History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 92

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

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 92

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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I. G. IVERSON

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raised. In the village itself not only the Houston Signal Office, the new Village Hall and other notable buildings, but also a number of artistic homes stand to his credit. In 1919 Mr. Iverson established a department of the Houston Signal which has proven a wonderful source of advertising and also an inspiration to progress. This is a two-column piece of litera- ture, called the Community Booster, printed in imitation of a miniature newspaper on the front page of the Signal. The Booster contains little items regarding building progress in the county, comments on public affairs, boosts all good projects and even originates some, and also pre- sents a collection of clever jokes and quaint philosophy. In civil affairs Mr. Iverson has also taken a deep interest; he did much loyalty work dur- ing the war, and he stands for everything that is for the best of the com- munity. His business interests outside the village include an interest in the firm of Larson & Iverson, lumber dealers of Altura, Minn. His fra- ternal relations are with the Masonic order and the family faith is that of the Lutheran church. Mr. Iverson was married, Nov. 29, 1906, to Clara Hanson, who was born in La Crosse, Wis., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hanson, natives of Norway and retired residents of La Crosse. Mr. and Mrs. Iverson have three children: Paul, Carl and Rolf Leigh.

Knute A. Lee, an enterprising and prosperous business man of Spring Grove village, where he owns and operates a large feed and sale stable, was born in Black Hammer township, Houston county, Minnesota, March 6, 1879, son of Aad K. and Hannah (Severson) Lee. The father, a native of Norway, came to America with his parents when a babe, the family living for awhile in Wisconsin, and then coming to Black Hammer township, this county. When grown to man's estate he married Hannah Severson, who was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and about 1882, when the subject of this sketch was 3 years old, they moved to Spring Grove village. Here Knute A. Lee attended school until about 16 years old. From that time until he was 20 he worked as a farm hand. When 21 he became mail carrier on mail route No. 1 from Spring Grove and continued in that position for nine years. While thus occupied on Sept. 1, 1906, he married Mathilda, daughter of Peter and Sigrid Glasrud, of Black Hammer township, and he and his wife began domestic life in a home in the village. In 1909 Mr. Lee gave up the mail route and from that time until the spring of 1911 was engaged in buying and shipping horses. He then went to Lemmon, S. D., where he bought 80 acres of unbroken land adjoining the village, a tract that he still owns. In the fall of the same year he returned to Spring Grove, where during the following winter he conducted a restaurant. This he sold in the spring of 1912 to Albert Vik and bought the City Dray Line, which he is still operating. In the following year, 1913, he built his present large feed and sale stable, a two-story building, 34 by 100 feet, rest- ing on a full stone basement of 9 feet, and with a capacity of 50 horses. This business grew to such an extent that in 1917 Mr. Lee had to erect a second building, 30 by 44 feet in size, and he has continued to enjoy an increasing patronage. He owns a comfortable residence on Black Hammer street, a two-story house of upright and wing and containing seven rooms, which he built in 1899. He is also a stockholder in the Root River Electric

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Company. Energetic and wideawake, he has made a success as a business man and takes a keen interest in whatever makes for the good of the com- munity in which he lives. He and his wife are the parents of five children, who were born as follows: Sylvia Henrietta, June 10, 1907; Barbara Marie, March 15, 1909; Juliette Belinda, April 19, 1912; Margaret Catherine, March 16, 1914; and Knute William David, March 19, 1916. Mr. Lee and his family are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical church. Mrs. Lee, who was born in Black Hammer township, July 19, 1884, comes of a family who have long been respected residents of that locality.

Edmund Evans, for several years proprietor of the Silver Tower Fruit Farm, now known as the Walnut Heights Fruit and Dairy Farm, was born in Blackthorne, Oxfordshire, England, in September, 1819. On April 10, 1849, he was married to Ann Ayers, also a native of Blackthorne, England, and in the year of their marriage they sailed for the United States and settled in the state of New York, where they resided until 1852. They then removed to Indian Territory, where Mr. Evans was employed by the government in the agricultural department of Spencer Academy, a Pres- byterian mission institution located on the Choctaw reservation. He held that position until 1859, when on account of his wife's poor health he returned with her to New York state. Early in 1860 they came to Houston county, Minnesota, and for a short time resided in La Crescent village. From there they moved to a farm in section 11, Mound Prairie township, where they established a home, Mr. Evans carrying on general farming and fruit raising. As a fruit grower he was not only the first in his vicin- ity, but was also one of the earliest in the state and as such became widely known, while in general agriculture he was equally successful. In course of time he increased the area of his farm to 360 acres and resided on it until his death in 1898. Mrs. Evans died Sept. 28, 1915. They were the parents of eleven children, namely: Edwin F., William J., Sarah R., Henry C., Arthur, Mary Jane A., Sheldon J., Walter T., Albert E., Julia A. and Rose L. Mr. Evans was a member of the Presbyterian church of La Crescent.

