USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 62
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his estate and the operation of the farm has been as- sumed by his sons, Robert Stewart and Stanley Stew- art. Throughout the years of his residence in Polk county, Mr. Stewart has given his influence and serv- ice in all matters of vital import in the development of the community life and has earned the respect accorded to the public spirited intelligent eitizenry of a commonwealth. As a pioneer of Nesbit township he assisted in the organization of the district, when it was named in honor of one of its earliest settlers, David Nesbit, and subsequently served during his resi- denee there in various official capacities, as township treasurer, chairman of the township board and clerk of the school board. In Huntsville township he has been prominently identified in the promotion or edu- eational progress, particularly in the distriet in which he lives, the organization of the local school having been effected through his indefatigable interest and preserving efforts in the face of opposition. Mr. Stewart was married in March, 1880, at Fisher, to Agnes Ferguson, whom he had known in his Ontario home. A year after the marriage, her parents fol- lowed her to Polk county, settling on land in Hunts- ville township which is now included as part of the Stewart farm. Her father, James Ferguson, is now a resident of East Grand Forks. Seven children were born to Mr. Stewart and his wife, Ida, who married Joseph Mills, a surveyor, located at Granada, Minne-
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sota; Robert; Edith, the wife of Lee Bryson, a Polk county farmer, living near Euclid; Kate, who married Willie MeDonald, a farmer near Mallory; Maggie, Stanley and Ella. These children and Mr. Stewart survive the death of the mother and wife, whose death occurred in 1906. Robert Stewart and Stanley
Stewart are among the capable and progressive younger generation of farmers and are capably earry- ing on the labors of the pioneer father. Robert Stewart was married to Mabel McDonald, sister of Willie McDonald and they have four children, Donald, Bert, Dorothy and Marian.
ANN COX.
Among the pioneer families of the county, none were more actively associated with the early history and development than the Cox family, who settled here in 1872. They were of Irish deseent and came to Minnesota from Ontario, Canada. Ann Cox and Johannah, who married Paul Jones were the last of the five brothers and sisters who were early settlers of Polk county. Mrs. Jones' death occurred December 17, 1915, and Miss Cox passed away January 22, 1916. Catherine C'ox was married to James Rowe, previous to coming to the county and died here in 1875. Miles Cox joined the others in 1879 and took a claim in Huntsville township, near the farm of Paul Jones and made his home there until his death about ten years ago. He is survived by two children, Thomas Cox and Mary Ann Cox, who married Peter McManus. In 1872 the land had not yet been surveyed and broth- ers and sisters each seleeted a tract of land which they later purchased as railroad land. Both Patriek Cox and his brother-in-law, James Rowe, located on the north side of the Red Lake river, the former's land being in section thirty-six of Huntsville township,
where he became a well known citizen and farmer and aequired much local fame as a hunter. James Rowe later sold his property and removed to Saskatchewan. Ann Cox shared with her brothers the experiences of pioneer days, sturdily weathering the hardships and capably meeting all the responsibilities of the times. She secured a homestead in section two of Bygland township, which she later sold and upon the death of her brother Patrick Cox, purchased his farm, which adjoins that of Paul Jones, where she made her home with her sister. From the experiences of the early days, she recalled many interesting tales of signifieant events which can claim few living witnesses; the his- torical value of the story being enhanced by the gift of a keen observant mind. Ann Cox was a notable type of pioneer womanhood which had always founded the solid fabric of social organization, trained in the rigorous school of service to discern the true values of life. She with the other members of the family were members and faithful supporters of the Saered Heart Catholic church at East Grand Forks.
AUGUST NELSON.
