History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 74

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547

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H. HANSON HOVE, a native of Norway, was born on the 11th of April, 1811. At the age of twenty years he was married to Miss Margaret Hansdat- ter. They came to America, locating in La Salle county, Illinois, in 1860. The following year they moved to Minnesota, settling in Fillmore county, and thence to Houston county in 1862. After residing in several different towns, they came to their present farm in Looney valley in 1876. Of ten children born to this union, six are living. Henry H. resides on the farm with his parents; he was born on the 24th of April, 1851, in Norway. In 1880, he was married to Miss Gunda Olson, the ceremony taking place on the 20th of March. They have one child, Hanna Amalea.

ALVAH B. HUNT, a resident of the town since a child, is a son of Elihu Hunt, deceased, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, in the year 1811. He learned the tanner's trade, and for many years owned and operated a tannery in Indiana. Dur. ing his residence in the State he held numerous local offices, and was a member of the House of Representatives for several terms. The subject of this sketch was born in Wayne county, in the lat- ter State, on the 18th of August, 1852, He came with his parents to this town in 1856. His father purchased a farm in sections twenty-seven and twenty-two, on which he lived until his death on the 16th of March, 1868. Alvah attended the public schools for a time, then went to Faribault and entered the Shattuck School, remaining two years, after which he continued his studies at the

Normal School of Winona. He then went to Owatonna and engaged as a book-keeper. On the 16th of June, 1875, he was married in the latter city to Miss Mary J. Bowen, and soon after re- turned to his former home in this place. Mr. Hunt devotes the greater portion of his time to stock raising, also buys and ships considerable. He has a fine farm, a large portion of which is improved.

C. A. HANSEN is a native of Sweden, born in the year 1846. He came to America in 1871, directly to Minnesota, and located in Rushford, Fillmore county, where he remained two years, engaged in a wagon shop. In 1873, he was married to Miss Grethe Larson, who has borne him four children. They moved to this town in 1873, and Mr. Hansen soon opened a blacksmith shop, which he has since conducted.

BARNEY JOHNSTON dates his birth the 1st of No- vember, 1829. In 1844, the family located in Milwaukee, and the following year moved to Dodge county; remained till 1854, and came to this town, locating in section thirty-one. His father, Joseph Johnston, died on the 16th of Au- gust, 1864. Our subject purchased a farm ad- joining that of his father, and gives his entire attention to its cultivation. Mrs. Catherine Jane Feath became his wife on the 27th of December, 1874. They have been blessed with one child, Roy. Mr. Johnston has been a member of the board of Supervisors for the past two years.

ANDREW P. JOHNSON is a native of Sweden, his birth dating the 24th of October, 1834. When he was quite young his parents moved to Norway, where Andrew received his education in an agri- cultural institute, after which he was employed on large farms. He came to America in 1863, and directly to Minnesota, locating in Winona, where he was engaged at marble work and in the furni- ture business. In 1866, he came to this village, and for a few months had charge of a saloon, then devoted his time to farm labor until the fall of 1867, when he opened a liquor store, but soon after engaged in the lumber business in company with F. N. Goodrich, also giving some attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1871, he again opened a liquor and grocery store, and about five years after adding a stock of general merchandise. A few years later the liquor was taken from the stock, and in connection with his mercantile business he now deals in live stock and wheat. Mr. Johnson

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also owns an interest in a store at Heron Lake, which was opened in 1873. He is an officer in the Norwegian Lutheran church, and has held several town offices, such as Supervisor, Treasurer, etc., and in 1880 was President of the Board of Trus- tees. Mr. Johnson has been twice married, first to Miss Hannah C. Hanson, who bore him two chil- dren, Hilda and Martha. His present wife was Miss Olene Olson. Of seven children born to this union, tive are living, Nora, Martena, Obert, Amelia, and Peter.

