History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 61

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736

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MARTIN STARKSON was born in Salem township August 9, 1869, and was here reared to manhood and educated. He grew up on his father's farm and learned all the details of successful farm manage- ment and operation. Though his education was limited, he has very much improved it in his mature years by reading and experience. Soon after becoming of age he rented the old home place, and in partnership with his two brothers operated the same with much success until the year 1900, when he bought a tract of 160 acres in section 25, this township, and here he has since resided, engaged in farming and stock-raising. He carries on general farming, and raises considerable grain and hay, and numbers of cattle, hogs and horses for the market. His farm, which is mostly river bottom, is one of the best in the county for live stock and grain. Mr. Starkson is up to date in all his farm operations. In many ways his farm is a model in system and effectiveness. He is public-spirited and alive to the improvement of the community. He is a member of East St. Olaf Church and is a Republican in his political views. He owns stock in the Creamery, Lumber and Telephone Companies. On June 13, 1908, he married Miss Martha T. Nelson, whose par- ents were pioneer settlers of Salem township, and to this union the following children were born: Berton T., born April 12, 1909; Merlin I., born May 13, 1910.

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CHARLES A. ROEDER, farming and residing in High Forest town- ship, was born June 9, 1860, in Rochester township, this county, the son of Christopher and Wilhelmina (Shenderheda) Roeder. The father was a native of Germany, born in 1826, and in 1857 immi- grated to America. He worked at his trade of shoemaking for one year and three months. In 1858 he came to Rocheser, Minnesota, where he worked two years, and then rented a farm in Rochester township, which he conducted until 1867. He then purchased an 160-acre tract in section 32, Rock Dell township, to which, from time to time, as his means permitted, he added to, and at the time of his death, in 1893, was the owner of 420 acres of finely improved farm land, of which his original 160 acres was a part. His wife, Wilhelmina, passed away in 1902, and both are now at rest in St. Bridget Cemetery at Pleasant Grove. They had the following named children: William G., now farming in Olmsted county; Charles A., our subject; Frank M., retired farmer of this county, now residing in Stewartville; Louise, now Mrs. Eichstadt, of Olm- sted county; Henry J .; Louis, on home farm; and Christopher, recently married, now resides in Rochester.

Of these children, Charles A. was educated in the public schools of Olmsted county, and has always followed farming and stock- raising. In 1890 he and his brother, William G., bought a 240- acre farm in High Forest township, and here he still resides. Aside from farming, Mr. Roeder has become well known as a successful breeder of thoroughbred Shorthorn and Polled Angus cattle. He is also interested in the Farmer's Elevator Company, of Stewartville; the Farmer's Lumber Company, of Hayfield, Minnesota; the Farm- er's Telephone Company and the Zumbro Creamery. In 1893 he was married to Miss Mary Peters, daughter of old pioneers of this county, and to them have been born these children : Arthur F., July 8, 1894; Irene, April 12, 1896; Carl, March 10, 1898; Gladys, Sep- tember 23, 1900; Helen, July 23, 1902, and Paul F., April 13, 1909, all residing at home. In politics Mr. Roeder is an independent Demo- crat, has served as town treasurer and school clerk, holding the latter position nine years, and he and family are members of St. Bernard's Catholic Church, at Stewartville.

JOHN D. BAKER was born in New York in February, 1842, and is a son of Isaac and Abigail, who came to Minnesota in 1855 and settled in Fillmore county, where they took up a tract of govern- ment land and there remained engaged in farming for a period of ten years. They then disposed of their big farm to good advantage, and moved to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where they took up a homestead and engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1879 they again sold out and came to Pleasant Grove township, Olmsted county, and here passed the remainder of their days. Both parents

