USA > Minnesota > Wabasha County > History of Wabasha County : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc. : gathered from matter furnished by interviews with old settlers, county, township, and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources > Part 92
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PETER GIBSON, retired riverman, has been a resident of this city since 1863. Mr. Gibson was born in Sweden ; came to America in 1851, to Michigan, and was in a lumber-mill on the lake, a few miles above Port Huron, owned by Hubbard Bros. until coming to the Mississippi lumber regions in 1855. From that year until 1863 he was engaged in rafting down the river from Stillwater to St. Louis. He married Margaret Dietrich November 24, 1867, whose family were early residents of this county. They have three children : Jerome, born March 11, 1870; William, born July 21, 1871 ; Peter J., born December 28, 1873.
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PEPIN BREWERY, located in Morres addition to the village of Read's Landing. This property comprises what is generally known as the Burkhardt breweries. The lower one, a frame structure, built by Charles Leslie in 1856; the upper one, a stone building, erected some twenty years since by Michael Ulmer, the whole prop- erty coming into possession of the Burkhardts about the time the war closed. Manufacture has been lately confined to the lower brewery, but the location proving too low for the high water of 1883, which flooded their cellars to the depth of eight feet. They are now, August, 1883, fitting up the upper brewery for business, by erecting new dry kilns, and engine and boiler house. This brewery is 40 X 100 feet, three stories, solid stone, and provided with vaults, having a storage capacity of two thousand barrels. The product of their first year's brewage was six hundred barrels; last year, fifteen hundred barrels, an increase over previous year of thirty-three per cent. The product of the brewery is marketed at home, little or none being shipped. Their real estate comprises a tract of about twenty-seven acres, on which they have a brick yard of over twenty years' establishment, where they manufacture from two hundred and fifty thousand to three hundred thousand a year. The brewery busi- ness employs five hands and two teams, and is steadily increasing. The proprietors are G. & G. Burkhardt. They are natives of Ger- many, emigrated to America in 1859, and to this county in 1863. Godfred Burkhardt married Sophia Bruner in 1866. They have four children living, three in school at Read's Landing: Louis, born October 14, 1868; Emma, born February 14, 1870; Maria, born February 9, 1877; Paulina, born February 5, 1879. Gotleib Burk- hardt married Amelia Schlueter, February 2, 1881. They have one child, Albert, born November 25, 1881.
FREDERICK B. WAHLER, farmer, residing in Plainview village, was born in Saratoga, Germany, March 31, 1831. His father, John F. Wahler, was a farmer, and his mother's maiden name was Doro- thea Rohrbach. Mr. Wahler came to America in the year 1853. He spent the first three years after his arrival on a farm near Juno, Dodge county, Wisconsin. In 1856 he came to Minnesota, and located near Centerville, Winona county, on school lands. Seven years of his pioneer life were spent here, accompanied by many of the privations and trials that characterized frontier life in those days. The autumn of 1863 he disposed of his Winona county farm, and removed to Plainview township in Wabasha county, where he pur-
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chased the Churchill place-a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on sections 19 and 30. Four years later he purchased the village property, and erected thereon the residence which he has since oc- cupied as his family residence. His landed possessions now aggre- gate three hundred acres of fine arable land. Mr. Wahler is a mem- ber of the Plainview Methodist Episcopal church, and the brother- hood of Masons. Ile was married to Miss Neiheeser, a native of his own country, in Dodge county, Wisconsin, on July 6, 1856. Their matrimonial life has been blessed with four children, three of them now living, viz: Addie (Mrs. Stadon), of Big Stone county, and Susie and Inez at home.
JACOB KOPP was born in Wiedlisbach, Canton Bern, Switzerland, on April 8, 1830. The Swiss home of the Kopp family was a small farm, but a beautiful place known as Mosrien. Frederick and Barbra Kopp resided here, and raised a family of six children, Jacob being the fourth. Jacob received a good common school education, after which he served four years in the Swiss army. In June, 1851, he married Barbra Giesbuler, and three years later brought his family to America. He first worked on a farm near Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin, then removed to Watertown, Wisconsin, where he remained but a few weeks. His next move was to go to a place about thirty miles from Portage, where he worked in the pineries and on a farm for three years; after which he spent four years clearing up a farm near Fredonia, in the same state. He came to Highland town- ship, and bought a claim of one hundred and forty acres near the Watkins mill, in 1863. After buying and selling a number of times, he finally purchased the place on which he now resides-eighty acres on section 26, Highland, in 1870. He has five children, viz : John, born in Switzerland, residing in Lake City, Minnesota; Louisa, born in Wisconsin, and Louis and Frederick, born in Minnesota, and a daughter Emina, also a native of Minnesota. Mr. Kopp was one of the original members of the Lutheran church of Highland.
