History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 37

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

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Arthur Stewart, for many years a worthy resident of Lynden township, was born in County Leitrem, Ireland, and there became a farmer. He mar- ried Elizabeth Mitchell, a native of the same neighborhood. It was in 1880 that they came to the United States, found their way to Minnesota, and located in Lynden township. Here he purchased 160 acres of land, and en- gaged in farming. He erected a comfortable home and suitable outbuildings, and successfully conducted agricultural operations until 1894, when he turned the farm over to his son, William, with whom he continued to make his home for many years. In 1906 he took up his home with his daughter. He died on October 3, 1906. His wife died in March, 1908. In the family there were six

MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR STEWART

MR. AND MRS. HENRY SCHMIDT

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children : Alexander, now of England ; James, who died in Australia; George who lives in Australia; Ellen, now Mrs. Wallace Bowers, of Clear Lake, Minn .; William, of Lynden; and Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gustave Eickmeyer, of Fair Haven. In the Eickmeyer family there were eight children: Augusta, now Mrs. Henry Trunow, of Fair Haven; Lena (deceased) ; Minnie (deceased) ; Gustave, who conducts the home farm in Fair Haven township; Anna, now Mrs. William Maurrer, of New Rockford, North Dakota; Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Stewart, of Lynden township; Mary, now Mrs. William Rode, of South Haven; Ida, now Mrs. Julius Gasser, of Kimball.

Frank Schmidt, an industrious farmer of Lynden township, was born in Mercer county, Ohio, September 24, 1856, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Dirks) Schmidt, and grandson of Gerhart Schmidt. Gerhard Schmidt was born, reared and married in Germany. In an early day he brought his family to America and settled in Mercer county, Ohio. Henry was but five years old when his family came to Ohio. He was there reared and educated, and was there married. But he desired to be a pioneer as had his father before him, so with his family he set out for Minnesota. October 12, 1874, he arrived in Lynden township, and purchased a farm in section 19, from his brother- in-law, Henry Dirks. This farm he developed and cultivated and success- fully conducted. He and his wife both died in 1904. Frank Schmidt received his early education in Ohio, and was seventeen years of age when his par- ents came to Minnesota. He has since then devoted his life to agricultural pursuits on the home farm. He has 120 acres of cultivated land, and twenty acres of heavily timbered land. He is one of the progressive farmers of Lyn- den and is interested in everything that pertains to the advancement of the town and county. Mr. Schmidt married Elizabeth Witschen, a native of Lyn- den township, daughter of Barney and Clara (Berger) Witschen, and they have six children: Frances, Annie, Edna, Lawrence, Albert and Marie. Frances married Martin Storkamp, and they have two children. Emma mar- ried Edward Kuhn, and they have one child.

C. B. Whitney, a pioneer of Stearns county, was born in Vermont, near the Canadian line, August 24, 1850, son of Abijah and Altha Jane (Ingalls) Whitney, natives of Vermont. It was in 1863 that they came to Clearwater and purchased a farm of forty-three acres in Lynden township, this county. Abijah Whitney was a model man in every respect, a loving husband and a good father. He died in 1894. His wife died in 1911. C. B. Whitney at- tended the public schools of Buffalo, N. Y., and in 1863, at the age of thirteen, he came with his parents to Lynden township, and engaged in agricultural pursuits under the tuition of his father. In 1872 he bought 120 acres in Lynden township, and there successfully conducted general farming for twelve years. Then he sold out and purchased a farm in Rockville township, this county. He was there three years; on a farm in New London township, Kandiyohi county, three years, and on a farm in Fair Haven five years. Then he returned to Lynden and purchased a farm of 140 acres. In 1898 he sold this property, but still retains his parents' homestead of forty-three acres, where he now lives. Aside from carrying on farming, he has taught school for many years. He is a man of sterling qualities of the old New England type,

