USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 44
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In 1897 Hans A. Haugen was married to Barro Bakke, who was born
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in Norway in 1882, daughter of Imbert and Gunhild Bakke. Her mother was remarried in Norway to Knut Teigen and came to Minnesota in 1892 and settled on a farm of eighty acres in section 6, Rosendale township, Waton- wan county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Teigen dying in 1915, and his widow in 1916.
To Mr. and Mrs. Haugen ten children were born : Oliver, Gena, Sigurd, Emma, Ingvald, Adolph, Mabel, Helen, Myrtle and Luella, all of whom are living. The mother of these children died on the 18th of February, 1915, and on June 7, 1916, Mr. Haugen married Laura Laugeness, who was born in Lom, Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, March 31, 1884, the daughter of Ole and Raguhild Laugeness. She received a good education in her native land, her grandfather, Lars Peterson, having been a school teacher and a highly cultured man. She came to the United States in 1904, and for six years taught school in North Dakota.
Mr. Haugen is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church in Rosendale and takes an earnest interest in the general affairs of same, as well as in all neighborhood good works. He is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, but has not been an aspirant for public office.
WILLARD C. SMITH.
Willard C. Smith, a substantial farmer of Lakeside township, Cotton- wood county, proprietor of a farm of one hundred and ten acres in the vicinity of Bingham Lake, is a native son of Minnesota and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in St. Charles town- ship, Winona county, March 10, 1870, son of C. D. and Jane (Pringle) Smith, who came to this state from Wisconsin about the year 1865 and settled in Winona county. They homesteaded a farm in St. Charles town- ship, that county, and there spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of nine children, of whom Willard C. was the second in order of birth, the others being Charles, Irving, Lottie, Walter, Grant, Lillie, Lucas and Benjamin.
Willard C. Smith was reared on the paternal farm in Winona county, obtaining his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, and as a young man began farming for himself in that same neighborhood. He was married in 1893 and in 1900 he disposed of his interests in Winona county and came to this part of the state, settling in Cottonwood county. Upon arriving here he located on a farm in Carson township, but three years
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later moved to Lakeside township, where he ever since has made his home. In 1909 he bought a farm of eighty acres, the place on which he has since made his home and where he is now living, and proceeded to improve the same, all the present improvements on the place having been made by him. As he prospered in his farming operations, Mr. Smith has added to his land holdings and now owns a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock and has done well with his Holstein cattle and his Chester White hogs. Mr. Smith is a Republican and since locating in Cot- tonwood county has given close attention to local civic affairs. For four years he was chairman of the township board and he also has served as a member of the school board for six or seven years. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Modern Brotherhood of America, in the affairs of both of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
On March 8, 1893, Willard C. Smith was united in marriage to Bertha Persons, daughter of George Persons, and to this union nine children have been born, Goldie M., Sylvia, Pearl, Willard, Ruby, Chauncey, Bertha, Beatrice and one, the fourth in order of birth, who died in infancy. The Smiths have a very pleasant farm home and take a proper interest in the general social activities of the neighborhood in which they live.
EMIL H. EICHSTAD.
Emil H. Eichstad, a well-known and progressive young farmer of Storden township, Cottonwood county, and the proprietor of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in the vicinity of Jeffers, is a native son of Cotton- wood county and has lived there all his life. He was born on a homestead farm in Amboy township, April 9, 1884, son of August and Louise (Borg- holz) Eichstad, natives of Germany, the former of whom was born on March 8, 1840, and the latter, May 1, 1847, who became pioneers of this section of Minnesota and are now living at Jeffers, comfortably retired.
August Eichstad and his wife came to America in 1882 and proceeded to Minnesota, coming on out to this part of the state and settling in Cotton- wood county. Mr. Eichstad homesteaded a tract in Amboy township, estab- lished his home there and proceeded to develop his farm. He was successful in his operations and became the owner of a half section of land, for years being regarded as one of the most substantial farmers in that vicinity. He continued his residence on the farm until 1913, when he and his wife moved
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to the village of Jeffers, where they are now living, pleasantly situated. Mr. Eichstad is a Republican and ever since coming to Minnesota has taken an earnest interest in local political affairs. He and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There are five of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being Frank, William, Anna and August.