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now sleep their last sleep in Evergreen Cemetery, Pleasant Grove township. Their son, John D., spent his youth in assisting his par- ents on the farm and in getting an education at the near-by schools. In 1863 he rented a farm and ran it on shares one year. In 1864 he took up a tract of 160 acres of government land in Blue Earth county and farmed the same until 1873, when he came to Olmsted county, having sold out, and bought eighty acres in Pleasant Grove township, in section 24, and began to grub, clear and improve the same. Since then he has added to his landed possessions until he now owns 120 acres of excellent land, all covered with good modern improvements. In 1864 Mr. Baker married Miss Margaret Red- man, a native of Ohio, and to this union three children were born: James W., Isaac A. and Edith M., who married Mr. Edward Low- rie. In 1882 Mr. Baker had the misfortune to lose his wife; two years later he chose for his second wife Lucy A. Pick, a native of England, and the daughter of John and Mary Pick. After coming to this country she attended school in Rochester and elsewhere and afterward spent several years in teaching. To this marriage two children were born: Mildred A., who married Mr. Vernon Yates, and Ralph. The family worship with the Methodists of this town- ship. Mr. Baker is a Republican and the friend of education and progress. His wife is a woman of far more than ordinary education, culture and refinement.

GEORGE H. LOWRIE is one of the best known scientific and prac- tical farmers of Olmsted county. He is of New England nativity, born June 4, 1833, at South Canaan, Litchfield county, Connecticut, a son of John Bradford and Lovissa Lowrie, and a direct descendant of Governor Bradford, of Colonial fame. His boyhood days were passed on a farm with common-school educational advantages, and in order to better his circumstances, in 1857, he came West, locating in Eyota township, Olmsted county, Minnesota, where he secured 160 acres of land on sections 20 and 21. For a period of twenty- nine years he lived on this place, altering its condition from the original state to that of modern development and convenience. In 1886 he sold the property and moved to his present home in Pleasant Grove township, where he is the owner of 405 acres. The ordinary interpretation of the farmer is that he does as did his progenitors before him, requiring no particular intelligence and relying chiefly upon plodding and hard work to succees. Mr. Lowrie has demon- strated that farming is a science; that with brains and intelligence applied to husbandry, the chances for success are practically assured. He has carefully read the results of experiments made by the Agri- cultural Department of the United States Government, has studied the soil as to its adaptability to his needs, and has conquered by rea- son of intelligence where others have failed because of not having

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mastered the scientific principles underlying the vast subject of mod- ern farming. In other ways Mr. Lowrie has demonstrated that to be a good farmer it is necessary to be equally well informed on the general affairs of the country, and that a good agriculturist is the most independent of all mankind. He is a Republican in his political views and has served in various official positions. To his marriage with Miss Susan White, solemnized in 1865, the following children have been born: Edward; Lucy, now Mrs. Brown; Nellie, now Mrs. McCaruthers; Jessie, Mrs. Fox; John; Frank; Oscar; George; Mae, Mrs. Stevens; Charles, and Fred. The children have been given the best of schooling opportunities, and are surrounded with every comfort, pleasure and advantage that love can bestow.

W. H. BURGAN is one of the few remaining old settlers of Olm- sted county. His silvery locks and faltering footsteps tell us that ere long he will "pass within that tent whose curtain never outward swings." In no way can we so well commemorate such heroes of the olden time as by imitating their virtues and preserving inviolate the blessings guaranteed unto us in the civil, educational and relig- ious institutions founded and fostered by their wisdom and self- sacrifice. He was born in Lee county, Virginia, on June 26, 1826, a son of Isaac and Ellen Burgan, and a nephew of Yelverton P. Burgan. All these were natives of Virginia, and the latter was among the first to settle within the present confines of Olmsted county. Isaac Burgan was descended from German ancestry. He served in the War of 1812 and was a participant in the Bloody Run engagement. He learned the cooper's trade, which he followed until his death in 1839. W. H. Burgan, the subject of this sketch, left home after the death of his father and began life's battle as a farm hand, first receiving $5 a month for his services and later $10. For a number of years he traveled throughout the middle West, finished his schooling with a two years' collegiate course at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and served two years in the Union army. In 1851 he married Ellen Collins, and having saved considerable money, which he carried in a belt about his body, bought, for $500 cash, a sixty-acre tract of Iowa land, upon which he located and began improving. From this time on he bought farms as his judgment warranted. In 1854 he disposed of his holdings in Iowa, and coming to Olmsted county, Minnesota, pre-empted a quarter section of land from the Govern- ment, in Pleasant Grove township. At that time wild animals were more plentiful than domestic ones, and Indians were as frequently to be seen as white men. Here Mr. Burgan built his cabin in the wilds; here he grubbed, cleared and improved, passing through the transition period of primal conditions to modern conveniences, and here he reared his family to honest, industrious manhood and womanhood. As time passed his worldly means increased until he

