History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 78

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 78

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Michael Hagen, proprietor of the old Hagen homestead in section 33, Wilmington township, half a mile north of the Iowa State line, was born on this farm, March 26, 1883, son of John G. and Bertha Hagan. The dwelling in which he first saw the light was a small pioneer log house, and, his parents being poor, he was obliged to make himself useful at an early age, though during the winters he attended the district school until he was sixteen. After assisting his father until he was twenty-three, he was then married, March 23, 1910, to Sophia Myhre, daughter of Knute Myhre,

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MR. AND MRS. MAGNUS MAGNUSSON

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of Wilmington township, and began an independent career by renting the Ole Gubrud farm, lying not far from his present home. Two years later, in 1912, he bought his parents' old homestead and moved on to it. Here he has since remained, the farm being a good one, and much improved from the work he has done on it. It is well fenced and most of the land is. under cultivation. He has also rebuilt the house, and erected a frame barn 30 by 50 by 14 feet on a full stone basement of eight feet; and has also built a hog house, poultry house and machine shed. His teams, tools and other equipment are also adequate and up to date. He is engaged in general farming and has a good herd of grade cattle, besides raising annually fifty or sixty head of Duroc and Poland-China hogs. He is also a stockholder in the Spring Grove Hospital. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Hagen, the latter of whom was born in Wilmington township, Feb. 23, 1885, are the parents of one child, James, who was born Dec. 24, 1911. Mr. Hagen has two brothers and one sister. One brother, Gilbert, who was born in 1876, resides in Allamakee county, Iowa, only about a mile from the old home, being near the state line. Julius, the other brother, is a farmer near Esmond, N. D. The sister, Emma, born in 1881, was married in April, 1912, to Alfred Thorson, of Spring Grove village. Mr. Hagen and his family, together with his parents, are members of the Waterloo Ridge congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church.

Magnus Magnusson, a well known and prosperous business man residing at Bee, in Wilmington township, was born in Folgerohavn near Bergen, Norway, May 12, 1869, son of Magnus and Inga Magnusson. The father died in Norway in 1874, being survived by his wife and eight children. Of these children four came to America: Margrithe, now Mrs. Halvor Deger- ness, of Gary, Minn .; Johan and Berent, who located at Great Falls, Mont., and Magnus, the subject of this sketch. It was in 1886 that Magnus came to this country, having been preceded by his sister Margrithe. Locating at Gary, Minn., he remained there nine years, and there learned the butter- maker's trade. During that period, in 1892, he attended the State Dairy School at St. Paul. From Gary he went to the neighboring town of Strand as butter maker. In 1894 he came to Bee, Houston county, and became connected with the creamery here, which had just then been organized, and he has remained here ever since, except for a period of ten months, during which he was absent on a visit to his old home in Norway, leaving here in December, 1896. While in England, on his way to his native land, he met and became acquainted with Maglie Arneson, daughter of Arne and Christie Arneson of Hatlestrand-Hordonger, Norway, who was accompanied by her brother, and the three journeyed together to Bergen. On his return trip he met Miss Arneson again in Liverpool and they became engaged. In Sep- tember, 1897, she came to Bee, where they were married on Oct. 9. Although he continued to hold his position as butter maker at the creamery, Mr. Magnusson in 1899 bought forty acres of land in the vicinity, all but six acres of which had been broken. There was also a log house of two rooms on it, one room being upstairs and the other down. In this dwelling he and his family resided until 1917, keeping eight cows, which paid all expenses, his wages as butter maker being so much to the good. He also added to his 37

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land four acres adjoining the village. On July 14, 1917, Mr. Magnusson purchased the building and stock of the Bee Mercantile Company, a general store with a large stock, of which he has since remained the proprietor, also continuing his work in the creamery. His residential quarters are now in the same building as his store. On his land he has erected a frame barn, 26 by 42 by 12 feet, with an eight-foot stone basement for cattle and horses ; also a garage 12 by 18 feet. Energetic and enterprising, he has been successful and is now numbered among the prosperous and respected citizens of his township. He and his family are members of the Waterloo Ridge congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, the church building being located in Allamakee county, Iowa, about two miles from Bee village. To Mr. and Mrs. Magnusson have been born four children: Inga, born Sept. 3, 1898, who is a graduate of the Spring Grove high school, and is residing at home; Christine, born Jan. 26, 1900, who is clerk and as- sistant manager of her father's store; Bernt, born July 10, 1901; and Rebecca, born Oct. 5, 1904. Mr. Magnusson's friends take considerable pride in his record as a butter maker, his work in fact having done a great deal toward establishing the record which this region enjoys as a dairy section. Among his cherished possessions are three medals, one gold and two silver, awarded as first and second prizes in contests conducted by the National Creamery Butter Makers' Association, for the best butter made from gathered cream in the United States.

