USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 32
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 32
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ceilings of the early houses. For the last fifteen years of his life he was in poor health, and occupied his time in making brushes, wash-boards, and the like.
Mr. Larson was always an active member of the Swedish Lutheran church and held the office of deacon in the church for many years. He helped to build both the old and the new churches, and was always greatly interested in the welfare of his church. He was a good singer and music teacher in his younger days, having given organ lessons, and he was a leader in the church singing for years. He also served on the school board for many years.
Mr. Larson and his wife were the parents of nine children as fol- low: John, deceased; Sarah, the wife of Carl Thunberg a farmer of Ida township; John Lambert, who is a boilermaker in Superior City, Wisconsin ; Peter August, who married Hulda Sporr and is the owner of a garage at Brandon; Matilda, deceased; Erick Albert, a homesteader in North Dakota; Amanda, the wife of William Edks a teamster of Mora, Minnesota ; Hulda, the wife of Ole S. Lee, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work, and Axel, who died at the age of twenty-one.
SWAN M. ANDERSON.
Another of the prosperous Swedish farmers of Solem township is Swan M. Anderson, who was born in Sweden on December 12, 1865. He is a son of Anders Monson and Hannah ( Nelson) Anderson, both of whom were also natives of Sweden. Anders Monson was a farmer of his native land and came with his family to America in 1881, some years after his eldest son, Nels M., had come here, and together they purchased a farm in Washington county, Minnesota, which they later sold, and since that time, he has been retired from active farm life. He and his wife were the parents of four children, Anna, Nels M. (who is mentioned elsewhere in this work), Swan M., and Mary.
Swan M. Anderson was reared on his father's farm in Sweden, and had little chance for schooling in his native land, having started herding geese at the age of seven. In 1881 he came to America with his father's family, locating in Washington county, Minnesota, where his first employ- ment was herding cattle. In 1889 he came to Douglas county and started to farm by renting land, but later he purchased one hundred and twenty-
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three acres, and has gradually added to his land holdings until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of fine land in section 7 of Solem township, besides one hundred and sixty acres in section 9 of the same township. He has placed practically all the improvements on his farm, which is a well- kept and attractive place. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising.
In 1890 Swan M. Anderson was married to Anna E. Oslund, the daugh- ter of Erick Oslund, and to this union seven children have been born, Victor E., Henry A., Hattie A., Alma W., Edith M., Herman L. and Alice Viola. The family are adherents of the Swedish Lutheran church, to which they are liberal contributors and on the services of which they are regular attend- ants. Mr. Anderson is a trustee of the local church at Hoffman and is treasurer of the school board of district No. 71.
PETER A. PETERSON.
Another painstaking Swedish farmer of Ida township, Douglas county, is P. A. Peterson, who was born in Sweden on May 6, 1853, a son of Peter and Clara (Johnson) Peterson, natives of Sweden, who established their home on a farm. Their children were as follow: Peter A., the sub- ject of this sketch; Albertina, who lives in Sweden; John, who came to Minnesota and died in Alexandria, and Hilma.
Peter A. Peterson speut his boyhood in Sweden and attended school there. He came to America in 1879, landing in Quebec, and from there came directly to Minnesota, and has since lived in Douglas county, with the exception of some time spent in North Dakota, he having taken up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Eddy county, that state. Later he located in Ida township, Douglas county, pre-empting land, which he lived on and farmed until seven years ago, when he purchased the farm he now owns in Ida township, which place consists of two hundred acres, on which he is successfully carrying on general farming, making a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He owns stock in the farmers elevator in Garfield, also in the creamery and the potato warehouse there.
In April, 1884, Peter A. Peterson was married to Clara Lusty, a native of Sweden, from which country she came with her parents, John A. Lusty and wife, to Minnesota, the family locating on a farm in Spruce Hill town-
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ship, Douglas county. To Mr. and Mrs. Peterson four children have been born, Paul, Elmer, Arthur, and Alice. Mr. Peterson is a Republican and served as a member of the township board for a period of fourteen years continuously, being chairman of the same for four years of that period. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church.
