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 48
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JOHN E. LUNDMARK. A third of a century ago when Mr. Lundmark came to Duluth he had neither the capital nor other means of establish- ing himself with prestige in the community and was satisfied to work along faithfully and steadily in a minor sphere until he could engage in business for himself. For the last twenty years he has been one of Duluth's able and successful merchants and his name and his enterprise are favorably known all over the city.
He was born in Sweden May 5, 1867. He was twenty years of age, possessed a good education gained in Swedish schools and some knowl- edge of business, when he arrived at Duluth April 26, 1887. He soon afterward entered the service of Adam Kirst. a local grocery merchant, as bookkeeper and clerk, and remained with that old-time merchant for thirteen years. He then used his capital and his established credit to buy out his employer, and with Charles Franson as partner continued the business under the name Lundmark-Franson Company. In 1911 the firm disposed of their stock of groceries and during the following year operated a real estate business. The partnership was then dis- solved and Mr. Lundmark resumed the grocery trade in association with D. W. Olson, under the firm name of Lundmark-Olson Company. The business has been very successfully continued, and besides a large grocery establishment they operate a bakery and manufacture immense quantities of bread, cakes and pastry that finds ready sale and distribu- tion all over Duluth and surrounding territory.
Mr. Lundmark is a member of the Christian Science Church and is an independent voter. He is a member of the Lodge, Royal Arch Chap- ter and Knights Templar Commandery in Masonry and also the Eastern Star. In May, 1897, he married Miss Christine M. Hellstrom, who passed away in Duluth on the 9th of August, 1909. In September, 1913. Mr. Lundmark married Huldah A. Olson, a native of Cokato, Minnesota,
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and a sister of his partner, D. W. Olson. They have an adopted son, Clarence John Lundmark, 19 years of age.
ALEXANDER T. GORDON, whose exceptional technical ability comes into effective play in his tenure of the position of chief chemist for the Oliver Mining Company in the Virginia district of the Mesaba Range, has the unusual distinction of having been born at Sealkote, India, the date of his nativity having been December 28, 1868. He was a boy at the time of his parents' return to the United States, and his preliminary education was for one year a student in the University of Indiana. In 1891-2 he was graduated from the high school at Cedar Rapids, and thereafter he was for one year a student in the University of Indiana. In 1891-2 he attended Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and then returned to the Uni- versity of Indiana, in which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1894 and with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was entrusted in athletic affairs at the university, where he was a member of the tennis club, and he was a member of the Independent Literary Society of the university. After his graduation he became teacher of science in the high school at Decatur, Illinois, and in the autumn of 1895 went to the City of Chicago and assumed the position of chemist in the employ of the Illinois Steel Company. With this great corporation he continued his service until June, 1897, and during the fall quarter of 1896 he took post-graduate work in chemistry at the University of Chicago. From 1897 until 1900 Mr. Gordon held the office of chief chemist of the De Soto Iron Mining Company at Mansfield, Michigan, and on the 30th of April, 1900, he entered the employ of the Oliver Iron Min- ing Company at Mountain Iron, Minnesota. He was immediately assigned to the company laboratory at Virginia, where he had charge of the work. the chief chemist having maintained headquarters at Mountain Iron. In June, 1900. Mr. Gordon was transferred to Mountain Iron and placed in complete charge of the company's laboratory work for the Virginia dis- trict. He remained at that place until 1909, when he removed his head- quarters to Virginia, where he has since continued his efficient and valued service as chief chemist for this important industrial corporation of the Mesaba mineral range.
Mr. Gordon is a member of the American Chemical Society. In politics he is a Republican, and he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian Church. While residing at Mountain Iron he served seven years as clerk of the Board of Education, two years as village assessor and five years as township clerk. At the time of the World war he tendered his services to the Government through the medium of the American Chemical Society. His son Edward, who was then a stu- dent at McAllister College in the City of St. Paul, became a member of the Student Officers Training Corps at that institution, but was not called into active service in the United States Army.
