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 49
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The senior member of the company, Henry Bridgeman, engaged in a modest business in Duluth October 1, 1888, under the style of Bridgeman & McGibbon. About one year later Mr. McGibbon was succeeded by Mr. Robert A. Peers, the firm name being changed to Bridgeman & Peers. On April 1, 1892, Mr. Peers was succeeded by Mr. N. F. Russell, the firm name being changed to Bridgeman & Russell. This partnership was continued until April 1, 1903, when the company was incorporated under the name of Bridgeman-Russell Company, with a capitalization of $100,- 000. The capitalization in 1907 was increased to $250,000, and in 1920 to $1,000,000.
The company is large manufacturers of butter and ice cream, con- densers of milk, and dealers and distributors of butter, eggs, cheese, poultry, ice cream, milk and cream. They operate eight large creameries in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and altogether have about six hundred employes at the different plants. Their business involves the services of several hundred agents and buyers of produce in the above states. They sell and distribute butter and eggs from coast to coast, shipping large quantities of such supplies as far as New England. They do a large business in Duluth, including a complete milk distribution service with daily delivery of pasteurized bottled milk and cream. In 1917 the company completed their new building at 1110- 1122 West Michigan street, conceded by experts to be the finest dairy product plant in the United States. This building is seven stories high, nearly one block wide and approximately one-half block deep. This building is equipped with the most modern and up-to-date equipment obtainable from an efficiency and sanitary standpoint in the handling of dairy products.
The official personnel of the Bridgeman-Russell Company today is : Henry Bridgeman, president ; N. F. Russell, vice president : Mark Bald- win, vice president ; B. M. Ruse, treasurer and general manager ; and H. O. Ahl, secretary.
ALBERT H. COMSTOCK for a quarter of a century has been actively identified with a great Duluth business, which under the title Marshall- Wells Company has a commercial prestige extending all over the north- west and Canada as wholesalers, manufacturers and importers of machin- ery, hardware and a large variety of other essential equipment and supplies.
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Mr. Comstock was born at Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan, February 22, 1847, a son of Elkanah B. and Eliza (Holden) Comstock. His father was a native of Connecticut and his mother of central New York. Elkanah Comstock spent some of his early years selling goods in Michigan and California, but for many years was a well known banker at Pontiac, Michigan, where he died in 1889. He was one of the early members of the Republican party which was first organized in Michigan and a Presbyterian in religious affiliations. In the family of four sons and one daughter Albert was the fourth in age, and he and a brother are now the only survivors.
The public schools of Michigan afforded him his early preparation for life, and as a boy he was employed in his father's bank, gaining a thorough business and financial training. Later he entered a bank at Saginaw, Michigan, as assistant cashier until elected cashier.
The senior partner of Marshall-Wells Company, A. M. Marshall, was also a former Saginaw business man and citizen, and when Mr. Com- stock came to Duluth January 1, 1895, it was to engage in the wholesale hardware business with Mr. Marshall. Mr. Comstock is now first vice president and a director of the Marshall-Wells Company. A. M. Marshall is now chairman of the board, while Seth Marshall is president and other officers besides Mr. Comstock are W. P. Mars and J. W. Walker, vice presidents ; H. A. Sedgwick, treasurer ; W. F. Arndt and W. H. McVay, assistant treasurers; C. M. Rice, secretary, and C. P. Grady, assistant secretary. A more complete story of this great Duluth business is told on other pages.
Mr. Comstock attends the Episcopal Church and is a member of the Republican party. January 25, 1875, he married Miss Elizabeth Hadley, of Pontiac, Michigan. Their only child, Marguerite, is the wife of Charles W. Andrews of Duluth.
B. A. PALMER, chief of police of Proctor, is one of the courageous and capable men of St. Louis County, engaged in maintaining law and order, and through his thoroughness and efficiency this region is noted for its law-abiding citizens. He was born at Bay City, Michigan, April 10, 1876, a son of Dr. Thomas Palmer, a native of Canada, born near Quebec. Some years ago Doctor Palmer came to the United States, and locating at Standish, Michigan, made that vicinity his home until his death in 1919, and there built up a large practice. He had eight children, of whom Chief Palmer is the youngest.
