USA > Minnesota > Todd County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 35
USA > Minnesota > Morrison County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 35
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
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THOMAS F. CALLAHAN.
Although not an old man in years, Thomas F. Callahan, a merchant at Vawter, Bellevue township, Morrison county, Minnesota, has spent his individuality in no uncertain manner upon the locality where he resides. He is an excellent representative of the self-made American business man, who is able to master the details of business and to be content with steady progress.
Thomas F. Callahan was born on February 22, 1870, in Stearns county, Minnesota. He is the son of James and Margarette (Hill) Callahan, the former of whom was born in Ireland in 1834. James Callahan came to America when a young man and after arriving in this country lived in New York state for fifteen years. After selling his farm in New York state he moved to Stearns county, Minnesota, and bought one hundred and sixty acres from a railroad company. Later he purchased one hundred and sixty acres and at his death owned three hundred and twenty acres. He died in 1904 at the age of seventy years. His wife was also born in Ireland and came to America when a young woman. She settled in New York state and was there married. Margarette (Hill) Callahan bore her husband eight children, of whom four, Patrick, John, Margarette and James, are deceased. William, Thomas, Edward and Dennis are living. The Callahan family are all members of the Catholic church.
Thomas Callahan was educated in the district schools of Stearns county, Minnesota. He assisted his father in the farm work until twenty-five years old, when he was married to Anna Deurr, a native of Wright county, Minnesota, born on December 8, 1878. She is the daughter of Louis and Sophia (Dick) Deurr, natives of this state. Mrs. Callahan was also cdu- cated in the public schools of Stearns county, and lived with her parents until her marriage.
After his marriage Mr. Callahan purchased cighty acres of land in Stearns county, which he farmed for twelve years. At the end of that period he sold out and moved to Bellevue township, Morrison county, open- ing a general store at the new town of Vawter, organized on June 19, 1908, and platted by the Soo railroad. At the time Mr. Callahan came to Vawter there were only two houses in the locality. Mr. Callahan handles practically everything in his store and has a large and flourishing trade. He owns several town lots in Vawter and has been prominent in the locality ever since coming here.
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Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Callahan have had nine children, all of whom are living. They are as follow: Alice, Verna, John, Louis, Gregor, Thresa, Emith, Jerome and Marian.
Mr. and Mrs. Callahan are members of the Catholic church at Royal- ton. Mr. Callahan is clerk of the school board for school district No. 133, which he himself organized on July 31, 1910. At the first meeting. August 23, 1910, Mr. Callahan, Rev. J. R. Peterson and Richard Dickson were elected members of the board.
GEORGE RAGAN.
Prominent among the younger farmers of Little Falls township, Mor- rison county, Minnesota, George Ragan stands out as a conspicuous figure in the agricultural life of this section. All of his undertakings have been actuated by noble motives and high resolves. They have been characterized by a breath of wisdom which is the admiration of his neighbors and friends.
George Ragan was born in Cleveland, Ohio, October 27, 1873, the son of John and Emma Ragan, the latter of whom died in 1876, three years after the birth of her son, George. John Ragan was born in 1830, in Chatras, England, and when eighteen years old came to America, settling in Cleveland, where he worked in the steel mills. He followed this occupa- tion until 1883, when he emigrated to Little Falls, Minnesota, purchasing eighty acres of land from William Redley. There he made his home and lived until his death in 1910, at the age of eighty years. He was engaged in general farming and dairying. John Ragan became an influential citizen in Little Falls township and was interested in all public movements. His wife, who was born in England in 1832, had come to America when a young woman. Mr. and Mrs. John Ragan had nine children, of whom three died in infancy. The living children are, Sarah, William, John, Elizabeth, Mary and George.
George Ragan, the youngest living child in his parent's family, received his education principally in Morrison county. Minnesota. He attended school, however, for some time at Cleveland. Coming to Morrison county with his parents he helped his father on the farm until his marriage, Decem- ber 19, 1895. Mr. Ragan's wife before her marriage was Selma Swanson, who was born in Sweden on January 23, 1877, and who came to America when four years old with her parents, Charles and Eva (Carlson) Swanson,
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who settled in Morrison county on a farm east of Little Falls. Both were born in Wexio, Sweden, and are still living. Mrs. Ragan was educated in Morrison county. She attended the district schools and lived at home until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Ragan have had five children, Charlotte, Guenevive, Narma, Dortha and Dab. The two eldest children are students of Little Falls high school.
