USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 51
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REV. JAMES KLEIN.
The Rev. James Klein, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church at Sleepy Eye, this county, is a native son of Min- nesota, having been born in Morrison county, this state, November 22, 1873, son of Nicholas and Mary (Schmitt) Klein, both natives of Germany, who came to this country after their marriage and settled in Morrison county, this state, in 1865, spending the remainder of their lives on a farm there, the former dying in 1888 and the latter in 1893. They were the parents of nine children, eight of whom are still living, but of these the subject of this sketch and his sister are the only ones living in Brown county.
James Klein received his elementary education in the public schools at North Prairie and Richmond and when fourteen years of age began working on the farm, continu- ing thus engaged until he was nineteen years of age, at which time his strong leading in the direction of holy orders led him to enter St. John's University with a view to pre- paring for the priesthood. After a year at that institution he entered St. Lawrence College at Mt. Calvary, Wiscon- son, where he pursued a four-years course, in preparation for the seminary. Thus equipped he entered the theologi- cal seminary at St. Paul, where he studied for five years and six months and was ordained to the priesthood on Sep- tember 24, 1902. Father Klein celebrated his first mass in the church at Rice, in Benton county, his home county at that time, and was then appointed assistant pastor of the church of St. Francis at St. Paul, where he remained about
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a year, at the end of which time he was transferred to St. Michael's parish at Madison, Minnesota, which he served as pastor for seven years. He then was transferred to St. Elizabeth's parish at Minneapolis and after a very success- ful pastorate of four years there was transferred, on July 15, 1914, by Archbishop Ireland, to the irremovable pas- torate of St. Mary's at Sleepy Eye and has ever since been in charge of that parish, during which time he has rendered a fine service in extending the spiritual and material inter- ests of the parish. Father Klein also has charge of the mis- sion church at Leavenworth, this county, and is doing a good work throughout the parish.
Father Klein is a member of the Knights of Colum- bus at New Ulm and of the local branch of the Catholic Order of Foresters, of which he is chaplain, and in the affairs of both of these organizations takes a warm interest.
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CARL SCHREYER.
Carl Schreyer, a well-known and prosperous farmer of Cottonwood township, this county, who is living retired from the active labors of the farm in New Ulm, is a native son of Brown county, having been born in Cottonwood township, on a homestead farm, a part of his present farm, February 24, 1867, son of Carl and Amelia Schreyer, both natives of Germany and pioneer settlers of this county, who were for years regarded as among the leading resi- dents of Cottonwood township.
Carl Schreyer came to this country when a young man and made his way to Wisconsin, but presently came to Min- nesota and homesteaded a quarter of a section of land in Cottonwood township, this county, married a daughter of one of the early settlers of that neighborhood and estab- lished his home there. He was a good farmer and prospered in his undertakings, being at the time of his death on July 4, 1899, the owner of a fine farm of five hundred and sixty acres. In 1887, more than ten years before his death, Mr. Schreyer had retired from the farm and moved to New Ulm, where his last days were spent in comfortable retire- ment. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, Amelia, Lena, Bertha, Martha, Eda, Carl, Willie, Herman, Otto, John, Louisa and one son, the fifth in order of birth, who died in infancy.
Carl Schreyer received his education in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, completing the course there when he was fifteen years old. He then de-
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voted himself to the work of assisting in the development of the home farm. At the end of his father's retirement from the farm in 1887, he bought two hundred and forty acres of the home place and has ever since made his home there. Mr. Schreyer is an energetic and progressive farmer and stockman and has done well in his operations. He has made about ten thousand dollars worth of improvements on his place, all practically new and in excellent condition, and is very comfortably situated, being in a position to "take life easy."
In 1895 Carl Schreyer was united in marriage to Emma Simmerman, who was born in Sigel township, this county, daughter of John Simmerman and wife, pioneers of that township, who were the parents of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Schreyer are members of the Lutheran church at New Ulm and take a warm interest in the general good works of the community. Mr. Schreyer is an "indepen- dent" voter.
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MARTIN CASPERSON.