GEORGE HIBNER was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, September 18, 1825. His parents were David and Susanna (Parker) Hibner-his father a native of the city of New York, and his mother of Massachusetts. His youth was spent on a farm, until twenty years old, remaining at home. He worked on a farm in Allegany county for two years. Here he married Polly Pierce, who was born in Onondaga- county, New York, September 14, 1824-this occurred July 18, 1847. After his marriage he worked a farm for six
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years in Allegany county. In 1853 removed to Wyocena, Columbia county, Wisconsin, and rented a farm on which he remained until the fall of 1859, when he came to Olmsted county, Minnesota. The next year removed to Plainview, and tarried another year, when he came to reside on the farm where he now lives, one hundred and sixty acres on section 22, in Highland, which he located while still a resident of Wisconsin. He has one hundred and ten acres of land under cultivation, and lives in a fine farmhouse. Has also added eighty acres to his original quarter-section. He has but one child living: Electa A. (Mrs. Win. Safford), of Highland. A son, Ivan Arthur, died November 18, 1876, leaving one daughter, Ida May, 8 years old, residing with her mother, Mrs. Effie (Freer), of Plainview.
JOHN SCHMIDT, merchant tailor and dealer in clothing and fur- nishing goods, corner Main and Pembroke streets. This business Mr. Schmidt established in 1866, and has conducted it successfully for the past thirteen years. He owns the premises he occupies, one lot east of the corner of Main and Pembroke streets, 25×90, and upon this he has erected his shop, a one-story brick, 20×45, the salesroom and Tryon's jewelry-store occupying the front thirty feet of the building, with the tailor-shop in the rear. Mr. Schmidt is a nature of Bavaria, learned his trade there, and followed it until 1852, when he came to America, settling in Milwaukee, which was his home until his removal to this city in 1864. January 16, 1856, Mr. Schmidt married Catharine Schrick. They have three children: Julius, born in Milwaukee in 1857, and now the junior member of the firm of Jewell & Schmidt, of this city ; Emil, employed in his father's shop, born June 5, 1860, and John, born December 26, 1861, at present a conductor on the Midland railroad.
LOUIS YOUNG, hotelkeeper, Kellogg, is a native of Luxemburg, Germany, and was born March 10, 1843. In 1850 his parents, Peter and Barbara (Rausch) Jung, emigrated to America and settled on a farm near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here, in the old log school- house, young Louis received a common English education. When seventeen years old he entered a grocery store at Grandville station as a clerk, and soon after went to Chicago, where he was employed as a barkeeper. In 1862, being then but eighteen years old, he entered Bat. M, 1st Ill. Light Art., and served over three years as United States soldier. Participated in thirteen battles and forty- two skirmishes, being twice slightly wounded, and was honorably
68
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discharged September 2, 1865. The most important engagements wherein he was an actor were those at Chickamanga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca and Allatoona. During his service he was confined in hospital eight months, his life being several times given up by his surgeon. Only his determination saved his life. After the close of the war he came to Minnesota, and shortly opened a hotel in Winona. January 16, 1868, he married Margaret Apeld- ing, born in Luxemburg in September, 1848. Mrs. Young's father, Peter Apelding, is now one of the most substantial citizens of Rollingstone, Winona county. In 1872 Mr. Young came here and purchased the only building on the site of Kellogg. To this he has made additions, and is known to a large number of travelers for the excellence of his table. He was reared in the Catholic church, and adheres to the democratic party ; served as village trustee in 1882-3. His offspring were christened John, Mary, Henry and Louis.
