USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 101
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James Taylor, Jr., was educated in the common schools of the state of Minnesota. He was a broom-maker by trade and a farmer in Winona county. Subsequently, however, he moved to McLeod county and lived at Glencoe, Minnesota, carrying the mail and driving a stage from Glencoe to Henderson, and from Glencoe to Blakeley, Minnesota. After a time, he moved to a farm in Sibley county and, after living there for five years, came to Otter Tail county and homesteaded one hundred and one acres in Leaf Lake town- ship. He received an extra amount of land because he had been a soldier. His land bordered East Leaf lake on the south. He died on April 27, 1899. He was a soldier in the Civil War, having served in the Ninth Illinois Cav- alry for a short time. He enlisted near the close of the war. At his death
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he left three children, Mary J., John L. and David M., the latter living in the state of Washington.
John L. Taylor was educated in Sibley county, Minnesota, and lived at home with his parents until November 25, 1887, when he was married to Electa Wilkinson, a native of Sibley county, Minnesota, born on June 4, 1868. Mrs. Taylor is the daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth (Townsend) Wilkinson, natives of Valparaiso, Indiana, and Vermont, respectively. Both are now deceased. The former was a farmer in Otter Tail county for a time, but late in life moved to Oregon, where his wife died. He then returned to Otter Tail county and died here on August 2, 1900. His wife had died three years previously, June 30, 1897. They were the parents of the following children, all of whom are living: Kleber, Volney, Electa, Jennie, Archie, Robert, Jesse, Irvin, Anna, Harley and Mabel. Mr. and Mrs. John L. Taylor, who have no children of their own, reared Mabel Haugan, who was married on June 2, 1915, to Raymond Applegaard.
After his marriage Mr. Taylor located on eighty acres of land in sec- tion 35, of Leaf Lake township. Subsequently, he purchased one hundred and twenty acres additional and now has two hundred acres, most of which was wild land at the time he purchased it. Practically all of the improve- ments upon the farm have been put here by Mr. Taylor himself. In 1912 he rebuilt his house and, seven years previously, had built a new barn. Mr. Taylor is still active in farm work and operates the farm with hired help. Mr. Taylor has served as school clerk for thirteen years in Leaf Lake town- ship. He is a successful farmer, a most useful citizen and a popular man in the neighborhood where he lives.
HERMAN DUENOW.
Herman Duenow, prosperous farmer and prominent citizen of Friberg township, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, was born in Prussia, Germany, on February 4. 1860, the son of William and Albertine (Gabriel ) Duenow, natives of Germany. William Duenow came to America in 1865, and landed at New York city, after a stormy voyage of five weeks on the Atlantic ocean, and following a short time in New York city, the elder Deunow went to Watertown, Wisconsin, where he worked generally for five years and then moved to Otter Tail county, Minnesota, and homesteaded eighty acres of land in section 30, Friberg township, a farm which William Deunow cul- tivated for the remainder of his days, he dying in 1907. Albertine, the widow of William Duenow, lives with her son, Albert, on the old home- stead in Friberg township. William and Albertine Duenow were the par- ents of five children, Herman, Fred, Minnie, Bertha and Albert.
Herman Duenow was educated in the public schools of Watertown,
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Wisconsin, after which he became a farmer, working near his home in Wis- consin, for some time, and then coming to Otter Tail county, Minnesota, where he acquired a farm which he improved and a place to which he added land until now Herman Duenow owns six hundred and fifty acres of land in Otter Tail county, all but eighty acres of his land being in Friberg town- ship.
On May 24, 1882, Herman Duenow was married to Matilda Zuelsdorff, who was born in Germany, and to this marriage have been born four chil- dren, George, Alfonse, William and Herbert. Herman Duenow and his family are members of the German Lutheran church, in Friberg township.
Herman Duenow has been active in the public life of his community. he taking a thorough interest in all matters of general welfare or local progress, as well as serving as clerk of Friberg township, and he having served as clerk of the school district and as township supervisor.
JOHN STEGE.
Long recognized as a leader in his community, active, progressive and prompt in action in matters relating to the general welfare of the vicinity in which he lives, John Stege, a well-known farmer of Gorman township, this county, is looked upon as one of the most substantial citizens of that section of the county.