Martin Casperson, well-known and successful building contractor at Sleepy Eye, this county, who has been a resi- dent of that city since 1889, during which time he has been connected with the erection of some of the most notable buildings hereabout, is a native of Wisconsin, having been born on a farm in Waukesha county, that state, April 18, 1858, son of Lars and Martha Casperson, natives of Norway and early settlers in Wisconsin.
Lars Casperson was reared to farm work in his native land and in 1850 came to the United States, landing at the port of New York. Immediately thereafter he proceeded to Wisconsin, where he worked on a farm for four years, at the end of which time he bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Dodge county, that state, where he was actively and profitably engaged in farming until his retire- ment from the active labors of the farm in 1890. His death occurred in 1911. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters, Lena, Caro- line, Emma, Sunda, John, Martin and Thomas.
Martin Casperson was reared on the paternal farm in Wisconsin and received his elementary education in the schools in the neighborhood of his home. When about twenty-one years of age he entered Evanston College, Chi- cago, where he spent three years, giving special attention to the study of architecture in all its phases. For eight years thereafter Mr. Casperson was engaged as foreman of carpenters, in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
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Paul Railroad Company, and in 1889 made his headquar- ters in Sleepy Eye, this county, where he ever since has been actively engaged as a general building contractor. During his residence in Sleepy Eye Mr. Casperson has been the contractor on some of the most important "jobs" in this part of the state. Mr. Casperson was the general contrac- tor in charge of the erection of the big Sleepy Eye flour- mill, constructed at a cost of one hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars, and has also directed many other important contracts hereabout, being recognized as one of the most successful contractors in southern Minnesota.
In 1891 Martin Casperson was united in marriage to Ella Harnimann, who was born in Brown county, daughter of John and Jane (Cann) Harnimann, prominent residents of this community. Mr. and Mrs. Casperson are members of the Congregational church and take an active interest in the various social and cultural activities of their home town. In his political views Mr. Casperson gives allegiance to the Socialist party and is an earnest advocate of the prin- ciples of that party.
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FRED LANDSKRON.
Fred Landskron, well-known proprietor of the Leona hotel at Sleepy Eye, this county, is a native of Wisconsin, having been born in the town of Menasha, on the shores of Winnebago lake, in Winnebago county, that state, Febru- ary 20, 1877, son of Fred and Mary (Vetter) Landskron, natives of Austria, who came to this country in 1873 and located in the Menasha neighborhood of Wisconsin, where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mrs. Landskron dying there in 1883, at the age of thirty-three years, Mr. Landskron surviving until 1907, he being sixty-two years of age at the time of his death. The elder Fred Landskron was a stationary engineer and he and his wife were the parents of four children, namely : William, of Minneapolis, this state; Frank, of Neenah, Wisconsin; Fred, the sub- ject of this sketch, and Nettie, wife of Paul Fahrenkrug, of Leeman, Wisconsin.
Fred Landskron was reared at Menasha, Wisconsin, receiving his education in the public schools of that place, and at the age of twelve years began working for himself, taking employment in a pail factory at Menasha, where he worked for several years. At the age of sixteen he came to Minnesota and began clerking in a grocery store at Morton, in the neigboring county of Renville, later working on the farm of Silas Baldsley, later in a livery stable at Fairfax and later engaged in various pursuits, during which time he traveled extensively through the Western states and in Iowa, until he came to Brown county and settled in Sleepy
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Eye, which has been his home ever since, his present con- nection with the popular Leona hotel giving him a wide acquaintance throughout southern Minnesota, his hotel having a fine reputation with the traveling public on account of the admirable management maintained by the proprietor and the excellence of its rooms and cuisine.
On January 12, 1915, Fred Landskron was united in marriage at Sleepy Eye, to Mrs. Mary Fuller, a widow, who was born at Iberia, five miles south of Sleepy Eye, January 14, 1872, daughter of John and Margaret (Wol- lena) Raschka, natives of Bohemia, who came to America about the year 1869 and located at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where they remained until 1871, in which year they came to Brown county and settled at Iberia, where John Raschka operated a shoe store and repair shop for twelve years, at the end of which time he took up farming in that neighbor- hood and was thus engaged for five of six years. Upon retiring from the farm he and his wife made their home in Sleepy Eye, where they are now living retired. John Raschka is the eldest of the seven children born to his par- ents, John and Barbara Raschka, who spent all their lives in Bohemia, the others being Mary, Margaret, Wenzel, Peter, Catherine and Frank. Mrs. Raschka is one of the five children born to her parents, Adam Wollena and wife, who also died in the old country, the others being George, John, Barbara and Eva. To John Raschka and wive eleven children have been born, Margaret, Wenzel, Barbara, John, Mary, Joseph, Henry, Emma, Theresa, Bertha and Fred.