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became one of the prosperous men of the county. He took an equal part with his neighbors in the support of all laudable public enter- prises, and while not seeking political preferment, has filled local positions with credit as becomes the duty of all good citizens. His wife, who shared with him his struggles and privations for fifty- three years, passed away on January 2, 1906. They were the par- ents of ten children, named as follows: John Wesley, deceased; Sarah M., now Mrs. Brown; Abigail J., Mrs. Bentley; Mary F., Mrs. Olcutt; Anna E., Mrs. Smith; Edward R .; Luman S .; Jesse W .; Lydia, and Laura, the last two named being dead. The old homestead is now owned by Luman S. Burgan, who, with his sister, Mrs. Sarah M. Brown, now operates it. Mr. Burgan, the father, resides here, passing his declining years in peace and with the full knowledge of a well spent life. He is a member of the Christian church and is a Republican in politics.

ROBERT N. SACKETT is the worthy representative of an old pio- neer family of this county and is a resident of Pleasant Grove town- ship. He was born in Wisconsin in 1859, his parents being N. B. and Agnes Sackett, the father being a native of New York, where his birth occurred in 1818. N. B. Sackett spent his boyhood on his father's farm, attending the district schools and assisting at all classes of farm work. His education was somewhat meager, but served his purposes in after life, as his best school was experience. In 1837 he married Olive E. Henry, and to this union the following children were born: Anna E., Martin M., Henry P. and Sarah L. His first wife dying November 29, 1845, he chose for his second wife Miss Agnes Young, to whom he was married March 2, 1846. This marriage was blessed with the following children: Solomon, Cyrus, James, William, Ellen and Robert N., the subject of this review. The family came West and for a time lived in Wisconsin, but finally came to Olmsted county in 1861 and bought 160 acres on sections 32 and 33, Pleasant Grove township, and here they lived and labored until the deaths of both parents, N. B. passing away August 13, 1886, and his wife February 6, 1882. They were most exemplary people, and their lives were spent in industry, sociability and honor. The father was one of the most prominent citizens and occupied various positions with fidelity and credit. Their son, Rob- ert N., the subject of this sketch, was reared to manhood on the old homestead in this county and received a common-school education. He learned the art of agriculture by hard work in his early years and this has since been his occupation. He remained on the place until the death of his mother in 1882 and in the meantime had accumu- lated some means of his own with which to face the struggle of life. He finally married Annetta Hopkins, whose parents, C. M. and S. L. Hopkins, were prominent pioneer settlers of Olmsted county,

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coming here at an early day from Canada and Ohio. They are yet living in Rochester, enjoying that rest and quiet so relished by elderly people. Robert N. and wife are parents of the following children : Robert A., Homer D., N. B., Clara A., Nellie M., Effie L., Lester E., Leslie C. and Mary A. After their marriage, Robert N. and wife continued in charge of the old homestead until 1886, when they bought 160 acres, being the old homestead in section 32, Pleas- ant Grove township, where they have ever since resided. They now have a well improved farm, equipped with substantial buildings and surrounded by a beautiful grove. It is one of the pleasant homes of the county, because the surroundings are beautiful and comfortable and the house is filled with refined and educated people. In addition to the above mentioned farm, they own a tract of fifteen acres of timberland, and stock in the Farmer's Elevator. Mr. Sackett is a member of the Methodist church, as also is his wife. He is a trustee and she is active in Sunday-school work. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., and is identified with the Prohibition party. He is broad-gauged, public-spirited, and takes pride in giving his children good educations and in seeing them get properly started in life.