In June. 1898, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Gordon to Miss Harriet Crossman, and she passed to the life eternal on the 30th of July, 1906. She is survived by two children-Edward D. and Miriam E. On the 16th of March, 1910, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Gordon to Miss Clara L. Johnson, who was born at Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and the one child of this union is a son. James R.
James W. Gordon, father of the subject of this review, was born at Putnam, New York, in 1830, and was engaged in the glove business in the State of New York. Later he was for five years in charge of industrial school work in India and it was within this period that his son Alexander T. was born. Upon his return to America he purchased
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a farm in Linn County, Iowa, near Cedar Rapids, and there he continued his successful activities as an agriculturist for many years. He and his wife now maintain their residence near Schenectady and are venerable in years. Mrs. Gordon, who maiden name was Eleanor J. Dougall, was born near Johnstown, New York, in 1838, and both she and her hus- band are of staunch Scotch lineage. Of their four children Alexander T. of this sketch is the youngest.
JAMES STICKNEY is giving a vigorous and effective administration in the office of chief of the fire department of the thriving little city of Virginia, and has brought the service of his department up to a high standard of efficiency.
Chief Stickney was born in the city of Marquette, Michigan, April 13, 1872, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (McGinnis) Stickney, the for- mer of whom was born in Germany and the latter in the Province of Ontario, Canada, where her parents established their home upon emigra- tion from their native Ireland and whence they came to the United States when their daughter Elizabeth was eleven years of age. John Stickney was a child of three years at the time of the family immigration to America, and his parents settled on a farm in Iowa, as pioneers of that state. There he was reared to the age of seventeen years, when he went to Michigan and identified himself with lumbering operations, to which he has there continued to devote his attention to the present time. He and his wife now maintain their home at Marquette, that state, and of their eleven children the subject of this review was the second in order of birth.
James Stickney gained his rudimentary education in a district school near Marquette, Michigan, and when fourteen years of age began work- ing with his father in the capacity of a teamster in a lumber camp. He thus continued his association with the lumbering industry on .the Upper Peninsula of Michigan until he was twenty-two years of age, his experi- ence having involved work in the lumber woods during the winter seasons and in the saw mills during the intervening summers. At the age of twenty-two years he went to the city of Chicago and there he was employed two years as clerk in a grocery store. The next seven months found him in service as collector for the A. O. Novander Monument Company of Chicago, and he then returned to northern Michigan and entered the employ of William Shaver, a contractor and builder at Ishpeming. In 1901 he came to Virginia, Minnesota, and as foreman for his employer, Mr. Shaver, was associated with extensive building oper- ations along the Range-principally in the execution of work for mining companies. In 1904 he engaged in independent business as a carpenter and contractor and with this line of enterprise he continued his successful association until he was appointed assistant chief of the Virginia fire department in 1907. In 1904 he had become a member of the old vol- unteer fire department, in which after the first year he served as assistant chief. On the 1st of October. 1907, when the service was reorganized as a paid fire department, Mr. Stickney was continued as assistant chief, of which position he continued the incumbent until May 4, 1913, when he was advanced to his present office-that of chief of the department.
In politics Chief Stickney is a Democrat, with independent proclivities in local affairs, and he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic Church. During the nation's participation in the World war he was a member of the committee that had charge of the various war drives in Virginia, and was otherwise active and patriotic in the furtherance of the Governmental war policies. He is affiliated with the Knights of
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Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Loyal Order of Moose, and in the Range district his circle of friends is limited only by that of his acquaintances.
