USA > Minnesota > St Louis County > Duluth > Duluth and St. Louis County, Minnesota; their story and people; an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development, Volume II > Part 36
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Ernest B. Dunning was born July 29, 1881, in DuBois, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Frank A. and Myra Dunning, the eldest of the four chil- dren born to them. Frank A. Dunning, who died in the year 1918, was a retail shoe merchant for many years, but retired from active business some time before his death. Ernest B. Dunning attended the common schools, completing his studies in the State Normal School at Fredonia, New York, also taking a commercial course in a business college in that city. His first initiation into business, however, was at the early age of seven years, when he began selling newspapers. After completing his education he entered the employ of the Jewell Nursery Company at Lake City, Minnesota, with whom he remained three years. In 1904 Mr. Dun- ning went to Hibbing, Minnesota, and for the following five years served as cashier for the Itasca Mercantile Company. In 1909 he became assis- tant secretary of the Union Mutual Insurance Company of Duluth, with whom he remained two years. At the end of that time he became associa- ted with C. H. Dunning, and they formed the firm of Dunning & Dunning, which has had a splendid record of continuous success. This company, which is incorporated, has the following officers: C. H. Dunning, presi- dent ; Ernest B. Dunning, vice president and treasurer ; and M. I. Staf- ford, secretary. Their greatest success has been in the development of the business of the Aetna Life Insurance Company and affiliated com- panies over the northern half of Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, an evidence of this being the fact that they are now conducting the largest
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general agency the Aetna Company has in the entire northwest. This suc- cess has not come to them unsolicited, but is the result solely of their earnest, determined and unremitting efforts. Mr. Dunning is recognized as a man of forceful personality, of strong interest in the welfare of his community and with broad and well defined ideas of life. Because of his success and his excellent personal qualities he enjoys to a marked degree the esteem and regard of all with whom he comes in contact.
BYRON J. KELSEY. Opportunities for the development of business enterprise or for laying the foundations of a new undertaking in Vir- ginia are amply demonstrated in the case of Byron J. Kelsey, who moved from Pine county, Minnesota, to Virginia in 1916. Contrary to the advice of the "knowing" ones, he embarked in the implement business, founding in 1917 the Kelsey Mercantile Company, of which he became president. In the intervening period he has built up a large retail imple- ment business, and of this undertaking H. C. Kelsey is the present man- ager. Byron J. Kelsey was one of the chief organizers of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, of which he is vice president, and to the inter- ests of this institution he now devotes the greater part of his attention.
Mr. Kelsey was born on a farm in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, March 10, 1855, a son of Wilson and Jane Ann (Chittendon) Kelsey, natives of New York state. In 1856 the parents moved to Minnesota, and Wilson Kelsey pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land in Cherry Grove township, Goodhue county. They were pioneers in that part of the state, and in that early day experienced all the vicissitudes and hard- ships of the pioneer stage. With but a sparse population in the district, few neighbors, distant markets, and slow means of transportation the Kelsey family found life an uphill task for several years. Not dis- couraged, however, the elder Kelsey stuck to his task, and by way of supplementing his earnings he worked on the building of the railroad into St. Paul, this being the first railroad constructed in Minnesota.
It was amid those surroundings and in checkered circumstances that Byron J. Kelsey grew up. He attended the district schools, and as he advanced in years he worked out at such labor as his hands could find to do. Thrifty by habit, he managed to save enough money from his scant earnings to enable him to enter Wasiaja Seminary, and it is worthy of note that he managed to make ends meet for an average expense of eighty-seven cents a week. He had a free-rent room and did chores about the neighborhood.
When he had reached the age of twenty-one years Mr. Kelsey engaged in mercantile pursuits at Fairpoint, having a brother for a partner. The success which attended their initial efforts induced them some time later to open a branch store at Aurora, Brookins county, South Dakota, and of the new enterprise Byron J. became manager. In 1876 he returned to Minnesota and founded a bank at New Brighton, acting in the capac- ity of president of the institution. For a period of twenty-three years, or from 1893 to 1916, he was identified with mercantile pursuits at Brook Park. Pine county, and in the latter year moved to Virginia, where he has since been living, a prominent factor in the commercial life of the city.