Emil Eichstad was reared on the paternal farm in Amboy township, receiving his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, and grew up to the life of the farm, a valuable assistant to his father in the labors of developing the same. In 1906, the year of his marriage, he bought the northeast quarter of section 2 in Storden township, established his home there and has ever since resided there. He has brought his farm to an excellent state of cultivation and has the same well improved. In addi- tion to his general farming, he has given considerable attention to stock rais- ing and has done very well. He has a good farm residence and he and his family are very comfortably situated.
On October 3, 1906, Emil H. Eichstad was united in marriage to Martha Krahn and to that union four children have been born, Elmer, Ervin, Ada and a baby boy. Mr. and Mrs. Eichstad are members of the Lutheran church and take an earnest interest in the general beneficences of the same, as well as in all local good works, willing promoters of all movements hav- ing to do with the community welfare. Mr. Eichstad is a Republican and takes a popular interest in local political affairs.
T. P. CASSEM.
T. P. Cassem, one of the prominent and successful farmers and stock raisers, of Long Lake township, was born in Grundy county, Illinois, in 1855, being the son of Peter and Anna (Heggem) Cassem.
Peter and Anna Cassem were natives of Norway, and came to the United States immediately after their marriage in 1854. They located on a farm near Lisbon, Illinois, where they remained until their death some years later. To them were born three children: T. P., Eli and Christania.
T. P. Cassem received his education in the schools of Illinois and grew to manhood there, after which he was engaged in farming for himself for five years before going to Storey, Iowa. He was here in the mercantile busi-
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T. P. CASSEM AND FAMILY.
THE NEW YORK UBLIC LIBRARY
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ness for twelve years, when he sold and removed to Lake City, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for three years. In 1904 he engaged in farming at Tracy, Minnesota, and remained here until 1907, when he purchased his three-hundred-acre farm in Long Lake township and Odin village. He does general farming, and raises full-blood Duroc-Jersey hogs as well as full- blood Shorthorn cattle.
In 1881 T. P. Cassem was united in marriage to Caroline Nelson, the daughter of Knute Nelson and Ella Nelson, natives of Norway. Mrs. Cas- sem was born in Illinois and later came to Minnesota with her parents.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cassem have been born the following children: Perry James, Clarence, Alfred, Elmer, Palmer, deceased; Cora Tillie and William H. The family are members of the United Lutheran church.
Fraternally, Mr. Cassem is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has served his township as justice of the peace for six years.
HERMAN A. SENST.
Herman A. Senst, a substantial farmer of Highwater township, Cotton- wood county, owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in that township besides land in Clay county, member of the board of supervisors of his home township, treasurer of the Highwater Telephone Company, a director of the Farmers State Bank of Jeffers and of the elevator company at that place and otherwise identified with the general interests of that com- munity, is a native of Minnesota and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in Wabasha county, this state, August 27, 1871, son of Gottfried and Henrietta (Pultz) Senst, natives of Germany, who became early settlers in Minnesota, where they spent their last days.
Gottfried Senst was a weaver in his native land and in the early sixties came to the United States, proceeding directly to Minnesota and settling in Goodhue county. Five years later he moved with his family to Wabasha county, where he established his home and spent the rest of his active life. Upon his retirement from the active labors of the farm he moved over into Cottonwood county and there his last days were spent. He and his wife were members of the German Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There were six of these children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Henrietta Fredericka, Maria, Otto and Siegmund.