After his marriage Mr. Ragan and his father operated the farm together until the death of the father, when the farm was left to George. In 1908 Mr. Ragan purchased eighty acres in Little Falls township which he farms in connection with the old homestead. He is a general farmer but is interested in dairying and in stock raising.
Mr. and Mrs. Ragan are members of the Congregational church at Little Falls. Mr. Ragan is a Republican and one of the ardent adherents of the party in Little Falls township.
JAMES P. JOHNSON.
A great philosopher has remarked "The child is father of the man," which great truth is coming to be more and more appreciated as the years go by and child training and child development are receiving the attention never before given them. This truth is applicable to the career of James P. Johnson, the subject of this short sketch, for the industry and honesty of his mature years are but a repetition of the labors of his boyhood. From early childhood he had taken pleasure in assisting his father in the work of the homestead and when left fatherless at the age of thirteen years, he was capable of handling in a most efficient way the unfinished task of his father. In this way the widowed mother was able to keep her family together and give them proper training. Mr. Johnson, therefore, while not an old man in years, has a goodly number of years of active farming to his credit.
James P. Johnson is a native of Elmdale township, Morrison county, born on September 1. 1875, on the homestead of eighty acres which his father took up when first coming to this section. The father, Hans P. John- son, and the mother, Caroline M. ( Reagelson) Johnson, were both born in Denmark, the former in 1839. They emigrated to the United States very early in their married life (some time in the sixties) and were among the very first settlers in Elmdale township. At that time there were great unbroken tracts and deer and other large game roamed at pleasure, while
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a great number of Indians still lived as they had before the coming of the white man. The elder Johnson proved up his homestead and lived thereon until the time of his death in 1881, when but forty-two years of age. He letf his wife and four children, two of the number having since died. James P. was the eldest son and on him fell the burden of the father's work, which he successfully carried on under the direction of his mother. The elder Mrs. Johnson still lives at the age of seventy-four years.
James P. Johnson received in his early boyhood such education as the schools of this pioneer section at that time afforded and made much of the opportunity at hand. In 1907 he purchased the old homestead of eighty acres from the other heirs and later added two forty-acre tracts, farming at the present time his entire holding of one hundred and sixty acres. He carries on general farming such as practiced in this section and in addition gives considerable attention to the breeding of full-blood Holstein cattle, having twenty-four head at the present time. He also raises hogs for the market, his drove consisting of forty head in the 1915 season. He also keeps four horses for assisting in the work of the farm, all of which is kept up in a manner complimentary to the owner.
Aside from the responsibilities of his home Mr. Johnson finds time to give evidence of an active interest felt in various local enterprises, having served the Farmers Co-operative Creamery Association of Upsala as secre- tary for two years. He is also a member of the Elmdale Stock Shippers Association and is a stockholder in the Farmers Telephone Company. Like- wise he is both stockholder and director of the Farmers State Bank of Upsala and a director of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In politics he votes the Republican ticket, and as representative of that party he served as clerk of Elmdale township for six years and also clerk of the school board. Mr. Johnson also owns land in North Dakota, having home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres near Devils Lake in 1898, and pur- chased an adjoining tract of like dimensions a short time later.
James P. Johnson's marriage took place in 1902 when on December 22 of that year he was united in wedlock with Hannah Holmgren, a native of Sweden, born in 1873. She accompanied her family to this country and with them located in Elmdale township, where she has since made her home. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have a family of four children, James, Ralph. Agnes and Lillian M., and have planned to give all of them a good education and train them so that they will take their places in the world as useful men and women when they shall have attained years of maturity. Mr. Johnson
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has come into a pleasing degree of material success, but more valuable still he has so ordered his life as to have won the respect of his fellow citizens and the confidence and esteem of all who know him.
FRED KEEHR.
Among the large landowners of this section of Morrison county, Fred Keehr, of Buckman township, a prosperous young farmer who believes in making his greatest effort during the morning of life, is entitled to a rank among the most enterprising.