On March 20, 1876, Mr. Kelsey was united in marriage to Miss Mary D. Taft, a relative of former President Taft, and to this marriage five children were born, namely: Cecil B .; Grace, who died in 1917. being then twenty-seven years old : Harold C. : Retta, who became Mrs. Edward Shaske ; and Paul Taft. Paul T. Kelsey enlisted in the United States
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army for service in the World war, but before he was needed abroad the - Armistice was signed.
Mr. Kelsey has been a very ardent Republican all of his life, and is especially active in the cause of prohibition. He has never been a seeker after office, preferring to devote his time to the development of his com- mercial undertakings. He is an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church, and in this connection is chairman of the committee of local mis- sion work. He is a member of the Masonic Order, in the affairs of which he takes a warm interest. Notwithstanding the comparatively brief period of his residence in Virginia, Mr. Kelsey has from the beginning proved himself an excellent citizen who has the friendship and esteem of all who know him.
OTTO SWANSTROM. Twenty years ago Otto Swanstrom was putting in busy days between anvil and forge and performing all the work of a blacksmith in a shop at Duluth. Today he is president and active head of a half million dollar corporation, known as the Diamond Calk and Horseshoe Company, founded and developed primarily to manufacture some special articles invented by Mr. Swanstrom as a result of his experi- ence as a blacksmith and horseshoer, but now expanded into a large fac- tory and industry manufacturing a varied line of machinery and drop forge products.
Mr. Swanstrom was born in Sweden July 11, 1874, and acquired his early education in the common schools of his native land, later attending night school after coming to America. He came to this country in 1889, at the age of fifteen, accompanying his brother, Nels Swanstrom. His brother soon located in Duluth, where he learned and followed the har- nessmaking trade.
Mr. Swanstrom continued blacksmithing until 1900, when he began the manufacture of horseshoes and horseshoe calks, according to special designs perfected by himself. For this manufacture he incorporated the Giant Grip Horse Shoe Company of Duluth. He served as president of the corporation until 1906, his factory having in the meantime, in 1903, been removed from Duluth to Little Falls, Minnesota. After selling his interests in the Giant Grip Horse Shoe Company in 1906 Mr. Swan- strom engaged in a new enterprise, for the manufacture of his invented and patented horseshoes and calks, and in 1908 incorporated the Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company, now known as the Diamond Calk and Horse- shoe Company. Associated with him in the organization were E. C. Peterson, who became vice president, and Al De Vohn, secretary and treasurer, Mr. Swanstrom being president. The business was incorpora- ted for ten thousand dollars, and the first factory was at 501 Lake Avenue, South. The men at the head of the business were practical, had a special purpose and knew what they were going to do, and were not concerned so much about activities and operations that would constitute a big display. In fact, they started business as small as it was possible to begin, and the first year only two men were employed. Then, in 1910. they built a new factory at 4630 West Third street. a one-story building equipped with modern machinery. Since then from year to year there has been almost a continuous record of expansion and growth. Now the Diamond Calk and Horseshoe Company employs about one hundred fifty people, has a pay roll of nearly two hundred thousand dollars a year, and the business is incorporated for five hundred thousand dollars. The fac- tory is on ground covering a little more than a square city block. Besides the Diamond calks and horseshoes the company has added other lines of manufacture, including drop-forged railroad supplies, a full line of
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wrenches, and do much other work possible in a modern and well equipped drop forging plant.
Of this prosperous and promising Duluth industry Mr. Swanstrom is still president ; L. T. Peterson is vice president, Al De Vohn, secretary and treasurer ; E. C. Peterson is second vice president and Frank Swan- strom, third vice president. Mr. Swanstrom is a member of the Lutheran Church and a Republican voter.
June 24, 1899, he married Miss Sarah Amelia Lindberg. She was born in Minnesota of Swedish parentage, who came to America as chil- dren. She was educated in the public schools of Duluth. They have two children, a daughter, Gladys Irene Swanstrom, born July 24, 1900, and a son, Arthur Raymond Swanstrom, born August 2, 1901. Both chil- dren are now students in the Duluth High School.