MAJOR FREDERICK VON BAUMBACH.
Major Frederick von Baumbach, one of the most prominent and suc- cessful men of Douglas county, was born in Prussia on August 30, 1838, the son of Louis and Mina (von Schenk) von Baumbach.
Louis von Baumbach was a man of much prominence and influence in Prussia. He was an officer of high rank in the Prussian army and fought with his country against the first Napoleon, his success as an officer and a leader of men giving him a commanding position in the German govern- ment. He was elevated to the position of president of the diet of Hesse- Cassel and was elected a member of the German parliament in 1848. Mr. von Baumbach was a member of the progressive element, in that, the most important parliament in the history of the Empire, in fact, it was epochal in the crisis that followed. Mr. von Baumbach, having championed the cause of the people, was compelled to leave the country with the failure of the cause and the upheaval that followed, and he, with other distinguished men, came to the United States in 1849.
Upon coming to the United States, Louis von Baumbach located for a time on a farm in Ohio, near Elyria. He and his large family later removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Mr. von Baumbach became the German consul, a position he retained until 1883. Mina (von Schenk) von Baum- bach, the wife and mother, was of a family of distinguished people of Hesse-Cassel, her family having had many representatives who won high rank as soldiers and statesmen. Mrs. von Baumbach died in 1869.
The old Baumbach estate, Kirchleim, in Hesse-Cassel founded in 1300 is still in possession of the family. It was on this estate that Frederick von Baumbach was born and lived until he was ten years of age. His early education was obtained while living there under the direction of a private tutor, who always resided with the family. At the time the family came to the United States Frederick was one of the younger members of the family. After locating in Ohio he attended school at Elyria and later at
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Milwaukee, when the family removed to that city. After completing a course in a business college he worked in a bank at Milwaukee until 1860.
Upon resigning his position in the bank, Frederick von Baumbach removed to San Antonio, Texas, and was there at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, a time of the most intense excitement. His sympathies being with the North, he had some exciting adventures in getting out of the South. Upon reaching Milwaukee he enlisted, June 1, 1861, as a private in Company C, Fifth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He later served as corporal, sergeant and sergeant-major, and on June 13, 1862, was commissioned a second lieutenant and later a first lieutenant. On December 1I, 1863, he was appointed captain of Company B, Thirty-fifth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and on October 24, 1865, was promoted to major, which was his rank when he was mustered out of the service at Brownsville, Texas, March 15, 1866, after having served nearly five years. Major von Baumbach saw service in many of the battles of the war, among some of the more important having been Yorktown, Williams- burg, the seven-days fight before Richmond, second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Mobile and Spanish Fort. In all his long service he received nothing but the highest praise from his superior officers. He had given some of the best years of his life, as well as his best efforts, to the cause of his adopted country, and he returned to private life with a record worthy of any man.
In 1863 Frederick von Baumbach was united in marriage to Sarah J. Decker, of Milwaukee. Shortly after the close of the war he decided to locate further west and with that intention he visited Douglas county, Minnesota. He was much pleased with the country and the prospects, yet he returned to Wisconsin and there engaged in the drug business at Fond du Lac. After a year his store burned and he returned to Douglas county, and established a home on the shore of Lake Agnes, just north of Alexandria, where he now has a beautiful place and it is there that he and his family now reside. Mr. and Mrs. von Baumbach, having no children of their own, adopted a boy and a girl, Jacob and Julia. The family are active members of the Congregational church. Major von Baumbach's first wife died on August 2, 1913, and in August, 1914, he married Mrs. Carrie Hammond, of St. Paul.
Major von Baumbach has always been an active Republican and for years a leader in the party ranks; it being but natural, therefore, that in time he has been elected to office. In 1872 he was elected auditor of Doug- las county and served in that position until 1879. He then was elected sec-
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retary of state for the state of Minnesota and was twice re-elected, holding the office from 1880 to 1887. He then returned to Douglas county and was again elected county auditor. During the time of the building of the new court house he was placed in charge of the construction of the same and his services were satisfactory to all. In 1898, at the time of the, Spanish- American War, and after the passage of the new internal revenue law, which was passed to raise funds for the prosecution of hostilities, Major von Baumbach was appointed by President Mckinley, as internal revenue col- lector, with headquarters at St. Paul. He retained that position until 1914. since which time he has lived a retired life on his estate on Lake Agnes.