John Stege was born in Prussia, Germany, September 11, 1865, son of Richard and Elizabeth (Bollard) Stege, both natives of Prussia and the parents of two children, John Stege having a sister, Sophia. Richard Stege was the son of Henry Stege, who owned a small farm, and he was trained in the methodical ways of the German farmer. In 1880 he and his wife and daughter came to America, landing at the port of New York and imme- diately thereafter coming to Minnesota, where they located in this county, taking a farm in Leaf Lake township, which was their home thereafter. Upon the death of his first wife, the mother of the subject of this biograph- ical sketch, Richard Stege, married, secondly, Eliza Vilbae, which union was without issue. Richard Stege died some years ago in his home in Leaf Lake township.
It was not until five years after his parents had come to this county that John Stege came to America. That was in 1885. He landed at New York and straightway came to this county to rejoin his parents. Shortly after arriving here he bought eighty acres of land in Gorman township, where he ever since has made his home and where he has prospered until now he is the owner of four hundred acres, all in one tract and the most of which is under profitable cultivation. In 1908 he built a fine new house on the home place and he and his family are very comfortably situated. About
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the same time he built a new barn, twenty-four by seventy feet, with cement floor and all modern equipment for the proper operation of an up-to-date farm plant, with gas-engine for motive power and other things to corres- pond, his place being looked upon as one of the best-kept farms in that community.
In 1902 Jolin Stege was united in marriage to Minnie Bohr, who also was born in Prussia, but with whom he became acquainted after coming to this country, and to this union four children have been born, Ada, Walter, Edwin and Otto, all of whom are at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Stege are earnest and active members of the Lutheran church and are held in high esteem throughout the neighborhood in which they live.
Mr. Stege ever since coming to this county has taken an active inter- est in affairs and is looked upon as a very alert business man as well as an excellent farmer. For four years he was secretary of the co-operative cream- ery at Perham; for five years secretary of the mutual insurance association of the neighborhood and for six years was president of the farmers store association at Perham. He also has been a member of the directing board of the shipping association for the past two years and is interested in other movements looking to the development of the best interests of the farmers of that section of the county. These activities naturally have brought him prominently before the people of that vicinity and he enjoys the confidence and regard of all thereabout.
ARTHUR A. KRAUSE.
Arthur A. Krause, one of the prominent and successful young farmers of Otter Tail county, was born on October 9, 1881, the son of Adolphus and Augusta (Rechter ) Krause. Adolphus Krause was born in Germany, Octo- ber 23, 1845. He was the son of George and Amastina Krause, who owned and conducted a grocery store in a small town in that country. Adolphus was the eldest of a family of children and came alone to America in 1860, landing at New Orleans. Proceeding up the Mississippi River he remained for several years in St. Clair county, Illinois, after which he worked for five years as a shoe-maker in St. Louis. Before coming to Otter Tail county in 1872, he was for a time in the Northwest where he was engaged in teaming for the government, in the hauling of freight. On his arrival in Otter Tail county he at once homesteaded eighty acres of land in section 30. Friberg township. To the original farm he added until at the time of his retire- ment from active work he owned over three hundred acres.
Adolphus Krause and Augusta Rechter were married in November, 1880, and are the parents of the following children: Arthur, Max, Martha, Emma, Otto and Hulda. Mr. and Mrs. Krause retired from the farm in
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1914, locating in Fergus Falls where they now reside. They are active members of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Krause has been town treas- urer and school treasurer for many years.
Arthur A. Krause was educated in the common schools of his town- ship. He was married on December 9, 1903, to Bertha Peters, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peters, who were among the earliest settlers of the county. They are the parents of the following children: Herbert, Julius, Esther, Lillian and John.
Mr. Krause bought his present home farm of one hundred and ninety- eight acres in 1903. In 1904 he built the house and barn and since which time he has added many other improvements. Mr. Krause and family are members of the German Lutheran church and take an active part in the services. For the past nine years he has been school treasurer and at the present time is vice-president of the Farmers Telephone Company.
CARL E. OLSON.