August Nelson, of East Grand Forks, for many years a leading farmer of that region and identified with business activities as a direetor in the First Na- tional bank, has been a resident of Polk county since 1877. He was born in Sweden, July 12, 1848, and came to this country, a young man of twenty-one years; locating in Duluth, where he secured work
in a sawmill and for the next eight years continued to be employed in the mill or in lumber woods. Thrifty management during this time enabled him to realize his desire to become a farmer and an owner of land, and removing to Polk county he took a home- stead in Sullivan township, five miles northeast of East Grand Forks. His former employers furnished
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him the Inmber for his first home and he entered upon a career marked with the creditable achievement of the man who rises through his own efforts to success and affluence. Ile added steadily to his property and now owns eight hundred aeres which is operated as one farm, is one of the largest estates in the western part of the county and equipped with good buildings and modern efficient methods for stock and grain farming is also one of the most profitable farms in the region. Aside from this enterprise, Mr. Nelson is associated with various important business interests, being one of the original direetors and stockholders of the First National bank, a stockholder and director in the Arneson Mercantile company and was for- merly a stockholder in a boat operating on Red river. Since 1905 he has resided in East Grand Forks, where of late years, ill health has confined him to his home and necessitated his retirement from business activi- ties. Mr. Nelson is a member of the Zion Lutheran
church and was actively influential in the organiza- tion of the Grand Marias Lutheran church. He has been three times married. The first marriage was con- tracted in Duluth and six children were born to that union, three of whom are now living. Edward, who is engaged in the grocery business at Centennial, Wyoming, Annie, the wife of Oscar Ulve, a farmer of Sullivan township, and Carl who operates a part of his father's estate. To the second union, with Martha Brandon, of Grand Forks, two children were born, William, with the Arneson Mercantile com- pany and a direetor in the company, and John, em- ployed in the offices of the Great Northern railroad, at East Grand Forks. On October 17, 1905, Mr. Nelson was married to Annie Peterson Anderson, the widow of Nels Anderson, of Grand Forks. Mrs. Nelson has two children by her former marriage, Oscar Ander- son, who lives at St. Paul and Lillian Anderson, who makes her home with her mother.
L. S. KOLDEN.
As a merchant, banker and farmer L. S. Kolden, eashier of the State Bank of Neilsville and president of the State Bank of Leonard, Minnesota, has had a busy and productive life to the present time (1916), and one that has been of great service to the eom- munities in which he has operated. He was born in Norway August 28, 1857, and became a resident of the United States in 1873. After his arrival in this country he lived eight years in Wisconsin and devoted seven of them to elerking in a drug store at Sparta in that state, during which he exhibited fine business ability.
In 1881 he moved to Ada, Norman county, Minne- sota, and for two years elerked in a general store there, then started a general store of his own at Neils- ville, which he conducted with great snecess for nine years. He began his business on a capital of $1,000 and sold it at a handsome profit in 1891, having built it up to large proportions and made the store widely popular and its trade very extensive and aetive.
When the railroad was built through Neilsville he started a lumber yard, which he continued to operate continuously for three years. During almost the whole of his residence at Neilsville until 1911 he was also engaged in eultivating his fine farm of 290 aeres, which lies close to the village and is one of the most valuable and attractive in Hubbard township. Since 1911 tenants have farmed it.
In July, 1911, Mr. Kolden was elected eashier of the State Bank of Neilsville, and he has held that position ever since greatly to the advantage of the bank and its patrons. He is treasurer of Hubbard township and has been all of the last fifteen years, and has served as school treasurer or elerk continuously for twenty-two years. He is also treasurer of St. Peter's Lutheran church at Neilsville.
Mr. Kolden was married in 1883 to Miss Mary Christianson, who was also a resident of Wisconsin while he was living in that state. They have one child, their daughter Lucy Clara, who is now the wife of
ANDREW OPHEIM
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David Payne, a partner of Mr. Kolden in a lumber business at Holt, Minnesota. Mr. Kolden and his brother, S. S. Kolden, are also keeping an agricul- tural implement store at Holt, and for some years they handled hardware also in it. They have had charge of this store six years. In 1915 Mr. Kolden organized the State Bank of Leonard, Clearwater county, on the Soo railroad line, and he is president of that bank.
The State Bank of Neilsville was organized July 18, 1904, with a capital of $10,000. It now has a
surplus of $3,000 and deposits amounting to $134,000, while its loans and discounts amount to $132,000. The banking house occupied by the institution was built in 1904 by Nels Muns and A. D. Stevens. The bank was known as the Stevens bank until 1906, when B. B. Larson and Norman Rosholt bought it and changed its name to the State Bank of Neilsville. L. S. Kol- den was chosen cashier in 1911. The bank is in a flourishing condition and carrying on a general bank- ing business of extensive and steadily inercasing scope and volume.
