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 III > Part 31
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One of three sons, all still living, Charles Foster was twelve years old when his parents moved to Iowa, and he was brought up in that state. He completed his collegiate training with a three-years' course at the Iowa State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa, which is now the Iowa State College. Following his graduation he entered the employ of the city of Ames as a member of its light department, first working at con- struction, and later becoming an engineer. Subsequently Mr. Foster went to Algona, Iowa, and designed the electric light plant, the first the city possessed, in connection with the water plant, and after its installa- tion was completed he operated it until January, 1900. His services were then secured by the city of Sheldon, Iowa, and he remained in charge of its electric light plant for about nine months, when he went to Bismarck, North Dakota, and was there for about two and one-half years, during that period rebuilding the electric light plant and doubling its capacity. Mr. Foster then entered the employ of the state of North Dakota and designed and built a light, heat and power plant for the capitol building and the electric street railway from the city to the capitol building. In 1904 he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and for ten years was constructing engineer for a construction concern of that city. Following the expiration of that period he was consulting engineer with the Charles L. Pillsbury Company, during which time he had charge of the St. Paul office and complete charge of the engineering work of the State Board of Control. In April, 1918, he. came to Hibbing as general superintendent of the water and light department, and under his super- vision the new light and power plant was constructed at a cost of $1,000,000.
Charles Foster was married to Bessie Wrightman. Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian Church. He is a thirty-second degree
Charles Foster,
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Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the United Commercial Travelers, American Society of Mechanical Engi- neers, Engineers' Club of Northern Minnesota, Duluth Engineers' Club, American Water Works Association, Hibbing Kiwanis Club and the Hibbing Commercial Club.
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WILLIAM N. ROWE. More than a third of a century's service with the iron mining companies comprised in the great organization of the Oliver Iron Mining Company is a record shared by few of William N. Rowe's associates. Many years of this employment have constituted a record of consecutive advancement and increased responsibility, and for the past fifteen years Mr. Rowe has been master mechanic of the Hibbing Dis- trict for the Oliver Company.
He was born in Cornwall, England, January 5, 1872, a son of Nicholas and Mary (Nichols) Rowe. When he was six years of age he was left motherless and was thirteen when his father died, and after that had no advantage in schools and for a time went to work to support himself as a boy helper in a Cornish tin mine. A married sister living at Tower or Soudan in northern Minnesota was the influence and means of his coming to the Iron Range district in 1886, and in this locality he has lived and had his mature experiences. For a few months he attended school at Tower, and during the winter of 1886-87 carried tools into the black- smith shop of the Minnesota Iron Company. Then followed successive employment as a water carrier, helper on a diamond drill, pushing cars or "tramming" on trestle work, again carrying tools, cutting wood for a boiler, firing a boiler, and looking after an engine in the machine shop. These were mere "jobs," means of earning a living, with no connection between them in the way of consecutive advancement. Realizing this and determining to put an end to his drifting career he entered the machine shop to serve an apprenticeship, and steadily worked at his trade until June, 1899, when he was given the mark of proficiency as master mechanic of the Elba Mine. He remained in that mine until December, 1902. was then sent to Eveleth as master mechanic of the Adams and Spruce Mines, and in June, 1905, was moved to Hibbing as master mechanic of the Hibbing District for the Oliver Iron Mining Company. The Oliver Iron Mining Company is the largest organization of its kind in the world, and not only employs an enormous number of workers but has an even greater proportion of mechanical equipment for doing the work of ore mining. It is the responsibility of keeping this mechanical equipment in repair and constant readiness for its functions that devolves upon Mr. Rowe as master mechanic of the Hibbing District. The effi- ciency of his department is absolutely vital to the work of all depart- ments of the organization in the district, and his long retention in the position is of itself all the evidence needed as to his ability and worth to the company.
Mr. Rowe, whose home has been at Hibbing since 1905, is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner. He married, October 30, 1899. Miss Minnie Blight, of Tower, Minnesota. Their three chil- dren are Richard Lawrence, Minnie Lois and Mary Elizabeth.
