USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 57
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 57
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Joseph D. Hatfield, a native of Indiana, was born, February 2, 1849, removing with his parents, at the age of eleven years. to Forest township, Rice county, Minnesota, where he passed the remainder of his boyhood on his father's farm, and com- pleted his education in the district schools, after which he
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assisted his father in running the farm till twenty-two years of age, when he bought sixty acres of land and engaged in farming on his own account. Later he sold out and bought a 200-acre tract, the cultivation of which claimed his attention for some time. Then disposed of forty acres, and retained 160 acres of fine land on which he followed general diversified farming, stock raising, and dairying with marked success till 1904, when he rented his quarter section, which he had devel- oped into one of the finest farms in the county, to his son, and moved to Faribault, where he has lived retired ever since. Mr. Hatfield is a believer in the principles of the Republican party, and has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the community, having served on the school board of his district. as clerk and treasurer, for many years. In 1890, he helped take the United States census. The Congregational Church claims him as a member. He was united in marriage, October 9, 1873, with Margaret Campbell, a school teacher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell. They have four children, George G., Joseph E., who runs the old farm, Grace I., who is married to Loren Johnson, of Forbes, N. D., and Olive R., a scholar in the Faribault high school. who lives at home with her parents in their handsome residence at 810 West First street North. Mr. Hatfield is a son of Robert and Nancy (Stewart) Hatfield, natives of Ohio, who migrated to Minnesota in 1860, where they purchased 240 acres of wild land, which they broke and cleared with the crude instruments of those pioneer times, and here followed general diversified farming till their removal to Northfield, where the father died, September, 1902, the mother having preceded him by over twenty-nine years. John Campbell, father of Mrs. Hatfield, died in Missouri, in 1852. Three years later, the mother with true pioneer spirit. came to Minnesota and pre-empted a quarter section in the township of Wells, near Faribault, soon afterward coming to Faribault, where she lived till her deccase in August, 1881.
Albert M. Hatch, is a native of Faribault, Rice county, Min- nesota, and was born July 12, 1868, to A. H. and Mary Jane (Ray) Hatch, natives of Vermont and Massachusetts, respec- tively, who settled at Faribault in the early sixties and where the father followed his occupation as a contractor till his death, which occurred December 12, 1908. He served as alderman and city treasurer. The mother died in 1874. Albert M. supple- mented his preliminary education in the public schools with a course of study at Shattuck school, where he was graduated in 1888. He then worked some eight or nine years clerking and bookkeeping, and in June, 1897, as a partner with A. L. Carufel, bought the business to which he has since devoted himself,
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In 1899 Mr. Hatch purchased his partner's interest in the busi- ness and has since that time conducted it in his own name. Mr. Hatch carries on an extensive business in everything relating to plumbing, heating, sheet metal work, etc., and maintains an up-to-date establishment, thoroughly equipped to meet the demands of his growing trade. Mr. Hatch is somewhat active in fraternal and benevolent organizations, being identified with the Knights of Pythias. Modern Samaritans, Knights of Macca- bees, and B. P. O. E., and also belongs to the Commercial Club of Faribault. In politics he is a Republican and in religious faith an Episcopalian. On October 13, 1897, A. M. Hatch mar- ried Angie E., a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Ersfeld, natives of Germany, who now live at Walcott, Rice county, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Hatch have two children named, respectively, Nellie M. and Dorothy E.