Mary Raschka received her elementary education in the public schools of Iberia, this county, and was thirteen years old when her parents moved to Sleepy Eye, where she
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grew to womanhood. On February 1, 1891, she was united in marriage to Joseph Bier, who died on July 7, 1901, leaving three children, Edward Peter, Leona and Viola, the former of whom died at the age of ten months and eleven days. Some time after the death of Mr. Bier his widow married Lyman Fuller and upon the death of the latter married Mr. Landskron. Mr. and Mrs. Landskron are operating the Leona hotel in a manner that is winning them praise from all their patrons, and they are doing a splendid and constantly increasing business, the service they render in behalf of the traveling public making their house one of the most popular hotels in this section of the state.
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FREDERICK FRITSCHE, SR.
Frederick Fritsche, Sr., one of the few remaining ter- ritorial pioneers and defenders of New Ulm, who is now in his seventy-ninth year and is still physically and men- tally well preserved, loves to relate the more important incidents of pioneer days.
When he was eighteen years of age, his father, John Karl Fritsche, emigrated to this country from Saxony in the year 1854. He lived in Chicago a little over a year, driving a canal boat during the summer and going to school in winter.
In the fall of 1855 his father joined the German Land Association of Chicago and settled in New Ulm. He pre- empted a homestead joining the city site, which was later acquired by the Cincinnati Association in exchange for lots and four-acre pieces and added to the city site.
In the year 1856 he helped erect a log-cabin on his father's homestead and also was employed in the erection of eight other log houses on the city site, some of which were used for primitive stores, blacksmith shop and post- office. In those days it was necessary for a village to prove that eight buildings were on the site before it could incor- porate. At the same time his elder brother, Ernest Fritsche, and Peter Mack carried the chains for Surveyor Volk when the city was platted.
During the month of March, 1857, Mr. Fritsche took part in the Inkpoduta expedition, which turned out to be a
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Fred Fritsche Br.
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failure. In April, the same year, he secured employment at the Lower Agency as carpenter for the government and helped in the erection of buildings which the government was putting up for the Indians. Two of these houses were intended for the chiefs, Wacouta and Wabasha, and quite a friendship was formed between him and the chiefs. It was quite a god-send for early pioneers to have such an opportunity to earn some cash money, as most of the busi- ness was carried on by the exchange of commodities, and there was real labor exchange between settlers. The vir- gin soil had not been turned and there was no income to be derived from that source yet. By fall he had earned enough money to buy a yoke of oxen.
In the year of 1858 he was mostly engaged in hauling freight with his ox-team from St. Peter to New Ulm and Ft. Ridgely, and also made one long trip with a train of ox-teams to Ft. Abercrombie. Ft. Abercrombie was erected that year and the material for the same was partly carried by steamboat up the Minnesota river to Ft. Ridgely and then by ox-team to the fort site. It took three weeks to make this interesting trip over the unbroken prairie, through sloughs and rivers, often getting mired and made uncomfortable by the mosquitoes over night.
In the year 1859 he took part in the memorable Yank- ton expedition to Devil's lake, North Dakota. The gov- ernment was about to enter into a treaty of peace with the Yankton Sioux, and whenever an Indian treaty was made it was the custom for the government to bring a large quantity of presents. These presents were shipped by the government on the "Frank Steele" up the Minnesota (22a)
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river to Yellow Medicine. This was a record-breaker for a steamboat to make and the feat has never been repeated since.
Some seventy ox-teams had been chartered from Hen- derson, Traverse and New Ulm to carry these presents, which consisted of provisions, clothing, blankets and many other things, to the Yanktons.