ANDREW BERGQUIST. A highly respected citizen of Duluth who, al- though an American by adoption only, has had the interests of this com- munity at heart for many years is Andrew Bergquist, a man who has won success in life because he has been persistent and never permitted obstacles to thwart him in a course when once he knew he was right. He came here practically without capital, but by earnest efforts, honest work and good management has during the subsequent years forged ahead and is now numbered among the leading contractors and builders in his community.
Andrew Bergquist is a Scandinavian by nativity, having been born in Sweden on the 14th day of September, 1862. He was reared to man- hood in his native land and received his education in the schools of his home locality. In 1887, when twenty-five years of age, he came to the United States and located at once in Duluth, where he obtained employ- ment at the carpenter trade, the vocation which he had followed in his native land. After working at his trade as an employe for about four and a half years he, in 1891, began contracting on his own account. In the following years he took in his brother, Louis M. Bergquist; as a part- ner, and the same firm, under the name of Bergquist Brother, is still in active and successful operation after an eminently prosperous career. They have constructed many of the most important business blocks and finest residences and apartment houses in Duluth, among which was the Commercial Club Building, and through all these years they have enjoyed a most excellent reputation in business and commercial circles because of the high character of their work and the splendid business methods which they have ever followed. Their office is located in the Exchange Bank Building.
On December 28, 1892, Mr. Bergquist was married to Selma M. Per- son, of Duluth, and to them have been born four children, namely : Mel- vin D., Harold A., Milton N. (deceased), and Laura S. Mr. and Mrs. Bergquist are members of the Baptist Church, to which they give gen- erous support. and polticially Mr. Bergquist is affiliated with the Repub- lican partv. By a straightforward and commendable course he has made his way from a somewhat humble beginning to a respectable position in the business world, winning the hearty admiration of the people of his adopted city and earning a reputation as an enterprising. progressive man of affairs and a broad-minded and upright citizen which the public has not been slow to recognize and appreciate.
JOHN H. McINNIS, a well-known citizen of Virginia, assistant gen- eral superintendent of the Interstate Tron Company, is a native of the state of Michigan, born at Ishpeming. May 11. 1883. His parents. Neil
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and Marcella (Macdonald) McInnis, were brought up in Nova Scotia in the Dominion of Canada, and were of Scottish Highland ancestry. They were married in Nova Scotia, where Neil McInnis was employed in his father's flouring mill and mercantile establishment. The family crossed the border in the '60s, locating first at Boston, later moved to Chicago, and went then to Ishpeming, Michigan, where the father car- ried out railroad contract work in the Upper Peninsula, and was en- gaged in iron mining.
In 1884 Neil McInnis and his family moved to Tower, Minnesota, and established a general store. In 1892 he moved on to Eveleth, and was connected with the carly explorations on the East Mesaba, where he died in 1916. His widow still survives. These worthy people had all the sturdy characteristics of their Scottish ancestry and reared their family to the habits of thrift and prudence.
John H. McInnis is one of three living children born to his parents. He lived at Tower, Minnesota, until he was fourteen years old, and there attended the public schools. Later he went to school at St. Cloud and at Duluth and Minneapolis. From carly boyhood he has been con- nected with iron ore mining, and has worked in all the various depart- ments incidental to iron ore mining, gradually and by merit reaching the position he now occupies. Since 1905 he has been connected with the Interstate Iron Company, and since January 1. 1917. he has been assistant general superintendent for the company at Virginia, enjoying alike the confidence of the employers and the employes. His training and continued experience along the line of iron ore mining were the chief factors responsible for his attaining his present position.
In 1912 Mr. McInnis was united in marriage to Miss Koyla Ketcham, and they have become the parents of five children: Marceli, John H., Jr .. George Neil, Jane Koyla and Donald Alan.