Major von Baumback has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Loyal Legion, the latter an organization composed only of commissioned officers of the Civil War. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both in public and private life, Major von Baumbach has always been honored and respected by the com- munity, county and state. His life has been an active and an honorable one and he has accomplished much that is good and noble.
SAMUEL O. WAGENIUS.
Samuel O. Wagenius, one of the well-known and prominent citizens of Holmes City and postmaster of that village, was born in the northern part of Sweden on January 16, 1849, the son of Ole and Carrie Wagenius, both of whom were natives of that country, where they lived and died. Ole Wagenius was a successful farmer and the family were highly respected in the community in which they lived.
Samuel O. Wagenius was one of a family of five children and received his education in the public schools and at the seminary at Delsbo, Sweden. He graduated from the later institution, having taken the normal course, and successfully engaged in teaching for a number of years. He remained in his native land until he was twenty-two years of age, when he decided that he would locate in America. He landed at Quebec and came direct to Iowa, locating at McGregor, that state, where he remained for seven years ; during which time he continued his studies and engaged in teaching and other work. In 1878 he came to Minnesota, and here he located in Goodhue county, where he was engaged as a clerk in a mercantile estab-
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lishment at White Rock. After three years in that place he came to Holmes City, Douglas county, and here he became a clerk for M. F. Munson, who conducted a flour-mill and a general store. In 1884 Mr. Wagenius and Ole Olson, purchased the store of Mr. Munson and conducted the same until 1897, in which year Mr. Wagenius purchased the interest of Mr. Olson and thereafter operated the business alone for a number of years. He later sold to Hanson Brothers and retired from the business. During the time when Wagenius & Olson conducted the store an incident occurred that cast a pall over the entire community. The building in which they conducted their business was destroyed by fire, and a son of Mr. Olson lost his life in the flames, the body being found in the ruins. The boy had slept in the building and it is surmised that he had been murdered by rob- bers and the store fired.
In addition to his other business interests, Mr. Wagenius is the owner of thirty-nine acres of valuable land, the most of which is within the cor- porate limits of the village of Holmes City. Years ago he was appointed postmaster of Holmes City and continues to occupy that position. As a public official he has been true to the trust imposed in him and has the confidence and respect of the entire community.
On June 29, 1881, Samuel O. Wagenius was united in marriage, at Can- non Falls, Goodhue county, this state, to Betsy Hogman, the daughter of Imbrick and Brita Hogman, prominent people of that county, where Mr. Hogman was engaged in general farming and stock raising. To this union five children were born, Carl, Mary Caroline, Hattie Victoria, Ruth A. and Reuben Samuel Eugene. Carl was born on August 27, 1882; Mary, October 3. 1884; Hattie, June 2, 1889; Ruth, March 14, 1897, and Reuben Samuel E., August 1, 1899. The family are active members of the Swedish Luthe- ran church, of which Mr. Wagenius was for many years a deacon, Sunday school superintendent and secretary. He has always taken much interest in religious work and has devoted much time to the work in his home com- munity.
Mr. Wagenius is a stanch Republican and has always taken a keen interest in local affairs. In 1887 he was elected clerk of Holmes City town- ship, and has ever since held that position. He has for many years been the secretary of the Holmes City Fire Insurance Company and has done effective work in that position. His life has been an active one and the work that he has done has been well done and has received the approval of the community.
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JOHN A. LUSTY.