HENRY DAVIS STOCKER was born in 1836, in Cabot, Caledonia county, Vermont, and inherited from his parents, Rev. Samuel and Jane D. Stocker, the determined spirit and marked characteristics of his New England ancestors. The genealogical history contains also a vein of the rugged teutonic element, thus combining in the de- scendants those traits of character which so strongly developed in Capt. Stocker. Most of his education was received in Massachu- setts, from which he moved with his parents to McHenry county, Illinois. There in 1858 he commenced the reading of law in the office of Messrs. Joslyn & Hanchett, a prominent law firm of Wood- stock, Illinois. In 1861 he left the law for the army, and assisted in raising Co. M of the 16th Ill. Cav., which company he com- manded until the' battle of Jonesville, Virginia, January 3, 1864, where he and his whole company were made prisoners of war. In this battle Capt. Stocker was so severely wounded, having received two sabre cuts on the head, and two bullets in his body, that he could not be removed with his comrades, and he was left at a house near by the scene of battle, where he remained for two months. As his wounds began to heal, he discovered the family under whose roof he was were in sympathy with the Union army, and although he was so ill that a rebel officer stripped him of his clothing, saying as he dragged his overcoat from under his wounded head, "Here, yon won't need this much longer, and I shall," yet he longed to escape, that he might die, if indeed he must, under the shadow of the stars and stripes. With the aid of faithful negroes he was disguised and
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placed upon a horse, where they conveyed him to the Cumberland mountains and bid him, "Godspeed, massa." Notwithstanding the reopening of his wounds, and the many difficulties he met with, he reached the Cumberland river in safety, where another negro, with no small difficulty, obtained a boat for him. Alone the wounded man floated down the stream, until he deemed it safe to cross the country and gain the federal army, where the welcome he received more than compensated for his past sufferings. After a few months furlough, he joined Gen. Sherman's army, in his march to the sea, where he was assigned a position in Gen. Schofield's staff. He participated in the battles of Allatoona and Atlanta, and Kenesaw mountains. Owing to the severity of his wounds, which unfitted him for active field service, he was assigned the position of provost marshal at Nicholasville, Kentucky, which position he held until December, 1864, when on account of the suffering which his unhealed wounds caused him, he was reluctantly compelled to ac- cept an honorable discharge. Directly after his resignation he came to Lake City, where he has not only enjoyed a large and lucrative law practice, but the respect and commendation of his bar associ- ates. Capt. Stocker is a member of all the Masonic orders. In politics is a stanch republican ; in religion attends and supports the Congregational church. In 1870 he was married to Mrs. Beulah Grant (also the daughter of a Methodist Episcopal clergyman), the result of this union being three children, Henry Davis, Frederic Henry and Mabel Gertrude, all living.
AUGUSTIUS BASEY, restauranteur, Lake City, was born in the Province of Hamburg, now part of Prussia, January 10, 1824. His father, Frederick, was a merchant and overseer of a farm, and the youthful Augustus passed his early life in a rural region. When seventeen years old he began to learn the baker's trade. In the spring of 1854 he set out for the land of promise beyond the Atlantic, and landed at New York April 5. Proceeding to Canada, he found employment in a brass foundry, and set about acquainting himself with the strange language spoken all around him. Before the close of the year he found his way to Baltimore and secured employment at his trade. In 1855, in partnership with a brother, he established a bakery at Watertown, Wisconsin. In July of the following year he sold out to his brother and went to Sparta, in the same state, where he operated a bakery for three years, and afterward a farm for like period. In 1864 he became a resident of Lake City and began
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his present business. Five years later he built the handsome two- story brick-front which he now occupies. All sorts of fruits and confectionery are kept on sale, and a fine business is done in feeding the hungry. April 19, 1856, Mr. Basey was united in wedlock with Miss Laney Orman, born in New York, of German parents. Three daughters have blessed this union, all at home, and christened Mary, Anna and Emma. The Lutheran church represents the religious faith of the family. In political matters Mr. Basey adheres to the democratic party. He is a member of the American Legion of Honor and the Equitable Aged Union, and insurance organiza- tion.
A. H. BRIGHT, farmer, is descended from Henry Bright, a Penn- sylvania Dutchman. Harmon, son of Henry, married Sarah Kean, both "to the manor born," and settled on a farm in Sadsbury, Crawford county. Here was born to them the subject of this sketch, May 12, 1819. He received a farm training and common-school education. When nineteen he went out to farm labor and saved enough from his wages so that he bought some land at twenty-two, and went on it. In 1840 he married Catharine, daughter of William and Dorothy Poole, all of New York. In 1844 he went to Illinois and built a sawmill on Rock river, fifteen miles below Rockford. He was afterward in a sawmill in Janesville, Wisconsin ; farmed some years on Sugar river, west of Janesville. He became a resi- dent of Minnesota in 1862, and resided two years on a farm in Bel- videre, Goodhne county. Then he traded that property for one hundred and forty-five acres on section 9, Mazeppa, where his home has been ever since. His domain now includes three hundred and forty acres in this township. He has dealt considerably in lands. He is a thorough republican, but meddles not with politics. On the unanimous vote of the town he once accepted the office of justice, but resigned before his term expired. Theologically he is a Free- thinker. Alanson Porter, his eldest child, died at fourteen years of age. Priscilla J. (Mrs. Harry Dakes), lives at Oakland, California ; Hiram Juram Hydecooper, Roberts Station, Wisconsin ; the rest reside in Mazeppa, viz : Rhoda Adell (Mrs. Orrin Boughton), Thaddeus Sobieski, William Henry Harmon, Sarah Catharine Elizabeth (Mrs. Jones Segar), Albert Rathborne Frisby, and a son bearing the full name of Marquis de La Fayette.