TOLLEF GOLBERG, one of the earliest settlers in Olmsted county, was born in Norway, November 12, 1829, a son of Ole and Carrie Golberg. Both parents came to America May 17, 1851, resided here several years, and now lie at rest in St. Olaf's Cemetery. Tollef Golberg was educated in the Lutheran schools of his native country, but early in life conceived the idea that greater chances for success existed in America, and accordingly immigrated to the United States and located in what is now Rock Dell township, Olmsted county, Minnesota. This portion of the country was as yet unsurveyed, and Mr. Golberg squatted on section 10. When the government sur- veyors started work on Rock Dell township, he assisted them in run- ning the lines for that and adjoining townships. On May 3, 1852, he married Miss Carrie Nelson Giere, of Iowa, and to them the fol- lowing children were born: Carrie, born January 17, 1853 (now deceased), who became the wife of Louis Erickson, a farmer of Rock Dell township; Ole, born September 29, 1854, being the first male child born in the county; Mary was the wife of Ole Skjer- . vem (now deceased), a Rock Dell farmer; Bertha J. married Carl Jeglun, a Dodge county farmer; Nels, married to Julia I. Larson, and farming in section II; Olina, the wife of B. O. Roe, of Dodge county, and the mother of thirteen children; and Caroline, wife of Peter Johnson, of Wisconsin, had five children. After spending many happy years in Rock Dell township, surrounded by many lov- ing friends and relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Golberg were summoned to the Great Unknown, and now lie peacefully at rest in the family lot in the United Lutheran Cemetery. The death of Mr. Golberg cast

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a gloom over the entire community where he had lived for so many years, and his funeral was one of the largest known to this section of the country. Ole, the second named child above, was the first to be baptized in East St. Olaf's Church, and for this reason and the fact that his grandfather was the first settler in the county, the parish was named St. Olaf's. Ole is now a member of the United Lutheran church and was one of its founders. He and family with- drew from St. Olaf's in 1889 and have since affiliated with the former organization. In 1875 he purchased the old homestead and five years later was united in marriage with Miss Serina Roe, who was born December 12, 1862 the daughter of a Dodge county pio- neer, and to this union have been born the following children: Tol- lef, born in 1882, and died same year; Oscar, born in 1883, and also died same year ; Theodore C., born August 12, 1884, deceased 1889; Otto M., born June 18, 1887; Clara, born January 23, 1890, now teaching; George T., born December 2, 1892, at home; Obert Sel- mer, born September 29, 1895, died in infancy; Selmer L., born May 5, 1898; Ruth C., born August 16, 1904. In 1882 Mr. Gol- berg and wife adopted Lydia Strum and have reared her as their own daughter. The Golberg family is one of the oldest and most highly respected in this portion of the county, and have been uniformly successful in whatever line of endeavor they have undertaken.

MAURICE W. POTTER was born February 22, 1869, and is the son of Major B. Potter, who was a native of Oneida county, New York, his birth occurring May 10, 1820. The father spent his youthful years working in his father's ashery and in attending the old-time district schools. On July 3, 1842, he married Miss Maria Fellows, who died in 1863. For his second wife he chose Mrs. Julia Rada- baugh, and in 1865 they moved to Olmsted county and bought 160 acres in section 2, Pleasant Grove township. Here husband and wife passed the remainder of their days, the wife dying September 2, 1896, and the husband May 5, 1905, and both lie buried in Marion cemetery. They were real pioneers, and during their long residence in this county they became well known and were most highly es- teemed by all who knew them. The father was a useful and indus- trious farmer and was interested in all movements that promised to be of benefit to the neighborhood. His son Maurice is now the owner of the old homestead. Here his whole life has been spent. He has seen the county grow from primeval wilds to a land flowing literally with milk and honey and filled with comfortable and even luxurious homes, where education, love and refinement dwell. His farm is beautifully situated within one and one-half miles from Predmore, a station on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. and the dwelling is surrounded with fine trees, which are tended by faith-

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ful hands. Mr. Potter is unmarried and his half sister keeps house for him. He is a Republican and a member of the Christian church. He has occupied the office of justice of the peace and is now school director of the Marion graded schools. The prominence and high character of the members of this well-known family are never called in question.