John A. Lusty, a successful and well-known farmer of Spruce Hill township. Douglas county, was born in Sweden on November 24, 1866, the son of Andrew and Margaret ( Larson) Lusty, who were also born in Sweden, where they received their education in the public schools and grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. There Andrew Lusty en- gaged in farming and took military training. They remained in their native land until 1870, when they decided to locate in America. On their arrival at New York they remained in that city for some time. Mr. Lusty being there engaged as a laborer. He later worked on the railroad for a time and in 1872 the family came to Minnesota, where Mr. Lusty homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 34. of Spruce Hill township. Douglas county. The tract at that time was all in heavy timber and with- out improvements of any kind. A small log house was built, in which the family lived for some years. Mr. Lusty had no team with which to assist in the clearing of his land and as he had but very little money with which to hire the work done, it was necessary for him to work for others until his financial condition was improved. The first team that he had some time later was a team of oxen he raised from calves. With that team he did much of his clearing and cultivated his farm for years. In 1873 the mother, brothers and sisters of Andrew Lusty, came to the United States to join their son and brother, and they drove into Douglas county from Melrose, at that time the nearest railroad point.
Andrew Lusty succeeded in developing and improving his farm until he had one of the model farms of the community. There he engaged in general farming and stock raising for many years and was successful. He always took much interest in local affairs and had much to do with the social and civic improvement of the township. In 1895 he retired from the activities of the life on the farm and died on March 22, 1905. at the age of eighty-four years. The widow survived but a short time, she dying on April 4 of that year. They were the parents of nine children, Mary, Anna. Johnas (deceased). Johanna, Peter, Clara, John, Augusta ( deceased ) and Anton ( deceased). John and Augusta were twins.
John A. Lusty received his education in the schools of Spruce Hill township and as a lad and young man assisted with the work of clearing and improving the homestead. He grew to manhood amid the pioneer surroundings and suffered many of the early privations of the pioneers.
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From 1886 to 1892 he was in North Dakota and some of the Western states. He homesteaded eighty acres in North Dakota, but later returned to Douglas county, where he purchased eighty acres in section 23, Spruce Hill township. He owned that farm for three years and during that time purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his father, after which the parents lived with John A. Lusty. After he assumed possession of the farm he made many improvements and has done much clearing. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising and feeds most of the grain that he raises.
In 1905 John A. Lusty was united in marriage to Anna Davis, and to this union five children have been born, Oliver, Wilhelm, Leslie, Maria and Clara. Mr. and Mrs. Lusty are active members of the Lutheran church and have always taken much interest in church work. They are prominent in the social and religious life of the community and are held in high regard by all. Mr. Lusty is a Republican, has been active in local affairs and his influence has ever been used in the promotion of all enterprises that would tend to the advancement and the betterment of the township and the com- munity.
MRS. PETER JOHNSON.
Mrs. Peter Johnson, who lives on her excellent farm in Belle River township, Douglas county, was born on July 28, 1863, in Sweden. Her maiden name was Ulricka Hanson, and she is a daughter of Peter and Maria (Larson) Hanson, natives of Sweden, where they grew up, mar- ried and established their home; but emigrated to America with their family in 1869, coming directly to Minnesota, the father securing a good farm in Osakis township, Douglas county, on which he spent the rest of his life, dying in 1908, at the age of seventy-five years. His widow is still living on the homestead of one hundred and sixty acres. Their daughter Ulricka was six years old when they brought her to the United States and she grew to womanhood on the home farm in Osakis township, receiving her schooling in the district schools. There she met and married Peter John- son, who was born on July 18, 1862, in Sweden, a son of John Johnson and wife, who brought their family from Sweden to America in 1870, coming directly to Minnesota, the father taking up a homestead in Osakis township, Douglas county. Peter Johnson was eight years old when the family came to this country and here he grew to manhood, helping his
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father develop the farm and attending the rural schools in his neighbor- hood. When starting out in life for himself he bought one hundred and sixty acres in section 32 of Belle River township, all wild land; but he worked hard and soon had it under cultivation and in time well improved. having cleared the major portion of it himself. There he spent the rest of his life engaged in general farming, his death occurring on September II, 1894.