ANDRA LUNDEGREN was born in Sweden on the 19th of February, 1847. At the age of nine years he commenced learning the tailor trade. He was united in marriage with Miss Gustavia Svenson, on the 16th of November, 1872. They came to America the following year and located in Pennsylvania, where Mr. Lundegren was en- gaged at his trade. In 1876, he came to this vil- lage and opened a tailor shop which was the only one in the place. Of five children born to them, four are living,

REV. DAVID D. MITCHELL, the only resident minister in this town, is a native of Madison, Lena- wee county, Michigan, born on the 12th of Oc- tober, 1847. He resided with his parents, attend- ing the schools of his native place until the age of twenty-one years, after which he was employed in mercantile pursuits for several years. In 1872, he went to Hillsdale and entered the college of that place, from which he was graduated with high honors in June, 1878. Before graduating, (in April, 1876, ) he was ordained in the Free Will Baptist faith, the president of the college, Dr. D. W. C. Durgin, preaching the ordination sermon. Mr. Mitchell came to Houston county soon after his graduation, locating in Money Creek, where he had charge of a church, and at the same time assisted in the organization of the present church at Houston. On the 13th of March, 1878, he was joined in marriage with Miss Ursula Woods, of Hillsdale, Michigan. They have been blessed with one child, Edna L. After conducting ser- vices at Crystal Lake, Hennepin county, for a short time, Mr. Mitchell came to his charge in May, 1881, having under his guidance, besides the church a Houston, one at Money Creek and an appointment at Yucatan.

S. B. McINTIRE dates his birth the 21st of July, 1838, at Dedham, Massachusetts, where he received his education in the public schools. He

came with his parents to Houston county in 1855, locating in what is now known as Yucatan. In 1858, he was appointed cadet for West Point, by James Cavanaugh, M. C. it being the first appoint- ment from this State. He gradualed from the lat- ter institution in June, 1862, and served till the close of the war in the Second Regiment Regular Artillery, after which he was ordered to Califor- nia, and two years later to Alaska, where he served until 1870, when he resigned, having held the office of First Lieutenant and brevet-Captain. Miss Helen F. Weld became his wife in October, 1870. Since his residence in this place Mr. McIntire has devoted his time to the study of law, and agricul- tural pursuits. He has held the office of Town Clerk three years, and is serving his fourth term as Justice of the Peace.

W. G. McSPADDEN, who built the first house in Houston, and has since been identified with the organization and growth of the town, is a native of Down county, Ireland, born on the 14th of November, 1826. When he was two years old his parents came to America, locating in New York, where at the age of sixteen years our sub- ject enlisted as musician in the Second United States Regular Infantry, Company C. He was stationed at Mackinaw, remaining eighteen months, after which he served through the Mesi- can war, from which he was discharged in 1849. He then came to Wisconsin, locating in Menasha, and on the 31st of January, 1850, was married in the neighboring town to Miss Julia A. Narricong. They soon after came to La Crosse where Mr. Mc- Spadden opened the Black River Hotel, and put the first ferry across the Mississippi at that point. In 1850, he came to Houston county, and coming up the Root River to its forks, he took a claim on which to lay out a town site, made necessary im- provements and platted that portion known as Lower Houston. In 1854, he brought his family up, and the following year removed to his present farm, where he erected a saw-mill, and a few years later, a flour-mill. At the outbreak of the war he was chosen Captain of the first company formed in this county, but as they were not accepted, Mr. McSpadden went to La Crosse and organized a company, which, by order of Gen. Fremont, be- came Company E, of the Eighth Missouri Volun- teer Infantry, Mr. McSpadden holding the office of First Lieutenant and participating in many important engagements. In 1878, his mills were

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burned, since which time he has devoted his atten- tion to the manufacture of sorghum, which he car- ries on quite extensively, and the cultivation of his farm.

EDMUND MACKINTIRE, one of the pioneers of this county, is a native of Orange county, Vermont, born on the 11th of May, 1811. He went to live with his grandparents when quite young, and at the age of fourteen years removed to Boston, where, a few years later, he bought and run a line of stages from the latter city to Dedham, continu- ing in the business until the building of a railroad in the place, of which he was conductor. He afterward carried on a hotel, and in 1845, went to New Orleans and engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1850, he made a trip to California, remained two years in the mining re- gions and returned to Dedham, where he conduc- ted a hotel until 1855. He then came to Houston county, locating in Yucatan, where he erected a flour mill, to which he afterwards added a distil- lery. He served as Justice of the Peace in the latter town for several years, and in 1857, was elec- ted to the State Legislature, serving two terms. In 1861, he removed to the town of Hous- ton, and for several years was engaged in the hotel business, but the town center afterward be- ing changed, he abandoned the occupation, since which time he has given his attention to the culti- vation of his farm, which joins the village, and makes the old hotel his residence. Since coming here he has held the office of Supervisor for one term.