THOMAS J. ROWE, a brother of William N. Rowe, the master mechanic of the Oliver Iron Mining Company at Hibbing, is also a young citizen of St. Louis County who has made a mark in the world.
He was born in Cornwall. England. July 27, 1876, was left an orphan, and in 1886 came to the United States and grew up at Tower,
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Minnesota, in the home of a married sister. He had school advantages at Tower only a short time, and there learned the printer's trade, his first wages being a dollar a week and later advanced to six dollars a week. For a time he worked on a Catholic paper at seventeen dollars a week, was employed on the Duluth Herald, also went to Springfield. Ohio, and subsequently through the influence of Congressman Paige Morris of Duluth was given a position in the Government printing office at Washington. While there he rose to a foremanship, but resigned when the World war began, enlisted and became a lieutenant in aviation, though all his service was in this country. His wife is deceased.
EDMUND S. TILLINGHAST. A mining engineer whose experience covers a large share of the great west, Edmund S. Tillinghast for the past fifteen years has been identified with the Iron Ranges of northern Minnesota, and is superintendent of the Leetonia Mine of the Leetonia Mining Company and the South Agnew Mine of the Inter-State Iron Company, with headquarters at Hibbing.
Mr. Tillinghast was born at East Hampton, New York, September 3, 1879, a son of Henry and Eliza (Edwards) Tillinghast. His father spent his active life as a farmer on Long Island. New York, and the widowed mother is still living there. During his youth on Long Island Edmund S. Tillinghast acquired a good education, graduating from the high school at East Hampton in 1895. and in 1896 graduated from the high school of South Hampton, New York. He entered Lafayette Col- lege at Easton, Pennsylvania, pursued the technical and mining engi- neering course, and was graduated as mining engineer in 1900. In the same year he entered the service of the Oliver Iron Mining Company as engineer and chemist at Ironwood and Bessemer, and was in those locali- ties three years. The following two years he was similarly employed by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company in New Mexico and Wyoming, and in 1905 came to Hibbing and since then has been superintendent of the Leetonia Mine. He was given the additional duties of superintendent of the South Agnew Mine in 1918.
Mr. Tillinghast is an independent Republican voter, is a Presbyterian. and has attained the fourteenth degree of Scottish Rite Masonry. December 29, 1903, he married Miss Rose Perkins, of Norway, Michi- gan. They are the parents of four children: Jean. John P., Mary and Harry S.
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CLARENCE A. REMINGTON is a veteran business man of Hibbing. has been selling lumber there for over twenty years, and is proprietor of a large wholesale and retail lumber establishment.
Mr. Remington was born in Jefferson County, New York, May 28, 1859; son of Daniel J. and Margaret M. (Young) Remington. His father was both a lawyer and a farm owner. Reared and educated in his native county, where he attended public schools and later had the advantages of a business college, Clarence A. Remington found his chief enthusiasm as a youth in railroading and mechanical lines. He was particularly interested in steam engineering, and he utilized his opportunities and directed his studies to marine engineering and before he was twenty years of age held a Government license as a marine engi- neer on the Great Lakes. Later he went to Manistee, Michigan, where for a short time he was in the lumber business, was employed in the lumber mills as an engineer at Minneapolis for five years, built and operated a sawmill at Wacoma, Minnesota, also operated a mill at
LaRemington
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St. Ann, and in November, 1899, came to Hibbing, then a village of practically one street and with about twenty-five hundred population. He has lived here ever since, has seen the community grow and expand, and has kept his own business affairs prospering accordingly. For a time he had his office where the Oliver Hotel stands. For five years he served as president of the Security State Bank, and has had various other interests to identify him with the community.
Mr. Remington has an exceptionally fine family. He married in . 1887 Elnor Kohler. Their children are Winfield A., Clarissa, now deceased, Raymond D., Margaret, Dorothy and Katharine. The son Raymond was in the World war and spent eighteen months in France.
FRANK J. BARANOWSKI is a young business man who for several years past has helped stimulate and build up some of the diversified industrial affairs of Duluth.