Until he was eighteen years old, B. A. Palmer attended the public schools of his native city, and then for three years was engaged in agricultural work. With the declaration of war with Spain, in 1898, he enlisted as a private at Alpena, Michigan, and his regiment was sent to Atlanta. Georgia, but before he reached the front, peace was declared. Mr. Palmer returned to Michigan, and was engaged in the lumber busi- ness at Millersburg, Michigan, transferring his operations to Duluth, Minnesota, later on, and in 1906 formed connections with a mining com- pany at Hibbing, Minnesota, which he maintained until the big strike of the miners of that region, and he returned to Duluth, and became a mem- ber of the police force of that city. After eighteen months of service, he was transferred to Oliver, Wisconsin, and made chief of the police department for a time. Once more he went back to Duluth and was on its police force for eighteen months more when in 1914 he was made chief of police of Proctor, and still holds that important office. During the time he has been in office he has made over two hundred important arrests, and has been instrumental in suppressing a large amount of
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crime, and his name carries weight for criminals realize that he is utterly fearless and determined to keep his city free from their viciousness. The jail, in which his office is located, is a modern structure, containing five cell rooms, and has a capacity for seventy-five persons.
Mr. Palmer was married in 1912 at Bay City, Michigan, to Miss Anna Copman. His fraternal connections are those he maintains with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
ATTILIO CASTIGLIANO. While people of Italian nationality and ances- try have become so numerously represented in northern Minnesota as to decidedly influence and call for established institutions in church, social, commercial and other affairs, probably no one person represents more truly the great body of Italian Americans in an official way than Attilio Castigliano, consular agent for the Kingdom of Italy at Duluth.
Mr. Castigliano is a man of fine education and in every way highly qualified for the diverse duties and peculiar responsibilities of his office. He was born in Valperga in the Province of Torino, Italy, March 25, 1881. He graduated from the Agricultural College of Caluso in 1901, and four years later, on March 4, 1905, arrived in the United States. Dur- ing the following four or five years he had an active business experience connected with the State Savings Bank of Laurium, Michigan.
On March 10, 1910, he was appointed consular agent for the Kingdom of Italy with jurisdiction over the state of Minnesota and northern Michi- gan. While his office was temporarily established at Hibbing, it was transferred to Duluth and has remained there since August, 1911.
The duties of his office involve a general protection of the interests of the Italian people in the district where over seventy-five thousand Italians are living : more particularly the furnishing of Italian business concerns in Italy commercial and financial references ; in administering to the estates of deceased nationals; promoting friendlier relations between the Italian element and the local public.
The World war naturally brought a great increase and extension of responsibilities and duties. The consular agency was responsible for recruiting and providing transportation both on land and sea to over nineteen hundred reserves. After the United States became involved in the war Mr. Castigliano's office at Duluth had charge of the inspection of all condensed milk exported from the United States to Italy and of a large number of meat contracts. Through that office in the last week of January, 1919, from Kansas City alone were shipped from five packing companies ninety-two carloads of meat for a value exceeding one million dollars. Mr. Castigliano was also connected with public work and made arrangements for all the conferences held in the territory of his juris- diction by the military officers, besides giving a great deal of his time to the Saving Stamp and Liberty Loan publicity both in Duluth and in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Through his efforts on October 12, 1919, the sum of 40,000 lire was collected in Duluth and remitted to the Italian War Orphans' Relief Committee at Rome.
When Mr. Castigliano opened his office at Duluth in August, 1911, he comprised its entire personnel. Now the office has an assistant in the person of Edmund T. Powers, attorney at law, and two secretaries, Miss Louise Signorelli, who has been on duty there for over seven years, and Miss Mary Brocco. In recognition of his services the King of Italy has recently honored him with the appointment as Knight of the Crown of Italy.
