USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 59
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John Driscoll was born in County Lanark, province of Ontario, Canada, January 14, 1855, and came to Polk county, Minnesota, and was soon joined by his older brother Michael, a sketch of whom, including the family history, will be found in this volume. John Driscoll entered a homestead soon after coming here on section 28, and in the course of a few years bought one-quarter of section 34, Sullivan township, for $1,500. A little later he paid $2,500 cash for 160 acres in section 29, then paid $2,000 for another quar- ter section and later became the owner of more land. He sold some of his land and owned only one whole section at the time of his death.
During his life Mr. Driscoll cultivated all the land lie owned that was tillable and built all the improve- ments on it except the present dwelling house, which was erected by his widow in 1909, two years after the fire. Some years before his death he and his brother Michael began operating a threshing outfit, and they continued in this enterprise together until death ended his labors. He was also school director from the organization of the school district, and when he died was serving as a county commissioner, hav- ing been first elected to this office in 1904. He was an ardent Democrat in political relations and a very ener- getic and effective campaigner for the principles and candidates of his party. His religious connection was
with the Catholic church of the Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks, in the service of which he was always effectively active.
Mr. Driscoll was married in 1882 to Miss Nellie O'Brien, who was also a Canadian by nativity. She died young leaving one child, John J. Driscoll, who owns a farm in Sullivan township but is still a bach- elor. On March 3, 1886, at Grand Forks, the father contracted a second marriage which united him with Miss Catherine Enright, another Lanark county, On- tario, lady, who came to Grand Forks three years before her marriage with her parents, Michael and Catherine Enright. Mr. Enright took up a claim in Polk county but passed his remaining years mostly in East Grand Forks, where both he and his wife died. By his second marriage Mr. Driscoll became the father of five children, James Edward, Catherine, William, Anselm and Loretta. James Edward is a high school graduate and pursued a course of special training at a commercial college. He is now a book- keeper in a Grand Forks wholesale house. The other children are still living at home with their mother. They are all members of the church of the Sacred Heart.
After the death of her husband Mrs. Driscoll as- sumed her great responsibility of rearing her children and caring for the property of the family. She built a new house in place of the old one, and it is one of the finest in the township. She has also directed the operations of the farm with great vigor and success and made them very profitable. She is a heroic lady and richly deserves the high and universal esteem in which she is held.
OSCAR ULVE.
Owning a highly productive, well improved and pleasantly located farm in section 8, Sullivan town- ship, this county, seven miles northeast of East Grand Forks, which he has helped to make what it is, and standing well in the regard and good will of the peo- ple of his township, Oscar Ulve is as comfortably fixed
in a worldly way as most men, and he has the satis- faction of knowing that all he has he has accumulated by his own efforts and good management. He was born in Grant county, Wisconsin, November 25, 1872, and first came to Polk county in 1891. He passed the summer of that year working for Andrew E. Odegard,
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then returned to his native state, where he remained with his parents until 1898. April 1st of that year he came back to this county, and during the following winter he was employed on the farm where he had formerly worked.
January 1, 1899, Mr. Ulve began working for August Nelson on his farm in Sullivan township, with whom he remained for three years at a compen- sation of $22 to $26 a month in summer and less in winter. On November 13, 1901, he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Olena Nelson, the oldest living daughter of his employer, who was born on her father's home farm and was in her twenty-first year at the time of her marriage. In April, 1902, lie bought the farm on which he now lives, of Mrs. Annie N. Hotvedt and the Hotvedt heirs, but the house was not finished and the barn was built in May, 1910.
Raising grain and live stock have been his prin- cipal industries. Ile keeps twenty-one head of eattle and milks eight cows, all of good Shorthorn breeds. Ile has always taken a good eitizen's part in the public affairs of his township, and has rendered it excellent service as supervisor for nine years, as clerk for some time and as treasurer of the school board for five years. Mr. Ulve has no children. He and his wife are active members of the Grand Marais Norwegian Lutheran church and take part in all its works of benevolence and whatever it does for the improvement of the community. His farm is one mile from the Marais. It was originally the home- stead of Nels IHotvedt, a brother of Peter A. IIotvedt. whose life story is briefly told on other pages of this volume.
JOHN DAVIDSON.