Fred Keehr was born on May 8, 1874, at Sauk Rapids, Benton county, Minnesota. He is the son of Jacob and Anna (Trien) Keehr, the former of whom was born in Germany in 1838, where he lived until after his mar- riage. In 1871 the family came to the United States, and after a short stop in New York state came on to St. Paul, where they remained about six months. There Jacob Keehr did odd jobs, after which he reinoved to Sauk Rapids, where he remained two years. He worked on neighboring farms. At the end of that period, he came to Buckman township and homesteaded eighty acres of land. He died upon this homestead farm on April 5, 1914, farming his land until his death. He was a member of the German Lutheran church, and voted the Democratic ticket. His wife, the mother of Fred Keehr, was also born in Germany. She came to America with her husband and family. They had nine children, all of whom are living: Charlie, Amel, Andrew, Martha ( who is the wife of Peter King), Rudolph. Fred, Edward, Albert and John.
Fred Keehr was educated in the district schools of Buckinan township. and after completing his education worked in the woods from the time he was fourteen years old until he was twenty-two years old.
When nineteen years old, Fred Keehr was married to Julia Korth, who was born on October 29. 1875, in Wisconsin, but who, when still a small girl. came to Benton county, Minnesota, where she lived until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Keehr have had six children, Bert, Hazel. Della, Pearl, Jessic and Edna. Mrs. Julia Keehir died of appendicitis at the age of thirty-five vears in 1911, and on February 24, 1913. Mr. Keehr was married to Julia Tolberg, who was born in Minnesota on February 26, 1892, and who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Tolberg.
When Mr. Keehr was twenty-two years old he homesteaded forty acres
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of land in Alberta township, Benton county, and proved up on the land by living there and cultivating it for six years. In the meantime he bought one hundred and sixty acres in Buckman township, where he lived after sell- ing his claim for three years. Upon selling this farm he purchased four hundred and forty acres of wild prairie, all of which, save seventy-one acres in meadow, has been put under cultivation. In 1913 Mr. Keehr bought eighty acres in Hubbard county, Minnesota, principally timber land. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres of timber land in Cass county in 1914, and in the winter of 1914 bought one hundred and sixty acres of tim- ber land in Millelacs county. In March, 1915. Mr. Keehr bought one hun- dred and sixty acres in Bellevue township, where he is now building and where he expects to make his home. Altogether, he owns about one thou- sand acres of land in different parts of the state of Minnesota. He is a progressive man, a progressive farmer and one who is adding greatly to his wealth as years come and go. He has fifteen head of horses and about thirty head of Hereford and Red Polled cattle. He also has about thirty head of Poland China hogs.
Mr. Keehr votes the Republican ticket. He was a member of the school board for more than ten years in various districts and supervisor of Buck- man township for three years. Mr. and Mrs. Keehr are members of the Lutheran church.
MARK JAMES GUNDERSON.
Among the prosperous and highly successful merchants of Elindale township, Morrison county, Minnesota, is Mark James Gunderson, who was born at Elmdale, in Elmdale township, Morrison county, Minnesota, Octo- ber 24, 1889.
Mark James Gunderson is a son of Knute Hans and Caroline ( Christen- sen) Gunderson, the former of whom was born in Yerland, Denmark. February 9. 1841, and when about twenty-six years old came to America. .After arriving on the Atlantic seaboard, Knute Hans Gunderson came west to St. Cloud, where, for a few years, he served as hostler in a livery barn. Hle then came to Elmidale township, and homesteaded eighty acres of land. After receiving his patent, he opened a little store in the basement of his home and, in 1887, built a store near his home. He operated this store until 1912, doing a general mercantile business. At the present time he is living retired in Elmdale. Caroline (Christensen) Gunderson was born in Den-
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mark on October 15, 1850, and she lived to be sixty-three years of age. She died in May, 1914. She was married in the old country, but her first husband died and she came to America and settled in Swan River town- ship, Morrison county, Minnesota, with her brother, and there she met and married Knute Hans Gunderson. Of the eight children born to them, three are living, Knute Hans, Jr., Mark James and Lillie.