GEORGE L. TRAIN, cashier of the First National Bank of Chisholm, is one of the dependable business men and public-spirited citizens of
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St. Louis County. Too much cannot be said with regard to the impor- tance of sound and conservative banking methods with relation to other factors in the commercial and industrial life of a community. This need is especially strong in the comparatively new Range country, and George L. Train and the First National Bank of Chisholm have every reason to be proud of the part played by them in the mighty development of this region and the stability of the financial interests they are safe- guarding.
Mr. Train was born at Saint Charles, Minnesota, February 18, 1871, but was reared at Canby, Minnesota, where his parents, John L. and Ella ( Blossom) Train, moved in 1880. For the succeeding score of vears Mr. Train made Canby his home, and during the period between 1880 and 1900 acquired a public-school education and then followed the example of his father, a veteran railroad man, and began work as a telegrapher. John L. Train had made a record for himself as a teleg- rapher in the service of the United States Government during the war between the states, and he later took up other branches of railroad work, continuing with the railroad service all of his life.
Learning to be a telegrapher, George L. Train was an operator for four years, but then found that his abilities better fitted him for financial work, and he became assistant cashier of the Citizens State Bank at Canby, where he remained from 1892 until 1900. In the meanwhile north- ern Minnesota was coming before the public on account of the opening up of the iron industry, and Mr. Train came to St. Louis County in 1900 and was a teller and bookkeeper of the Duluth Savings Bank, which is now the Northern National Bank, for five years, during that time becom- ing thoroughly conversant with banking conditions in this region. In 1905 he came to Chisholm and organized the First National Bank, of which he has since been cashier. From 1910 until 1917, inclusive, he was postmaster of Chisholm, and is probably one of the best known men in this part of the state. He is a Mason, Knight of Pythias, Elk, Modern Woodman, and belongs to the Kiwanis Club, taking an active part in all of these organizations.
In 1898 Mr. Train was united in marriage with Miss Mabel A. Pond, of Kasson, Minnesota, and they have two children, namely: Leona C. and Georgia M. During the great war Mr. Train took a very active part in all of the local work. serving as chairman of three of the Liberty Loan campaigns, in each of which the quota for his district was largely over- subscribed. In other ways he did all that lay in his power to assist the administration in carrying out its policies, and he is equally anxious to render assistance to local and federal authorities to bring conditions back to normal and further strengthen the money market of the country. Having devoted practically all of his mature years to the banking busi- ness Mr. Train is one of the most astute bankers of the Range country, and his advice is sought and his judgment relied upon by many of the leading men of this locality. He has a deep and abiding faith in the future of northern Minnesota, and looks to see a much greater and healthier expansion of its natural resources and the consequent develop- ment of kindred industries and enterprises.
ANTON HANSON began his business career as a boy worker in a com- mercial establishment at Duluth, and for several years past has been active head of a profitable and well known hardware business in the West End.
He was born in Norway November 30, 1885, and was two years of age when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Even Hanson, came to the United
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States. The family located at Duluth, where Even Hanson is still living at the age of fifty-nine. Since 1910 he has been associated with his son in the hardware business and takes an active interest as a working factor in the store.
Anton Hanson was second in a family of seven children. He attended the Lincoln School at Duluth, and after he had ecquired a substantial education began making his own way as cash boy in a local store at the . age of fourteen. Later he had charge of the collection department of Forward & Company, furniture merchants, for five years. Having accu- mulated some capital and a great deal of experience, he took in a partner and engaged in the retail hardware business under the name of A. Hanson & Company. He is one of the owners, and has developed a business that ranks as one of the foremost retail establishments of the kind in the city. They carry a complete stock of hardware and also sporting goods.
Mr. Hanson is a member of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church and is independent in politics. On September 15, 1912, he married Miss Bor- gena Anderson. They have three children, Gladys H., Howard G. and Mabel I.
HUGH J. MCCLEARN is a lawyer and business man. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He acquired his education in the public schools of Pennsylvania, the University of Valparaiso in Indiana and the University of Minnesota.