This prosperous and highly esteemed farmer of Polk county, who owns what is known as "The Sprague Farm," taking the name from its former owner, but which might appropriately be ealled "White Oak Farm," has one of the most attractive and valuable country homes in the seetion of the county in which it is located. It lies on the Marais river, in seetion 5, Fisher township, four miles northwest of Fisher, and contains 472 aeres. Mr. Davidson bought it in 1915, and has sinee made many improvements on it.
Mr. Davidson was born in County Carleton, prov- inee of Ontario, Canada, November 15, 1859, and came to Minnesota in 1879. He had former friends and neighbors in his native place here, the members of the Driscoll family, and he took a pre-emption elaim in Neshit township and proved up on it at $1.25 an aere. He built a shanty on his elaim and broke up forty aeres of the land, working out for the neighbors while he did this. In 1880 he went to Grand Forks county, North Dakota, and took up a homestead, and in that eounty he remained until 1896, sixteen years, aequiring the ownership of one quarter-seetion of land there, which he cultivated in grain.
In 1896 he returned to Minnesota and bought all of seetion 27, in Sullivan township, this county, pay- ing $26 an aere for it. The farm was already im- proved, but the new owner built a new house on it, erected a silo and made other improvements, putting up several miles of feneing, and seeded the land in timothy grass. For a number of years he kept a good deal of live stock, raising and fattening cattle for the markets. In 1914 he sold his Sullivan township farm at $60 an aere for the whole seetion, and the next year he bought his present farm, which eost him about the same rate per aere.
The farm contains about sixty acres of timber and is well watered. As soon as he took possession of it Mr. Davidson began to rebuild and repair on an ex- tensive scale, and he has greatly improved the prop- erty in this way. He has sunk a well 150 feet deep, which supplies him with soft water for his stock, his domestie use and all other desired purposes. He is now giving a great deal of attention to diversified farming and stoek raising.
Mr. Davidson was married August 1, 1889, in Grand Forks county, North Dakota, to Miss Mary Manson,
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who was born in Renfrew county, Ontario, and moved to North Dakota. They have nine children, Claude, William, Ethel, Pearl and Viola (twins), Ella, George, Florence and Stanley. Ethel is a saleslady in a jewelry store in Grand Forks. Pearl is a telegraph
operator in the Western Union Office in the same city. Viola is a teacher in the schools of Kittson county, Minnesota. She pursued a course in normal training at the State Normal school in Crookston. The rest of the children are living at home with their parents.
ELLING T. DOKKEN.
Among the progressive and enterprising farmers and publie-spirited citizens of Tynsid township, Polk county, Minnesota, none has ever stood higher in the esteem and good will of the people than the late Elling T. Dokken, who departed this life on his farm in that township November 10, 1910, at the age of sixty-eight years, one month and nineteen days, after a residence of some thirty-nine years in that township, during all of which he was devoted to its welfare and zealous in promoting its progress and development.
Mr. Dokken was born at Hol Hallingdal, Norway, September 22, 1842, and grew to manhood and was educated in that country, where he remained until late in the sixties, when he emigrated to the United States and located in Worth county, Iowa. In 1871 he moved to Polk county, Minnesota, and pre-empted 160 aeres of land in section 36, Tynsid township, and on this land and the additions he made to his tract by subsequent purchases he passed the remainder of lis days. He owned 270 acres at the time of his death, all under cultivation and the farm improved with good buildings, the result of his ability and industry as a farmer and his judicious management as a business man.
The trip from Iowa was made with ox teams and
covered wagons and the party consisted of a number of families from the same neighborhood in Worth county, Iowa. The journey consumed several weeks and while there were no real dangers encountered en- route they experienced all the hardships and priva- tions incident to pioneer life.
Mr. Dokken was among the first settlers in the township and a picture of his early home ereeted in 1878 is still in possession of the family.
Mr. Dokken was married in Clayton county, Iowa, on April 2, 1878, to Miss Ingrid Houg, who was born in that county October 24, 1853, of Norwegian par- ents, and lived there until her marriage to Mr. Dok- ken. They had six children, only two of whom are living: Minnie S., who still has her home with her mother, and Thilda, who is the wife of Knute Eriek- son, a resident of Tynsid township. The deceased children all died in infancy exeept a daughter named Lena, whose death occurred when she was twenty- seven years of age. Mrs. Dokken conducted the farm after her husband's death until the spring of 1915, since when it has been operated by her son-in-law, Knute Erickson. As was her husband, she is an active and zealous member of the Sand Hill Free church.