On the 17th of August, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Stickney to Miss Hattie Beaulieu, who was born in the State of Vermont, of French ancestry, and of this gracious union have been born nine children-Bernard J., Rolland J., Alice I., Maurice E., Natalie M., Lawrence V., Adrian A., Frederick L., and Edith M. All of the chil- dren are living. The oldest son, Bernard J., was eighteen years of age when he entered the nation's service in the late World war, in which connection he became a wagoner with the Twenty-ninth Engineers. He was with his command on four different military fronts in France, where his service thus continued three and one-half months. Since his return home and reception of his honorable discharge he has served efficiently as truck driver for the Virginia fire department. Rolland J., the second son, enlisted in the United States Navy, when he was seventeen years of age, and after receiving six months of training at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago was sent to the Atlantic coast, whence he later accompanied his command and vessel to the Pacific Coast, where he continued in active service with the naval fleet at the time of this writing, in the autumn of 1920.
HERBERT R. SPENCER was born at Lenox, Ohio, January 31, 1856, a son of William Churchill and Julia ( Dutton) Spencer. His father was a native of East Haddam, Connecticut, whence he moved to the Western Reserve, in the northeastern part of Ohio, in the early days of the set- tlement of the Buckeye State, remaining there until his death. Herbert R. Spencer was educated in the common schools of Ohio, also attending the Grand River Institute at Austinburg, Ohio, where he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then entered the legal department of the University of Michigan, and after completing his studies there was admitted to the bar. He began the practice of law at Canton, Ohio, in the spring of 1880, remaining there seven years. In 1887 he came to Duluth, Minnesota, and has continuously been engaged in the practice of his profession since that time. When he first located here he was associated in practice with his nephew, W. W. Sanford, under the firm name of Spencer & Sanford, which partnership lasted a number of years. After that he took his son, Roger W. Spencer, into partnership with him, under the firm name of Spencer & Spencer, which relation is still maintained. The senior Mr. Spencer has engaged in general practice, though he pays more particular attention to corpora- tion, marine and mining law. Years of conscientious work have brought with them not only increase of practice and reputation, but also that growth in legal knowledge and that wide and accurate judgment, the pos- session of which constitutes marked excellence in the profession.
On September 30, 1884, Mr. Spencer was married to Jessie Lee, a daughter of Dr. Eben Bradford Lee of Garrettsville, Ohio, though the family was originally from Massachusetts. Mrs. Spencer was educated in the public schools of Ohio and at Oberlin College, where she was graduated in 1884. To this union have been born four children, namely : Herbert Lee, born at Canton, Ohio, December 2, 1886; Roger W., born at Duluth, Minnesota, November 30, 1889; Eben Selden, born at Duluth, February 1, 1891, and Gerard, born at Duluth, October 28, 1898. The oldest son was educated at the United States Naval Academy at Annapo- lis, and is now an officer in the United States Navy; the second son also attended the Naval Academy and is an officer in the navy ; the third
Anche Chucken.
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son was educated in the public schools of Duluth and at Williams Col- lege, and was a lieutenant of artillery during the World war, his two older brothers also serving during that great struggle; the fourth son was educated in the public schools of Duluth and at Andover Academy.
Politically Mr. Spencer is an earnest supporter of the Republican party. He served one term as president of the Duluth City Council and was in the State Senate in 1895-97. He belongs to the Free and Ac- cepted Masons, in which he has been honored by the conferring of the thirty-second degree. Religiously his faith is that of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
WILLIAM LUNDY JACKSON is among the favorably known and repre- sentative citizens of Duluth and Saint Louis County, in which he has spent the major portion of his life. He has by his indomitable enter- prise and progressive methods. contributed in a material way to the advancement of his locality, and during the course of an honorable career has met with splendid success as a real estate dealer, being a man of energy, sound judgment and honesty of purpose.
William Lundy Jackson was born on the first day of January, 1852, in the county of Norfolk, Ontario, Canada, and is the son of Joseph Jack- son, who is now deceased. The father spent his early life in Ontario, where he was engaged in lumbering operations and became a man of con- siderable prominence and influence in his community. He was a member of the Commons for four years and later, until his death, he served as sheriff of Norfolk County. He died in 1909, secure in the confidence and regard of his fellow citizens. By his first marriage he was the father of six children, five daughters and a son, William Lundy being the first born of the children. William L. Jackson completed his general studies in the grammar school of his home community and took a commercial course in a business college. He then became connected with his father in the lumber business, remaining with him until early in 1884, when he came to Duluth and engaged in the dry goods business, which claimed his attention for two years. He was next engaged in the real estate business until 1904, when he was appointed city assessor of Duluth, which office he held for four years, and at the 'end of that period he again entered the real estate business, with which he has been identified ever since. He has been interested in the selling of residence properties, vacant lots and farm lands, and in the placing of loans and insurance. By his energy and strict attention to business he has built up a large and representative clientele and is considered one of the most accurate and reliable real estate men in his community.