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just and upright, and has won the respect of his community. He has been school clerk and town supervisor for several years. He has taken a keen in- terest in public affairs, and is ever ready to lend aid to any move that has for its object the betterment of the community. Fraternally he is a member of Clearwater Lodge, No. 3686, M. W. A. The family worships at the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Whitney was married November 20, 1873, to Mary F. Heaton, who was born in Waterbury, Green county, Vermont, May 25, 1853, daughter of Tertius and Fatima (Perkins) Heaton, who brought her in 1857 to Wisconsin and in 1859 to Stearns county where they both died. Mrs. Whitney is a most affable lady, and has been a devoted wife and mother. She owns the beautiful home in which they now reside and several lots adjoining. To Mr. and Mrs. Whitney have been born two sons, Daniel E. and Hugh A., both of whom received good educations and are now engaged in business. Daniel E. was born October 20, 1878, and is now in the undertaking business at Brain- ard, Minn. Hugh A. was born September 8, 1880, and is now engaged in the furniture business at Bermidji, Minn. He was married, September, 1901, to Stella Bentley, who died in 1912, leaving two children, Sumner and Altha. Since their mother died they have lived with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Whitney. On June 17, 1914, Hugh A. was married to Hazelle Phillips. Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Whitney also had a daughter, Elsie, now de- ceased. She was born March 16, 1875, and died August 15, 1896. She was married October 22, 1893, to Frank West, who died 1896.

William J. Weyrauch, a well-to-do farmer of Lynden township, was born in St. Cloud township, December 2, 1855, being thus one of the first white children born in this county. His parents were Henry and Anna May (Bras- ter) Weyrauch. Henry Weyrauch was brought to America by his parents and located with them at Goose Creek, Missouri. There he lived for some four- teen years. In 1855 he came with his wife to St. Cloud, and took up his home in a shack which stood in the rear of the residence of Mr. Beutler, St. Cloud township. By trade Henry Weyrauch was a cooper as was his father before him. For many years he made flour barrels for the early millers. He also became a carpenter, and assisted in building many homes in this vicinity. At odd times he also worked his farm. He died in December, 1913, after a long and useful life. William J. Weyrauch received his early schooling in St. Augusta, one of his teachers being Henry Krebs. He was reared to farm pur- suits, and even at an early age took charge of the farm while his father was attending to the duties of his trade. He bought a tract of land in section 29, Lynden township. Here he erected a log cabin, and started to wrest a farm from the wilderness. In this historic old cabin, four of his children were born. In 1892 he erected his present home. It is a pretentious structure, and the other buildings are well in keeping with it. The Weyrauch farm now consists of 240 acres, and is a model place in every particular, showing in every acre the thrift, industry and progressiveness of the owner, as well as his excellent taste and modern spirit. He carries on general farming and makes a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle. Fraternally he belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters and to St. Mary's Society.

GEORGE E. WARNER

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Mr. Weyrauch married Annie Schmidt, who was born in Ohio, and they have six children: Mary, Elizabeth, Frank, John, Henry and Alvin. Mary married Joseph Falke, and they have three children, Alphonse, Alice and Marsder. Elizabeth married Mr. Higgermeyer, and they have one child, Floren- tine. Frank married Lena Thall and they have one child, Olga. The fam- ily faith is that of the Catholic Church.

George E. Warner, for many years a respected and substantial farmer of Lynden township, now living in retirement in Clearwater, was born in Quebec, Canada, November 16, 1826, son of Joseph and Martha (Cole) Warner, the former of whom was a native of Vermont, and devoted his life to farming and harness making. George E. Warner was reared and educated in Canada. In 1860 he left that Dominion, and located in Derbyline, Vermont, where he worked as a blacksmith for four years. It was in 1864 that he came to Minne- sota and took a claim in sections 19 and 20, Lynden township. He developed and improved this place, and brought it to a high stage of cultivation. After nearly four decades of busy endeavor, he sold his farm in 1902 and moved to St. Cloud. There he remained until 1914, when he took up his residence in Clearwater. He has been an active and progressive man during his entire adult years, and is now enjoying that rest, peace and contentment which he so richly deserves. He has taken a deep interest in the affairs of Lynden and St. Cloud, and is an active worker in the Old Settlers' Association. The Masonic body has also found in him a valuable member. He joined originally at Clearwater, but was later demitted to St. Cloud. Mr. Warner married Sarah Ann Wilcox, who died in 1894, and they had two children, Edward G. and Minnie, both now deceased. Edward G. married Fannie Lock and they have four children. Two are dead. Charles H. and George H. are married, and live at Great Falls, Montana. Minnie married John Boynton, and they had one child, Edna. She is now Mrs. Dickson, of Coon Rapids.