REV. NELSON MOON was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, January 19, 1818. His parents were of New England birth. His mother's
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maiden name was Abigail Wallingford, and his father's Christian name was Barney. From nine to sixteen years of age he dwelt with William R. Porter, a Baptist deacon, in Macedon, New York, receiving all his schooling during that time in the common school. He then went to Canandaigua and was employed in chairmaking. His health being injured by this occupation, he went to Kirtland, Ohio, where he dwelt nearly two years. Here, at the age of nine- teen, he was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal church by immersion. His mother was a faithful Presbyterian and had him baptized at the age of seven. The teachings of his foster-father led him to insist on immersion, but he has since become convinced that this is not essential. In 1838 he settled at Lyons, Wisconsin, and after dwelling there nine years, during which he was licensed as an exhorter, he removed to Vermillion county, Illinois, and was there licensed to preach. In 1855 he came to Ohnsted county, this state, and was soon compelled to take up land in order to sustain his family. He organized the first class in Rochester in the fall of this year. For two years he labored at Oronoco, Pine Island, Mantor- ville, Greenwood Prairie, Center Grove, Wasioji, and numerous other points where there was hope of doing good. He was ordained, by Bishop Simpson, at the first organization of the state conference, and Center Grove was his first circuit point. After residing on a farm in New Haven for nine years he took up his residence in Chester, where he has a farm of one hundred and fifty acres. Here he dwelt till the fall of 1883, when he moved to Lake City. He has labored as a local preacher and has officiated at a large number of funerals. He was married at East Troy, Wisconsin, May 14, 1841, by Rev. James McKean, a brother-in-law of the bride, to Mrs. Casandra Chenowith, née Hunter. She was a faithful Christian wife and mother, enduring all the hardships of a pioneer minister's wife without a murmur, and went to her reward April 9, 1882. She became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at a very early age. The second child of this union, Charles W., died Angust 9, 1864, at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, four days before he was eighteen years old, having served nine months in the Union army. The others were christened and reside as here given : Mary A. (Mrs. D. K. J. Clark), Bigstone Center, Minnesota ; Emma (Mrs. W. A. Stevens), Lake City ;. William P., Bigstone ; Frank W., Bigstone ; Owen H., Fargo, Dakota ; Carrie 1. (Mrs. C. A. Robinson), Chester. Mr. Moon and family saw some severe experiences in early years. Dur-
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
ing the first winter they were surrounded by Sioux Indians, and he traded a watch that cost him a cow for a watch-dog to protect his family in his absence. Becoming short of provisions, he traded another watch that he had for a rifle, with which he shot seven deer. To secure potatoes and feed for his horse he was obliged to sell his buggy. Late in the fall of 1855, in trying to cross the Zumbro on the ice to reach an appointment at Rochester, he broke through and narrowly escaped with his life. One day in the following winter a couple set out from some distance away to find his cabin, in order to be mar- ried. Losing their way, they did not arrive till dead of night. The hut consisted of a single room. Mr. Moon got up and joined the twain in the presence of his family, who remained in bed, and they went their way rejoicing.
CLEMENTS KONNIG, blacksmith and farmer ; shop and six acres of land on Sec. 28, R. 11, T. 111, and leases about eighty-five acres in vicinity. Mr. Konnig is a native of Hanover, learned his trade in his native place, and came to America in 1857, settling for some years in Illinois. In 1864 he came to this county, built his black- smith-shop, and for the past nineteen years has followed his trade where he is now located. In 1859 he married Theresa Logan. They have six children, all at home, the elder boys working the farm, on which there are twenty-five head of stock, sixty-five acres of wheat, twelve acres of oats, and twenty acres of corn. The children's names are : Joseph, born March 22, 1861 ; Bendict, born August 21, 1867 ; Frank, born March 9, 1873 ; Emma, born April 1, 1875 ; Caroline, born June 17, 1877 ; Theresa, born November 12, 1879.