Mr. Jackson has been married twice, first on October 1, 1879, to which marriage were born two children, a son and a daughter, who now live in Tonawanda, New York. On October 19, 1902, in Port Rown, Ontario, Mr. Jackson was married to Mary E. Francis. Politically he has long been an ardent supporter of the Democratic party and has taken a deep interest in public affairs, especially as pertaining to the locality in which he lives. His religious membership is with the First Presbyterian Church, of which he was an elder. In all that constitutes true manhood and good citizenship Mr. Jackson is an example, his career having been characterized by duty faithfully performed and by industry, thrift and wisely directed efforts. He is a public spirited. unassuming, genteel gentleman whom to know is to respect and admire.
ANDREW ANDREN is proprietor of "The Painters' Supply House," a business that is a result of more than a quarter of a century's enterprise
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and effort on the part of Mr. Andren. When he started in business at Duluth he was first in his line of merchandise in the west end section of the city, and is not only one of the oldest merchants but one of the most esteemed citizens of that portion of Duluth.
Mr. Andren was born in Sweden December 7, 1861, and grew up and received a good education in his native land and was thoroughly trained to the responsibilities of work and service. He came alone to America in 1886, and first located at Champion, Michigan, where he was employed as clerk in a general store for seven years. In 1893 he came to Duluth, and at once engaged in the paint and wallpaper business at 1827 West Superior street. He was at that one locality for fifteen years, and then moved to his present location at 12 North Nineteenth avenue, West. He handles all materials and supplies required in paint- ing and decorating, and his business is one of the most appreciated institu- tions in the west end.
Mr. Andren is a member of the Lutheran Church and a Republican in politics. On August 24. 1896, he married Miss Anna Horngren. They have an adopted child.
FRANK P. KEATING, a leader and broker in timber and farm lands, with offices in the First National Bank Building of Duluth, has been identified with this region of northern Minnesota for over a quarter of a century. He learned the lumber industry in the old days of the blazed trail, and for many years has been an expert cruiser and knows the busi- ness from practical field operations.
Mr. Keating was born in the state of New York March 14, 1856. His father, Patrick Keating, was a native of Ireland, lived for several years in New York and then came west to Berlin, Wisconsin. He was a lumber grader, an occupation he followed for the greater part of his life. He lived at Berlin for about ten years, and then moved to Medford and later to Superior, Wisconsin, where he lived until his death in 1898.
Frank P. Keating, fifth in a family of nine children, was educated in the public schools of Medford, Wisconsin, and when he was only fifteen years of age was doing regular work in a shingle mill. Later he entered railroading, and was a conductor on freight and passenger trains for about fourteen years. He then returned to the lumber business as a cruiser, and in that capacity has explored and examined nearly all the extensive tracts of white pine in both Wisconsin and Minnesota, and for himself and others has handled some extensive timber deals and has also helped colonize and develop a large amount of cutover land.
Mr. Keating came to Duluth September 12, 1894, and therefore has more than a quarter of a century of residence at the Head of the Lakes. In 1894 he was one of the men conspicuous in the Northern Pacific Railroad land grant fight, and helped win that case. Others associated with him in this contest was Capt. W. H. Smallwood, L. C. Harris, C. P. McGinnis, John McGinnis and Philip Seymour.
Mr. Keating was married at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and he and his wife have a family of children named Maria, Raymond, Julian, Catherine, Edward, Kenneth and Frances J.