Mark James Gunderson was educated in the district schools of Elni- dale township, Morrison county, Minnesota, and after finishing his school work he worked for three years on the farm for his father. Afterward he worked three years in a creamery as a buttermaker, and in 1912 rented the store from his father, which he operated in partnership with his brother until 1914, when the father sold out to his sons. In 1913 Mr. Gunderson built an addition to the store. He is the local agent for the Overland and Ford automobiles, and has built up a good trade in this part of Morrison county. Mr. Gunderson has eighty acres of land, the old homestead, and in addition to the mercantile business is engaged in farming this land. He is a stockholder in the Clover Leaf Creamery Association at Elindale, and is well known in the township.
Mr. Gunderson is independent in politics. He is a member of the Danish Lutheran church.
KYLE H. B.ALCOM.
One of the successful newspapers of Todd county, Minnesota, is the Browerville Blade, of which Kyle H. Balcom has been the editor and pub- lisher since 1910. The Browerville Blade is a weekly newspaper and has a large circulation in this community. Its proprietor is a practical and efficient printer, who understands thoroughly all of the angles of the newspaper business.
Kyle H. Balcom was born at Thomson, Illinois, May 15, 1887, and is the son of Truxton H. and Augusta (Carpenter) Balcom, the former of whom was born in New York state and who, when about eighteen years old, immigrated to Illinois with his parents. They settled in Carroll county, Illinois, from which the late Trixton H. Balcom enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served altogether four years, two years as a drummer boy and two years in the ranks.
Upon his return from the army Truxton H. Balcom settled down on
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the farin in Carroll county, Illinois, where he lived until his death. He also operated a grocery store in Thomson for about four years. He died in June, 1893, at the age of fifty-one years, and at the time of his death was a prominent member of the Masonic lodge of the state. He had risen to the rank of a thirty-second-degree Scottish Rite Mason. He was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Augusta Balcom, mother of Kyle H., was born in New York state in 1848, and came to Illinois with her parents and settled in Carroll county, where she was married. She lived to be fifty-two years old, passing away on March 28, 1900. To Mr. and Mrs. Truxton H. Balcom were born four children, Lloyd, deceased; Geneva, who married Edward Ullman and lives in Browerville; Earl, who died in infancy; and Kyle, the subject of this sketch.
Kyle H. Balcom attended the common schools and after completing the course moved with his mother to Webster, South Dakota, where he was graduated from the high school. After finishing the high school course proper he attended the Commercial Business College at Mankato, Minne- sota. In 1905 he returned to Webster and was employed in a printing office at that place. There he learned the trade of a compositor, remaining three years. When Mr. Balcom was twenty-one years old he settled at Lemmon, South Dakota, in Perkins county, where he took a claim of one hundred and sixty acres. After one and one-half years, lie sold out his right to the claim and moved to Ortonville, Minnesota, where he worked in a printing office for about one year. In 1910 he came to Browerville and purchased from C. H. Sherman the Browerville Blade, which he has published ever since.
In 1914 Mr. Balcom engaged in the motion picture business in Brower- ville. He has a theater called the "Idle Hour," which he still operates. In partnership with F. T. Warber, Mr. Balcom has been engaged in the real- estate business since July, 1915.
On October 31. 1909, Kyle H. Balcom was married to Lucille Zaback, who was born at Bigstone City, South Dakota, December 12, 1888. Mrs. Balcom was educated in the public schools of Bigstone City, where she lived until her marriage. She is the daughter of August Zaback, who is a native of Germany and who settled at Bigstone City upon his arrival in America from Germany. He lived there until 1913, when the family moved to Falsen, North Dakota. Mrs. Balcom is one of seven children born to her parents. One child is deceased. The living children are, John; Anthoneo, who married Joseph Fleming and lives in Foxhole, North Dakota: Martin ; Edward: Lucille, the wife of Mr. Balcom; and Leo.
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Mr. and Mrs. Kyle H. Balcom have one child, Kinnin, who was born on August 3, 1913.
The Browerville Blade is independent in politics. Mr. Balcom has been prominent in the political and civic life of Todd county and, as the publisher of the leading newspaper of his community, enjoys a well-deserved prestige as a citizen and business man. Since coming to Browerville five years ago Mr. Balcom has made a host of friends, not only for himself but for the newspaper of which he is proprietor.
CHARLES STENHOLM.