William A. Hunt, M. D., was born in Northfield, January 2, 1858, where he has since resided. He received his early educa- tion in the public schools, and later entered Carleton college. from which he graduated in 1878. He then took up the study of medicine at the University of Michigan, and graduated with honors in 1882, after which he returned to Northfield, and began the practice of his profession. He has won the confidence and respect of the entire community and has always been ready to respond to the call for the relief of suffering. He has taken post-graduate courses at New York and Chicago from time to time, thus adding to his large knowledge and understanding of his profession for the benefit of his patients. He holds member- ship in the American Medical Association, the Minnesota Medi- cal Society, and the Rice County Medical Society, and is also well known in fraternal circles. He is a Mason of high degree. a member of Osmun Temple of St. Paul, and of the various bodies of that order. Ile is state treasurer of the Minnesota Homestead Brotherhood of American Yeomen, and also belongs to Northfield Lodge, No. 50, I. O. O. F. In politics he is a Republican and in religion a Congregationalist. He has also found time in his busy life to serve as mayor of the city and as a member of the board of education for the period of ten years. of which he was president eight years of that time. By his wife. Florence M. Bishop, of Hillsdale, Mich., whom he married June 27, 1893, he has three sons: William B., born April 16, 1894; Harold J .. born December 16, 1897; and Arthur B., born March 7, 1903. Joseph A. Hunt. father of William, was born in Haw- ley. Franklin county, Mass., September 22. 1823, and the mother. Mandana L. (Hix) Hunt, at Readsboro, Vt., Dec. 9. 1825. They were married at Readsboro, October 10, 1850, and six years later migrated to the West. They came to Northfield,
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Minn., April 1856, and made a pre-emption of 160 acres of land in Northfield township, where they lived and worked for one year. after which they moved to Northfield, and the father en- gaged in the grocery and meat business. in which he was very successful, and continued to conduct this business for the period of twenty years, when he retired. Mr. Hunt, Sr .. was a very public-spirited and influential citizen, and took a great interest in all public improvements, and especially in the progress of education. Ile was a member of the first board of supervisors of the township. and held many minor offices in the city. There were three children in the Hunt home: Hiram A., of Seattle ; William, the subject of this sketch, and Olive, who died in in- fancy. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, and belonged to the Congregational Church. He died March 20, 1909, and the mother passed away eight years before. December 8, 1901.
Henry B. Hill, state bank examiner, and scion of an old New York family, is one of the well-known residents of Faribault. He was born in Rome. N. Y .. February 28, 1857, and was reared in that city, receiving his early education in the public schools. His preparatory course was taken in the Willison seminary, at East Hampton, Mass .. and in 1876 he entered Cornell university with the class of 1880, remaining there until 1879. In 1885 he received his degree of LL. B. from the University of Michigan. and was at once admitted to the bar, and for five years prac- ticed his profession at Faribault. In June, 1900, he became chief clerk of the state school for the deaf at Faribault, and retained this position until 1902, when he accepted a situation as sec- retary of the Faribault Furniture Company. In 1906 he was appointed deputy state bank examined in the department of the public examiner, and in 1909 he was promoted to his present position. His work in this capacity has been greatly facilitated by the fact that he received considerable banking experience under the tuition of his father in his native state. Mr. Hill is de- scended from patriotic American ancestry, being a charter mem- ber of the Minnesota Society of the Colonial Wars. He belongs to the Minnesota Chapter. Sons of the Revolution, and is also a member of the Elks. A Democrat in politics, he has served two terms as a member of the Democratic state central commit- tee. Mr. Hill was married, October 31, 1895, at Faribault by the Rt. Rev. Henry B. Whipple, to Hortense Virginia Daniels, born at Eden Prairie. Minn., September 25, 1863, daughter of Dr. J. W. and Hortense ( Beardsley) Daniels, natives of New Hampshire and New Jersey, respectively. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill have been born two children: Susan H., born October 12, 1899, and died April 21, 1905; Jared D., born July 31, 1902. The family home is a comfortable residence at the corner of First
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avenue and Sixth street. The parents of Henry B. Ilill were Zaccheus and Susan L. (Whipple) Hill, the former born April 20, 1818, and the latter, a sister of the late Rt. Rev. Henry B. Whipple, at Adams, N. Y., June 3, 1826. Zaccheus Hill was for many years a banker in Rome, N. Y., and also conducted a bank at Clinton, N. Y. He died there December 11, 1877. His wife came to Faribault in 1879, and died November 28, 1894. Dr. J. W. Daniels, father of Mrs. Hill, served as surgeon in the Sec- ond Minnesota cavalry, with the rank of major. At the close of the war, in 1865, he was appointed Indian agent. In 1873 until 1887 he was Indian inspector under the United States Govern- ment. In 1882 he came to Faribault, living here until 1900, when he moved to Los Angeles, for health, and there died, May 3, 1904. Ilis first wife died November 5, 1870, at St. Peter, Minn. Dr. Daniels was for many years a trustee of St. Mary's Hall.
