History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 30

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

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Uriel Montague Tobey, formerly a prominent resident of Sauk Centre, was born at Sullivan, N. Y., on May 21, 1826, and was married to Mary Scougell at Fayetteville, N. Y., January 15, 1851. Five years later they removed to Riverside, Illinois, and in 1862 eame to Stearns county, settling in St. Cloud, where they lived fourteen years. In 1876 he came to Sauk Centre, where he engaged in the flour and feed business. The family followed in 1877. Later he added a fine stock of groceries to his line of business, and was the first one in Sauk Centre to establish the system of delivering goods to the homes of the customers. In 1893, Mr. Tobey was elected mayor of Sauk Centre. He was appointed postmaster by Grover Cleveland. He was an influential member of the Democratic party, and was keenly interested in local, state and national affairs. He died March 12, 1901, leaving two daughters, Alice F., wife of W. I. Henshaw, and Mary L., wife of Howard E. Wilcox. Mrs. Tobey died June 12, 1894.

Ven G. Wedge, vice-president and treasurer of the Wedge Hardware Co., of Sauk Centre, and one of the rising young men of the village, was born in Zumbrota, Goodhue county, this state, January 25, 1890, son of N. T. and Nannie E. (Grover) Wedge. He attended the public schools of Zumbrota, and the Business College at Minneapolis. He taught school for a year, and then worked in Minneapolis, doing accounting and making a few sales of land. November 1, 1911, he and A. H. Grover bought the hardware business of Schleusener Hardware Co., of Sauk Centre. The firm continued as the Grover & Wedge Co. until February, 1914, when N. T. Wedge, the father of Ven G. Wedge bought Mr. Grover's interests, and established the Wedge Hardware Co., with Ven G. Wedge as vice-president and treasurer. Mr. Wedge is a capable business man, and his methods have won substantial re- ward in constantly increasing business. The company installs heating plants, does general plumbing, and has a full equipment and stock of everything usu- ally found in a hardware store. Mr. Wedge has taken an active part in business matters and is popular with his associates. He is secretary of the Central Minnesota Credit Association and belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter

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and Council of the Masonic body. Mr. Wedge was married August 17, 1912, to Genevieve E. Kaiserlik, of Chatfield, Minn.

John J. Moormann was born in Germany, January 26, 1872, and at the age of 16 came to America alone, and worked for his relatives in Meire Grove, in Grove township. His father having died in Germany at the age of fifty, his mother came three years later to Grove township, Stearns county. Now he has a good farm of 100 acres in Sauk Centre township. He attends the Roman Catholic Church. John J. Moormann married Annie Teuber, and they have eight children: Henry, Katie, Clara, Herman, Frank, John, Lewis and George. Henry was born in Ashley township, Stearns county, Kate, Clara, Herman, Frank, John and Lewis were born in Westport township, Pope county, and George was born in Sauk Centre township, Stearns county.

W. S. Pesheck, a successful young farmer of Sauk Centre township, was born in Getty township, this county, July 22, 1884, son of John Pesheck. He is assisting in operating his father's land in this county. W. S. Pesheck married Eva Van Vleck, of Todd county, and they have two children, Fern and Francis. John Pesheck, now living in Williston, North Dakota, is en- gaged in the investment and loan business. He owns 640 acres in Stearns county, and lived here some forty-five years. His five children are: Annie, Joseph, Charles, Frank and Wilfield S.

Henry Anderson was born in Benson, Minn., December 28, 1886, son of Nels and Annie (Munson) Anderson, with whom he came to Sauk Centre on October 1, 1901. Henry Anderson is one of the successful young farmers of the township, and is engaged in operating one of his father's three farms. The other children in his parents' family are: Alfred, Godfrey, Gus, Sigried, Hulda and Annie, all born in Benson, Minn.

Reinhold Gamradt was born in Germany, February 20, 1853, and spent his early life as a sailor. He came to America in 1878, worked in the mines of Michigan a number of years, and in 1893 came to Sauk Centre. He has a good farm of 160 acres, and is one of the substantial men of the community. He has done good service on the school board of his district and has been road commissioner for a period. He votes the Republican ticket and attends the Lutheran Church. Reinhold Gamradt was first married to Henrietta Stork. By his second wife, Henrietta Foss, he had ten children: Arthur, Amiel, Albert, George, Macks, Edward, Emma, Rose and Edith, and one who died in infancy.

Frank Tank was born in Germany, July 23, 1849, and came to America in 1881, living in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, for many years before coming to Sauk Centre. He has a well-stocked place of 180 acres and carries on general farming. Mr. Tank is married, and has seven children: Anna, Otto, Elmer, Frank, George, Clara, and Dorothy.