Carl E. Olson, a leading farmer of Dane Prairie township, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, was born in Norway on June 27, 1881, a son of Hans H. and Marguerite ( Swanson ) Olson. Mr. Olson was brought to this country by his parents in 1884, while still a small child, and with them settled at Hudson, Wisconsin. There the parents still reside, the father now retired from the active duties of life. Throughout all his active years he was a blacksmith and considered a very good workman at his trade. Both parents are members of the Lutheran church and in the tenets of that faith they reared their family of nine children. The eldest of the family was Sophia. who died at the age of three years, and the second child was given the same name. This latter Sophia lives in Spokane, Washington and is the wife of a Mr. Peterson. Mr. Peterson is her second husband, she having first been the wife of M. W. Taylor, deceased. Olive, the third child, died when eighteen years of age, and Halvor, the fourth, saw service during the Spanish-American war and died from the effects of exposure during service. Hilda is the wife of A. G. Sulwold and lives in Minneapolis, and Andrew makes his home in Canada, where he is engaged in farming. Selma is the wife of J. C. Keitel and resides in St. Paul. The eighth child in order of birth, is Carl, the immediate subject of this sketch, and the youngest is Olga, who is Mrs. James Potter, of St. Paul.
Carl E. Olson received his education in the public schools of Hudson. attending both the grades and high schools and then secured employment on the Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee & Omaha railroad. He was employed first as fireman and later as engine-man, remaining with the road nine and one-half years. He decided to adopt the vocation of farming and in the
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spring of 1911 he purchased a farm of three hundred and fifty acres in Dane Prairie township, this county, where he has since lived and which he intends as his permanent home. He divides his interest between general farming and the raising of live stock, and succeeds well in his undertaking.
Carl E. Olson was married on December 23, 1907, to Marie Minge, born in Minneapolis, a daughter of Ole .\. and Lena Minge, they being early settlers on the farm where Mr. Olson now makes his home. To Mr. and Mrs. Olson has been born one child, a little daughter, Vivian, who died in early infancy. Mr. Olson is a Republican in politics, but chooses to vote independently in matters of local government. He holds his fraternal affilia- tion with the Yeomen of America, and gives evidence of commendable interest in the affairs of the order. Mr. Olson is among the younger farm- ers of this section and as he employs only modern methods in conducting the work of his farm, he promises to make a pleasing success of his ven- ture. Both he and Mrs. Olson move in the best social circles of the com- munity and are much liked by all.
THOMAS J. TVEDTE.
Thomas J. Tvedte, a farmer of Buse township, Otter Tail county, Min- nesota, is one of a number of citizens of that county who hail from the land of Norway. Mr. Tvedte is a son of Jergen and Sigrid ( Underland ) Tvedte, and was born on January 6, 1854. Both parents were also Norwegians by birth and in 1877, two years after the immediate subject of this sketch had emigrated to this country, they came over to join him. The father pur- chased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Buse township, this county, which is now the home of Thomas J. The father died on that farm in 1902 and the mother is still living at the advanced age of eighty-three years, remarkably well preserved for one of her age. Both Jergen Tvedte and his wife were reared in the Lutheran faith and lived honorable and useful lives in accordance with its teachings.
Thomas J. Tvedte is the eldest of a family of seven children, the next in order of birth being Martha, who is Mrs. Theodore Quackenbush of Melrose, Wisconsin. Hans is a farmer and located in Montana, and Lars remains in his native Norway, engaged also in agriculture. Cena married Arn Huseby and lives in Dane Prairie township. Julia, deceased, was the wife of Peter Hanson, of Barnesville, this state, and Jergen, the youngest of the family, died on the family homestead in Buse township. Thomas J. Tvedte received his education in the public schools of his native land and was raised on a farm. He emigrated to America in 1875 and settled in Dane county, Wisconsin, where for two years he hired out at farm labor. In 1877 he came to Otter Tail county, at the time his parents did and secured
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employment in Fergus Falls, where he remained for eleven years. In 1888 he purchased the homestead of the father, and has since resided there. He raises such grains as are favored by the best farmers of this section and also prepares each year a goodly number of cattle for the market. Both Mr. Tvedte and his wife are devout members of the Lutheran church and politi- cally, he endorses the platform of the Democratic party. He takes especial interest in local matters and has held various positions on the school board.