This expedition was headed by Superintendent of Indian Affairs Cullen; Joseph Brown, Indian agent; Dr. A. W. Daniels and Dr. J. W. Daniels; James Magner, fore- man; interpreter Prescott and trainmaster Thomas Brown. It took three months to make this expedition and it turned out to be a fiasco for the government.
In the year 1860 Frederick Fritsche bought a home- stead of one hundred and sixty acres, which later became the nucleus of a large stock farm, on the north side of the Minnesota river, in Nicollet county, and two miles from New Ulm. On April 20, 1861, he was married to Louise Lillie, youngest daughter of Christian Lillie. Eight chil- dren were born to this union, namely: Louis Albert, Ber- tha, Emil H., Frederick W., Otto A., Rudolph E., Carl J. and Henry W.
Louis Albert is a physician and surgeon and practices his profession in New Ulm. Bertha is married to William Mueller, of St. Peter, who is a member of the manufactur- ing firm of Johnson & Company. Emil H. and Otto A. are living on the divided homestead and are prosperous farmers. Frederick W. practiced dental surgery in New Ulm until his death, three years ago. Rudolph E. was a member of the firm of Arnold & Fritsche and died five years ago. Carl J. and Henry W. died during childhood.
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Mr. Fritsche was a defender of New Ulm during the Sioux outbreak of 1862, and was a member of the Lafay- ette company. The part which he took in the massacre of New Ulm is best described in his own words in the narra- tive which he has written, and appears elsewhere in this history.
Mr. Fritsche was elected clerk of the township of La- fayette in 1862 and re-elected until 1872. In the fall of 1871 he was elected treasurer of Nicollet county and re- elected four times until 1882. During the first six years his family lived at the county seat in St. Peter and there his children enjoyed the advantage of attending the ex- cellent graded schools and high school of that city. In 1882 he voluntarily retired from office to assume the man- agement of his growing stock farm. After that time he had higher offices tendered him repeatedly, but always steadfastly refused to enter politics again. He served as member of the school board for many years before moving to the county seat and again for many years after return- ing from the same.
In his declining years he made his residence in New Ulm until the death of Mrs. Fritsche, November 22, 1914, and he now makes his home with his son, Otto, in Lafay- ette.
Mr. Fritsche was public spirited and always had the welfare of his community at heart. In the early days he was very helpful to the settlers in acquiring good home- steads and never accepted any more thanks for his services. On account of his generous spirit he has always been held in high esteem by the citizens of Nicollet county and the city of New Ulm.
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L. E. HUMPHREY.
L. E. Humphrey, former chairman of the board of supervisors of Brown county and a well-known building contractor, of Sleepy Eye, is a native son of Minnesota, having been born on a pioneer farm in Houston county on August 5, 1861, son of Dr. T. R. and M. J. Humphrey, the former of whom was a native of Vermont and the latter of New Hampshire, who later became pioneers of Brown county, where they spent the rest of their lives, they having been the first white persons who settled in this county west of New Ulm after the Indian massacre, Doctor Humphrey having been the first physician to settle in the county west of the county seat.
Dr. T. R. Humphrey for many years was one of the best-known and most influential residents of the western part of Brown county and the part he and his wife took in the development of proper social and economic conditions in that part of the county in pioneer days long will cause their names to be held in respectful memory hereabout. Doctor Humphrey received his medical education in Boston and for some time thereafter practiced his profession in New Hampshire, in which state he married. In 1858 he and his wife came to Minnesota and homesteaded a farm in Houston county. In 1864 they disposed of their interests there and came to Brown county. That was just after the turmoil attendant on the Indian uprising had begun to subside and they had no fear when they settled in what then was regarded as the western frontier of the county, three
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miles southeast of where Sleepy Eye in now located. There Doctor Humphrey entered a claim to two hundred and forty acres of land and established his home, he and his wife remaining there about forty years before their retire- ment from the farm and their removal to Sleepy Eye, where their last days were spent, both dying in 1911. For about twenty-five years of the time he lived on the farm, Doctor Humphrey also engaged in the general practice of his pro- fession and no man in that part of the county was better known than he. He and his wife were the parents of four children of whom the subject of this sketch is now the only survivor.