JACOB GENGNAGLE, manufacturer and dealer in furniture, Second street, between Pembroke and Bailly ; business established where now conducted in 1864, and so continued. Mr. Gengnagle is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany ; came to America at seventeen years of age, learned his trade in Albany, New York, and after working there five years came west in 1855, spending one year in Dubuque, Iowa, and from that city to Wabasha in 1856. There being no opening for his trade here, Mr. Gengnagle turned car- penter ; worked at that trade three years, then went to New Orleans, and was there at the time the war broke out. When Gen. Butler took possession of the city he enlisted, June 30, 1862, in Co. L, 3d Mass. Cav., and was in the service eighteen months, until disabled by a gunshot wound in the right elbow, and was discharged. Came to Wabasha, and the following year married Helena Affeld, of
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this city ; date of marriage November 21, 1865. They have three' children, all attending school in this city : Charles, born October 17, 1866 ; Katie, born January 31, 1869 ; Jacob J., September 8, 1875.
JEWELL & SCHMIDT, hardware, corner of Main and Alleghaney streets. This house is the successor of that established in 1858 by Egbert & Robinson, on the corner of Walnut and Second streets. Mr. Egbert soon afterward became sole proprietor, removed his business to the corner now occupied by Jewell & Schmidt ; took in H. M. Dugan as partner, and continued trade until 1867, when he sold out to H. H. Jewell, who, in the previous year, had opened a hardware store near the corner of Main and Pembroke streets. Mr. Jewell consolidated the stocks, at the corner of Main and Alle- ghaney streets, did business there for one year with Mr. Dugan as partner, then purchased his interest, and as sole proprietor continued trade until November 1, 1882, when he sold out to the present firm and retired from business. Mr. Jewell purchased the lots on which the present structure stands in 1868, but continued business in the old Egbert building until the spring of 1880, when the old frame was removed to the west side of the lot, where it now does duty as a warehouse, and the present hardware house was built. The lot fronts sixty feet on Main street and one hundred and three feet on Alle- ghaney ; the new building has a frontage of twenty-five feet on Main and sixty on Alleghaney, with entrances on both. It is a substantial, ornate, two-story brick, solid stone basement, sills and center-caps. The salesroom, 24×60, with an iron and glass front, is well arranged for business ; opening into the tinshop in the rear, 20×35 feet ; into the iron and nail room, 9×40 feet, and into a broad passageway from which the basement and upper storerooms are reached. The structure cost five thousand dollars, and was completed and occupied September 1, 1880. The basement is used for storage, and the upper story for offices and the rooms of the Ladies' Library Asso- ciation. The stock of the house embraces a full line of shelf and heavy hardware, iron,er;cel, nails, tinware, barbed wire and farmers' tools. The tinshop is under the direction of foreman Dieterle, who has been in charge of the manufacturing department during all the firm changes, for the past twenty-one years. The present firm are H. B. Jewell and Julius Schmidt, and they were both in the employ of the old house of H. H. Jewell for several years before they suc- ceeded to its management.
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
H. B. JEWELL, son of H. H. Jewell, is a native of Massachusetts ; came to Wabasha with his father's family in 1864; learned his trade as a tinsmith in St. Paul, and came into the employ of the house in which he is now the senior partner, in 1869. April 3, 1880, he married Miss Ida V. Bunn. of this city.
JULIUS SCHMIDT is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Came to Wabasha with his father's family in 1865. In 1873 he entered the house of H. H. Jewell ; learned his trade as tinsmith there, and continued in its employ until November 1, 1882, when the present partnership was formed.
IRA W. BELDEN, a son of Erastus Belden, a physician of Fillmore county, Minnesota, was born in 1837. He received a common school education, after which he learned his trade of blacksmithing. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in the war against the Indians, and served fourteen months as farrier in his regiment. He then enlisted in the war of the rebellion and served one year, when, his health failing, he returned to make his home on the banks of the Zumbro. He is a resident of Zumbro Falls, living on the south side of the river, but his shop is situated on the north side. Mr. Belden was married in 1860, to Amanda Raymond. Their family consists of seven children. The eldest son, aged nineteen, holds a good position on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad.
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