Mr. McClearn arrived in Duluth in May, 1903, coming at the request of Oscar Mitchell, who was then city attorney. In 1904, when Mr. Mitchell went with the firm of Washburn, Bailey & Mitchell, Fred Rey- nolds, Mr. Mitchell's former partner, and Mr. McClearn formed a part- nership under the name of Reynolds & McClearn, which continued until the time of Mr. Reynolds' death in 1911, since which time Mr. McClearn has practiced alone.
Much of his time and abilities as a lawyer have been devoted to busi- ness enterprises. He has been much interested in recent years in the development of agricultural lands in St. Louis County and throughout Minnesota, and has been an organizer and official of various business organizations, including land, exploration and wholesale and jobbing companies.
His only fraternal connection is with the Masonic Order, with which he has been affiliated since 1904, having attained the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite. He is a member of all the Duluth civic and social clubs.
OLIVER RENSTROM. The banking interests of Duluth have numerous representatives of the younger generation, but there are few who have made such rapid strides as has Oliver Renstrom, cashier of the Park State Bank. Mr. Renstrom's entrance upon the financial arena occurred only five years ago, but during this time he has risen steadily in banking circles, and has contributed materially to the success of the institution which he represents.
A native son of Duluth, he was born November 24, 1898, his parents being A. G. and Hulda ( Nelson) Renstrom. His father, a native of Sweden, came to the United States alone in young manhood, first locating at Duluth in 1880 and securing employment as a railroad foreman on the Duluth and St. Paul railways. After a period of years passed in this vocation he turned his attention to commercial ventures, and for many years has been the proprietor of a flourishing grocery business at 9 Third avenue, West. Duluth. The youngest of the five children of his parents,
Hughy Millearn
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. Oliver Renstrom secured his education in the public schools of Duluth and at the age of seventeen years entered the service of the Park State Bank of this city as bookkeeper. After being thus employed for one year he was advanced to teller and assistant cashier, and after another year was made cashier of this institution, a position which he has since filled with marked ability and fidelity.
Mr. Renstrom has many friends among the patrons of the bank, as he has also among his fellow members in the local lodges of the Independent Order or Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees, as well as in the Morgan Park Club. In religious faith he is a Protestant, while in politics he takes an independent stand. He married Miss Lillian Heir, daughter of Edward and Martha Heir, of Duluth.
HERBERT SCHELL. Probably no one man in a community comes any closer to his fellow citizens through personal service than does the drug- gist, for not only is he called upon to render an expert professional service which goes hand in hand with that of the physician, but he is expected to be the confidant, advisor and mediator, to carry a full line of medicines, toilet articles and kindred goods, cigars and tobacco, sta- tionery, candies and oftentimes magazines, and to permit the general public the use of his establishment as a meeting place, and to furnish any chance visitor to his store with stamps and telephone service. In fact, the drug store today is the clubroom of the average citizen of both sexes, and without it much pleasant community life would die out. Proctor is no exception to the rule, for it has need of the services of its druggists just as both smaller and larger communities have, and one of the men who is living up to the best conceptions of this important calling is Herbert Schnell.
Herbert Schnell was born at Staynor, Canada, November 6. 1885, a son of Alexander Schnell, who came to the United States in 1887, locat- ing at Superior, Wisconsin, where he went into the logging business and later developed into a contractor. He died at Superior in 1912, having become one of the important men of that place. Of the nine children born to him and his wife six survive, and of them all Herbert Schnell was the fourth in order of birth.
When he was fourteen years old Herbert Schell left school and began working as a clerk in a drug store, and was so employed at Superior until 1907, when he embarked in the drug business for himself and at one time operated one drug store at Duluth and another at Proctor, but later disposed of the former one. In addition to his drug business Mr. Schell is also engaged in the automobile business, acting as agent for one of the leading cars.
On July 31, 1907, he was married at Superior to Miss Mary E. Keneff, and they have two children, Herbert A. and Patricia. In politics Mr. Schell is a Republican, but has not been a candidate for office. By inheritance and conviction he is a Catholic. Both he and his wife have many warm, personal friends at Superior and Proctor, and are popular in both communities.