Herman A. Senst was reared on the paternal farm in Wabasha county
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and received his schooling in the neighborhood of his home. As a young man he moved into Cottonwood county and began farming in Highwater township. In 1895 he married and in 1898 he bought the quarter section in Highwater township on which he now lives and which he has developed in fine shape, his farm being well improved and profitably cultivated, all the improvements on the same having been made by himself. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Senst has given considerable attention to stock raising and has done very well. For ten years past he has given particular attention to the breeding of Duroc-Jersey hogs. In addition to his home farm Mr. Senst is the owner of a one-half interest in two hundred and forty acres in Clay county, is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers State Bank of Jeffers, a director of the Farmers Elevator Com- pany at Jeffers and treasurer of the Highwater Telephone Company, in the affairs of all of which concerns he takes an active interest. Mr. Senst also has given close attention to local governmental affairs and is a member of the board of supervisors of Highwater township and treasurer of his home school district.
On March 14, 1895, Herman A. Senst was united in marriage to Marie Krause and to this union five children have been born, Albert R., Clara E., Gilbert M., Arthur L. and Florence L. Mr. and Mrs. Senst are members of the German Lutheran church, in the various beneficences of which they take an active interest and Mr. Senst has been a member of the board of trustees of the church for many years. They have a pleasant home and the general attractiveness of their home place is enhanced by a well-kept grove.
ALFRED J. McCLEAN.
Alfred J. McClean, well-known dealer in real estate at Madelia and for years one of the most active factors in the development of this region, is a native son of Minnesota, born at Lake Crystal, in Blue Earth county, April 22, 1877, son of James and Annie (Smith) McClean, both natives of the state of New York, the former born in Niagara county and the latter near the city of Albany, the capital of that state, who became residents of the state of Minnesota in the days of their youth and have ever since resided in this state, now living pleasantly situated on a fine farm in Madelia town- ship, Watonwan county.
James McClean was about seventeen years old when he came to Minne-
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sota with his parents, the family settling in Blue Earth county, where, in the vicinity of Lake Crystal, James McClean was engaged in farming until 1870, when he moved into Cottonwood county and homesteaded a quarter of a section of land, remaining there for a few years, or until after his marriage, when he returned to Lake Crystal and there engaged in business, remaining there until 1892, in which year he moved onto a farm near Madelia, where he remained ten years. In 1902 he sold that farm and moved to Lewisville, in Watonwan county, where he and his eldest son, Alfred J., engaged in the general mercantile business. After a year thus engaged, James McClean left the store in the charge of his son and bought a farm of five hundred and sixty acres in the vicinity of Madelia, where he remained until 1910, when he sold that farm to advantage and moved to Madelia, where he and his son engaged in the lumber business and were thus engaged for four years, at the end of which time, in 1914, he sold his lumber interests and in the spring of 1915 moved to another farm in Madelia township, where he is now living. James McClean is a Republican and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local political affairs. He and his wife are members of the Christian church and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, of whom Alfred J. was the first-born, the others being Gertrude, Jessie, Mary, Ray, Frank and James.
Alfred J. McClean received his schooling in the public schools of Lake Crystal and in the schools of Minneapolis, in which latter city he lived for two or three years, between the ages of eight and eleven, and during which time he sold newspapers on the street. He later lived on the farm with his father and was engaged in farming the home place until he was nineteen years old, when he began running a huckster wagon throughout that part of the county and was thus engaged for two years, at the end of which time he became connected with his father in the general mercantile business at Lewis- ville, at the same time continuing to run his huckster wagon. In 1904 he and his father sold their store at Lewisville and he returned to Lake Crystal, but a little more than a year later, in the spring of 1906, he went to northern Wisconsin, where, in Sawyer county, he engaged in the lumber business, running an extensive logging camp until 1911, when, having exhausted the timber in the tract with which he was connected, he returned to Minnesota and engaged in the lumber business with his father at Madelia. Three years later, in 1914, he sold the lumber yard and has since given his whole atten- tion to the development of his growing real estate interests, he now being recognized as one of the leading dealers in realty in this part of the state. Mr. McClean is a Republican and has ever given his thoughtful attention to
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local political affairs. He was one of the first members of the town board of Lewisville and during his residence in Sawyer county, Wisconsin, was a member of the board of county commissioners; chairman of the township board and also chairman of the school board.