CHRIST NELSON, a native of Norway, was born on the 5th of April, 1841. In 1851, he came to America, locating in Iowa, and engaged in farm- ing. On the 15th of March, 1863, he enlisted in the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, Company D, serving with General Sully on the frontier, and in the campaign against the Indians, receiving his discharge after a service of two years and eight months. He then came to Houston county, locating in Sheldon where he was married to Miss Hage Aslagson, the ceremony dating the 10th of September, 1866. They resided on a farm in the latter town for about five years, then came to this place which has since been their home, Mr. Nelson carrying on a saloon. The fruits of this union are three children; Tilda, Anne, and Netty.

JONAS OLANDER was born in the western part of Sweden on the 27th of January, 1844. He was

engaged in agricultural pursusts in his native country until coming to America in 1869, locating first in Door county, Wisconsin, where he remain- ed a few years. In May, 1870 he was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Oland, who has borne him six children, four of whom are living. In 1872, Mr. and Mrs. Olander removed to Houston county, and until 1878, resided on a farm in Win- nebago valley. Then the subject of our sketch purchased an interest in the mills at that place where he remained until 1880. In the latter year he came to this township, purchased land adjoin- ing the village, and has since made it his home, giving his attention to tilling the soil. Mr. and Mrs. Olander have been consistent members of the Swede Baptist church since 1877, and are now members of the church at Swede Bottom.

ALBERT OLSON, one of the pioneers of the town, is a native of Norway, born on the 22d of March, 1820. He was reared on a farm, and when twenty years of age commenced learning the ship-carpen- ter's trade, at which he was employed until 1849. He then came to America, resided in Dane county, Wisconsin, two years and moved to La Crosse. Since 1853, he has been a resident of this place, taking a claim near the present village of Houston. Miss Tona Halverson became his wife on the 7th of February, 1858. They have four children.

JOHN J. RAMSTAD, & native of Christiania, Nor- way, was born on the 27th of Nowember, 1846. He came to America in 1870, and directly to Min- nesota, residing for one year in Spring Grove, thence to Riceford were he was engaged in a grist- mill, and afterwards to Rushford in the same busi- ness. In 1878, he came to Houston, and has since been employed in the Roller Mills of this place; he is at present head miller. His wife was Miss Carrie J. Gunderson, daughter of Jacob Gunder- son, of Spring Grove.

ALEXANDER S. REID is a son of George Reid, who served in the war of 1812, and should he live till the 9th of September, 1882, will be one hun . dred years old, He is still in good health and possesses all his senses but that of hearing. Alex- ander, the subject of this sketch, was born in Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, on the 30th of January, 1826. He resided with his parents on a farm until the age of twenty-eight years, after which he was engaged in buying and selling live stock. In 1867, he came to this place, and has since been dealing in grain. Mr. Reid was

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joined in marriage with Miss Lucinda Tyler on the 6th of April, 1855. Of five children born to this union, three are living, Mary, Sarah, and Estella. Mr. Reid's father is also one of this family.

KNUD SORUM is a native of Norway, born on the 1st of February, 1826. In 1853, he came to America, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin, and remained until 1854, when he came to this town. He settled in the upper part of Looney Valley, where he was among the first to locate, but in a few months removed to section one, which has since been his home. When first coming here Mr. Sorum devoted considerable time to hunting, hav- ing killed as many as thirty deer in one winter. In January, 1881, he married Mrs. G. Herbjorn- son. One child, Henry O., has been born to them.

LEWIS SWENSON was born in Sweden on the 29th of January, 1846. His parents moved from the "Old Country" in 1853, resided for a few months in Canada, then came to Chicago and spent the winter of 1853 and '54. Coming to this town the following spring, they located in what is known as "Swede Bottom." Here Lewis assisted his father in farm labor for some years. He enlisted in Company H, of the 11th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, in 1864, serving till the close of the war. Miss Matilda Anderson became his wife on the 1st of January, 1869, and they have three children. Mr. Swenson owns a fine farm in section two, where he has lived a number of years.