FRED HANSEN. Earnest endeavor along any one line is bound to bring satisfactory results. The man who concentrates upon learning thoroughly the details of his chosen business oftentimes makes more of his life than the one who fritters away his time and efforts in making many changes. Fred Hansen early in life decided upon becoming a merchant, and with that object in view has worked hard and saved his money, and when the opportunity came he was able to establish himself in a business of
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his own. For a number of years he has been one of the dependable mer- chants of Proctor, and as senior member of the reliable mercantile house of Fred Hansen & Company is one of the well-known men of St. Louis County.
Fred Hansen was born in Norway December 30, 1867, and remained in his native land until 1885, when he came to the United States, making the trip alone. At that time he was but eighteen years old, but he was industrious and had little difficulty in securing employment as a clerk in a mercantile house at Ironwood, Michigan. There he remained until 1892, when he returned to Europe on a trip to his old home. Coming back to the United States, he resumed his business connections at Iron- wood and continued in that city until he went to Virginia, Minnesota. There and at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, he continued as a mercantile clerk, during all of this period learning the business from the bottom up. In 1909 he came to Proctor and with Fred Newman in 1919 formed his present mercantile house. The firm carries a full and varied line of timely stock in men's furnishings and dry goods. Because of their knowledge of their business, their excellent connections with whole- salers and jobbers and their insight into the needs of their customers the partners have been able to build up a very valuable trade, which shows a healthy increase with each year.
Mr. Hansen belongs to Euclid Lodge No. 198. Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of West Duluth, Minnesota: to the Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America and United Order of Foresters, all of Proctor. As a member and worker of the Methodist Episcopal Church he is of value in raising the moral standards of Proctor.
On March 1, 1910, Mr. Hansen was married to Miss Winifred Mumma, whose parents are residents of Whitewater, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen have no children of their own, but they have adopted a boy and given him the name of Raymond Kennett Hansen, whom they are rearing with tender parental care and love.
S. B. SHEPARD, highway construction engineer for St. Louis County, was selected for his present duties about the time St. Louis embarked on its great program of paved road building in 1919. Mr. Shepard became known to the county officials through his wide experience and responsible connections with highway departments in the east.
He was born at Ilion, New York, August 29, 1887, son of A. C. and Idella V. (Owens) Shepard, both natives of New York state and still living at Ilion, his father at the age of seventy and his mother at sixty- eight. His father for many years has been employed in the plant of the Remington Arms Company at Ilion as head of time and cost department. Mr. Shepard is of English and Welsh ancestry, and is the fourth of five children, three of whom are still living.
He acquired his early education in the schools of his native town. He was only thirteen when he introduced a practical side into his educa- tion, going to work on a drill press in the plant of the Remington Arms Company. In subsequent years he alternated between employment in that plant and in other capacities and attended school. In 1905 he gradu- ated from the Ilion High School and after that was in the service of the New York State Highway Department continuously until 1908. In that year he entered Ohio State University, pursuing the civil engineering course, but each summer vacation returned to his employment with the New York State Highway Department. He was graduated with the degree of Civil Engineer in 1913, and from that year until 1919 was one of the technical and engineering staff of the Ohio State Highway
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Department. In 1919 he was called to Duluth as construction engineer for St. Louis County in carrying out the new highway program.
St. Louis County voted and approved a bond issue of seven and a half million dollars in July, 1919, for the purpose of constructing approxi- mately two hundred and fifty miles of hard surface roads. This program, in the carrying out of which Mr. Shepard is an expert technical adviser, will when completed connect all the outlying villages and cities with the county seat of Duluth by modern hard roads.
Mr. Shepard is affiliated with Ionic Lodge No. 186, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in Duluth, with Keystone Chapter No. 20, Royal Arch Masons, at Duluth, and with Duluth Council No. 6, Royal and Select Masters. He is also a member of the Phi Gamma Delta and Triangle fraternities. He is an Episcopalian in religious faith, and in politics has chiefly supported Republican candidates and principles. On September 4, 1917, he married Miss Lucile M. Bradley, of Duluth. Mrs. Shepard was educated in the Duluth High School and Vassar College at Pough- keepsie, New York.
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