ARTHUR EKLUND. All of the towns and cities of the Mesaba Range have experienced a healthy growth as this remarkable country has been developed, and it is an advancement which is stable because the industry upon which it is founded is a lasting one. Some very reliable men have been attracted to this region aside from those directly interested in the development of the Range, and one of them is Arthur Eklund, one of
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the leading grocer and meat merchants of Proctor. Mr. Eklund was born in Sweden September 18, 1882, a son of Albin Anderson Eklund. In 1883 Arthur Eklund was brought to the United States by his parents, his father locating at Spring Lake, Michigan, and embarking in a sawmill business which would have developed into large proportions had he not died in 1884, leaving two sons, Arthur and his brother Albert. The widowed mother took her sons to Muskegon, Michigan, and there Arthur Eklund was reared and given a public school education till nine years of age when his mother took him to Sweden, but at the age of eighteen he returned to Duluth.
After completing his schooldays Mr. Eklund came to St. Louis County, Minnesota, and for some years was engaged in a sawmill, but then moved to Duluth and was employed in a grocery and meat business for three vears. In 1908 he moved to Proctor and opened his present grocery and meat market, and has since been occupied in conducting this business. His stock is a large and varied one, and he takes a pride in keeping everything thoroughly up-to-date. His trade is a valuable one, many of his customers having remained with him since he first opened up for business. In addition to his store and meat market he has other interests, and among other things is vice president of the Mesaba National Bank of Proctor.
Social by nature, Mr. Eklund has connected himself with a number of fraternal and benevolent organizations, and among others maintains membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Loyal Order of Moose and Royal League, and is very popular in all of them. Con- necting himself with the Lutheran Church when young, he has always continued his membership in it, and is one of the valued members of the local congregation of that denomination. Mr. Eklund always votes independently. Since coming to Proctor he has been interested in the progress of the community, and has borne his part in all of the civic movements of value, and is recognized as one of the dependable men of the city and St. Louis County.
WILLIAM E. FAY. To do any one thing well is to advance far on the road that leads to ultimate success. It matters but little in what line a man directs his abilities, but it is important that he gives his whole attention to making the best of his opportunities and securing his fair share of business. These are truths early recognized by William E. Fay, one of the dependable merchants of Proctor, and acting in accordance with them he has built up a large and flourishing mercantile establishment which is a credit to his section of St. Louis County.
William E. Fay was born at Saint Peter, Minnesota, January 1. 1883. a son of Peter Fay, a native of Ireland, who upon coming to the United States became a farmer, and for a number of years prior to his death. which occurred in 1903, was a highly respected agriculturalist of St. Louis County. He and his wife had a family of seven sons and two daughters, all of whom are living, and of them all William E. Fay was the eighth in order of birth.
After being a student of the public schools of Saint Peter William E. Fay took a two-years' collegiate course, and then was employed in the wholesale hardware trade at Sioux City, Iowa, and continued in it a year. Then for a time he was in a cigar business at Duluth, Minnesota, but it was not until he came to Proctor and embarked in his present busi- ness that he felt that he had found the hne of business in which he could give expression to his ideas and capabilities, and since then has fully justified his action in taking the steps he did. Mr. Fay carries a full
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and complete line of dry goods, shoes and men's furnishings, and his trade is a large one and comes to him from Proctor and a wide territory contiguous to it.
Reared a Catholic, he has given the support of his mature judgment to and is a true son of the Church. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus and the Loyal Order of Moose. In politics he is a Democrat. Not only does Mr. Fay conduct his business according to methods which reflect credit on his ability, but he also gives to the best movements of his community an unqualified support, and is correctly numbered among the worth-while men of St. Louis County.
BRIDGEMAN-RUSSELL COMPANY. The Bridgeman-Russell Company has Duluth as its headquarters and is a produce and dairy products enter- prise involving the handling, distribution and marketing of products from the entire northwestern territory tributary to Duluth. The company has the distinction of being the largest manufacturers of butter in the north- west.
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