ORIN H. PAGE is one of two now living of the first white settlers in Pleasant Grove township, the date and location of his advent there being in 1854, on the northwest quarter of section 28. He was born in Broome county, New York, November 4, 1832, a son of John and Eliza Page, and his early youth was passed in attending the district schools and assisting his parents, with whom he came West in 1846. He was brought up to hard work on a farm, and when he came to Olmsted county in 1854 he took up government land, where- on he erected a cabin and began clearing and improving. Undis- turbed by the howl of wolves and the disadvantages then existing, he worked hard, early and late. The frontier cabin in time gave way to modern buildings; the thatched stable made room for the barn; the old-fashioned implements of husbandry succumbed to the inventions of the twentieth century. All this change was brought about, but the hardships, discomforts and privations endured can scarce be realized by the present generation. When the pioneer experiences of those olden days are related by the survivors, the listener is awed by the courage and fortitude displayed by the par- ticipants. Occasionally rascality was then encountered, but rarely, and for the most part the early pioneers of Olmsted county were honest, God-fearing people, ever ready to extend the helping hand to a neighbor, often going miles through inclement weather to min- ister to the sick and the needy. Mr. Page, then and always, has been one of the county's best and most deserving citizens. In 1857 he married Electa Denny, whose parents were among the earliest settlers of this locality, and with him Mrs. Page for over half a century has shared his hardships, his sorrows and his happiness, bearing her part of the burden and in all ways contributing to the general good. Seven children were born to them, named Byron E., Helen, Milton, Tyrus, Orin, Lettie and Leslie. Mr. Page is now the owner of acres of splendidly improved land. In general he is a Republican in politics, but he does not hesitate to vote other- wise when, in his judgment, it is for the best interests of the coun- try to do so. In 1857-58 and '59 he served the county as sheriff, also doing the work of auditor and treasurer. In 1879, as the can- didate of the Greenback party, he was elected to the State Senate, in which he served with much credit, and was the author of the bill to conserve the swamp lands of the state, now recognized as a great and valued measure. In 1862 he was a member of the home

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guard, which was organized to resist the threatened ravages of the Indians. Mr. Page is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He is the grandfather of eighteen children and the great-grandfather of five. There is no man living in Olmsted county who has more dili- gently sought to promote the political welfare of the country in carrying out the governmental policies.

A. J. MULHOLLAND, a pioneer resident of Viola township, Olm- sted county, was born in Hamilton county, New York, December 26, 1863, a son of Andrew and Christina (Keller) Mulholland, also natives of that state. The family came to Viola township, Olmsted county, early in 1865, and have since made this place their home. When war was declared between the North and South, Mr. Mul- holland enlisted for the preservation of the Union and served with credit through that memorable struggle. To him and wife a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters, was born, as follows : James, of Lake City, Minnesota; A. A., of Viola; Mary M. Camp- bell, of Viola; R. H. Mulholland, of Buffalo, North Dakota; A. J. Mulholland, the subject of this sketch; Robert A., of Rochester, Minnesota; C. E. Mulholland, of Viola; and Cora Swan, deceased.

On November 27, 1889, A. J. Mulholland was united in marriage with Miss Carrie E. Newsham, daughter of Z. T. and Jane (Collins) Newsham. Her father was born in Wisbeach, England, May 2, 1834, and the mother near Bristol, England, March 28, 1828. They immigrated to America at an early date and had the following five children : Mrs. W. B. Wooley, Mary Murphy, Josie Knopp, Clara Smith and Charles, who died at the age of five. Mrs. Mulholland and Mrs. Smith are twins, and with the exception of Mrs. Knopp, of Winona, all are residing in Viola township. The mother of these children died April 9, 1906, a fine woman, who had made hosts of friends. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Mulholland five children have been born, as follows: Kenneth, born June 13, 1892; Harold, born October 30, 1895; Marjorie, born September 9, 1899, and died July 20, 1901; Kermit, born June 3, 1902, and died August 29, 1902; and Barbara, born at Long Beach, California, April 23, 1904. Although they have lost two children by accidents, Mr. and Mrs. Mulholland are cheerful, and their influence on those who have been spared them is always for the good. The family affiliate with the Methodist church. Mr. Mulholland owns 240 acres of improved land in section 10 of Viola township, equipped with all modern im- provements, and he and family are enjoying life in every sense of the word. In politics he is a Republican, and as such has been se- lected by friends and neighbors as road supervisor, school director, and is at present township assessor. Mr. Mulholland is liberal to a fault, and no public enterprise of worth but what receives his moral

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History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 61

Author: Joseph A. Leonard Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Number of Pages: 736

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736