WILLIAM J. SCHULZE. Among the well-known figures of the Range country of St. Louis county, one who has been variously identified with the mining interests of this locality for a score or more of years is William J. Schulze, now connected with the estate of the late W. H. Yawkey at Virginia. Mr. Schulze is an experienced mining man and one who in his career has made the most of his opportunities and has worked himself thereby to substantial success. He was born at Decorah, Iowa, December 29, 1875, a son of Henry Schulze.
Henry Schulze was born in Germany and became the founder of his branch of the family in the United States, to which country he came as a young man of about twenty years. After being variously employed he established himself in the contracting business at Dec- orah. Iowa, where he rounded out a long, useful and honorable career, and where his death occurred. He was highly thought of in his community, and his business standing was that of a man of upright character and absolute integrity. Mr. Schulze, the elder, married Miss Mary Rastetter, a native of this country but of German parentage, and they became the parents of five children, of whom William J. was the second born.
William J. Schulze was reared at Decorah, Iowa, where he re- ceived his primary educational training in the public schools and subsequently attended the Iowa State University at Iowa City, from which he was duly graduated with the class of 1900, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. When he embarked upon his career he drifted into northern Minnesota, where he secured a position as chemist with the Oliver Iron Mining Company at Mount Iron. He
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later entered the operating department of the Mount Iron Mine, but in 1902 left that position to open up the Stephens Mine for the Oliver Company and was made superintendent of that property. Mr. Schulze was married in 1905, and in the same year became general manager of the Tesora Mining Company, with headquarters at Virginia. In 1906 he accepted an offer from W. H. Yawkey and was put in charge of Mr. Yawkey's mining operations. He continued his association with that gentleman until the latter's death, March 5, 1918, since which time he has been retained in the same capacity by the estate.
Mr. Schulze has been interested for a long time in civic affairs at Virginia and has rendered valuable service in public capacities, having been a member of the Virginia Park Board for seven years and a supporter of all movements making for progress and civic betterment. He is prominent in Masonry, being a member of both the York and Scottish Rites and holds membership in the Mystic Shrine, the Ben- evolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Kiwanis Club.
In 1905 Mr. Schulze was united in marriage with Miss Clara E. Fay, and to this union there have been born three children: Fay William, Ralph Henry and Sally Virginia, all of whom are attending school.
HENRY M. BRADLEY with several of his sons had an important part in the historical development of the business and industry of Duluth and this section of the middle northwest. He was a pioneer lumberman both in northern Michigan and northern Minnesota. Successful in business, his career was one of strictest integrity and honor, and his death a few years ago marked the passing of one of the notable figures in Duluth history.
He was a native of Massachusetts, but as a youth accompanied his parents to Licking county, Ohio, where he became the owner of a small saw mill. Shortly after his marriage to Mary E. Cook he moved to Bay City, Michigan. There he built and operated one of the first saw mills and was a pioneer in making Bay City a center of lumber manufacture, a reputation it still bears. He gave up his lumber business at Bay City in 1879, though he kept his home there for several years. In 1880 Mr. Bradley came to Duluth and for two years was engaged in locating vacant Government timber and mineral lands under the old cash entry laws. Soon after January 1, 1882, the Bradley-Hanford Lumber Company was formed at Duhuith, its mem- bers being Henry M. Bradley, Heber H. Hanford, and Alva W. and Edward L. Bradley, the latter being sons of Henry M. Bradley. Alva W. Bradley had come to Duluth in March, 1882, while Edward I. followed him in April of the same year, and both brought their families with them. Henry M. Bradley retired from the firm about 1885 and Edward 1. about 1887, but the business was continued for several years by the other two members.
Henry M. Bradley was a resident of Duluth for about thirty years. He was prominently identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. served for several years as president of the Board of Education, and gave his time and means generously to the promotion of Duluth's progress. He was a fee owner in two of the iron ore mines at Elv. The death of this honored business man occurred March 21, 1918. He survived his wife several years. Of their eight children two died in infancy. One daughter, May, is Mrs. Carl Norpell, of Newark, Ohio, and a son, Frank, died about 1880. All the others came to Duluth : Alva W., Charles H., Edward L., and Alice A., now deceased, who was the widow of Gardis D. Edwards.