Marcus Maurin, one of Cold Spring's leading citizens, now deceased, was born April 11, 1836, at Unterwald, Unterkrain, Austria, son of Marcus, Sr., and Anna Maurin. Marcus, Sr., was a wine dealer, a farmer and a dealer in tools for goldsmiths and watchmakers, a man who traveled widely through Europe, and was extensively known. The children in the family were Marie, Marcus, Peter, Joseph, Margaretha, George, Katherina, Margreth, Martin and John. Marcus, the subject of this mention received a splendid education. Obtaining a taste for learning in the schools of his native town, he entered the Gymnasium at Altenmarkt, and from there went to the German school of Koprevnike, where he spent two years. These studies made him ambitious for further learning, so he entered the school of Neustad, in Steiermark. Subsequently he spent six months in study in Paris, France. At the age of nineteen he started for America, landing in New York, October 1, 1855. He found employment as a general trader in furs, with Chicago as his headquar- ters. Soon thereafter, however, he determined to enter business for himself. Accordingly, with St. Paul as his headquarters he became a full-fledged fur trader. By energy, unceasing work and thrift he built up the business and thus laid the foundation for his future notable success. From St. Paul, with his own team, he made extensive trips through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota,

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and even into the Dakotas and Canada. The undaunted courage he possessed gave impetus to his work as he drove to the log cabins, the Indian camps, the hamlets, the Missions and the forts. At Ft. Ripley and Ft. Abercrombie he was an especially welcome guest, and the Chippewa Indians whose lan- guage he spoke trusted him fully and gave him their loyal friendship. Thus over almost trackless wilds, through the snow and intense cold of winter, and the sweltering heat of summer, he covered his territory from 1855 to 1863. He had a genial manner and a never-ruffled temper, and made many warm friends. Especially was he honored with the friendship of many a Mission Father of the Northwest. Among these may be mentioned the Right Rev. Bishop James Trobec, then a mission priest; also Mission Father Francis Pierz, at whose Indian missions he many times stopped; as well as the Jesuit Father Wenniger, whom he often assisted in erecting Mission crosses where they might be seen by weary travelers of the Catholic faith. During these years, Marcus Maurin had some most thrilling adventures, and in later times, when he could be induced to talk of them, he related incident after incident in the most dramatic and vivid manner. The story of his life published in detail would make a most interesting and valuable contribution to the early history of the Northwest. In 1863, Mr. Maurin, having married, gave up his career of adventure, and settled in Cold Spring. With his brother, Peter, he organized the firm of Maurin Brothers, which became the strongest in the Sauk valley. It was the original intention of the brothers to open a mill, and in 1863 they purchased the water power rights at Cold Spring. A year later, however, they sold the privilege to T. P. Thompson. At Cold Spring they had a large mercantile establishment, a splendid hardware store, and a large grain elevator. They also had branches at St. Joseph, Little Falls and Elizabeth, all in this state. In 1872, the brother Peter went to Elizabeth to attend to the business there, and Marcus devoted the remainder of his life to building up the interests of Cold Spring. Throughout his life he was a de- vout member of the Catholic Church. In the early days he and his wife were forced to go to Jacob's Prairie or Richmond to attend religious service. Later he assisted in erecting the first Catholic Church in Cold Spring village. Thor- oughly interested in the affairs of the village, he was, in 1904, elected presi- dent of the village council. In 1891 he erected the residence which is still one of the show-places in this part of the county. It is said that at one time he owned over five thousand acres of land. Mr. Maurin died November 6, 1905, after a long and severely painful illness which he bore with Christian forti- tude and patience. Marcus Maurin was married, June 9, 1863, to Mary A. Lauer, of Chicago. To this union were born seven children: Marie Frances, born December 16, 1864; Marie Louisa, born August 23, 1866; Anna Matilda, April 15, 1868; Peter Paul, June 29, 1870; Anna Rose, June 20, 1875; Agatha (deceased), born February 1, 1882; and Joseph Marcus, November 9, 1885.

Marcus J. Maurin, one of Cold Spring's rising young business men, was born in the village where he still resides, November 9, 1885, son of Marcus Maurin, one of the county's most prominent men. Marcus J. attended the public schools of his native place, and in the fall of 1902 entered St. John's University at Collegeville, this county, from the commercial course of which

MR. AND MRS. MARCUS MAURIN

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institution he graduated in 1905. With this preparation he at once returned to his home and entered the mercantile business with his father. In this line he has since continued. He has brought energy, new blood, and modern ideas into the business, and is numbered among the native sons of the state who have "made good." He is deeply interested in the advancement of every movement that has for its object the good and betterment of his village, township and county. He is a director in the First State Bank, of Cold Spring, and an enthusiastic worker and loyal member in the Cold Spring Commer- cial Club. Mr. Maurin was married, June 17, 1908, to Mayme Feiden, a native of Richmond, Minn.