Otto J. Hedin was born in Sweden, June 7, 1878, and in 1891 came to Sauk Centre township where he has a farm of eighty-two acres. Otto J. Hedin married Dena Holmberg, and they have two children: Herman and Hilma. The parents of Otto J. Hedin were John and Mary (Pierson) Hedin, the former of whom is dead, and the latter of whom makes his home with the subject of this mention. They had eight children: Minnie, Lewis, Peter,

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Martin, John, Simon, Eric and Otto J. All these children were born in Sweden. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

C. W. Hutchison was born in Stearns county, Minnesota, November 13, 1854, and has lived on a farm in Sauk Centre township since October 15, 1912. He is the only son of Lawrence and Amelia (Johnson) Hutchison, the former of whom was a merchant. Mr. Hutchison married Anna Easterly, of Monte- video, Minn., and they have two children, Nona and Roger.

David M. Smith, of Sauk Centre township, was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, October 10, 1840. From 1883 to 1902 he farmed in North Dakota. By his first wife he had six children: William L., John G., Isaac W., Henry M., Milton and Margaret E. His second wife was Mrs. Isabella Osborn. She had by her first husband, three children, Henry H., Aylette and Annie E.

John Smith was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, July 18, 1865, and as a young man went to South Dakota. There he became a prominent citizen, serving in such offices as justice of the peace, deputy county sheriff, and deputy United States marshal. Since 1906 he has lived on a farm in Sauk Centre township. He is an active member of the Modern Woodmen. Mr. Smith married Ida Philley, a native of Iowa. They have four children: Hazel, Vera, Clara, and Edna, all born in South Dakota.

Frank Quade was born August 15, 1880, and came to Sauk Centre in 1896. He is a successful farmer and owns 120 acres of good land. Mr. Quade mar- ried Annie Kind, of Sauk Centre, and they have two children: Elnora and Alfred

The father of Frank Quade bore the same name and was a Wisconsin farmer. He died October 26, 1908. He married Minnie Olleman, and had fif- teen children: Minnie, Anna, William, Fred, Lena, Henry, Frank, Robert, Gus, Martha, Richard, Fred, Amelia, Albert and Tina.

Charles Ross Lamb, a retired farmer of Sauk Centre, was born in Iowa county, Wisconsin, September 2, 1858, son of Abner M. and Rachael E. (Van- horn) Lamb, who brought him to Minnesota in 1865. He was reared on the home farm in section 11, Getty township, and in his mature years came into possession of the place. His experience has not been limited to this locality, however, for he has spent several years in Montana, and also in Crookston, Minn. He has now disposed of his real estate interests, and makes his home in the village of Sauk Centre. IIe was married, October 19, 1904, to Clara Shaw.

Abner M. Lamb was born in Bucks county, Penn., April 28, 1833, and was reared in that county. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to a stone-mason. In 1857 he moved to Maryland, and in 1858 to Iowa connty, Wis. California was the center of his activities from 1863 to 1865, after which he came to Minnesota and took a homestead in section 11, Getty town- ship. The warrant, signed by Andrew Jackson and his secretary, is still in the possession of the family. Abner M. Lamb married Rachael E. Vanhorn, January 18, 1855, and this union resulted in two sons.

John J. Hickman, a retired farmer living in Sauk Centre, was born in Cape May, New Jersey, Angust 16, 1855, son of Peter S. and Deborah (Inger- soll) Hickman, the pioneers. As a child he was brought to Minnesota. He

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worked on the home farm north of Sauk Centre for a while, then learned the harness-making trade, and finally became a barber, an occupation which he followed for twenty years. Afterward he turned his attention to farming and stock raising, paying especial attention to agricultural and live stock exhibitions. He is highly honored in this vicinity and has occupied many township offices. He is a popular member of the I. O. O. F. Mr. Hickman was married in 1881, to Irene Harris, who was born in Steuben county, New York, in 1857, and died in Stearns county in 1899. She was a daughter of Andrew Harris, who came to Minnesota in 1879 and located in Grove Lake township.