HIRAM P. STAFFORD, one of the pioneers of the town, is a native of New York, born in Erie county on the 23d of July, 1822. When young he learned the shoemakers' trade at Sandusky, Ohio, but after about a year he returned to his native State and was engaged in different occupa- tion until 1845. He then returned to Ohio, locat- ing in Cleveland, and afterwards in Akron. In 1847, he was joined in marriage with Miss Char- lotte Proctor, the result of which union is seven children. In 1849, Mr. and Mrs Stafford removed to Janesville where he was engaged at his trade for a time, then went to California, remained about eighteen months, after which he returned to Wis- consin and opened a shoe store at La Crosse. In 1852, he located a farm in this township, having since made it his home. Mr. Stafford has held different local offices since his residence in the place, and has been constable for the past sixteen years.

ALONZO B. SMITH is a native of Connecticut,

born in New Haven on the 6th of January, 1851. He learned the clock making trade, which he fol- lowed in his native State until 1877, then came to Chicago and continued in the business. He came to Houston county in 1880,and for one year had charge of the Gates House at Money Creek, then coming to Houston he has since been proprietor of the Sherman House. Mr. Smith has been twice mar- ried. First to Miss Lettie M. Southworth. His present wife was the widow of Oliver P. Gates, who was a prominent citizen of Money Creek, and pro- prietor of the Gates house.

ISAAC THOMPSON, who located a farm in this place as early as 1853, is a native of Bennington county, Vermont, born on the 12th of February, 1829. His father died when the subject of this sketch was but an infant, and for many years Isaac resided with a farmer named David Sheldon. He assisted on the farm, and when old enough taught school for a time, after which he attended the Academy at Homer, Michigan. In 1851, he came to Wisconsin and taught school about five miles south of Milwaukee one winter, then moved to La Crosse and devoted his time to survey- ing. He also opened a land office in the latter city in company with two others, in which occupa- tion he was engaged until 1859. In September, 1853, he made a claim in sections twenty-six and thirty-five, of this town, making improvements on the land until 1859, when he located a farm in section twenty-three, on which he moved and has since resided. He still devotes considerable time to surveying, and for several years was County Surveyor, also held the office of County Commis- sioner seven years. In 1868, he was elected to the State Legislature, which position he occupied two terms.

LARS A. TENNISON is a son of Arian Tenni- son, who was born in Norway in the year 1808. He was a ship carpenter and sailor in his native country, and came to America in 1846. For four years he resided in Milwaukee, then in Chicago until 1854, and while at both places, was employed as a ship carpenter. In the latter year he came to this town, locating a farm in section thirty-two, where he remained until his death in 1862. Lars was about two years old when the family left their native land in July, 1844. He resided with his parents until the death of his father, after which he served one year with the First Minnesota Mounted Rangers, then returned to his home, and

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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

a year later, re-enlisted in the Eleventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, serving till the close of the war. He again returned home, and soon after en- tered the employ of Isaac Abrahamson, where, in 1868, he was admitted as partner and remained two years. During the year 1871, he was engaged in the wheat business, after which he conducted a mercantile establishment at Delavan, Faribault county. In 1874, he returned to Houston and opened a general hardware and furniture store, in which he carries a $3,000 stock, and does an an- nual business amounting to $10,000. Mr. Tenni- son has filled many local offices, was Postmaster two years, and is now President of the board of Trustees. He also holds offices in the Lutheran Church, of which he is a member. He has been twice married; first to Miss Annie Thorson, who bore him four children, two of whom, Samuel and Josephine, are living. His present wife was Miss

Carrie A. Gedestad. This union has been blessed with two children, Anna and Alfred.

LAFAYETTE WHITEHOUSE is a son of Stowel and Janette Whitehouse, who came from Oswego county, New York, to Wisconsin in 1852. After a residence of two years in Watertown, they moved to Houston county and were among the first set- tlers of Money Creek. Lafayette, the subject of this sketch, was united in marriage with Miss Etta Briggs, the ceremony taking place on the 25th of December, 1869. The union has been blessed with three children, Laura B., Jennie M., and Coralin. In 1875, both families came to this place, since which time our subject has been en- gaged in the livery business. Mr. Whitehouse is the second of four brothers; Jermain' E., the oldest, resides at Money Creek, Edgar is dead, and Charles V., the' youngest, owns a restaurant and grocery store in this place.