Anton Muggli, Sr., was born in Switzerland, May 21, 1819. He received a good education in his native land, and was there married to Barbara Monn, who was born in Switzerland, March 28, 1824. In 1854 they came to America, and located in Stillwater, from which place in 1858 they came to Stearns county and settled in Munson township. They broke and cleared the land, erected buildings, and experienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life. He died August 5, 1888, and she January 13, 1900. In their family there were ten children : Joseph (deceased) ; Anton, of Cold Spring ; Virgilus, of Cold Spring; Edward (deceased) ; Mary, of Madelia, Minn .; Louise, of Tacoma, Wash .; Anna, of Roscoe, Minn .; Elizabeth, of Portland, Oregon; and Margaret and Barbara of the same city.

Daniel Friedman, a well-known resident of Cold Spring, was born in Little Falls, Minn., February 7, 1860, a son of Nicholas and Mary A. (Young) Friedman. He came to Cold Spring with his parents, and here received his education. At the age of twenty-three he opened a market in Cold Spring. Later he engaged in the same business at Wilmot, South Dakota. Subse- quently, for five years, he lived on a ranch in the "Bad Lands," North Da- kota, where he had Theodore Roosevelt for his near neighbor. It was at the end of this five years that Mr. Friedman encountered a serious misfortune. An unusually hard winter found his stock without feed or shelter, and he lost his entire herd. Consequently he returned to Cold Spring and engaged in the refreshment business. Before he sold out this business he had started his career as a capitalist by making a number of investments. One of his ventures subsequent to selling out was in a mercantile enterprise in Glenullin, North Dakota, where he bought out a half interest in the establishment con- ducted by his former employee, William Lutgen, and established the firm of Lutgen & Co., with a capital stock of $30,000. This company still carries on a successful business. Daniel Friedman is president and William Lutgen is secretary and treasurer. In 1900, Mr. Friedman associated himself with an old schoolmate, Joseph Arceneau, in the firm of Friedman & Arceneau, and opened a grocery and produce house in Alloueze, a suburb of Superior, Wis. In addition to these ventures, Mr. Friedman is an extensive owner of real estate in Minnesota and the Dakotas. In spite of his many holdings elsewhere, Mr. Friedman has taken a deep interest in the affairs of Cold Spring. He has here a splendid residence built of rich pressed brick, manufactured in North Dakota, and here maintains his home. For a time he was treasurer of the village. He is a loyal member of the Knights of Columbus. For his first

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wife, Mr. Friedman married Elizabeth Hussman. She died May 8, 1889. In 1891, Mr. Friedman married Elizabeth Tamble, a native of St. Joseph, Minn., daughter of M. J. Tamble. This union has been blessed with two chil- dren: Rufina, born April 27, 1902, and Evelyn M., born March 11, 1909.

Nicholas Friedman, a pioneer of Stearns county who laid down his life in the Union cause, was born in Baden, Germany, and came to America in the early forties with his parents. After living a few years in Ohio, he took up his residence in Illinois. From there he came with an ox team to Little Falls, Morrison county, this state, in 1856. He farmed in Morrison county a few years, and then came to Stearns county, where he secured land three miles south of Cold Spring. He built a log cabin and a log stable, and farmed with the aid of his oxen, until driven out by the Indians. Leaving the ripened harvest upon which he had set all his hopes, he and his wife and children fled to St. Cloud. After two weeks, he and the family returned with their neigh- bors to Cold Spring. There the women and children of the neighborhood remained, while the men went each day to the fields. In this way about half of the crop was saved. In 1864, Mr. Friedman was drafted to Company K, Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Shortly after entering the serv- ice he was taken ill. Lying in a rude tent among the trees, surrounded by unsanitary conditions, and without adequate personal or medical atten- tion, he died September 1, 1864, and was buried at Marietta, Tenn. He was then but thirty-four years of age, having been born April 7, 1830. His un- timely death left his widow with four children, the oldest was six years old, the youngest was an infant. They were Magdalena, Daniel, Jacob L. and Mary. The widow worked at whatever she could find to do, and thus kept the family together. Later in life she married her brother-in-law, Jacob Fried- man, and by this union had three children, Joseph, Rosa, Anna. Mrs. Fried- man was born September 8, 1832, and died October 19, 1907.