Walter T. Evans, a well-known farmer, dairyman and fruit grower, owning and operating the Walnut Heights Fruit and Dairy Farm, section 11, Mound Prairie township, was born on his present farm Sept. 17, 1865, the eighth child of the eleven children of Edmund and Ann (Ayres) Evans. He was educated in the district school and at Gale College, Galesville, Wis. He worked at home assisting his father until 1898, when he bought the farm and has since been its proprietor. It is a well improved piece of property, having an area of 280 acres. In addition to general farming and dairying Mr. Evans has made a reputation as a successful grower. His buildings, machinery, residence and surroundings give ample evidence of his thrift and prosperity. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in politics is a Republican. On June 12, 1902, Mr. Evans was married, at Mound Prairie, this county, to Anna Lehmann, daughter of Charles and Anna (Senn) Lehmann. Of this union three children have been born: Kenneth Walter, March 23, 1903, who is a student at the La Crosse High School; Mildred Florence, Dec. 18, 1906; and Marion Leone, Oct. 11, 1910.

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MR. AND MRS. EDMUND EVA

WALTER TEVAYA

ANS MR. AND MRS. CHARLES LEHMANN

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Charles Lehmann, who was a prosperous and substantial farmer of nd Prairie and at one time one of the most extensive stock raisers in munity. was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, Jan. 27, 1844. In . " were brought to America by his father. After a year to Chicago and in 1857 took up his residence in Mound In 1863 he enlisted in Company F, Tenth Minn. Vol. i the close of the war, showing marked valor in the Tupelo and Mobile. After being honorably discharged d Prairie and devoted his time to building up a fine Larn .. chairman of ... ominent man in the community, was for some years ship board and served in other local offices. He helped to organize the . . . und Prairie Fire Insurance Co. and was its president until he retired in 1912. In that year he removed to Sykes county, Mon- tana. He died Jan. 11, 1914, while visiting his old home in Mound Prairie. He was married in 1867 to Anna Senn, and had five children: Carl, Anna, Mary, Florence and Josephine.

Knute Storlie, an early settler in Spring Grove township, who aided in developing its agricultural resources, was born in Hallingdahl, Norway, in the fall of 1830. He remained in his native land until 22 years old and then in 1852 came to America, locating at Rock Prairie, Wis., where he remained for two years, engaged in farm work. In 1859 he came to Hous- ton county, Minnesota, and bought 160 acres of government land in sections 9 and 10, Spring Grove township, two and a half miles west of the village. It was a wild tract, but Mr. Storlie built a log house and began the work of improvement. In his early farm work he, in common with the other pioneer settlers, made use of oxen for draught purposes. After awhile he built a frame house and a small barn, but being of a cautious disposition and afraid to venture into debt, he refrained from borrowing money and hence failed to improve his farm as fast as some of those who took more risks. However, he finally got 100 acres of his land under the plow, but, owing to his having sold 40 acres of the original farm, it now contains but 120 acres. Mr. Storlie married Anna Bunswold, who died on the home farm in 1893. He survived her twenty-four years, continuing his residence on the home farm until a few years ago, when he went to live with his daughter, Mrs. Albert Lien, of Spring Grove. At her home he died, Dec. 28, 1917. Of the thirteen children born to Mr. and Mrs. Knute Storlie, two died in infancy. The others were as follows: Knudt, Ole and Christian, who are prosperous farmers in Spring Grove township; Gurine, wife of O. Tolleffrud, a retired farmer of Mabel, Minn .; Luia, who married N. Nar- veson, of Spring Grove, but is now deceased; Martin K., now engaged in the lumber business in Spring Grove; Olaus, a farmer and hotel proprietor of Eau Claire, Wis .; Helmer, who is residing on and operating the old home farm in Spring Grove township; Julia, wife of Albert Lien, a farmer of Spring Grove township; Julius, a resident of Spring Grove; and Gena, now deceased, who was the wife of Henry Lien, a farmer of Spring Grove. The religious affiliations of the family are with the Spring Grove congre- gation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church.