ANDREW OPHEIM.
Entering this section of the state of Minnesota and the Northwest while it was still largely an unbroken wilderness and founding a business which soon be- came, and has continued, a leader in its line; taking a very active and helpful part in laying the founda- tions of civilization in the section and giving its pub- lic institutions form and direction, and using his wide acquaintance and strong personal influence to bring settlers into the region, the late Andrew Opheim, whose death occurred at his home in Fertile April 5, 1915, was, for a period of thirty-three years, one of Polk county's most useful, representative and esteemed citizens, and well deserved his rank.
Mr. Opheim was born in Voss, Norway, November 14, 1844, the son of Styrk and Anna (Opheim) Opheim, also natives of that country, who passed their lives in it and whose mortal remains were at last laid to rest in its soil, which they had hallowed by their long and productive labors. The son was reared in his native land and obtained his education in its pub- lic schools, completing it at one of the excellent nor- mal schools it contains. He taught school for a few years in Norway after attaining his majority, then came to the United States, arriving in 1871 and locat- ing in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he passed two years. From there he went to Chicago and was em- ployed as a laborer in that city until 1875, when he moved into Southern Minnesota. There he worked
on farms and taught school until 1882. In that year he came to Aldal and entered into partnership with the late Dr. Arne Nelson in a general merchandising and drug business, which they conducted at that place until 1887, then moved both stock and building to Fertile. Their business grew and flourished at Fer- tile, as it had done at Aldal, and they became as widely and favorably known as merchants and pro- gressive, enterprising and public-spirited citizens as any residents of the Northwest have ever been. Their partnership continued until 1893. In that year it was dissolved by mutual consent and the business was divided, Mr. Opheim taking over the general mer- chandising department and Dr. Nelson the drug stock and trade.
In 1895 Mr. Opheim erected at Fertile the building which bears his name and is one of the best in that village. The business founded by him is still con- ducted in it by his nephew, Odd Eide, a sketch of whom appears in this work. Mr. Opheim was one of the founders of the First State Bank of Fertile and served it as a director until his death on April 5, 1915, at which time he was also vice president of the bank. He long took an active interest in the Fertile Brick and Tile company and was one of its directors to the end of his life. His politieal allegiance was given to the Republican party and he was an ardent and effective worker for its success in all campaigns.
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Locally he took an energetic and serviceable part in public affairs, serving as president of the village of Fertile for ten terms. Fraternally he belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was zeal-
ous in his membership and his devotion to the fra- ternity. As Mr. Opheim never married he was able to give earnest attention to every publie interest, and he did this diligently.
CHARLES NELSON.
Living retired from aetive pursuits in his pleasant home at Climax, this county, Charles Nelson has plenty of food for interesting meditations in the many features and numerous thrilling experiences of his long years of useful labor. He was born at Num- medal, Norway, June 30, 1844, and lost his mother by death when he was but two years, seven months old. In 1857 his father brought him to the United. States, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin.
In 1862 Mr. Nelson and his father moved to Kandi- yohi county, Minnesota, with a view to bettering their opportunities for advancement. But the time was badly ehosen, for six weeks after their arrival and the filing on a preemption elaim by the father the Sioux outbreak came and, with many others, the new- comers were obliged to leave that part of the state. Many of the settlers gathered on Indian island, and on the historical Wednesday afternoon of that period thirteen neighbors of the Nelsons were massaered by the Indians there. Mr. Nelson and others afterward visited the neighborhood to ascertain if there were any wounded persons on it, but they found only dead bodies.
Sixteen wagonloads of fleeing settlers left the eoun- try Saturday morning under the guard of an eseort, which conducted them well out into the prairie and then left them. The teams proceeded to Paynesville and from there to Goodhue county. The Nelsons never returned to their elaim, and the father passed the remainder of his life in Goodhne county, where he died at the age of fifty-two. Charles' brother Nels died in 1901 by falling from a tree which he was prun- ing. Charles remained in Red Wing working at his trade as a painter until 1878, when he was married in Minneapolis to Miss Carrie Olson Romoe of Good-
hine county, whither she was brought by her parents from her native town of Stordalen, Trondhjem Stift, Norway, when she was twelve years old.