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LEONARD YOUNG. A service of more than ten years as principal of the Duluth Central High School has placed the entire community of Duluth in a relation of obligation to Leonard Young, who is one of the city's most esteemed citizens and whose career for over twenty years has been an earnest devotion to education.
He was born March 8, 1871, in Wabash county, Indiana, son of John D. and Christiana (Stacey) Young. His parents were natives of Clark county, Indiana. His father throughout a long and active career followed farming, and is still living in Wabash county at the age of seventy-six.
The oldest of three children, all living, Leonard Young spent most of the years of his early life in the Wabash Valley, attending common and township high schools in Wabash county, for two years was a student in the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute, and in 1898 graduated from the Indiana State University.
His career as an educator began immediately after he left the university and has been uninterrupted since then. During 1898-99 he was teacher of science in the high school at Wichita, Kansas. Returning to his native state, he was science teacher in the Evansville High School from 1899 to 1907 and from 1907 to 1910 was principal of the Evansville High School. From Indiana he was called to his work as principal of Duluth Central High School in 1910.
Mr. Young is affiliated with Ionic Lodge, F. and A. M., and has attained thirty-two degrees of the Scottish Rite. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Kiwanis Club and Duluth Curling Club.
GEORGE SPENCER. The great natural resources of the northwest have been developed through the vision, initiative and vigor of men of unusual caliber, some of whom have passed away, although the results of their unceasing zeal in behalf of their communities remain to benefit generations yet unborn. One of the men who was responsible for the organization of the Duluth Board of Trade, and for many years extremely active in the grain and elevator business of this city, was the late George Spencer, whose name stands for reliability and sterling uprightness of character. He was born at Westminster, Vermont, November 26, 1843, and was reared on his father's homestead and educated in a high school of Boston, Massachusetts, from which he was graduated. His first business experience was gained in a clerical position in a store owned by his brother, where he remained until 1870, but in that year he left his eastern home and came west to Duluth to become manager of the newly organized Union Improve- ment Elevator Company. It was not long before his resourcefulness enabled him to go into business for himself in partnership with M. J. Forbes, and he subsequently formed connections with the firm of Spencer, Moore & Company, which he assisted in organizing. He continued the head of this firm until November 3, 1907, when he became president of the Consolidated Elevator Company, succeeding his former partner, M. J. Forbes, deceased, and continued to serve as such until his death, February 4. 1915. He was one of the organ- izers of the Duluth Board of Trade in 1881, became its first vice president, and its second president, and in 1894 and in 1906 was made its president again. It is but just to him to say that he was one of the most successful business men of Duluth. For a number of years he was a director of the American Exchange Bank, and had many other interests, being beyond question one of the ablest pioneer grain
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and elevator men in the northwest. His activities were not confined to the business world, for he was one of the organizers of the Duluth Congregational Church, although he later became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. He was a man of considerable practical benev- olence, but his charity was of the unostentatious kind.
Mr. Spencer was exceedingly happy in his married life, which was inaugurated February 26, 1874, when he was united in marriage with Miss Helen Mattocks, at Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was a daughter of Rev. John Mattocks of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer became the parents of three children, namely : Elizabeth, who is Mrs. H. L. Hartley ; Helen, who is Mrs. Ward Ames, Jr., and George Herbert, who is mentioned below. During the war between the North and the South George Spencer enlisted in defense of his country, August 27, 1862, in Company A, Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war.
George Herbert Spencer, whose adult business life has been passed with the Consolidated Elevator Company, was born at Duluth, August 7, 1876, and he was educated at the Duluth Central High School. On September 16, 1914, he was married to Miss Jessica Marshall, and they have three sons: Marshall, George Herbert and Thomas.
GEORGE HARVEY, a prominent logging contractor of the village of Vir- ginia, first came to the Mesaba Range in 1897, and with the exception of a short period has made this his home ever since. For a number of years he has been interested in public affairs, both as a constructive and progressive citizen and a capable and energetic official, and at the present time is a member of the Board of Commissioners of St. Louis county.
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