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Martin K. Storlie, one of the proprietors of the Spring Grove Lumber Company, a well-known and flourishing business concern, was born on a farm in sections 9 and 10, Spring Grove township, this county, March 13, 1870, son of Knute and Anna (Bunswold) Storlie. He acquired his ele- mentary education in district school No. 55 and later attended Brecken- ridge Institute at Decorah, Iowa, completing a three years' course in 1888. After that until 1891 he was engaged as a farm laborer and then went to Revillo, S. D., where he was employed for a year and a half as clerk by William Storlie. In 1893 he returned to Spring Grove and in that fall entered the general store of A. Halverson as clerk, being thus employed until the following year. Then buying the interest of Lars Budahl in his lumber business in Spring Grove, he became associated as partner with N. Narveson, the firm conducting business under the style of Storlie & Nar- veson. In 1896 Mr. Narveson sold his interest to Olson & Newhouse, of Mabel, Minn., and the firm became that of Storlie, Olson & Newhouse, which it remained until 1896. Mr. Newhouse then sold his interest to Nils Onsgard, a banker of Spring Grove, and the style of the firm was changed to Onsgard & Storlie, the two proprietors conducting the business until 1912, when, on the admission of Gerhard Roverud as a third partner, the present Spring Grove Lumber Company was formed and has since re- mained unchanged as to name. In the same year that the company was formed the C. L. Coleman yard was purchased and the two concerns con- solidated. In 1914 Mr. Onsgard died and his interest was taken over by his widow, who remains as one of the company, each partner owning a one- third interest, with Mr. Storlie as the acting manager. The concern is one of the substantial business enterprises of Spring Grove, and as one of its owners Mr. Storlie is numbered among the prosperous citizens of the vil- lage, where he owns a comfortable one-and-a-half-story residence of seven rooms. He also owns 150 acres of land just on the edge of the village, as well as 160 acres near Balta, N. D. Though unostentatious, he is a good business man and takes a keen interest in the prosperity and advancement of the community in which he resides. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Storlie was married, June 28, 1897, to Maria, daughter of Haakon and Astri Narveson, of Spring Grove township, of which the Narvesons are one of the pioneer families. Mr. and Mrs. Storlie have one child, Esther, who was born Dec. 7, 1900, and is now a high school student. The family are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evan- gelical Lutheran church.

J. Henry Haar, a substantial citizen of Wilmington township, was born in Cook county, Illinois, near Chicago, Dec. 4, 1850, son of George and Mary (Cobbe) Haar, natives of Germany. After coming to America in 1849 they lived in Illinois for fourteen years and in 1863 came to Allamakee county, Iowa, where they farmed the remainder of their days. The sub- ject of this sketch was educated in the district schools and was reared to farm pursuits. In 1880 he went to Nebraska and there remained for ten years. Then he again farmed in Allamakee county for two years. In 1892 he came to Wilmington township. He farms the old Albee home- stead and is regarded as a successful and useful citizen. He is a stock-

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MR. AND MRS. HENRY HAAR

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DR. JOHN ALBEE-MR. AND MRS. CHARLES ALBEE

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holder in the Wilmington Creamery, for which during eight years he hauled cream. Mr. Haar was married, Jan. 7, 1914, to Alice Albee, the daughter of Charles F. and Sarah (Payne) Albee. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Charles Fenner Albee, one of the notable pioneers of Houston county, who died at his home in section 25, Wilmington township, Dec. 26, 1898, was born in Burrellville, R. I., Nov. 1, 1822, son of William and Charlotte Albee. In his native state he learned the carpenter's trade, and was mar- ried, April 22, 1847, to Sarah, daughter of James and Mary Payne, of Bur- rellville, R. I., in which place she was born Aug. 8, 1825. In the spring of 1854 Mr. Albee, with several other settlers from Rhode Island, came to Houston county, Minnesota, locating on Portland Prairie, Wilmington township. With a brother-in-law, Jeremiah Shumway, he purchased a farm on which was a small log house but few, if any, improvements. The following winter was severe and their cattle, having no shelter, suffered greatly. In the meanwhile Mr. Albee had been joined by his wife and their two first-born children, Edgar and Emily, who came from Rhode Island in the summer of 1854. On the farm above mentioned they lived for two or three years, and then Mr. Albee sold his interest in it to Mr. Shumway. Coming to section 25, he bought 200 acres of prairie land at $1.25 an acre and built a small frame house, which was at that time one of the best on the prairie. There, with his family, he passed through all the vicissitudes of pioneer life. The Albee home was the headquarters for all the New Englanders who came here to locate, Portland Prairie being largely a Rhode Island settlement, the majority of the pioneers having come from Burrell- ville in that state. In the early days game of many kinds was plentiful here. Mr. Albee was an excellent shot and by the use of a fine gun, still preserved in the family, managed to augment the family meat supply. Wolves also were plentiful, and on one occasion Mr. Albee was attacked when on an errand of mercy carrying fresh meat to a sick neighbor. Not only did Mr. Albee build himself a good house and develop a good farm, but he also did carpenter work for his neighbors, and the majority of the pioneer frame buildings on the prairie were built by him. The floods and severe winters in the early days made marketing and buying difficult, the nearest market being Lansing, Iowa, and at times the family was on the verge of starvation. Early in their experience a cholera outbreak also occurred, which called into requisition Mr. Albee's skill as a carpenter in making coffins, but he himself was attacked by the disease and was obliged to superintend unskilled workmen from his sick bed. In the same season his residence was unroofed by a cyclone. On his farm in section 25 Mr. Albee in 1873 built a substantial frame house in which his daughter, Mrs. Henry Haar, now lives. He also erected other necessary buildings and de- veloped the land into a good farm, and besides thus advancing his personal and family interests he took an active part in the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church on Portland Prairie and the erection of its edifice, and was prominent in every movement for the good of the com- munity. At his death he had accumulated a competency and was one of the best known and most respected citizens in the southern part of Hous-