Ole K. Myhre, one of the pioneer settlers of Wilmington township, was born in Norway, where he grew to manhood and married. With his wife Sigri and several children he came to America in 1849, landing at Quebec from a sailing vessel, after a long voyage. 'From that port they pro- ceeded to Stephenson county, Ill., where they remained two years, removing in 1851 to Paint Creek, near Waukon, Iowa. Two years later they came to Wilmington township, Houston county, Minn., settling on land in section 27 that is now the K. O. Myhre farm. This they grubbed, cleared and cul- tivated, erecting the original farm buildings. Mr. Myhre was not spared to see the full fruits of his labors, as he died about 1863, but the work of development was continued by his children. His wife survived him nearly half a century, dying at the home of her son, Ole O. Myhre, in section 21, Wilmington township, July 1, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Myhre had eleven chil- dren-nine sons and two daughters, as follows: Christie, born in Norway, who married E. H. Burtness, of Wilmington township, and is now deceased; Margit, born in Norway, who died in this county; Lars, who died in Norway; Knute, now living in Wilmington township; Ole O., previously mentioned; Swen, deceased; Lars, a farmer of Buxton, N. D .; Asle, a farmer of Rhine- holtz, N. D .; Andrew, a farmer of Wilmington township; Olaus, deceased; and Martin, who is farming at Buxton, N. D.

Ole O. Myhre, one of the thriving farmers of Wilmington township, residing in section 21, was born in Stephenson county, Ill., Jan. 26, 1851, son of Ole K. and Sigri Myhre. In the year of his birth his parents moved to near Waukon, Iowa, and then, two years later, to Wilmington township, Houston county, Minn., locating in section 27. There he was reared, attend- ing a Norwegian school up to the age of fifteen years, and an English school

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during the winters for three years after that. Until 1875 he worked out as a farm hand, and then, in the spring of that year, bought 120 acres of improved land in section 21, Wilmington township, which was the nucleus of his present home. There were no buildings on the place, but he bought a small log house, 13 by 13 feet in size, and moved it onto the land. With this improvement to begin with he entered upon the work of developing a farm, gradually adding to his land until he owned 400 acres, all improved, and all in one piece except for a division by a roadway. He has since sold some of this land to two of his sons, his son Oliver obtaining 103 acres on the west, and his son Olaf 120 acres adjoining Oliver's on the north. The balance of about 181 acres constitutes his present farm, the buildings on which include: a good two-story eight-room frame house, of modern con- struction; a frame barn, 30 by 60 by 20 feet, with a lean-to for cattle, 14 by 60; a granary, 26 by 28 by 14; double corn cribs, 20 by 20, with an eight- foot drive; a machine shed, carriage house and garage, 18 by 60; a hog house, 8 by 50, with a cement feeding floor and cook house; a cream separator house, ice house and summer kitchen. All the buildings are painted and in good condition, and are conveniently located with beautiful surroundings, while the farm land is in an advanced stage of cultivation, with hog-tight fencing wherever needed. The estate as a whole forms one of the best farms in southern Minnesota. Mr. Myhre's equipment is also first class, and includes, besides modern machinery, a fine automobile. He is engaged in diversified farming, giving particular attention to stock raising. His cattle are red graded Shorthorns, and he keeps from fifty to sixty Duroc-Jersey hogs, having full-blooded sires for each herd. He has attained a high degree of prosperity, and aside from his direct farming interests, is a stockholder in the Honey Creamery at Bee; the Spring Grove Stock & Grain Co. and the Spring Grove Hospital. He is also president of the Wilmington Farmers' Fire Insurance Co., and is one of the most promi- nent and influential men in his township. As such he has been often called upon to serve in public affairs. He has been clerk of his school district thirty-three years, was town clerk six years, chairman of the town board six years, assessor three years, supervisor two years and county commis- sioner eight years. In politics he is a Republican. With his family he is a member of the Wilmington congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, which he served as trustee for three years, as treasurer twelve years and as reviser fifteen years. He was also a member of the dividing committee which set off the original church into the four con- gregations of Spring Grove, Riceford, Black Hammer and Wilmington. In all these multifarious duties of a public nature which Mr. Myhre has per- formed he has shown good business capacity and integrity and has won the confidence of his fellow citizens. Mr. Myhre was married, March 24, 1876, to Margit, daughter of Ole and Margit Engen of Wilmington township. They have had the following children: Sigri, born Jan. 2, 1877, now Mrs. A. O. Engene, of Wilmington township; Olaf, born Nov. 25, 1878, who died March 10, 1882; Marie, born June 26, 1881, who died June 6, 1882; Marie (second), born May 19, 1883, now the wife of Alfred Quinnell, a farmer of Northfield, Minn .; Sophia, born March 13, 1885, who is residing at home;