HANS HANSON.
The late Hans Hanson, for many years one of the leading farmers of Esther township, this county, whose useful life ended on August 13, 1908, was born in Norway April 13, 1834. He was married near Dur- ham, Wisconsin, to Miss Caroline Eliza Johanson, who was also a native of Europe. She died at the age of thirty leaving four children, only one of whom, how-
ever, grew to maturity. This was a daughter named Carrie, who was born April 15, 1872, at Brainerd, Minnesota, and was six years old when her mother died before they had been on the farm one whole year. She is now the wife of Frank E. Nelson and lives on her father's old homestead.
Mr. Hanson had been engaged in various lines of
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work and business at Brainerd, in Duluth and in Win- nipeg, and in 1877 made a trip up the Red river on one of the Hudson Bay steamers under Captain Griggs. IIe was pleased with the outlook in this see- tion and chose the farm on which he afterward lived and labored until his death. His first 160 aeres is located half a mile from the Red river and fourteen miles by road north of Grand Forks. He later added a tract of eighty acres, making his farm 240 acres all in one body. He built a log cabin, the first shaek put up in a radius of six miles, although he soon had a few neighbors. But for two or three years he was obliged to work out at farm labor to get the common necessaries of life. His wife's illness eaused him to spend all the money he had and when he landed at Grand Forks he carried all his earthly possessions on his back. Fisher was then the terminus of the rail- road.
Mr. Hanson's daughter soon became his house- keeper, and her work as such was her education. She had no opportunity to go to school. Her father, too, gave himself up wholly to his home duties, taking no part in anything outside except the Synod Lutheran ehureh, of which he was an active and serviceable member. His remains were buried in a graveyard at the schoolhouse standing on his own land, and which he had donated for the purpose.
Miss Carrie Hanson, the daughter of Hans, was married November 25, 1892, to Frank E. Nelson, who
was born in Sweden April 21, 1869, and came to the United States in 1887. He journeyed direet to Polk county, where his father, John P. Nelson, a brother of August Nelson, had settled five years before. John P. Nelson was a carpenter and passed the rest of his life in this county, dying January 1, 1907. Frank was only seventeen when he arrived here, but he at onee went to work at farming and railroad grading, going as far west as Montana in his grading opera- tions. He has carried on the Hanson farm since his marriage, and has bought 240 aeres adjoining it, so that he now has 480 aeres all in one hody, about seventy-five aeres being in timber.
Mr. Nelson's principal products are wheat, oats and barley, and in 1915 he raised over 9,000 bushels of these cereals. He also milks eight eows generally for butter to supply a lively trade among private cns- tomers. His cattle are Shorthorns, and of good strains. The buildings on his farm are good and the property is a very desirable and valuable one. He has taken an aetive part in township affairs, serving on the township board six years, and he has now been school elerk for three years. He and his wife are the parents of seven children, all of whom are living at home. They are John Henry, Elof, Albert, Arthur, Lizzie, Florence and Clifford. They also took in Lillie Halvorson at the age of six years and have reared her as their own ehild. She still abides with them as a member of their family eirele.
N. J. NELSON.
N. J. Nelson, eashier of the First State bank at East Grand Forks and prominent eitizen, is widely known through the county as a progressive business man who measures his success by the development and prosperity attending the community in which he lives. Mr. Nelson is a native son of the state, born in Good- hue county, March 15, 1867. His early life was spent on a farm and his business eareer was initiated as a traveling salesman. In 1891 he located in Crookston which was his home until 1906 when he removed to
East Grand Forks. As cashier of the First State bank of that eity, he is in aetive charge of the affairs of that popular institution and through his poliey of capable and far seeing administration is also identi- fied with the important interests of eivie and eommer- cial eireles. He has particularly given his attention and cooperation to the advancement of the agrieul- tural enterprises of the region and in recognition of his serviees holds the office of county director of the Red River Valley Development association. Aside
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from his business activities he takes an active interest in civic affairs and has given six years of able service as alderman and is also a valued member of the board of education. Ile is a member of the Republican party. Mr. Nelson was married in 1894 to Bertha S. Langford, of Dodge Center, Minnesota, and they have two children, Walter L. and Winifred. Mrs. Nelson is well known in the club and church circles of the city and is a member of the Baptist church. Not only
is Mr. Nelson the cashier of one of Polk county's most substantial financial institutions but he was the organ- izer as well and has thoroughly worked into its char- acter his theory of cooperative benefit which makes it one of the strongest banks in the county today. The bank is located in a fine building with every modern facility, which stands as a credit to civic pride as well as to the enterprise of the directors of the institution.