Peter S. Hickman was the son of John Hickman, and descended from Puritan ancestors. In 1857 he brought his family from New Jersey, with the intention of settling near what is now Sauk Centre. Upon coming up the Mis- issippi river, however, he was favorably impressed with the location of Ninin- ger, three miles from Hastings in Dakota county. Accordingly he and his fam- ily left the boat there, and took up their residence on a farm. In 1861, Mr. Hick- man came to Sauk Centre and located two miles north of the village at the mouth of Ashley creek, where he secured 160 acres of government land. The family joined him there September 18, 1862. During the Sioux outbreak they felt perfectly secure, and unlike their neighbors they did not feel the necessity of taking refuge in the stockade at Sauk Centre. They always considered the Indians as their friends; a daughter, Sarah, taught Indian school at Long Prairie when Bad Boy was chief there, the family was in constant touch with the Winnebagoes and the Chippewas, and they felt sure that if there was any danger from the Sioux bands that they would be warned. Mr. Hickman was a prominent man in his township, and served in a number of town and school offices. He had been made an Odd Fellow before coming to Minnesota. In 1874, Mr. and Mrs. Hickman moved to Sauk Centre village, where they ended their days. They were the parents of ten children: Denelia, Eliza, Sarah, Henrietta, Richard, John, Marietta, Emma, Addie, Minnie, the last three being born in Minnesota.

H. T. Austin, who is operating a farm purchased by his father in Sauk Centre township, was born in Glencoe, Minn., October 10, 1892, son of A. W. Austin, a retired banker of Sauk Centre. H. T. Austin married Mary Mar- shall, of Sauk Centre. He is one of the rising young men of the community.

Joseph Jenc, a leading farmer of Raymond township, was born in Cold Spring, Minnesota, May 24, 1868. He has a farm of 386 acres, and carries on modern farming on an extensive scale. A friend of education, he has served as school treasurer for twenty years. He has served as a member of the board of supervisors and has also been chairman of that body. While of independent thought and action in local affairs, in national politics he is a Republican. He and his family, as is befitting the substantial people of the community, attend the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and contribute to its support. Mr. Jene married Anna Wehrhahn, a native of Raymond township, and they have four children : Idela M., Edwin A., Arthur J. and Inez.

John Jenc, a farmer, was born in Bohemia, and came to America in 1854. For a number of years he lived in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, and then

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came to Sauk Centre township where he purchased 200 acres of land. He married Anna Schenmak, and they had four children: Antonie, Joseph, John and Anna. August Wehrhahn, a farmer of Getty township, and also a land- owner in Saskatchewan, Canada, was born in Germany and settled in Stearns county in 1875. He married Marie Pinkernella, and this union has been blessed with nine children: Marie, Anna, Minnie, August, Albert, Ernestine, William, Andrew and Etta.

John Ceynar, the elder, lived, for a part of his life in Getty township, Stearns county. He married Verna Heble, and had two children, John and Verna. By his second wife, he had two more children, Frank and Joseph. John Ceynar, Sr., the son of the above, was born in Bohemia, came to America in 1864, located in Steele county, Minn., and in 1871 came to Sauk Centre, where he now has a splendid farm of 240 acres. He married Mary Tarish, and they have nine children: Martha, Lewis, Andrew, Vernie, John, William, Winfield, Blanche and George.

John Ceynar, Jr., was born on the home farm in Sauk township, Febru- ary 16, 1889, and now lives on the Veeder farm in Getty township. He mar- ried Ethel Veeder, and they have one son, Wesley M.

Thomas R. Lamb is a successful man of Getty township. He was born in the township where he still resides, September 13, 1867, and makes his home with his brother, Alvin. Winfield S. Lamb died in 1908 at the age of sixty- seven years. He married Caroline Nelson, of Denmark, and they were the parents of four children : Thomas R., Winfield S., Jr., Orville E. and Alvin E.

James Fergus Crossen, deceased, for many years a prominent miller in Melrose, was born in Belfast, Ireland, August 9, 1843, son of William and Charlotte (Walker) Crossen, who spent the span of their years in Ireland, being the owners of a large farm some eight miles from Belfast. In the fam- ily there were ten children, eight daughters and two sons. James received a splendid education in Ireland, and came to Toronto, Canada, at the age of seventeen. By trade he was a wheelwright and miller. In time he acquired a mill at Smith's Falls, Province of Ontario, Canada. Finally he came to Min- neapolis, and started work in the Washburn mills. (It was in 1870 that he came to Melrose as head miller in the Clark mills. Here he erected the first two-story house in the village. Its site is now occupied by the City Hall. In the meantime, Henry Crossen, a brother of James, had been sent to Vienna, to study the mills there, and had drawn the plans for the present Washburn mills at Minneapolis. He used his influence for his brother, and in due time, James Crossen was installed as head miller at Minneapolis. Some five or six years later, however, he returned to Melrose, where he operated the Clark mills for some twelve or fifteen years. In 1892 he retired from active life. For many years he was justice of the peace and thus won the title of Judge Crossen, by which he was popularly known. For a time he was assessor. In addition to his milling interests he had farm lands and property in the city. He died April 9, 1907, at the age of sixty-six years. It is an interesting mat- ter of history that after his retirement, Mr. Crossen was in two wrecks while returning from a trip to the Pacific coast to see his son. The first was at Hot Springs, Green River, Wash., near the summit of the Cascade tunnel. The

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other was near the Missoula Mountains on September 20, 1902. In this wreck, Mr. Crossen's body was hurt, and his head was cut by broken glass, but he never attempted to recover damages from the company.