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Olaf (second), born July 9, 1887, who studied at the Minnesota Agricul- tural College and is now a prosperous farmer in Wilmington township; Oliver, born Nov. 20, 1889, who was a student for two years in the Southern Minnesota Normal school at Austin, Minn., and is now a successful farmer in Wilmington township; Martin, born March 31, 1892, who is now working the home farm, which he has rented for the past two years; Hilda, born June 12, 1895, who attended the Minnesota Agricultural College, and is now clerk in a store at Caledonia; and Selma, born May 26, 1898, who was a student in the Minnesota Agricultural College, and is now residing at home.

Hans Ellingson, one of the pioneers of Wilmington township, was a native of Norway, in which country he grew to manhood and was married to Aase Erickson in 1850. In 1854 he set out for the United States with his wife and three children, Gunild, Elling and Allen. On the voyage over Elling died and was buried at sea. With their remaining two children Mr. and Mrs. Ellingson proceeded west to Rock Prairie, near Beloit, Wis., where they resided for two years. In 1856 they came to Houston county, Min- nesota, Mr. Ellingson buying 200 acres of unimproved land in section 31. He began at once to improve the place, and soon afterward another child, Guri, was born to him. In 1858 his wife Aase died, and he remained a widower until 1864, when he married Gunild Livdahl, who proved a good helpmate. Together they grubbed and developed the farm and in time built a substantial frame house of six rooms; a frame barn, 30 by 50 feet; a log granary and log corn crib, and other outbuildings. Mrs. Gunild Ellingson died on the farm in 1878, being survived by her husband, who passed away July 8, 1899. In addition to the daughter Guri, already mentioned, they had five others : Aase, now deceased; Elize, now Mrs. A. A. Foss, of Spring Grove township; Julius H., the present proprietor of the old homestead; Gena, deceased; and one other, who died in infancy.

Julius H. Ellingson, proprietor of the old Ellingson farm in Wilming- ton township, residing in section 31, was born on this farm, Dec. 24, 1870. son of Hans and Gunild (Livdahl) Ellingson. Being the only surviving son of his parents, he had to begin work on the farm at an early age, though he attended school up to the age of 14. In 1891 he bought the home farm from his father, who was a widower, but who continued to reside on it until his death in 1899. A year or two later, on Feb. 18, 1893, the subject of this sketch married Emma Flessa, daughter of Adam and Wilhelmina Flessa, of Allamakee county, Iowa, and they began domestic life on the Ellingson homestead, where they have continued to reside. To the original area of 120 acres Mr. Ellingson added an adjoining tract of the same size and 20 acres adjoining, which gives him a farm of 260 acres, of which 180 acres are under cultivation, the rest being in timber and pasture. He has also erected a number of buildings, including a two-story, ten-room, modern frame house, with furnace, gas light and running water, built in 1908; a frame barn, 31 by 65 by 16 feet, with an eight-foot stone basement, erected in the same year; a creosoted stave silo, a granary, double corn crib, hog house with cement feeding floor, machine shed, garage, tool house and poultry house. . He also has a good well and a steel windmill, and his entire