Mr. Tvedte was married in 1881 to Martha Hjeltnas, also a native of Norway and a daughter of Daniel and Sanva ( Edwin ) Hjeltnas. The par- ents were of the farmer class and neither ever left their native land. Mrs. Tvedte came to this country in 1877 and first located in Dane county, Wis- consin, later coming to Minnesota, where she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Tvedte have three children, the eldest of whom is George, a farmer in Can- ada; Daniel remains at home, and Lawrence resides in St. Paul, where he is a teamster. Mr. Tvedte's life of honesty and industry has won for him the sincere liking of those with whom he comes in contact and it is pleasant to note his efforts are meeting with material success.
RAY BRYANT.
Following is a short sketch of the family of Ray Bryant, a progressive farmer of Buse township, Otter Tail county, and youngest son of Zebina Zenos Bryant who for many years was an honored physician of Champlin, Minnesota. After the death of Doctor Bryant, his widow and son, Ray, came to Otter Tail county, where they have since made their home.
Zebina Zenos Bryant was born in Truxton, Cortland county, New York, April 7, 1839, son of Zenos and Mary Ann ( Ryder ) Bryant, both of whom were natives of the United States, the mother of Irish parentage and the father of Scotch descent. Zenos Bryant was in his earlier manhood a minister of the Baptist church and in later life he became a physician. When past middle age he moved to Iowa where he practiced his profession and also served as a minister of the Gospel. He died at his home in Iowa, where his wife had died some years previous and he had again married, this second wife surviving him. There were six children in the family, four of whom attained years of maturity. The eldest of these was Zabina Zenos, father of Ray Bryant ; Frances died in lowa ; Earl is a minister in the Meth- odist Episcopal church and located at Portland, Oregon, and Alice.
Zebina Zenos Bryant received his elementary education in the public schools at his home in New York state and did not take up the study of medicine until after he was married and had children. He was graduated from the Hannemann Medical College at the close of the semester of 1880- 81 and began the. practice of his chosen profession in Sumner, Iowa, where
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he lived until 1892. In that year he moved his family to South Dakota and settled in Roberts county, near Sisseton. There he assumed his practice and the sons managed the homestead. Later the family moved to Chain- plin, this state, where Doctor Bryant retired on account of failing health, and his death occurred there November 27, 1904. Both Doctor Bryant and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he held fra- ternal affiliation in the Masons and also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. Doctor Bryant was a man of great nat- ural capabilities, of broad sympathies and kindly nature and in the years allotted to him he accomplished much of lasting good.
Doctor Bryant was married on July 12, 1870, to Margaret A. Harri- man, a native of New Hampshire, and daughter of Hezekiah B. and Hannah (Bailey ) Harriman. The latter was the daughter of Thomas and Jemima Bailey, both born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and of English parent- age. Thomas Bailey was a carpenter and farmer and in 1868 he left New England and moved to Waverly, Iowa, where he passed his remaining years on a small farm. He was a member of the Baptist church and she of the Congregational and both were highly esteemed by those who knew them. There were three children in their family: Frank, the first born, died in infancy ; Margaret A. became the wife of Doctor Bryant, and Helen is the widow of George Ellis and still resides in Waverly, Iowa.
After the death of Doctor Bryant, Mrs. Bryant, together with her son, Ray, left their home in Champlin, this state, and became citizens of Otter Tail county. They purchased a farm of two hundred and sixty-seven acres in Buse township, remodeled the residence and other buildings and made great improvement in the general appearance of the farm. Ray Bryant is the youngest of a family of four children, namely: Grace, deceased, who was the wife of Edward Gibson and the mother of three children; Charles died at the age of twenty-one, while the family was living in South Dakota, and Mabel is the wife of Benjamin Seymour and resides in Champlin, this state.