After spending some months at the home of his wife's parents he visited Crookston and other parts of Polk county on a tour of inspection, in July, 1879, and in May, 1880, bought a proved-up homestead of 120 acres of Halvor Steenerson in Seetion 29, Vine- land township. IIe also bought 200 acres of railroad land at an average price of $7.50 an aere with a rebate of $3 an acre on all that he broke and seeded within three years. He broke up three-fourths of the traet and got it sowed, and thereby he saved the rebate on that much.
On April 17, 1880, Mr. Nelson arrived at Crook- ston with a earload of live stock and farming imple- ments, and the wife and child arriving in May. When the railroad was construeted through here it was built along the section line nearly the whole length of his land, and when Climax was made a railroad station Mr. Nelson sold a part of his land along the road in town lots, and he has sinee sold more, as the village of Climax is partly on his farm, and his own residenee is in the village, although the farm build- ings are half a mile away.
The Nelson farm now contains 295 acres. Mr. Nel- son cultivated it in wheat, oats and barley for about twenty years, and sinee he retired it has been farmed by tenants under his direction. He has served fonr years on the village eouneil of Climax, but has given lis attention mainly to his farm. In polities he is a Demoerat, but in connection with local affairs he is independent of party ties. His first presidential vote was east for Gen. George B. MeClellan in 1868. His religious eonneetion is with the Lutheran church at
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Climax, but he was confirmed in a class with R. B. Anderson, the Scandinavian writer of Wisconsin, in a church near his old home built the year of his birth, which is the center of Norsk activity in Wisconsin. Hle and his wife have had six children. Nels Olaf, the first born, died in 1911, aged thirty-two. Carl Marcus is a rural mail carrier at Climax. Clara Cecilia is
the wife of Jas. Crook, of near Beach, North Dakota. Lilly, who formerly taught the Climax and other Polk county schools, is the wife of C. N. Knutson, as- sistant cashier of the State Bank of Climax. Valborg is the wife of Gust Benrud, of Goodhue county, and Ralph Melvin is a student at the high school in Crookston.
OLE ENGEN.
Having passed many years in hard labor making portions of this western wilderness of his earlier days docile and systematically productive for the service of mankind, Ole Engen, formerly an energetic, enter- prising and progressive farmer in three big western states, is now living retired from all active pursuits and enjoying in peaceful leisure the fruits of his labors at his comfortable home in the village of Climax. He was born in Norway June 17, 1854, and was brought to this country in 1857 by his parents, Ole N. and Mary Engen, who settled in Houston county and were among the earliest Norwegians who came to Minnesota.
The father bought a pre-emption claim in Hous- ton county and the son remained with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-five years. In 1879 he went to Traill county, North Dakota, where he obtained a pre-emption and a homestead claim, both of which he improved and on which he lived fifteen years. During that period he improved three prairie farms in North Dakota and erected build- ings on all of them. He found the winter winds too strong to be agreeable, and the unpleasant ones not confined to the winter season, and he longed for a landscape with stretches of timber in it.
Yielding to his ardent desire in 1894, Mr. Engen then returned to Polk county, Minnesota, and bought 163 acres of land on the Red river adjoining the farm of Christopher Steenerson, three miles and a half west of Climax. He made his purchase of Jens Siverson, paying him $3,200 for the 163 acres out of the proceeds of his North Dakota property, which he sold before 26
leaving that state. Later he purchased another tract of eighty acres, and for this he paid $25 an acre, and for nearly ten years he cultivated these lands.
About 1904 Mr. Engen desired a change of climate, and in search of it he went to Montana and procured one and a half sections of land, one section being desert land, fifty miles west of the city of Great Falls. He occupied, improved and cultivated this land nearly three years, then sold it to advantage and returned to his home in this county, and farmed two years. Then passed a year and a half in Crookston and at the end of that period took up his residence in the vil- lage of Climax.