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JULIUS ELLINGSON AND FAMILY

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OLE S. JOHNSON AND FAMILY

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equipment of tools, teams and machinery is of the best. Mr. Ellingson car- ries on diversified farming with good success. He raises graded Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine, having in each herd a blooded sire, and is also a shareholder in the Spring Grove Stock & Grain Company, the Honey Creamery, of Bee, Minn .; the Grata de Grat, a Belgian stallion, and the Spring Grove Hospital. He is also a member of the Spring Grove Equity Shipping Association. In politics he is a Republican. He and his wife are the parents of six children : Harry J., born Nov. 26, 1893; Minnie J., Jan. 14, 1896; Alvin, Nov. 8, 1898; James, July 1, 1903; Grant, Aug. 25, 1906; and Carlton, March 1, 1910. Harry J. is now proprietor of the Ed Woven farm in Wilmington township. Minnie J. is the wife of E. E. Livdahl, of Spring Grove township. The others are residing on the home farm. Mr. Ellingson and his family are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, of which he is a liberal sup- porter.

Carl Oliver Wermager, a well known farmer of section 22, Wilmington township, was born in Fillmore county, Oct. 20, 1886, son of Ole and Mari Wermager, the parents both being natives of this county, to which the grandparents came at an early day. Ole Wermager after his marriage bought 291 acres in section 22, Wilmington township, building on his farm a frame house and barns. From here he moved to Fillmore county, but later sold out there and removed to a large farm at Crookston, Minn., where he subsequently died. His wife Mari died in Fillmore county about 1898.

Carl Oliver, who was not strong in his youth, attended district school to the age of 15 years, and resided at home until he was 18, working out as a farm hand. He was married, Nov. 11, 1911, to Oline, daughter of Knute and Guri Buxengaard, of Wilmington township. In 1915 he bought 118 acres of the old home farm, where he is now residing, having 80 acres under the plow. The farm lies nine miles southwest of Caledonia and seven miles southeast of Spring Grove. Mr. Wermager has a good equip- ment and is profitably raising grade cattle and Poland-China hogs. He is an industrious worker and is enjoying a prosperous career. In politics he is a Republican. To Mr. and Mrs. Wermager three children have been born : Marie Gedelia, April 3, 1912; Clara Odella, April 12, 1913; and Odine Kenneth, July 15, 1917. The family are members of the Wilmington congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical church, which is situated near their home, on a corner of the old Wermager homestead.

Ole S. Johnson, a highly respected citizen of Wilmington township, residing on a farm in section 9, though now retired from active work, was born in Soknedalen, Ringereke, Norway, Jan. 13, 1843. Reared to man- hood in his native land, he was there married, June 21, 1872, to Marie Ringrud, of Aadalen, Ringereke, Norway, who was born there Dec. 17, 1846. In 1880 Mr. Johnson, with his wife and four children, Johann, Mathilde, Bolette and Olava, came to Houston county, Minnesota, and en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, in which he has had a successful career. When he began he had but few resources, but through industry and sound

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judgment he has accumulated a competency. On retiring he rented the farm to his son-in-law, John W. Rud, husband of Olava. It is provided with a good two-story frame house and good barns, and is one of the best farms in this vicinity, lying four miles southeast of Spring Grove village. It is well equipped with a good grade of stock. Though Mr. Johnson had few educational opportunities, he has through individual exertion acquired a good education. Since coming to this country he has made two trips to Norway, over which country he has traveled extensively, and through ob- servation, reading and practice, he has developed a more than average degree of literary ability and has made a good reputation as an author. He has also shown much public spirit and has done many things to benefit the community in which he lives, especially in promoting the interests of his own countrymen. In politics he is a Republican, and in recent years has taken a warm and active interest in the temperance cause. Mr. John- son has written and published a history relating to the emigration of the Norwegians to America and to Spring Grove and the active part taken by them in the development of Spring Grove and township, and Black Ham- mer and Wilmington townships.