Mr. Baranowski was born at Berlin, Wisconsin, December 13, 1883. His father, John J. Baranowski, is a native of Poland, came to this country about fifty-three years ago, and after living in New York city some five years established his home at Berlin, Wisconsin, and he is still living, at the age of seventy-seven, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. All of his nine children are also living, Frank J. being the fourth in age.
Frank J. Baranowski acquired a public school education at Oshkosh. Wisconsin, and at the age of sixteen became a workman and apprentice in the Ornamental Art Glass Company of Oshkosh. He remained with that firm for five years, and then used his experience and modest capital to establish a business of his own in the same line at Oshkosh. He was there only a short time, and in 1915 came to Duluth and established the Duluth Oshkosh Company in the West End. He made this a busi- ness of gratifying proportions and continued it from January 1, 1915. until June, 1918. At that time he was instrumental in organizing the Twin Ports Brass Foundry and Machine Company. The company was organized in 1917, and Mr. Baranowski has been president with John Scanlan as secretary and treasurer. This is one of the new and thriv- ing industries at the Head of the Lakes, and performs all the service of brass founders and manufacturers of brass, aluminum, bronze and white metal castings. Their output has an extensive sale and distribution all over Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Mr. Baranowski was married in 1915 and has one of the comfortable homes of Duluth.
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ALFRED HOEL. No profound analysis is required in discerning the results that have been achieved by Mr. Hoel in connection with banking enterprise, for in this important field he has made his ability and efforts count to good effect, with the result that he is now president of the First National Bank of Gilbert, this being one of the substantial and effectively managed banking institutions of St. Louis County. His younger brother, Charles B., is president of the Miners National Bank at Eveleth, this county, and of him individual mention is made on other pages of this volume.
Alfred Hoel was born at Rushford, Fillmore County, Minnesota, on the 21st of December, 1879, and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of this commonwealth. His father, Edward P. Hoel, is now one of the substantial citizens of Polk County, and has been long and successfully associated with farm industry in Minnesota. His father, Peter P. Hoel, was a native of Norway and an honored pioneer farmer of Minnesota. Edward P. Hoel and his wife, whose family name was Sanderson, still reside in Polk County.
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Alfred Hoel was an infant at the time when his parents removed to a pioneer farm near Stephen, Marshall County, where he was reared to the age of twelve years. Thereafter he resided and attended the public schools at Stephen until he had attained to the age of sixteen years, his higher educational discipline having been acquired in the Park Region Luther College at Fergus Falls, in the commercial depart- ment of which institution he was graduated in the spring of 1900. Thereafter he served about eighteen months as deputy sheriff of Polk County, and in 1904 established his residence at Eveleth, St. Louis County, his father having here become associated in mercantile business. He remained only a short period at Eveleth, and in the latter part of the year 1904 became associated with the Citizens Bank at McIntosh, Polk County. He continued his connection with this institution until April, 1908, and in the meanwhile held the position of assistant cashier. In the spring of 1908 Mr. Hoel became assistant cashier of the Farmers Bank at Munich, North Dakota, where he remained until the following September. He then became cashier of the newly organized Farmers Bank of Mckenzie County, that state, at Charlson, and he continued his residence in North Dakota until January, 1912, when he disposed of his interests in that commonwealth and returned to Minnesota. It was at this juncture in his career that he assumed the post of cashier of the First National Bank of Gilbert, an institution to whose development and upbuilding he has contributed in large and worthy measure. In July, 1913. he was elected vice president of the bank, and in the latter part of that year removed to Biwabik. St. Louis County, and became vice president of the First National Bank of that village. He continued as vice president of the First National Bank of Gilbert and also as vice president of the State Bank of Aurora, being the virtual manager of all three banking institutions until January, 1916, when he disposed of his interests in the Biwabik and Aurora banks and returned to Gilbert, where he was elected president of the First National Bank, a position in which he has since continued his vigorous and effective administration.