In 1899 Alfred J. McClean was united in marriage to Edith Rice, daugh- ter of Allen Rice, and to this union three children have been born, Lucile, Evelyn and Mildred Isabel. Mr. and Mrs. McClean take a proper part in the social and cultural activities of their home town and are interested in all movements having to do with the general advancement of the interests of the community. Mr. McClean is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Brotherhood of America Yeomen and the Modern Brotherhood of America, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
PETER F. GOOSEN.
The farmer is beginning to realize that Nature, and her multitudinous servants, cannot forever maintain the pristine fertility of the alluvial valley and loamy plains unless the reckless waste of the soil's riches is checked by scientific rotation of crops or intelligent use of the legumes. Peter F. Goosen is one of the farmers of Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county, who under- stands this and he therefore keeps his fields rich and productive. He was born in Russia, June 14, 1874, and is a son of Henry F. and Elizabeth (Voth) Goosen, both natives of Russia, from which country they immigrated with their family to America in 1888, locating at Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, and here they established the family home on a farm on which the father spent the rest of his life, being now deceased. The mother makes her home with the subject of this sketch. Eight children were born to these parents, namely: Elizabeth, Henry, Marie, deceased ; Marie, Susie, Peter F., Anna and John.
Peter F. Goosen spent his boyhood in Russia, being fourteen years old when his parents brought him to the United States. He received his educa- tion in Russia, only attending school two weeks after coming to Minnesota. He helped his father with the farm work, and for the past six years has farmed for himself, operating two hundred acres in Mountain Lake town- ship, on which he engages in general farming and stock raising, specializing in full-blood Duroc-Jersey hogs.
Mr. Goosen was married in 1909, to Maria Schultz, who was born south
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of Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county, where she grew up and attended the district schools. She is a daughter of Jacob Schultz, Sr., of that community. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Goosen: Jacob is deceased, Marie Martha, Anna Elizabeth and Elizabeth Susie.
Mr. Goosen was reared in the Mennonite faith, of which his parents were always adherents, and he belongs to the local church of this denomi- nation.
Jacob Schultz, Sr., and wife, Anna Voth, were both born in Russia, where they grew up and married, and immigrated to America in 1874, locat- ing near Youngstown, South Dakota, and in 1875 removed to Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, to the farm on which their son, Jacob J. Schultz, now resides, the father purchasing eighty acres, and as he prospered he added to his original place until he became owner of five hun- dred and nine acres, all in one section, lying a little southwest of the village of Mountain Lake, where he farmed on an extensive scale, until retiring from active life. They still reside in the village of Mountain Lake, where they have a comfortable home. Mr. Schultz was supervisor of Mountain Lake town- ship three terms and school clerk for twenty-one years. He and his family belong to the Mennonite church. He had seven children.
EDSON A. GIBBS.
The name of Edson A. Gibbs, a progressive real estate dealer of St. James, Watonwan county, needs no introduction to the readers of this history, for he has long been one of the influential citizens of this locality.
Mr. Gibbs was born in Woodstock, Vermont, November 4, 1865. He is a son of Seth W. and Lavina W. ( Holland) Gibbs. The father was born in Bridgewater, Vermont, in 1816, and died in Norwich, that state, August 5, 1865; the mother was born in Pittsfield, Vermont, in 1818; she came to Minnesota in 1895, and died in this state, January 19, 1891. Seth Gibbs devoted his active life to the hotel business. His family consisted of the fol- lowing children : William W., who came to St. James in 1877, and became proprietor of the St. Jantes Hotel, when it was a part of what is now the Boston Hotel; he became an extensive landowner in Watonwan county; his death occurred on September 25, 1914, at the age of seventy-three years. Myron D., second child of Seth W. Gibbs, came to Cameron Falls, Minne-
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sota, in 1874, later locating in Tracy, this state, where he lived twenty-nine years; his death occurred in April, 1908. Edson A., subject of this sketch, was the third child in order of birth.