Christopher Stegen, proprietor of a good farm of 100 acres in section 23, Wilmington township, was born in Hanover, Germany, Oct. 26, 1861, son of Christ and Katherine Stegen. He attended school in his native land up to the age of 14 years. When he was 15 his father died and after that he worked out as a farm hand until he was 20, at which time he came with his mother to the United States, settling near Eitzen village, Houston county, Minn. Here he worked out two years for different farmers, and after that five years for George Watson, on section 24, Wilmington town- ship. On Feb. 21, 1889, Mr. Stegen was married to Emma, daughter of Henry and Mary Schoh, of Winnebago township, and he then began do- mestic life on his present farm in section 22, which he had bought in 1887, and which then contained but 80 acres. By an additional purchase he has increased its size to 100 acres, and has also developed it into a farm, as when he took possession but a small portion of the land had been broken and there were no buildings. In the first year he erected a frame house, built some sheds for temporary use, and fenced the farm, and he has since then made many other improvements. His house is now a comfortable frame dwelling of seven rooms; and he has also a frame barn, 24 by 36 by 18 feet; a granary, hay stable, horse barn, hog house, and a machine shed and horse stable combined, the machinery being housed above and the horses in the basement. Mr. Stegen's land, of which he has between 80 and 90 acres under the plow, is rich black prairie soil, very productive. He is successfully and profitably raising graded Shorthorn cattle and Berk- shire hogs, having full-blooded sires, and is also a shareholder in the Wil- mington Creamery Association. In politics he is a Republican, and re- ligiously he and his family are members of the Eitzen congregation of the German Evangelical Lutheran church. To Mr. and Mrs. Stegen three children have been born: Martha, on May 2, 1890, who is now the wife of Arthur Deersen, a farmer of Wilmington township; Anna, born May 22, 1893, wife of Fred Skarboszewski, butter maker in the Eitzen Creamery;

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MR. AND MRS. GEORGE M. WATSON GEORGE L. WATSON AND FAMILY

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and Bertha, born April 20, 1900, who is residing at home and continuing her studies.

George Morton Watson, for many years one of the most prominent farmers and stock raisers of Wilmington township, but now deceased, was born in New Portland, Somerset county, Me., April 25, 1839, a son of John Watson. He came to Houston county, Minnesota, in 1864, locating in Wilmington township, where he worked for some time as a farm hand. On Dec. 25, 1867, he married Lucy Arnold, whose father, Amos Arnold, came to this region from Laurel Hill, R. I., in 1864. For several years Mr. Watson operated the farm for his father-in-law and then purchased it. It includes altogether 240 acres, of which 200 acres, constituting the farm proper, lies in section 24, Wilmington township, the other 40 acres being timber land just across the line in Winnebago township. It is known offi- cially as Fairview Stock Farm, and was greatly improved and raised to a high standard of cultivation by Mr. Watson. Among the buildings he erected were the large two-story frame house of ten rooms; two frame barns, one measuring 30 by 100 by 18 feet, and the other 30 by 70 by 18; a double corn crib, 26 by 70, with a ten-foot drive; a machine shed, 24 by 40; and a horse barn, 32 by 48 by 18, with a half-basement for hog fat- ting. He also put in two good wells with steel windmills.

For forty years Mr. Watson bought, fed and shipped cattle, during the latter part of that period to the extent of thirty-five to forty loads annually, and his reputation as a successful stock raiser spread all over this part of the country. His farm was always kept in the finest condition, and his equipment was thoroughly modern and complete. In addition to this prop- erty he also owned an 80-acre farm a mile west, which he later sold to Christ Stegen, and was a shareholder in the Wilmington Creamery Com- pany and the People's Stock & Grain Company, of Caledonia. After a long, enterprising and prosperous career he died in 1917, at the age of 78 years, highly honored and deeply mourned by a wide circle of friends. His wife is still residing on the farm with their only son, George L.

George Leander Watson, proprietor of Fairview Stock Farm in section 24, Wilmington township, was born on this farm, Oct. 7, 1879, son of George Morton and Lucy A. (Arnold) Watson. From his early youth he was asso- ciated with his father in the management of the place, which is one of the best stock farms in the southern part of Houston county, and since the father's death in 1917 he has operated it alone. Of the total area of 240 acres he has 195 under the plow, the rest being in timber and pasture.

Mr. Watson carries on general farming and stock raising, making a specialty of Red Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs, having full- blooded sires at the head of each herd. It is to the breeding of hogs for the market, indeed, that Mr. Watson is devoting more and more of his attention. In addition to the extensive improvements made during his father's lifetime, he has erected a number of buildings to keep abreast of the increased demands of modern conditions. One of these is a garage for his five-passenger automobile. In 1919 he erected a frame hog house, 22 by 50 feet, with six-foot studs. The building is thoroughly sanitary, with a cement floor, and fully furnished with James equipment, there being a

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 78

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1343

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343