Ansel Loray Hill. It is necessary to the growth of a pioneer community that with the farmers who come to break the land and raise foodstuffs should also come the men who, with visions of future prosperity, are willing to give their capital, their time and their energies to the upbuilding of the commercial and indus- trial activity of the point that has been selected as a future busi- ness center. Each of these men must have admirable fore- thought and sound judgment, with a faith in his community that no discouragements can daunt. Coupled with this he must have a command of his trade and vocation, as well as the ability to dispose of his product. Above all, he must be a man of such undoubted honor and honesty, that no one can doubt the merit of his output. In Ansel Loray Hill, now deceased, Faribault, both as a hamlet, as a village, and as a city, possessed just such a man. In Williamsburg, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, where the descendants of the Puritans still walk in the stern faith and practice of their forefathers, A. L. Hill first saw the light of day, April 2, 1830. His education was such as the district schools of his neighborhood afforded. Being of a mechanical trend of mind, he early decided to learn the machinist's trade. Accordingly, while still in his middle teens he left the parental roof, and in the neighboring village of Haydenville, Mass., served his apprenticeship. In 1848, at eighteen years of age, he came West to Fond du Lac. Wis., and in spite of his youth started what was known as the Pioneer Machine Shop. This he con- ducted until 1852. The California gold craze, started in 1849, was then at its height, and Mr. Hill followed the rush to the Golden Gate state. remaining until 1854, when he returned to Fond du Lac and engaged in the lumbering business for one year. From 1855 dates his residence in Faribault. In that ycar he came to this city and started the A. J. Hill Furniture
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Factory, at that time located on the flat near the river, on Willow street, between Second and Third. Conditions at first were rather primitive in this factory. It utilized a blind horse for power, and a circular saw and a turning lathe was all the machin- ery in use. One man only was at first employed. There was serious trouble in procuring lumber to build the mill, as lumber was so scarce that men stood by the saw and snatched each board as it was cut. The first building was 20x30 feet, one and one-half stories high. From this humble beginning, the busi- ness continued to grow. A few years later the business was removed to a new building at the corner of Willow and Third streets. In this building he installed a twenty-horsepower engine and employed from twenty to twenty-five men. The fame of the Hill furniture spread abroad and soon the retail and wholesale business of the establishment covered the central and northwest- ern state. In 1872 the enterprise received a slight setback, the entire plant being destroyed by fire. It was at once rebuilt and the business continued to grow. On December 30, 1889, this building was also destroyed, entailing a loss of about $39,000.00. Undaunted by this disaster, Mr. Hill built the brick factory which is still standing. He also was the owner of the Hill Block and Union Block on Central avenue, which also remain to com- memorate his interest in the business activities of the city. Dur- ing Mr. Hill's long business career, he combined the undertaking profession with his furniture enterprise. He attended the Epis- copal Church and contributed to its support, and was a Repub- lican in politics. His death, February 21, 1897, was deeply mourned throughout the city and Rice county, who remember him as a leader in the progress of Faribault, and a man whose character, commercial and private was beyond reproach. Mr. Hill was first married in 1860, to Betsey Miller, of Springfield, Mass., who died in Faribault, in 1868. He was married, Novem- ber 28, 1872. to Cornelia Jane Gifford, born in Essex county, New York, on the shores of Lake Champlain, May 7, 1848, daughter of Ezra D. and Lydia A. (Haskin) Gifford, both natives of New York state. Ezra D. Gifford, who originally ran a line of boats on Lake Champlain, came to Faribault in 1856 and opened the National Hotel. Later he engaged in farming in this state, dying March 28, 1877. In the family were a son and a daughter, besides Mrs. Hill. Henry C. Gifford lives in Fari- bault, with Mrs. Hill, and Mrs. William Mee is also a resident of this city. Mrs. Lydia A. (Haskin) Gifford died June 4, 1900.