Mr. Crossen was married in Toronto, Canada, to Hannah Tierney, in 1866. She died March 23, 1893, at the age of fifty-one. She was a good wife and a loving mother, and her memory is deeply revered by her descendants. In the family there were eleven children. Mary is the wife of E. H. Pushor, grain merchant for the St. Anthony Elevator Co., Minneapolis, at Kempton, D. D. Henry was drowned at the age of nine years in Minneapolis. Char- lotte lives in Melrose. She married D. E. Ercanbrack, for many years a loco- motive engineer on the Northern Pacific. They lived at Livingston, Mont., until 1909, and then retired and moved to Melrose, where he died May 23, 1911. Edward is in the dray business in Indianapolis, Ind. Amelia is now Mrs. George West, and they have a large ranch near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Theresa is dead. Felix is train dispatcher at New Rockford, North Dakota. Hannah, named for her mother, is dead. Marriet is wife of A. J. Riley, manager of the Puget Sound Machinery Depot, at Seattle, Wash. Henry is a train dispatcher at Livingston, Mont., at the entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. James is a conductor on the Canadian Pacific out of Winni- peg, Canada.

John J. Kraker, who in the few years of his life, achieved as much as many men who are alloted twice his portion of days, was born in Albany, this county, June 29, 1875, son of Joseph and Maria M. (Bohmer) Kraker. He came with his parents to Melrose, when he was ten years of age, and made this his home, with the exception of his years in college, until his death. He attended the common schools, and during the years 1888, 1889 and 1890 he took courses at St. John's College, in Collegeville, this county. During the following year he was a student at Mt. Angel College, Mt. Angel, Oregon. In 1893 he entered into business. In company with his father, he bought the Dowes Hardware store, then the only store of its kind in Melrose. The new firm was known by the name of Kraker & Son. In 1895 they sold out to Wardian & Dederick, but in about six or eight months that firm sold the store back to Kraker & Son, who conducted the place until 1898. In that year, Joseph Kraker sold his interest to W. J. Bohmer, and Mr. Bohmer and John J. Kraker carried on the business under the firm name of Kraker & Bohmer. In addition they became proprietors of the Farmers' Lumber Co. This they sold in 1900. It was in 1900 that they opened "The Big Store" the first real department store in the city. In January, 1902, the partnership was dissolved, and John J. Kraker became sole owner of the hardware store, which he moved across the street to the Kraker block. He continued in the hardware business until June, 1908, when on account of ill health he sold out to his brothers, Joseph and Anthony Kraker. Outside of his immediate interest in the store he had many other activities. In 1903 he was cashier of the Bank of North America, at Melrose. For a time he was stockholder in the Scandinavian State Bank, of Brooten. He was secretary of the Commer- cial Club of Melrose, from the time it was organized until 1908. In 1897, when he was but twenty-two years of age, he was elected city treasurer. This

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position he held continuously until 1907, when he declined to serve further. He died November 29, 1908. Mr. Kraker was married October 30, 1906, to Margaret Slavin, of St. Paul, who survives him. At the time of Mr. Kraker's death, it was said of him: "He was for a number of years one of Melrose's most trusted and enterprising business men. He was a practical matter-of- fact man, but ever ready to extract merriment from life as he went along. He numbered his friends by his acquaintances and was generous to a fault. For years to come, kind memories will endure in the hearts of his friends.

Henry Joseph Emmel, a leading citizen of Melrose, was born in Cumber- land, Maryland, March 17, 1844, son of Joseph and Kunigunda (Fischer) Emmel, natives of Germany. Joseph Emmel was a painter and decorator. He came from Germany to Cumberland, Maryland, and was there married. On May 6, 1856, he brought his family to Minnesota. They reached St. Cloud on a steamboat, and found here a few scattering log houses and shanties. Joseph Emmel erected a crude dwelling, and took up work at his trade. His work was always good, and some of his more notable contracts included the decoration of several of the early churches of St. Cloud. Joseph Emmel was born March 31, 1812, and died in 1887; his wife was born October 14, 1820, and died in 1898.

