. Bye has been active and stimulating in connection with every project for the good of the community in which he has lived and zealous and discriminating in promoting all that he has considered wise and worthy. He was appointed postmaster of Nielsville in May, 1897, and he has held the office continuously since that time. Ilis services in it have been very acceptable to the patrons of the office and there has been no dis- position to disturb him in the oceupaney of it.
In January, 1895, Mr. Bye was united in marriage with Miss Gertie Kittleson, who was born in Fillmore county, Minnesota.
HENRY G. MITCHELL.
Henry G. Mitchell, a prominent farmer of Wood- side township, is one of the pioneer citizens of Polk county. He is a native of New England, born in 1845 and as a youth, saw mueh valiant service in defense of the Union. IIe enlisted in the Second Connecticut, Ileavy Artillery and participated in the campaign of the army of the Potomae. In the engagement of Cold Ilarbor he was wounded by a minnie ball and was forced to spend several inactive months and returned to his regiment, where he was detailed to special duty and continued to give honorable service to the elose of the war. Upon his return to the occupations of peace, in 1865, he turned his attention to the opportunities presented in the increasing activities of the northwest and for several years resided in St. Paul, working at his trade of carpentering and in other employment and upon the completion of the Great Northern road into Polk county in 1878, eame to Crookston, where he
continued in the carpenter work. In 1881 he took a preemption elain on seetion eleven, of Woodside town- ship, five miles southeast of the present village of Mentor, and this has continued to be his home. The land was covered with large timber which he sold as eordwood at Mentor. During the first years the work of clearing advanced slowly as most of his attention was devoted to building work, he being engaged in the erection of the elevators for the Red River Valley Grain Company and in construction contracts in Crookston. In 1893 he retired from his trade and has since devoted his efforts to his agricultural interests and cleared some sixty aeres for cultivation and de- veloped a prosperous farm. Mr. Mitehell is now en- gaged in the remodeling and improving of his home which occupies a most sightly and pleasant location, but a short distance from Maple Lake, a popular re- sort lake, and has a delightful view overlooking a
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smaller body of water. Mr. Mitchell has given active cooperation in all matters of public moment ; has given able service in official capacity as township super- visor and clerk and has been prominent in the busi- ness progress of the farming community as organizer and president of the Mentor Co-operative Creamery Association, which was organized in 1914 and has some eighty shareholders. Ile is also a member and a director in the cooperative store. He was married in 1874, in Rush City, Minnesota, to Melvinia Hicker- son, who is a native of Wisconsin and removed in her
carly childhood to Chisago county, Minnesota. They have a family of eight children, Guy, living on a home- stead at Dora Lake, Itasca county, Minnesota ; Rufus, a farmer near Big Forks, Minnesota; Laura, the wife of A. G. Cayler, of Crookston; Ida, who married Walter F. Mclaughlin of Mentor; Roy, on the home farm; Etta, a teacher in the Polk county schools; Grace, also a teacher in the local schools and Ruth. Roy Mitchell is the present township clerk, being his father's successor after the twenty years of able serv- ice by the latter.
ALEXANDER G. SPOKELY.
A brief account of the history of the Spokely family will be found in a sketch of the parents of this enter- prising, progressive and successful farmer of Hub- bard township, Polk county. They are Gunlcik and Gunvor (Hagen) Spokely, also residents of Hubbard township, where they settled in 1871, among the pioneers of the township. Their son Alexander was born on the parental homestead in that township August 30, 1879, and remained at home assisting his father on the farm until he reached the age of twenty- one. He then joined his brother Adolph in keeping a saloon at Climax, with which he was connected abont five years.
Farming presented more attractions to Mr. Spokely as an occupation for life than merchandising of any kind, and at the end of the period mentioned above he returned to it. In the fall of 1910 he took up his residence on the tract of 160 acres which he now owns and occupies in Section 28. Hubbard township, on
which he has good buildings and other improvements, making it one of the comfortable and attractive homes in the township, and which he has brought to a high state of productiveness by his industry and intelli- gence as a farmer. He is wide-awake and progres- sive, and makes his attributes in these respects tell to his advantage in conducting his business. He is also an active participant in local public affairs, aiding in promoting the welfare of his township by his public spirit and breadth of view.
On October 30, 1900, Mr. Spokely was married in North Dakota to Miss Nellie Myrland, a native of that state. They have three children, their daughter Grace B. and their sons Glenn E. and Lowell D. A. The parents are held in high esteem for their sturdy and sterling citizenship and the helpful interest they take in everything designed to promote the welfare of the township.
AVLE P. BRANDVOLD.