JEFFERSON.

CHAPTER LVII.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION-EARLY SETTLEMENT-FIRST BIRTH - DEATH - MARRIAGE - ORGANIZATION- JEFFERSON VILLAGE -- RELIGIOUS - SCHOOLS - A REMINISCENCE-BIOGRAPHICAL.

This town occupies the southeast corner of Houston county, and of the state of Minnesota. The eastern boundary is the Mississippi River. The northern tier of sections in the original govern- ment survey is taken to help make Crooked Creek township, but the loss of these is compen- sated for by the addition of several sections on the east from the adjoining township, the bulk of which falls on the Wisconsin side of the river, and so this town, in area, does not differ very widely from an original government township.

The topography of the town, in the eastern por- tion is characteristic of the western bank of the Mis- sissippi in this region. For two or three miles from the river bank, there are numerous sloughs, the intervening land being hardly land at all, but a

mass of swampy alluvium, a part of which has not been utilized for any purpose whatever. Back from this are the ridges, the bluffs, the dunes, and the conical shaped hills, with the intervening ra- vines. The great ravine of the town is that of the Winnebago River, which comes in from the west through sections thirty and twenty-nine, as well as twenty-eight, and then tortuously into twenty- seven, turns south through thirty-four, and finally empties into a slough in the eastern part of seo- tion thirty-five. North and south of this depres- sion, which has several branches on each side, there may be said to be table lands, of greater or less widths.

The town is rather noted for its springs, which appear on the points of the bluffs near the river.

The soil is a rich loam along the valley, which is comparatively narrow. The bluffs rise several hundred feet, but there are some good, but small farms on these ridges. Some of the bottom lands near the river, where not timbered, furnish peren- nial crops of hay of a wild or meadow variety.

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Near the Catholic Church in section twenty-eight, is a fine large spring, which, in earlier days, was so much larger than now, that a bargain was almost closed with Mr. P. Donahue, the owner, for a mill site, as it-was thought at that time to furnish suf- ficient water to run a factory, which was in con- templation.

The varieties of soil are not unlike other parts of the county near the river. There is timber and prairie, ravine and ridge land, giving to the scenery a picturesqueness which is ever changing as one travels from place to place. The town is tolerably well settled, but there are still, according to the plats, quite a number of government forties with other larger tracts still in the market.

In surveying the State line between Iowa and Minnesota, west from the Mississippi, no suitable place could be found to plant the iron monument, prepared to mark the boundary, until reaching about three miles from the river, when it was placed on the line in the center of section thir- ty-five.

THE IRON POST .- The line post above mention- ed is on the first high ground west of the river. It is an obelisk of cast-iron, a half-inch thick, and five feet eight inches above ground; it is twelve inches square at the base and tapers to seven at the top. The lettering and figures are cast up- on the monument. On the north side in a vertical line, as they are on each side, is the word, Minne- sota, on the south, Iowa, on the west, Lat. 43 degrees 30 minutes, on the east, 1849. It was brought up the Mississippi by a surveying party, landed at the nearest point and hauled with oxen with great difficulty to the spot. This was several years after the date on the monument.

The Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque, and Minneso- ta railroad skirts the inner sloughs up and down the river, which for about two miles opposite the town is nearly a mile wide, but in section twenty- nine is narrowed up to less than eighty rods.

EARLIEST SETTLEMENT.

The township of Jefferson was, unquestionably, the first point settled in Houston county, although Brownsville has often been accorded that honor, and it is true that not until the Browns located there, did the county attract particular at- tention, although the early settlers who first loca- ted in Wilmington, Winnebago, and Caledonia, did not know of the Browns at all, until after making their claims.

In the year 1847, John Ross, a native of Penn- sylvania, who had been in the Mexican war, came up the river from Galena, Illinois, and built a log cabin. His brother Samuel also came, and they had two places, one of them was left in Minne- sota and the other in Iowa by the government surveyors.

The place was then known as Ross's landing and was so designated on the maps published at that period. Some of the Winnebago Indians who were on this side of the river assisted in rolling the logs to build the cabins. It seems that Samuel

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 74

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 547

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547