Lewis M. Hollister, of Morristown, Minn., was born in Cat- taraugus county, New York, January 22, 1849, to Edwin and Lovina (Slade) Hollister. The father, born February 5, 1822, was the first male child born in Mansfield, N. Y. He was a tan-
I. M. HOLLISTER
THE ASUNTOEK
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HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
ner by trade. Ile died March 7. 1852. Ilis widow survived him and passed away in 1870 in New York state. They had three children. Our subject's grandparents, Samuel L. and Sibyl (Norton) Hollister, were natives of Seneca county, New York, and Goshen, Conn., respectively, the former born in 1787. He was a farmer by occupation; they had a family of ten children, and his death occurred June 29, 1849, at Mansfield, N. Y. His widow, born in 1790, passed away December 31, 1884. They were both honored members of the Presbyterian church and act- ive in religious and benevolent work. Josiah Hollister, our sub- ject's great-grandfather, served in the Revolutionary War, and, being captured by the British, was held a prisoner in Canada two and a half years. After the death of our subject's father, he being then three years old, he lived with an uncle on a farm, and attended the district schools, and when twelve years old began life for himself. Young Hollister came West, reaching Faribault, Minn., December 31, 1867. He attended school a part of the time for two years, and then moved to the village of War- saw and bought a small improved farm, which he tilled a few years. Thence he moved onto a farm in Morristown township, which he, a little later, traded for his present quarter section. Under his management this has been finely improved, and sup- plied with modern conveniences and appliances, and converted into a model place, stocked with high grade cattle and Poland- China swine, and which is widely known as the Walrath Stock and Dairy Farm. Mr. Hollister lived on this farm, which ad- joins the village of Morristown, till 1907, when he moved into the village. While on the farm he served as a member and part of the time as chairman of the town board, also as town and school treasurer and also treasurer of the Morristown Co- operative Creamery. He is a Republican in politics and has served as delegate to the state and congressional conventions, and in 1896 was elected to the state legislature. Mr. Hollister is now (1910) vice-president of the Morristown State Bank, vice- president of the Walcott Fire and Lightning Insurance Company, agent for cyclone insurance and treasurer of the creamery. He became a Free Mason in 1878, and is now Master of Cannon River Lodge, No. 52, Morristown, and a member of the Minne- sota Masonic Veterans' Association. Both he and his wife are loyal members of the Congregational Church of Morristown, which he has served as trustee more than twenty years, and for two years past as clerk. Mr. Hollister has been twice married, his first wife being Martha, nee Wood. They had two children. viz .: William L., who was accidentally killed while skating, and Frances now married to Mr. Fred Osterhaut, and living in Aiken, Minn. His present wife was formerly Mrs. Emma Bryan. She
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has a son by her former marriage, named Ralph Bryan, now liv- ing at Bellfield, N. D. Mr. and Mrs. Hollister have one child. Kenneth L., a bright and promising boy of six years.
Frederick R. Huxley, M. D., was born in Winona, Minn., and there obtained his boyhood education, afterward entering the University of Minnesota, receiving first his degree of B. A. and in 1900 his degree of M. D. Since graduation he has engaged in the practice of his profession at Faribault. While at college Dr. Huxley was a member of the Phi Delta Theta, the Sigma Xi, the Theta Nu Epsilon, and the Nu Sigma Nu, and at the present time he affiliates with the national, state and county medical societies as well as with the Masonic order. He is an independent voter, is now serving his seventh year as health officer of the city, and has served two years as assistant physician at the State School for the Feeble-Minded. In 1907 he took a trip to Europe and made a special study of the nose and throat diseases, pursuing his investigations in London and Berlin.
William Hildebrandt is a retired farmer of Northfield town- ship, and was born in Germany, July 28, 1845, and came to this country with his parents, Charles, born September 8, 1810, died January 1. 1892, and Frederika (Kickanap) Hildebrandt, born May 26, 1820, died August 6, 1888, in 1853, and for two years made their home twelve miles west of Chicago, after which they came to Minnesota and pre-empted eighty acres of land in Holden township, near the Rice county line. Here they spent their lives, carrying on farming. In the family were eight children : William, of Northfield, is the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. Jacob Kaiser, of Faribault ; Heury, of Nerstrand, Rice county ; Mrs. H. Roth, of Faribault (deceased) ; Charles, of Goodhue county; Mrs. John Von Wald, Ferdinand, and John, also of Goodhue county. William received his education in the common schools of his neighborhood, and worked with his father on the farm, remaining at home until his marriage, when he bought a farm in Holden township, where he remained a few years, and subsequently sold and purchased a farm in Northfield township, Rice county, where he carried on general farming until March, 1909, when he decided to retire, and consequently soll his farm to his sons and moved to Northfield, purchasing a comfortable home, and now resides, enjoying the peace and prosperity he has attained through hard work and thrift. By his wife, Louisa Koester, whom he married June 18, 1868, he has had four children : Sarah, born May 16, 1869, and died June 27, 1876; Benjamin C., born May 26, 1872, lives on a farm in section 21, Northfield township, and was mar- ried May 12, 1896, to Sarah Vearkant, of Nerstrand, and they have four children : Edna born May 6, 1897; Grant, born Febru- ary 18, 1899; Violet, born April 24, 1905, and Maylan, born Feb-
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ruary 28, 1908. Frederick A. was born December 20, 1876, and died August 1, 1899. Herbert Walter was born December 27, 1884, married Sarah Ehlers in February, 1909, and lives on the old homestead in section 20, Northfield township, which he pur- chased. Mrs. Hildebrandt's parents were Fred and Maria ( Enda- brock) Koester, natives of Germany. The father was born Octo- ber 16, 1814, and the mother October 26, 1818. They were mar- ried in Germany and emigrated to this country in the early days, arriving in Indiana in 1848, where they remained until 1868, after which they came to Minnesota, and settled in Northfield town- ship. The father died October 13, 1893, but the mother is still living. They had a family of eight children : Mrs. William Hilde- brandt, who is the wife of the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. August Ebel, of Faribault; Fred (deceased) ; Henry, of Faribault ; John, William and Frank, of Northfield township, and Mrs. William Ebel, also of Northfield. Mr. Hildebrandt is a Republican, and. served as chairman of the board of supervisors three years, and for the period of four years as supervisor. He was one of the directors of the school district of his immediate neighborhood for one year. The family belongs to the German Methodist Episco- pal church of Prairie Creek, Northfield township.