Avle P. Brandvold, a farmer of Knute township, is a native of Minnesota, born in Goodhue county, Jan- uary 17, 1869. A cousin of Mr. Brandvold was one of the pioneers of eastern Polk county and in his honor the family name was conferred upon one of the town- ships in the Thirteen Towns. The parents of Avle P.
Brandvold came to Minnesota prior to the Civil war and located in Goodhue county. The father was a native of Norway and worked in the lumber woods in Wisconsin for some years after coming to America. He became a prominent farmer in Goodhue county, where he owned a half section of land and also owned
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a quarter section in Polk county, south of MeIntosh. Avle Brandvold was reared on his father's home- stead and on reaching manhood became the owner of a Goodhue county farm which he operated until 1899 when he traded his property for his present farm in section twenty of Knute township, which had been owned by Martin 1. Haugen, who lived near Fertile. The tract was partially improved, with forty acres of cleared land and a log barn and Mr. Brandvolt erected the house which is the present home. From this start and with a few head of stock he has ad- vaneed to his present extensive agricultural interests. Beside the home quarter, he now owns one hundred and sixty acres of improved land one mile north and
another quarter section in Rosseau county. Mr. Brandvold has developed one of the model estates of this section and applies the most efficient and progres- sive methods in his farming enterprises, having equipped his barn with improved facilities for the care of stock. Ile has put one hundred acres of the home farm under cultivation and is also interested in stock farming, raising Short Horn cattle. He was married in 1894 to Gurine Haugen, a sister of Martin Haugen, of whom previous mention has been made. Of the family born to this union, eight children are now living, Peter, Agnes, Mabel, IIelmer, Carl, Ida, Gladys and Arley. Mr. Brandvold and his family are members of the United Lutheran church at Rodness.
HANS II. MELBO.
Hans H. Melbo, of Gully, president of the Melbo Mercantile company and postmaster of that place, was . born in Norway, October 2, 1872, and came to the United States as a lad of sixteen, locating at Wilmar, Minnesota, where he was employed as a farm laborer. After two years there, he removed to Lyon county, working on the farms in that county until 1896, when he went to the Red Lake reservation, which had just been opened for settlement, and took a claim in see- tion 11 of Eden township, near the present site of Gully and about sixteen miles northeast of Fosston. Ile was one of the first settlers of this region and has continued to be notably identified, as an influential and publie spirited citizen and progressive business man, with its growth and development. He embarked upon his farming enterprise with a capital of $700, which he had thriftily accumulated, and this enabled him to advance the laborious work of clearing the land for profitable operation, and for some years he spent several months of each year working near Ben- son, Minnesota. His first home on this farm was a pioneer log cabin built of timber ent from the land, and he later erected a larger log house. He devoted his attention to the management of this farm for seven years, putting fifty aeres under cultivation. In
1903 he entered upon his successful career in the com- mereial field, and in partnership with Nels M. Bol- stad, opened a general store at Gully, about four years before the Soo railroad was built to that place. Mr. Bolstad, as a member of the firm of Kronschnabel & Bolstad, had operated the first store established at Gully, in a building which stood on the site now oceu- pied by the Gully flour mills, which were erected in 1899. The firm of Bolstad & Melho succeeded the first company, which had disposed of the old stock upon dissolving. Two years later, after the death of his partner, Mr. Melbo became the sole owner of the business, and when the railroad reached the town he organized the Melbo Mercantile company, one of the most prosperous and popular stores in this section. This was the third store to open in the new village, the others being operated by Hans Pladsen and Gust Watnebryn. The company was incorporated in De- cember, 1910, with a capital of $10,000. Mr. Melbo is the president, with Oscar Thor, secretary and treas- urer, and John F. Thoreen, of Stillwater, vice presi- dent. A fine commodious building, constructed to give frontage on two streets, was erected at the cost of $6,000, and is owned by the company. Its rapidly growing trade justified the addition of a department
HANS H. MELBO
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for farm machinery which was installed, with sales- to serve in that position. The office now supports one room in the rear of the building. The enterprise has rural ronte and its transactions command a quarterly salary of $275. Mr. Melbo is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge and was active in its organization. He enjoyed frequent hunting trips in the days when game was abundant in this section, and recalls the hunting and killing of deer in the vicinity of the present site of Gully. Ilis marriage to Hilda Berg- dahe, of Fosston, occurred September 4, 1907, and they have three children, Ervin, Alpha and Rolf. Mr. Melbo and his family are members of the Lutheran churel at Gully. met with steadily increasing prosperity and now transacts an annual business of about thirty-five thou- sand dollars. Mr. Melbo is a member of the Repub- lican party and has ever given capable service to the public interests in official capacity. He was super- visor and also clerk of Eden township for several years and in 1900 was the census enumerator for that township and Queen township; the population of the two, totaling 1,212 in that year. In 1907 he was appointed postmaster at Gully and has continued
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