THOMAS NISBET (Deceased).
Thomas Nisbet, whose death occurred at his city home in Grand Forks on the 18th of August, 1914, was one of the worthy makers of Polk county having come to it when it was practically all a wilderness, with a choice of where he should secure a home.
He was born in Sherbrook, County Lanark, Ontario, December 24, 1843, and was the fourth of several brothers to come to Polk county, of whom David was the first. James, of whom further mention is made elsewhere, followed, Robert and Thomas coming in turn. Of these David died about 1880, a bachelor, in middle life, and was buried in Nisbet Cemetery, which was named in his honor. Their mother Christena also died here at an advanced age. One daughter Chris- tena was the wife of James Lee, and another, Mar- garet, married James Gilmore, both now being deceased.
Thomas Nisbet was married in Winona county, Min- nesota, December 30, 1871, to Miss Janet Roberton, cousin of James Roberton of Hunstville township. She was also born in County Lanark and as a child was brought to Winona county, where her parents remained till death. One of her brothers, Joseph Rob- erton was for several years a resident of Huntsville, dying some twenty-four years since.
Mr. Nisbet was a blacksmith by trade, working as such about eight years before marriage in Winona county, and so continued at Mallory finally operating a shop on his farm, his preference being to work at the forge rather than on the farm.
He seenred railroad land at $7 per acre, securing the usual rebate for that part put into cultivation. He became the owner of 400 acres which comprises the present fine home of James Cummings, and which was drained by the Marais, making it a very desirable traet, especially when natural drainage was depended upon. When Joseph Roberton died, his farm was also purchased by Mr. Nisbet making 640 acres of which he was proprietor, even after selling the original home.
Leaving the farm, he operated a shop in Mallory, two miles distant, for twelve years, when he retired to Grand Forks, although he continued to supervise the operation of his lands.
He was chosen township treasurer for several years and was a member of the Town Board. He was a stanch Republican and was once candidate for county commissioner.
Mr. Nisbet was an enthusiastic Mason, having been made one by Tom Morriss, ex-mayor of Crookston. He took practically all the work of the fraternity in- cluding both lines-the York and the Scottish Rite, being one of very few in Polk county who were ad- vanced to the thirty-second degree. He frequently attended the National Conclaves, and attained a great local reputation as a lodge worker, being specially well fitted by temperament and physique to carry the work of the third degree, the character of Jubal Um being one that he appeared in almost to perfection.
His family are four-Ada E., at home ; William G.,
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who superintends the farm and has two children, Janet Olive and Keith Horace; Jennie F., at home and May T., wife of Frank Hankey of Grand Forks. Few men who have lived in Polk county had a larger circle of warm friends than Mr. Nisbet. He was large
of body and of mind and possessed to a great degree those qualities of head and heart, coupled with affabil- ity, enthusiasm and optimism that not only made him an ideal citizen but also a valued friend and companion.
CHRISTOPHER H. EVJE.