Charles Stenholm, acknowledged to be one of the most up-to-date farni- ers of Elmdale township, Morrison county, Minnesota, is a native of Sweden, born on July 3, 1862, son of Magnus Peterson and Martha, his wife. Both of Mr. Stenholm's parents passed their entire lives in Sweden and were of the farming class. The father owned a goodly farm and was a rather extensive breeder of live stock.
Charles Stenholm is the youngest of a family of five children, the others being Augustine, Peter, Solomon and Louise M. Charles attended the public schools near his home when a boy, and after completing his studies helped his father for two years. In search of the greater opportunities which he believed America offered he emigrated to this country in 1882 and traveled directly to Detroit, Michigan, going to Stillwater from that point. He attended school in Lindstrom, Minnesota, for one term to better acquaint himself with the English language and American mannerisms and then went to Minneapolis where for two summers he was employed in a brickyard. He spent one year in the timber at Moose Lake and for the four following years he was a bartender at White Bear Lake.
In the fall of 1888 Mr. Stenholm came to Morrison county and bought forty-four acres of wild land. There were no roads in his vicinity, neither were there houses. He laid out a roadway the first year he had possession of his land and bent every energy to getting his land cleared and under cultivation. A few years later he bought forty-eight acres adjoining him on the south, his farm now being about half under cultivation. In addition to general farming he raises some live stock, having in the 1915 season about twenty-two head of cattle, also horses and pigs, finding in live stock a most lucrative phase of farming.
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Charles Stenholm was married on June 24, 1890, to Caroline Peterson. born in Sweden on February 22, 1863. She came to this country all alone about the year 1888 and settled at White Bear Lake, where she met and mar- ried Mr. Stenholm. To their union have been born three daughters: Anna M., Hilda M. (Mrs. Harry Beckstrom) and Ellen S. The family is regarded as one of the best of the community and have a pleasing number of warm personal friends. Mr. Stenholm's farm is known as "Cedar Lake Farm" and the manner in which it is kept up and its business conducted is a fitting testimony to the ability of the owner. There is a fine residence, a large barn and other suitable buildings and about the whole place there is an air of prosperity and system that is pleasing to even the casual observer. Mr. Steinholm is a stockholder in the Farmers Co-operative Creamery Company and also a member of the Farmers Fire Insurance Company, both local organizations, which illustrate to what extent the farming class fosters the commercial and protective spirit in their own community. Mr. Stenholin gives his political support to the Republican party and holds his church membership with the Lutherans.
PETER NYLEN.
Among the honorable and influential citizens of Darling township, Mor- rison county, Minnesota, is Peter Nylen, the subject of this review, who has maintained his home here for many years, winning definite success in agri- cultural work, to which he has devoted his attention during the years of an active business life, and he has ever commanded the confidence and esteem of his fellow men.
Peter Nylen was born on September 14, 1860, in the land of Norway, ' son of Michael H. and Ingni ( Engelbreston) Nylen. He was one of a family of twelve children, but six of whom are living at the present time. Michael Nylen, father of the immediate subject of this sketch, passed his entire life in his native land. He was born in 1808 and during all the active years of his life was engaged in farming. Ilis death occurred in 1869. llis wife, who was born on January 8, 1818. survived him a number of years, her death occurring in 1908.
Peter Nylen received his education in his native land and remained on the farm with his father until 1880, at which time he left his home and emi- grated to this country. He traveled directly to Minneapolis, where he had
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friends, and secured work with a section gang on a railroad. He remained in that position about six months, but not finding it to his liking he turned to farm work as the thing in which he was best versed. He first hired out to a farmer in Otter Tail county and in 1883 secured possession of a tract of land in Towner county, which he rented until about 1890, when he first came to Morrison county. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 26, of Darling township, on which there was a small shanty but no ground whatever had been broken. He immediately erected a sub- stantial log house, size fourteen by eighteen feet, in which he lived until 1899, when he built his present two-story residence of nine rooms. He has also erected a good substantial barn and other outbuildings and has fifty- five acres of land under cultivation, sixteen acres being in corn. In addi- tion to regular farming, Mr. Nylen pays considerable attention to raising live stock. He keeps nothing but graded stock and disposes of a number of head each year to the market.
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