Ray Bryant was born on December 22, 1878, and received his educa- tion in the public schools near his home, graduating from Browns Valley high school. Later he went to a business college at Faribault for special education along practical business lines and then went to Minneapolis, where he learned the milling business in some of the big mills for which that city is famous. In 1911 he came to Otter Tail county, where he has since given his attention to farming. He is thoroughly up-to-date in his methods and is uniformly successful with his crops. Politically, Mr. Bryant is a Repub- lican, although not especially interested in the subject. He is unmarried and he and his mother have their home together.
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JOHN E. KROGSTAD.
John E. Krogstad, prominent farmer and cattleman of Buse township, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, is a native of Norway, born at Selba, in Trondhjem, August 13, 1876, the eldest son of Ingelbregt and Johanna ( Stokke) Krogstad. The parents were born in that same locality and are still living on the family home place at Selba, both past sixty years of age. The father was a soldier in the Norwegian army, but was never in active service. Both parents are devout members of the Lutheran faith and to them were born six children. Mollie, the second child, died at the age of seventeen years; Ole came to this country and lives in the state of Wash- ington, where he is engaged in farming, while Michael, Mary and Christena remain in Norway with the parents.
John E. Krogstad was educated in the Lutheran schools of his native land and was confirmed in that church when fourteen years of age. For about four years after his school days were over he was employed at farm labor and in 1896 emigrated to America. He landed at Boston on April 8, of that year, and came directly to this state, locating at Carlisle. He came to this country in company with a cousin about two years older and they secured work on a farm near Carlisle, where Mr. Krogstad remained for some two and one-half years. The following six years he spent on the farm of Nils Thompson, in Dane Prairie township, and then desiring to farm in his own right, he rented a farm for three years, same being located in the township mentioned. However, he gave up that venture to take employment on the farm of J. O. Billings, in Buse township, where he worked for four years, and directly after the death of Mr. Billings, he was sent by the executor of the estate to Tappen. North Dakota, to assume the foreman- ship of the Billings ranch at that place. He remained in North Dakota three years and then returned to this state and in partnership with L. L. Riley purchased the Billings farm in Buse township, Otter Tail county, where he had previously lived. This farm contains three hundred and fifteen acres and was in an excellent state of cultivation. There were twenty-six buildings on the farm, all well adapted to the particular needs for which erected, but Mr. Krogstad has added a large cement silo, making without assistance, right on the farm, all of the seventeen hundred and two cement blocks employed in its construction. Mr. Krogstad does some general farm- ing, but puts his best efforts on his cattle. He is making a specialty of full- blood Polled-Angus cattle and the season of 1916 finds him with a herd of ninety-six of this pure strain in addition to sixty head of graded cattle. These latter are principally for beef purposes and he has on his farm a slaughter house where from six to eight cattle are prepared for the market cach weck. In addition to the time required with his own interests on the
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farm, Mr. Krogstad is also known as a buyer of some magnitude. shipping several carloads of cattle in the course of the year. He is also a director in the local telephone company and is keenly interested in anything which makes for the general advancement of community life.
Mr. Krogstad was married on May 16, 1914, to Ellen Peterson, a native of Norway, whose parents still live in their native land. Mrs. Krogstad emigrated to America in April, of 1907, and has passed her life since then in this state. Both Mr. and Mrs. Krogstad are faithful members of the Lutheran church and give generously of their means toward the support of the local organization. Mr. Krogstad endorses the principles of the Repub- lican party, but has ever been so engrossed with his own interests as to find but little time for outside claims. Mr. Krogstad has succeeded above the average and fully merits that which he holds, for he is possessed of worthy ambition and right principles and this coupled with an unfailing industry and remarkable foresight, has placed him where he is. He stands high in the estimation of friends and business acquaintances.
GUSTAV SCHMIDT.
Gustav Schmidt is well known throughout Otter Tail county, Minne- sota, as the leading hardware merchant of Underwood, having been in busi- ness there for some fourteen years, or since 1902. When he first purchased the stock and building, the stock was invoiced at twenty-two hundred dol- lars and the business has so prospered that the present stock, exclusive of all farm machinery, engines for farm purposes, etc., will easily figure up to five thousand dollars. Mr. Schmidt employs three people and his business wears a general air of prosperity which is agreeable to see. Mr. Schmidt possesses business ability of a high order and his honorable methods of dealing with his customers has won him many friends.
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