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ton county. Two children of Mr. and Mrs. Albee have been already men- tioned. The complete list is as follows: Edgar, born in Rhode Island, Oct. 24, 1848, who died June 4, 1866; Emily, born in Rhode Island, Dec. 26, 1853, now Mrs. Z. D. Yeaton, of Chicksha, Okla .; Alice, born (in Wilmington township) Dec. 13, 1857, now Mrs. Henry Haar and residing on the old Albee homestead; Maria, born Dec. 20, 1859, wife of D. D. Smith, of Ven- tura, Calif .; Alfred, born July 22, 1862, who is living on a part of the old home farm; Olive, born April 29, 1864, now Mrs. Charles Carville, of Craw- ford, Colo. The mother, Mrs. Sarah Albee, died Aug. 21, 1909, having survived her husband about ten years and eight months.

Dr. John W. Albee, pioneer physician, was one of the notable charac- ters in the early days of southern Houston county. Kindly, considerate, greatly beloved, he was the friend of every family for many miles around, and his ministrations of comfort and healing, often at great personal sacri- fice, endeared him to thousands. He was born in Burrillville, R. I., Feb. 14, 1827. He received his early education and worked in a store there until he joined his brother, C. F. Albee, in the west in 1856. Soon after his arrival at Portland Prairie, this county, he began the study of medicine. This profession he practiced until advancing years caused his retirement. Well known and universally respected, he was affectionately called "Doctor John" by three generations, and his death in 1900 was mourned by the entire community.

Cornelius A. Blegen, who is pursuing a successful career as a farmer and stock raiser in Spring Grove township, residing in section 36, was born in Wilmington township, Houston county, Minnesota, June 27, 1869, son of Andrew and Ingebor (Rosendahl) Blegen. He was educated in the dis- trict school and resided with his parents, who were farmers, until his mar- riage, which occurred May 25, 1893, his bride being Christine Gorra. She was born in Quandahl, Winneshiek county, Iowa, Sept. 28, 1872, daughter of Hans and Aliva (Hegseth) Gorra, the parents being natives of Norway who came to this country in 1857. In the year of his marriage Mr. Blegen bought his present farm of 117 acres in section 36, Spring Grove township. The improvements were slight, the only building being an old frame house. During the quarter of a century that has elapsed since Mr. Blegen took possession of the place he has made some notable changes for the better, having erected a number of good buildings, thoroughly fenced it and got some 70 acres of the land under the plow. The buildings include a good ten-room frame house, consisting of an upright and wing and provided with bath, hot and cold water and other conveniences; a frame barn, 32 by 64 by 16 feet in dimensions, with a full eight-foot stone basement for horses and cattle, the basement having a cement floor; a hog house, 20 by 45 feet, with a cement feeding floor, 10 by 40; a granary, 16 by 18; poultry house, 10 by 18; and a machine shed, 18 by 40. The farm is situated four and a half miles south of Spring Grove village and half a mile north of the Iowa state line. It is stocked with grade Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine, Mr. Blegen having full-blooded sires for his herds. When he bought the farm at the time of his marriage he possessed three horses and a wagon and was proprietor of a milk route which he had been driving for four