Henry J. came to St. Cloud with his parents, at the age of twelve years. On November 10, 1857, he was the first of the six boys who entered St. John's Seminary, then located a mile below St. Cloud, on the river, and now known as St. John's University and located at Collegeville, in this county. His teacher was the Benedictine, Rev. Father Cornelius Wittman. After he had finished his schooling Mr. Emmel became a clerk for the J. C. Burbank Co., which operated a series of stage routes through the Northwest. Later he be- came assistant to J. E. West, at that time the postmaster at St. Cloud. Sub- sequently he taught school for two years, one year at Richmond and one year at St. Augusta. At the completion of this time he became a clerk in the general store of J. Schoenborn, at Spring Hill. Mr. Schoenborn was killed by lightning, and Mr. Emmel married the widow. He took over the management of the store, and conducted it for many years. In connection with this he also engaged in farming in a small way on eighty acres of land. So prosperous did he in time become that at one time he owned and operated 1,100 acres of good land. He was a very prominent man. His services as post- master at Spring Hill, and at various times as notary public, town clerk and justice of the peace of Spring Hill township were greatly appreciated. In 1878 he was elected to the legislature. This was during the grasshopper raids, and Mr. Emmel was successful in getting an act passed by the legislature, authorizing the residents of Lake Henry, Lake George and Spring Hill town- ships to raise money to buy their own seed wheat. The plan was so admirable that it was finally applied to all the devastated districts. For many years Mr. Emmel lived in Spring Hill. In 1907 he retired and moved to Melrose, where he now lives. In 1908 he was again elected to the lower house of the state legislature. The newspapers spoke of him as Rip Van Winkle, for, after thirty years absence, he had returned still strong and vigorous, and still ready to take an active part in the state's affairs. Mr. Emmel is the father

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of seven children: Henry (deceased), Elizabeth (deceased), Joseph, John H., Gertrude, Margaret and Mary. The family church is the Catholic.

Anton Luckemeyer, president of the Melrose Granite Co., was born July 4, 1867, a son of Anton, Sr., and Bernardina Luckemeyer. Of the five children born to this family, three died, and two, John and Anton, came to America in 1896, and found their way to Melrose, where they inaugurated on a small scale the concern now so widely known as the Melrose Granite Co. Anton Luckemeyer married Anna Huhne, born in Oldenburg, Germany, daughter of Henry Huhne, who brought his family to the United States and settled in Melrose. Mr. and Mrs. Luckemeyer have three children: John, Dina and Rosa.

The Melrose Granite Co., an enterprise that has attained nation-wide recognition, was organized by the Luckemeyer Brothers, Anton and John, in 1896. The founders now relate with amusement the fact that on the day they opened business their entire cash capital consisted of thirty cents which they had borrowed. The little shop in which they started measured but twelve by ten feet, and here the brothers who could then speak but a few words of English, began their work of dressing and selling monuments for the retail trade. Their hard work and persistent attention to business brought rich reward, and it was not many years before they had a large manufacturing and wholesale department. In 1904, when H. Kalkman came into the business, its volume was still further increased. Finally the retail department was sold, and the firm devoted its attention exclusively to the larger aspects of the business. February 2, 1911, the firm was incorporated with Anton Luckemeyer, as president; John Luckemeyer, as vice-president ; and H. Kalkman, as secretary and treasurer. The growth from the little ten by twelve shop has been phenomenal. The present plant in Melrose covers about six acres, and includes the main plant, the office building, the black- smith shop and the storage building. The engine room is equipped with 145 horsepower engines, three air compressors, and a dynamo. The surfacing and polishing departments are especially interesting. From 160 to 170 men are employed, and the output in 1913 was valued at $175,000. The plant at Mel- rose is one of the best equipped in the state, and has the distinction of be- ing the first of its kind to introduce electricity as a motive power for the op- eration of machinery and the moving of cranes. The great trip-hammers rep- resent a wonderful advantage over the days when all such work was done by hand. It is interesting to note that labor trouble is unknown to this concern. The plant is steam heated, comfort and safety are the watchwords, and em- ployers and employees maintain the pleasantest of personal relations. After the Melrose venture became an assured success, the firm branched out, and secured land in the St. Cloud granite district, where they now own 300 acres. In this district they have three red stone quarries and one gray stone quarry. They also own and operate the Dublin Green Quarry at St. Cloud, and the Gray Quarry at St. Cloud. Their field of operations covers the United States. At the present time the concern is planning to erect at St. Cloud, a plant 700 by 42 feet, fully supplied with engine rooms, finishing rooms, blacksmith shops and offices.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 30

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110