Mr. Hoel is aligned staunchly in the ranks of the Republican party, and he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic Church. He is an active member of the St. Louis County Club, was a charter member of the lodge of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Williston, North Dakota, and in this fraternity is now affiliated with the lodge at Eveleth. He is a member of Virginia Council, Knights of Columbus, at Virginia, this county, and is affiliated also with the Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 12th of September, 1912, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hoel to Miss Elizabeth Marie Munn, of Crookston, this state, and they have three sons, Raymond Girard and Ronald William, twins, and Robert Alfred.
ARTHUR L. EGGE. Efficiency is the keynote of success along every line. It is the symbol, the co-related sign and working feature of every age and of all peoples. Without it civilization today would have never have passed beyond the stage of the cave man. None of the learned professions would have been developed from the first faint beginnings of people striving for mental advancement, nor would the air, the earth, the water, and even the sky above them all be bound together to produce power and place for each generation. Half-way methods cannot succeed in anything. To raise anything beyond the low level of mediocracy requires skilled and carefully trained knowledge and the power to use it to the highest degree. In nothing is this truer than in the vast and
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intricate system by means of which the banking establishments of the world conduct their multiform transactions. In them as nowhere else has efficiency been raised to the highest power, and its officials demon- strate in every act of their everyday life how important is this one characteristic. One of the men who is recognized as a living epitome to efficiency, not only in his business life, but in his private and civic connections as well, is Arthur L. Egge, cashier of the Merchants and Miners State Bank of Hibbing.
Arthur L. Egge was born at Alpena, Michigan, September 1, 1884. When he was four years old he was taken by his father, Hans Egge, to Washburn, Wisconsin, where he was reared and primarily educated. Later he attended business college at Ashland, Wisconsin, and since he was sixteen years old he has been self-supporting. Until September, 1905, Mr. Egge was engaged in an insurance business at Washburn, Wisconsin, but he then came to Hibbing, through the influence of L. G. Sicard, to take charge of the insurance business of the Merchants and Miners State Bank. He has served in every department of the bank, and in 1914 was made its cashier, which responsible position he still holds.
On October 5, 1912, Mr. Egge was united in marriage with Leila M. Torrance, of St. Paul, Minnesota, who was born in Canada. Mr. Egge belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias and the Kiwanis Club. For several years he has been on the Library Board, and is making a good record for himself in that capacity. In every respect he measures up to high standards and is recognized as a worth- while citizen and sound and dependable banker of unusual capabilities for his business.
CHARLES E. S. McILLHARGEY is chief of the Hibbing fire depart- ment. Hibbing is one of the most modern of small communities in Minnesota, if not in the country, and naturally has a fire department which compares favorably with any other in a place much larger than it, and the chief of the department, Charles E. S. McIllhargey, from years of experience has become efficient.
Charles E. S. McIllhargey was born at Port Crescent, Huron County, Michigan. March 21, 1872, one of nine children, seven of whom are still living, who were born to the marriage of Charles E. S. McIllhargey and Mary Young, natives of Ireland. They were married in Canada, where they were reared from early childhood. The elder McIllhargey when nearly twenty came to Michigan and engaged in lumbering, but after- ward moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where from 1884 until his death in 1906 he was a land broker. His widow survived him until 1912, when she. too, passed away.
The younger Charles E. S. McIllhargey lived with his parents until he reached manhood, during which time he obtained his early educational training in the public schools. He was engaged in various occupations, spending many winters in the woods with his father, working on the docks in summertime, trimming grain and hauling railroad iron, firing a stationary engine, in fact, performing whatever honest tasks came to hand. In November, 1888, he joined the fire department of Duluth, and continued with it until the fall of 1905, a period of seventeen years, during which time he served as captain of three different houses for thirteen years, having worked up to this position through the different grades. Previous to 1905 he was twice elected chief of the fire depart- ment of Virginia, Minnesota, but he refused to quality for the position for reasons justifiable to himself. By appointment from Frank Ansley,
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then president of the village of Hibbing, he was induced to become fire chief of the Hibbing department in 1909, a position he has since filled. Between 1906 and 1909 he and a brother traveled through the north- western states and western Canada, and stripped three quarter sections of timber land in eastern Washington. He also spent a couple of years diamond drilling on the Vermillion and Mesaba Ranges in northern Minne- sota and in Wisconsin, so that he is a man of wide experience and varied knowledge. Mr. McIllhargey is a member of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, the Commercial Club and the Kiwanis Club. He is a Democrat, but he frequently casts his vote for the man rather than for party platforms.