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years. He is now an independent farmer of means, the owner of a fine farm, and with a business increasing from year to year, not to mention the face that he is also a stockholder in the Spring Grove Stock & Grain Com- pany, the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery of Spring Grove and the Spring Grove Hospital-a notable advance in worldly circumstances, due to his own enterprise, industry and perseverance, with the valuable assistance of his wife and elder children. His family numbers three sons and four daughters, who were born as follows: Ida Louisa, Aug. 25, 1894; Harry Amos, April 25, 1896; Olga Claudina, March 4, 1898; Annie Constance, Dec. 3, 1902; Cora Karine, July 30, 1906; Leonard Oliver, March 12, 1910; and Gustav, Jan. 7, 1914. All the children are residing at home. Harry Amos is a graduate of the Wisconsin Business University of La Crosse. Mr. Blegen and his family are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. He has three brothers and a sister living, namely: Edward, Maria, Olaus and Julius. Another brother, Lauritz, is deceased.

Carl T. Trehus, proprietor of Little Giant Farm in section 23, Wilming- ton township, was born in section 22, this township, Sept. 12, 1871, son of Thomas and Mathia (Hanson) Trehus. The parents were natives of Nor- way, who on coming to the United States settled first in Illinois, whence they came to Houston county, locating in section 23, Wilmington township. Carl T. Trehus acquired a common school education and remained on the home farm until 18 years old. After that for five years he worked at the carpenter's trade. Then at the age of 23 years he bought of his father 40 acres of land without buildings in section 23. From this modest beginning he has built up an excellent farm. The purchase of an additional 50 acres of land has brought the area of the farm up to 90 acres, of which 70 are now under the plow, the farm being also well fenced. For a residence Mr. Trehus erected a modern nine-room house with gas illumination and hot and cold running water. To replace the gas he has lately installed an indi- vidual electric plant of the Cushman system, which furnishes the light for his house, barns and other buildings, though he still retains his gas plant for use in case of an emergency. He has also erected a frame barn, 24 by 40 by 16 feet, for straw and hogs, to which he has added a lean-to, 16 by 40, for a machine shed and garage; another machine shed, 14 by 70; a hog house, 24 by 40, with cement feeding floor; a second hog house, 6 by 22, for brood sows; two other brood houses, 6 by 6 by 4; a poultry house, 14 by 64, which is one of the finest in the county; and in 1915 he built a modern frame barn, 32 by 64 by 14 feet, on a cement-block basement 8 feet high. This barn has a thorough modern equipment of James stalls, stanchions, litter carrier and other appliances, and is lighted by gas, with running water all through. There is also a milk separator house in con- nection. A good well furnishes excellent water, which can be conveyed to every part of the farm, the pumping being done by a Little Giant steel windmill. The farm stands on the highest point in Wilmington township and is situated eight miles southeast of Spring Grove village. Mr. Trehus is a successful breeder of registered Red Poll cattle and Poland-China swine, and since 1910 has also been engaged in breeding registered Shrop-

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shire sheep. He is also a breeder of Barred, White Rock and Rose Comb White Leghorn chickens, Bronze turkeys and Toulouse geese, having been a fancier of poultry and other feathered animals since he was a child. In addition to his direct farming interests he has for some years been a wind- mill salesman throughout this section, and is a stockholder in the Wilming- ton Creamery Company, the People's Stock & Grain Company of Caledonia and the Spring Grove Equity Shipping Association. Wideawake and enter- prising, he has made good progress on the road to fortune, and is num- bered among the prosperous and well-to-do citizens of his township. Politically he is a Republican. On Dec. 9, 1893, Mr. Trehus was united in marriage with Sophia, daughter of Hans and Jane Johnson, of Wilmington township, and they began housekeeping in Spring Grove village, where they resided for one year. They are the parents of ten children: Minnie J., born Feb. 7, 1895, now Mrs. O. G. Ellingson, of Spring Grove; Henry Theo- dore, born Aug. 26, 1896, who enlisted in the U. S. army in September, 1917, and re-enlisted in March, 1919, for one year in the 50th Infantry; Dewey Adolph, born Oct. 26, 1898; John Edwin, born Sept. 23, 1900; Clara Selena, born April 17, 1903; Stella Genette, born May 15, 1905; Ida Matilda, born March 3, 1907; Bollete Odella, born Jan. 5, 1909; Nora Theoline, born Nov. 6, 1911; and Elmer, born Sept. 16, 1914. Mr. Trehus and his family are members of the Wilmington congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church.

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 92

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

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