Christopher H. Evje, a successful farmer of Eden township, is a native of Norway, born November 12, 1843. He was reared on a farm and spent his early manhood in his home land and was there married to Engeborg Sophia Novesta. But ambitions to secure a home in the western land across the sea, in 1886, he brought his wife and six children to the United States. His savings enabled him to purchase all but one pas- sage and for this he had to borrow funds. Hle first located in Norman county, Minnesota, where for two years he worked at farm labor and in 1889 removed to Polk county which has since been his home. His farm had been the homestead of Hans Thompson, who died in 1888, leaving his interest in the place to the wife of Mr. Evje. It was located in seetion 21 of Eden township, a little over thirteen miles northeast of Fosston and near the old Indian reservation ; no land had been eleared but a small log house stood on the traet and was the first home of the Evje family and is now ineluded in the construction of the living room of the present comfortable home. Mr. Evje has put eighty-five of the one Imndred and fifty aeres in eul- tivation and has added an additional forty aeres to his estate. He has engaged in grain raising and dairy farming, keeping about ten dairy cows. He has de-
voted every effort to the development of his farm and with noteworthy ability and skillful management has built up one of the best country homes as well as one of the model properties of the county, directing all his operations along progressive lines and inelud- ing the modern improvements in his equipment. In 1907 he ereeted a large barn. Although Mr. Evje has never acquired the use of the language of his adopted country, he is a wide-awake and public spirited citi- zen, interested in publie matters and well informed on the questions of the day. Ile is a stockholder in Farmers store company at Fosston and in the cooper- ative ereamery at Olga, one mile south of his place. His wife died, January 14, 1902, and is survived by Mr. Evje and ten children, Hans, who operates the home farm; Dina, the wife of Erick Nyborg, a neigh- boring farmer; Tobine, who married Ole Engebret- son and lives at Clearbrook, Minnesota : Tonnes, en- gage in farming in White Earth ; Carl, a farmer of Eden township; Christine, the wife of Harry Boon of White Earth: Clara, who is in charge of her father's home and Herman, John and Tenny. One daughter, Gjertine Evje, died when twenty-three years of age. She was the wife of Bronnel Bronnelson. Mr. Evje is a member of the Zion Lutheran church.
RICHARD ENRIGHT.
After a busy and sneeessful business life, the results of which have made him one of the most substantial citizens of Polk county, Richard Enright is now en- joying the fruits of energy in rather a retired condi- tion, though not by any means having entirely laid aside attention to business details.
Ile was born near Almont, Ontario, and grew to manhood near Port Sarnia, coming to Grand Forks in 1877 to seek employment. James E. Sullivan was his first employer and he worked for two months, in 1877, on the farm of John O'Brien and for others. The next year after his own coming, he was followed by
BROWN DUCKSTAD
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his parents, Dennis and Catherine (O'Neill) Enright, and their eight sons and two daughters. Of these, John is a ranehman in California; Thomas lives in Sullivan township; Dennis J. is also in California ; Jerry is in Alberta as is also James. William was drowned in the Red river at the age of twenty-three ; Michael L. is a farmer of Huntsville; Edward F. is an employe of the Arneson Mercantile company, while Mary Ann was the wife of Thomas Mason, who came to the county in 1879, and both of whom are since deceased. Maggie became the wife of George Tinkler and lives in western Canada.
The father bought the homestead, where his son Michael L. now lives, to which he added at various times till he owned upwards of 1,000 aeres lying along the Red Lake river a few miles from East Grand Forks. For several years, in faet till his death in 1886, the sons all remained at home, the operations being carried on an extensive scale. The widow con- tinued, with the younger sons, to manage the farm, however she finally retired to the city, where she passed away October 18, 1906.
In 1880 Richard was married to Johanna Forn, and at once assumed charge of his own farm. In about one year thereafter he had the misfortune to lose his
companion, when he rented the farm, which he origin- ally bought as railroad land. He began to add more land when it could be had from the railroad com- pany at about $6 per aere. His operations were more than usually successful, investing in land as opportun- ity offered till he possessed six quarter sections or 960 acres in one body, all lying in Huntsville township. Generally this has been operated by tenants, Mr. En- right giving more personal attention to making and keeping up improvements.
Five years ago he decided to dispose of his lands, since when he has made some investments in Cali- fornia, although much of his present business interests are in farm loans. No man has had greater faith in the future of the Red river valley, in every phase of whose development he has taken an active part, being ever an ardent advocate of a system of farming that tends to greater production and increase in valua- tion. He has rather kept aloof from publie life, but has yielded to the extent of serving the township as Supervisor for some fifteen years. He has ever stood for better living conditions and it is not a little to the efforts of such men that East Grand Forks is now fast taking its place among the better residence towns of the Red river valley.
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