L. E. Humphrey was about three years old when his parents came to Brown county and all his life since then has been spent in this county. One of his early teachers was the first woman school teacher ever employed in Brown county. He remained on the home farm until his father's retirement from the same, after which he moved to Sleepy Eye, where he became engaged as a carpenter, having become an excellent practical builder during his stay on the farm. In 1903 he entered business for himself as a building con- tractor and has been very successfully engaged in that business since then. Mr. Humphrey is a Democrat and for years has given his thoughful and intelligent attention to the political affairs of the county. For some years he served as a member of the county board of supervisors and for some time during that term of service was chairman of the board. He also served for some time as a member of the city council at Sleepy Eye.
In 1888 L. E. Humphrey was united in marriage to Emily Hernnimann, daughter of John and Jane (Cann)
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Hernnimann, and to this union three children have been born, Lloyd, Glynn and Lorraine. Mr. Humphrey is past noble grand of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has also held all the offices in the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America.
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JULIUS R. KRAUSE.
One of the wideawake business men of Cobden, Brown county, is Julius R. Krause, who was born in Germany, January 2, 1859. He is a son of Henrich and Fredricka (Schlotz) Krause, both natives of Germany, where they grew up, were married and established their home. The father was a tailor by trade, which he followed in his native land until coming to America in 1873. His wife died on the voyage across the Atlantic. The father settled on a farm in Milford township, Brown county, Minnesota, where he remained until he removed to New Ulm in 1881, having rented land the meanwhile, then resumed his old trade, maintaining a tailor shop in New Ulm for seven years, when he retired and made his home with his son. His family consisted of eight children, five of whom were by the first wife. He remarried two years after locating in the New World and had three children by his last wife. Julius R. is the only survivor of the first marriage. The children of the second union are, Alma, Johanna and Francis.
Julius R. Krause was fourteen years of age when he came to the United States. He had attended the common schools in his native land. He went to school one year after coming to Brown county, after which he continued to work for his father on the farm until he was nineteen years old, then took up the trades of wagon-maker and painter in New Ulm, at which he worked until the tornado devas- tated New Ulm, after which he devoted his attention ex- clusively to the painting business, operating a paint and
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paper store until 1900; then was manager of the Turner hall of New Ulm for ten years, then went to Essig and conducted a saloon for two and one-half years, after which he returned to New Ulm, living in retirement until 1913, in which year he came to Cobden and bought out a saloon which he is still conducting. He also has the agency for the Ford automobile in one township.
Mr. Krause was married in 1886 to Elizabeth Dhein, a daughter of Jacob and Katherine Johanna Dhein, both parents being natives of Germany, from which country they came to Minnesota in 1869, settling at New Ulm. The father was a moulder in a foundry. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in Germany, being four years old when her par- ents brought him to America. She received her education in the public schools of New Ulm. She was one of four chil- dren, three sons and one daughter.
Three daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Krause, namely: Erma, who married Nick Gulden, lives with her father, and has one child, Mildred; Laura married Rudolph Kemske and they live in New Ulm; Loda is at home with her parents.
Politically, Mr. Krause is a Democrat. He is at pres- ent a member of the town council of Cobden. He belongs to the Sons of Hermann and the Turnverein of New Ulm.
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CHRIST MOE.
As a contractor, Christ Moe of Hanska, Brown county, has built many of the dwellings and business houses in this locality. He was born on April 18, 1875, in Gulbrandsdalen, Norway, and is a son of John and Ronaug (Holbo) Moe. The father was a farmer, owning a farm during the latter years of his life. He came to America in the spring of 1876, locating first in Olmstead county, Minnesota, removing to Brown county in the autumn of that year, where he lived until his death. He first bought railroad land in Lake Hanska township, for which he paid about nine dollars per acre. He improved his land and put it under a good state of cultivation, and here established a comfortable home. His family consisted of nine children, five of whom are still living, four in Brown county, namely: Christ, Mrs. Ole P. Olsen, Mrs. George Bjorneberg, and Andrew; Thor lives in Tracy, Minnesota.
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