On August 2, 1902, Mr. McIllhargey was united in marriage at Duluth, Minnesota, with Mary McBride, of that city. He has a remark- ably fine record as a fireman that is without a spot or blemish, and his fellow citizens speak of him in highly eulogistic terms, as does the chief of the Duluth fire department. A man of the highest type of American manhood, he stands as an example to the rising generation of a public official who has always lived up to the obligations of his position and dis- played courage of a rare order.
WALTER M. WEBB, superintendent of the mines of the Gilbert District : for the Republic Iron & Steel Company, has been on the Mesaba Range since 1906, and is a thoroughly competent and widely experienced prac- tical miner.
He comes from a family of miners. He was born at British Hollow, Wisconsin, October 7, 1876, son of William and Martha (Nichols) Webb. His grandfathers were miners, his maternal grandfather having had charge of a mine in Wales, while his paternal grandfather came to the United States from England and was engaged in lead mining in south- western Wisconsin, having in England been a tin miner. William Webb, father of Walter M. Webb, at one time was a miner in Montana, and subsequently for many years engaged in merchandising at Lancaster, Wisconsin.
Walter M. Webb grew up at Lancaster, graduated from the high school in 1894, and this was followed by an experience of seven years as an employe of the local post-office and as clerk in a store. For about a year he was connected with the United States Land Office at Devil's Lake, North Dakota.
Mr. Webb came to the Mesaba Range in 1906, and at Nashwauk became clerk in the office of the Pittsburgh Iron Ore Company. He filled a similar position for the same company at Sparta, and in 1910 entered the service of the Republic Iron & Steel Company as surface foreman in the Pettit, Schley and Marista Mines at Gilbert. About a year later he was made an underground foreman, and after two years was promoted to mining captain of the Pettit Mine. He was safety engineer about three years, and since then has been superintendent of all the mines in the Gilbert District operated by the Republic Iron & Steel Company.
Outside of his business Mr. Webb has found interests of a civic nature, and for several years has been a member of the School Board of Independent School District No. 18 and at the present time is chairman of the board. During the World war he was energetic in helping promote the aims of the Government. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Gilbert Commercial Club. On March 31, 1903, he married Delphia Oswald, of Lancaster, Wisconsin. Their two children are Louise and Walter.
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JOHN P. MURPHY, who is recorder of the village of Hibbing, came to this mining center of northern Minnesota in 1903, after an experience that had taken him around the world, and is one of Hibbing's livest and most public spirited citizens.
He was born in County Cork, Ireland, November 23, 1868, a son of Jervois and Johanna (Thau) Murphy. His mother was born in Germany and is still living in Ireland, where the father died.
John P. Murphy acquired a liberal education in the schools of his native land, and at the age of twenty went to Australia to join an uncle in that country. He found apportunities and accepted them largely in clerical lines in Australia until early in 1902, when he sailed for the United States. Reaching the Pacific Coast, he was in the service of the Standard Oil Company of California for one year. Then, after going back for a short visit to Ireland, he returned to the United States and through the influence of friends came to Hibbing. For a number of years Mr. Murphy resumed clerical work at Hibbing, but in 1915 was appointed village accountant and in 1917 village recorder, the office he has filled with admirable efficiency for the past three years.
Mr. Murphy is a Democrat and has always worked for his friends in politics. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, belongs to the Kiwanis Club, and is a past exalted ruler of Hibbing Lodge of Elks. In 1912 he married Miss Ethel Robinson, of Canton, New York. Their four children are Marjorie, John P., Jr., Mary and Richard.
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