Peter Johnson and Ulricka Hanson were married in 1888, and to their union the following children were born: Anna, who married Henry Sibell; Alfred, born on September 18, 1891, who married Hulda Stahl and lives on eighty acres, a part of the home place, which he has purchased, and he has two children, Vernon and Lucile: Adolph, and Albin who are with their mother on the homestead, a part of which she retains and is operating with the help of her children.
THEODORE ALFRED JENSEN.
Theodore Alfred Jensen, a successful business man of Nelson, was born in Denmark, in 1867, the son of Hans and Nettie C. (Nelson) Jensen, natives of Denmark, where they were educated, grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. Mr. Jensen was a ship builder and devoted the greater part of his life to that work. During 1863 and 1864 he served his country as a soldier in the war with Germany. In 1892 Hans and Net- tie Jensen came to America and located in Minnesota, where their children were living. Mrs. Jensen died some years later and Mr. Jensen is living in Nelson, where he has lived a retired life since coming to the United States.
Theodore Alfred Jensen was unable to devote much time to his early education, owing to the fact that at the age of seven years he became deaf, the result of a severe attack of scarlet fever. This condition continued until he was nineteen years of age, when, by constant attention and medical treatment, his hearing was entirely restored. Yet he has acquired a broad view of life through reading and association with others. In 1891 he came to the United States, landing at Boston on January 23, of that year. He came at once to Minnesota and remained for one year on his brother's farm in Douglas county. The farm belonged to C. H. Jensen, the present county recorder of Douglas county. At the end of the year Theodore Alfred Jensen returned to his trade, that of a carpenter, and followed that trade
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until 1907, when he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land near Pierre, South Dakota, where he and his family resided until 1911, in which year they returned to Minnesota and located for a time at Minneapolis, where Mr. Jensen worked at the carpenter trade. They later returned to Nelson, where he has since operated a restaurant and has been successful. In 1915 Mr. Jensen engaged in the auto livery business in connection with his restaurant.
In 1902 Theodore Alfred Jensen was united in marriage to Nicolenia Iversen and to this union have been born two children, Wallace and Flor- ence. The family are members of the Danish Lutheran church and Mr. Jensen is a member of the Danish Brotherhood of America.
C. A. CARLSON.
C. A. Carlson, a well-known and successful farmer of Brandon town- ship, Douglas county, was born in Sweden on October 9, 1861, the son of Carl J. and Anna (Johnson) Peterson, also natives of Sweden, where they received their education in the public schools and grew to manhood and womanhood. As a young man, Mr. Peterson learned the tailor trade, at which he worked for many years. He is now past eighty-four years of age, and still a resident of the land of his nativity. Mrs. Peterson died in 1900, at the age of sixty-eight years. They were the parents of seven chil- dren, Allin. C. August, Gust, Hilma, Hulda, Anna and Oscar. The latter son went to Alaska many years ago and has never since been heard from by the home folks.
C. A. Carlson received his education in the public common schools of Sweden and there grew to manhood. He remained a resident of his native country until 1891, when, at the age of thirty, he decided to come to America. After landing at Halifax, he came directly to Minnesota and followed his trade, that of a carpenter, in Grant county, for one year, after which he engaged in farming. He remained in Grant county until 1897, when he came to Douglas county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 6 of Brandon township. This farm he has developed and improved and today has one of the well-cultivated and well- managed farms of the township. In 1915 he erected a large stock barn, fifty by sixty feet. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising and has been successful.
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In 1886 C. A. Carlson was united in marriage to Sophia Anderson, also a native of Sweden, who died on July 18, 1911, at the age of forty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Carlson were the parents of eight children, Axel, Oscar, Emily, Fred, Matilda, David (deceased), Ethel and Edwin. Axel and Oscar Carlson are carpenters and built the new barn on the home place. Mr. Carlson is an active member of the Swedish Lutheran church, as was his wife, and takes a proper interest in church work. Mrs. Carlson was a woman who was universally beloved and her death was mourned by all. Mr. Carlson is deeply interested in the educational system of his township and for five years served as a member of the school board. He is a man of wide experience and possessed of excellent judgment, his advice often being sought on matters of importance in the township and county.
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