Mr. Engen's agricultural operations comprised gen- eral farming and raising Shorthorn cattle. His farm is well adapted to live stock breeding and he used it extensively for that purpose. He served on the town- ship board while living in North Dakota and has also been a member of the village council of Climax. He was married in Houston county, Minnesota, to Miss Maria Classen, a native of Iowa and eighteen years old at the time of her marriage, while he was in his twenty-third year. She died December 19, 1909, at the family home in Climax, aged a little over fifty years.
Seven children were born in the Engen family, and six of them are living. Olof is on a homestead of his own near Leech lake, Minnesota. Alfred lives on and cultivates Andrew Steenerson's farm near Climax. Amanda is the wife of Martin Erickson, a merchant at Climax. Norris C. runs a garage at Climax. Severt I. also lives at Climax. Cora is the wife of Alfred
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Carlson, who is on his homestead near Leech lake and .is a school teacher as well as a farmer. IIe has tanght the Climax school. The members of the family are all Lutherans, and the father is an official in the con- gregation to which he belongs. He has been something
of a hunter in his time, and has a fine deer head, artis- tieally mounted, in his home, its owner having been one of the victims of his prowess as a Nimrod. He also has a cane of diamond willow grown on his Mon- tana farm and richly carved by himself.
NORMAN ROSHOLT.
This highly capable and accomplished banker and business man, who has been the cashier of the State Bank of Climax sinee 1899, was born in Waupaca county, Wisconsin, September 26, 1874, and moved to Minnesota in 1897. He passed two years at Halsted as assistant eashier of the bank at that place, which is under the same management as the one at Climax, and in 1899 was assigned to duty in his present posi- tion. He gives the affairs of the bank his close and careful personal attention, and its business has flour- ished vigorously under his judicious management.
Mr. Rosholt seeks recreation in loeal hunting trips and fishing expeditions to the lakes of Minnesota, es- pecially those in Ottertail and Polk counties. His interest in banking matters has led him into active membership in the State and National Bankers' asso- eiations and he takes a helpful part in their pro- eeedings. In 1903 he was united in marriage with Miss Gertrude M. Johnson, of Houston county, this state. They have one child, their daughter Thelma. Mrs. Rosholt is a daughter of the late Hon. Tosten Johnson, at one time state senator from Houston
county, member of the state house of representatives at another time, and also for some years a member of the state board of equalization. He served in the First Minnesota Ileavy Artillery during the Civil war, and after the close of that sanguinary contest was a farmer in Houston county. He passed his last years in Climax and died at the home of Mr. Ros- holt in that village in 1914, nearly eighty years old, and universally esteemed throughout the state.
The State Bank of Climax was founded in 1897 and the banking house it occupies was buin the same year. It has a capital and surplus of $25,000 and deposits aggregating over $185,000 at this time (January, 1916). B. B. Larson is president ; James Larson viee president; Norman Rosholt cashier, and C. M. Knut- son assistant cashier. Mr. Rosholt is in partnership with B. B. Larson and they have four state banks in their ownership and under their management. One is at Halsted, and was established in 1892. Another is at Neilsville, another at Eldred and the fourth at Climax. They are all doing well and held in high regard in the communities in which they operate.
CHRISTOPHER STEENERSON.
Belonging to a prominent and influential family, Christopher Steenerson, who retired from the office of postmaster of Climax, this county, in 1914, after having filled it acceptably for a period of thirty years, has served his adopted land as well and worth- ily in his way as his distinguished brother, Hon. Hal- vor Steenerson, has in his in the halls of congress and his other brothers have in their quieter but not less fruitful ways in their ehosen lines of endeavor in
this new home of their family, which they have all done their part to improve, strengthen and magnify.
Christopher Steenerson was born in Norway Feb- ruary 22, 1850, and became a resident of Polk county, Minnesota, in 1875. He was graduated from the nor- mal department of Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, in 1868, and for two years attended the State Normal Sehool in Winona, Minnesota, soon after it was opened. In the meantime, between the ages of sixteen and
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ANSON CHARLES MERRILL
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
twenty-five, he taught school in Houston county, this state, and he also taught two winters in Polk county after locating here, being the first teacher in what is now Vineland township. His first school was kept in his own cabin on his claim in 1876. His services were given free of cost to the pupils and State Super- intendent Burt supplied the necessary books. Twelve students attended this school, some of them being grown persons newly arrived from Europe.
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