Eugene Hermanutz, brewmeister and vice-president of the Cold Spring Brewing Co., was born in Wurtenberg, Germany, May 14, 1870, son of Dr. Rupert and Varina (Sauter) Hermanutz, both of whom died in their native city of Wurtenberg. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a brew- meister and thoroughly mastered that trade. When he reached the proper age he followed the customs of the Fatherland by entering the German army for a term of three years. It was November 1, 1896, when he landed in Amer- ica. After working as a brewmeister in Wadena, Wadena county, Minn. for two years, he went to Walla Walla, Wash., where he followed a similar em- ployment for a year. He then came to Cold Spring, in 1900, and at the organ- ization of the brewery here, he assumed the duties of his present position. He has been an important factor in the building up of the success of the com- pany, and looks after the numerous details of the business with splendid ability. He has one of the handsomest residences in the village.

Mr. Hermanutz was married in April, 1903, to Mary Roedl, of Watkins, Meeker county, Minn., and they have five children: Alvin, Raymond, Aloy- sius, Ferdinand and Erwin. Mary (Roedl) Hermanutz was the daughter of John and Margaret (Ripple) Roedl, natives of Bavaria, Germany, who came

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to America in 1871, and located in Cold Spring, later going to Watkins, Minn., where the father died. Mrs. Roedl now lives in St. Cloud.

John Kray, for many years proprietor of the Central House, at Cold Spring, was born in Germany, March 22, 1833. He came to America in 1849, and before reaching St. Paul in 1853, he worked in cities of Milwaukee and Ra- cine, Wis., and Peoria, Ill. After staying in St. Paul for a while, he located in Scott county, near Shakopee and Marystown. Some years later he rented his farm, and became a driver on the old stage express route between St. Paul and Shakopee. Four mules were necessary to propel the stage, and it took two days to make the round trip, thus enabling him to be in each city alternate nights. Minneapolis and St. Paul were scarcely more than hamlets at that time, and Mr. Kray used to shoot ducks in portions of what is now the busi- ness center of Minneapolis. During the Indian troubles he was driver of a provision wagon on the route between St. Cloud and Ft. Snelling. Often the wagon was used to transport soldiers or volunteers. At one time he was carting provisions along the route, when the train was attacked by Indians. He was cut off from the others, and it was only by fleeing on the backs of his mules that he was enabled to regain the rest of the train. During these ex- periences, Mr. Kray acquired a great love for outdoor life, and at one period when he was recouperating from a siege of sickness, he was enabled to build up his strength by living in the open. He and his Indian companion, Blue Stone, spent much time in the woods and along the streams, hunting, trapping and fishing. It was on August 2, 1872, that he settled in Cold Spring and opened the Central House. The hotel was burned January 17, 1880, but was at once rebuilt on a larger scale, and reopened June 22, of the same year. In the spring of 1890, the business was taken over by the three sons, Philip, Joseph and Valentine. After a while, Philip became sole owner. For a time he rented the place to Otto Wolf. In February, 1904, the hotel was sold to John Meyer. John Kray was married in 1855 to Katrina Hartmann, a native of Germany. They had nine children, of whom five, Mary, Philip, Kate, Val- entine and Joseph H., lived to adult years.

Philip H. Kray, miller and elevator owner of Cold Spring, Minn., was born in Marystown, Minn., December 14, 1860, a son of John and Katrina (Hartmann), the pioneers. He was reared in the hotel business by his father, and received a good education in the public schools. In the spring of 1890, he and his two brothers took over the management of the Central House at Cold Spring, which their father had owned for so many years. Later the subject of this sketch assumed the entire ownership. For a short time he rented it to Otto Wolf. In February, 1904, he sold it to John Meyer. He has been more or less interested in grain buying for many years, and in 1909, he bought a part interest in the Farmers Milling Co., of Cold Spring. The enterprise is an important one, and has the liberal patronage of the public. Mr. Kray is one of the prominent men of his community, and has served either as treasurer of the village or as president of the village council for many years. Philip H. Kray was married, November 4, 1885, to Laura Whitford, of Cold Spring, daughter of John Whitford, an early settler. Laura Whit- ford Kray died in 1888. She had two children: Clarence, and an unnamed

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 37

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