Edson A. Gibbs received his education in Vermont, attending the public schools and the Norwich classical and English boarding school, taking a preparatory course for Dartmouth College. He learned telegraphy when a young man, and became operator at Bradford, Vermont, but not finding this work congenial, he learned the watchmaker's trade, went to Waltham, Massa- chusetts, and had charge of a retail jewelry store for George H. Waltham from 1876 to 1883, then he crossed the continent, and located at Marysville, California, where he engaged in the hotel business until he came to Minne- apolis in 1885 and engaged in business, handling gas and electric fixtures until 1890, in which year he opened the Hotel Gibbs in St. James, now the Boston House, the leading hotel in Watonwan county. He was proprietor of the same for five years, when he turned his attention to real estate and he has built up a very extensive and important business, his present offices being in the Olsen block. In reference to this line of endeavor, we quote the following from a local newspaper :
"There is probably no man in the county that personally knows of as many farms as does E. A. Gibbs, of the firm of Gibbs & Schweppe. Mr. Gibbs is the pioneer land man of the county. There is hardly a farm in the county that he does not know all about. He knows the good features and the bad features, where there are any, about every farm. He knows the farms that have yielded well for a series of years, and he knows those that have yielded extra well. His vast fund of information about the county is at the disposal of every prospective buyer. A talk with him will help to inspire confidence in the county. He can tell just what the crops have been for a period covering more than thirty years.
"Mr. Gibbs first started in business in St. James as proprietor of the Boston Hotel. While still in the hotel business he gradually got into the land business. In 1892 an irrigation project was opened in Montana and the attention of people was turned to that state. He secured the agency for this county to sell irrigated land. and in three years' time the land com- pany he was working for had sold eighteen thousand acres of the land. While he was selling Montana land he was also selling Watonwan county land to buyers from other states to the south and east of us.
"In 1897 Mr. Gibbs took in as partner in the land business, Andrew Strum. They worked an irrigated project in the south Platte Valley, Colo- rado, and all the time kept getting buyers here from Iowa and Illinois to
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buy this land as fast as the people sold it, to go other places. In 1899 he sold land in Charles Mix county. South Dakota, for ten dollars an acre that is now worth one hundred dollars an acre. From 1900 to 1910 he devoted more of his energies to locating people in this county, and many of our good farmers are thankful to Mr. Gibbs for inducing them to come to such a good country. In 1910 Mr. Gibbs took in as a partner, Henry Schweppe, and the firm has since been known as Gibbs & Schweppe. Having two good men on the job, it enables them to work both ends of the business. There are always people in the community who have money to invest in land and they generally want cheap land. There are renters who want to go where land is cheap and get a start for themselves. Mr. Schweppe has made a specialty of looking after the wants of those who are after cheaper lands, while Mr. Gibbs has continued to devote his time to get some of the best farmers from other states to settle here and help develop this country. Mr. Schweppe has sold many farms in Canada, largely to those who wanted to speculate in land. The firm has also sold land in Texas to those who want to get into a warmer country for the winters. The firm now has the state agency for an irrigated project in the Pecos Valley, Texas, and are locating other agents to work that country in the winter."
Politically, Mr. Gibbs is a Republican. He has been chairman of the Republican County Committee for many years. He served as mayor of St. James for two terms. He has done much to boost his town and county and has aided the general welfare of his locality in a most commendable manner. Fraternally, he is past master of Lodge No. 96, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; he is past high priest of Concord Chapter No. 25, Royal Arch Masons, and Mankato Commandery, Knights Templar, and also Order of Eastern Star; he is a member of St. James Lodge No. 207, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was first chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias lodge, instituted June 12, 1892. He is a member of the Presby- terian church.
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