Murrey Headline, who has always lived in Warsaw township, Rice county, Minn., was born at the family home, September 5, 1885, to C. A. and Carrie (Gilman) Headline, the former a native of Rice county, and the latter of Steele county, Minnesota. The father is a farmer and surveyor, but retired from farming in the spring of 1909. Murrey acquired a common school education in the district schools and grew up as a farmer boy. In April, 1909, he began on his own account, on a leased farm of 160 acres in Warsaw township, where he gives his attention to general farm- ing and dairying with success. He is a man well thought of in the community, who looks carefully after his affairs and seeks to do his duty as a good citizen. He is independent in his political views, and casts his ballot for the candidate whom he deems best fitted for the office sought, regardless of party affiliations. In religious faith he is a Congregationalist. Mr. Headline is mar- ried and has one child, Hazel A.
W. H. Harkins was born in Walcott township, Rice county, Minn., January 14, 1862, son of Samuel and Orley (Thurston) Harkins, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Harkins' occu- pation was that of a farmer. In 1856 he came West and located in Walcott township, where he pre-empted 160 acres, and carried on general farming. He later acquired 240 acres in Rice county, and 320 acres in Lyon county, making a total of 720 acres. He made his home on his farm in Walcott, remaining there until his death, in 1890. Mrs. Harkins is still living and makes her home
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in Faribault. Mr. W. H. Harkins received his education in dis- trict school No. 38, and also attended Pillsbury academy three months in the year 1882. After leaving school he worked on his father's farm, and in 1901 bought 160 acres in Walcott. where he does general farming, and also makes a specialty of raising short horn cattle. He was married February 22, 1894, to Sarah Morris, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Morris. They were natives of Canada, but came to Minnesota in 1885. Mr. Morris worked on a farm in Walcott and also did construction work for Grant Bros .. and followed in this line of work up to the time of his death, in 1889. Mrs. Morris died some six months after the death of her husband. There were seven girls and three boys in the family. five girls now living and three boys. Mr. Harkins is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and also of the Knights of Pythias. In his political views he is a Republican. He was elected town clerk in 1892 and served until 1894; was elected treasurer in 1894 and served until 1896: was elected assessor in 1896 and served until 1898. He was elected on the board of supervisors in 1900, serving in that capacity until 1902, when he was chosen as the town chairman, in which capacity he still serves. In 1900 he took the United States census in the town of Walcott. He is a member and also clerk of the school board, a position which he has held for the past fifteen years.
M. H. Hoover, a thrifty and enterprising farmer of Bridge- water township, was born in Pennsylvania, May 7, 1850. son of Jounas and Hetty (Zimmerman) Hoover, farmers and natives of Pennsylvania. The parents came to Minnesota in 1855. locating in Cannon City township. Rice county, where they bought 160 acres of land, on which they carried on general and diversified farming until the father's death, which occurred in 1868. The mother died in 1898. The subject of this sketch attained his edu- cation in the district schools of Cannon City township. Leaving school, he worked on a farm for some time. In 1871 he bought a farm in Bridgewater township, where he remained until 1889. He then sold this farm and bought 120 acres in section 29. Bridge- water. which he has improved, carrying on general farming and dairy business up to the present time. Mr. Hoover was married in 1872 to Katherine, daughter of Richard and Katherine Gal- lagher, father native of Dublin, Ireland : mother native of Glas- gow, Scotland. They came to America in the early days and located in Canada : thence came to Minnesota in 1865. locating in the vicinity of Dundas, where the father carried on farming until his death, in 1874; the mother died in 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Hoover have two children, Everett, who farms in Bridgewater township, and Ella J., who is a teacher. Mr. Hoover is a Republican, and
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