USA > Minnesota > Wright County > History of Wright County, Minnesota > Part 53
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John A. Johnson, an enterprising citizen of Middleville town- ship, was born in Sweden, son of Jonas and Anne (Peterson) Johnson, who brought him and the rest of the family to Wisconsin in 1868 and to Minnesota in 1870. Hle attended the district schools, and helped with the farm work. He took his share in elearing and developing the place, and remembers driving the oxen hitched to the reaper and binder. As a boy he was inter- ested in the flour industry and enjoyed playing about the Carver mill at Kingston. As a young man he went to Cokato, in this county, where he bought grain for eight years, part of the time for himself and part of the time as a representative of outside eoneerns. Later he became a mereantile clerk in Cokato, and in this employment he remained three years. Then he went to Dell
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Grove township, in Pine county, this state, and opened a store. While there he served as township assessor. After nine years in Pine county he came to Middleville township, in this county, and bought out the store of August Pearson, at Knapp. Six years later he located at Albreehts' Corners, and purchased the general store and the Crow River Roller Mills. After two years he sold out the store, and has since given his entire attention to the mills. He manufactures the Riverside brand of flour, which enjoys a steady sale and is widely known for its excellence. Mr. Johnson married Ellen Sundberg, a native of Cokato township and descended from an early pioneer family. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have one daughter, Nora, a graduate of the Cokato high school.
Jonas Johnson, a pioneer, was born in Sweden in 1823, and there spent the early half of his life. He married Anne Peterson, also a native of Sweden, and they had four children: Anna, Andrew, John and Lewis. The family came to America in August, 1868, and located in Wisconsin. The daughter, Anna, remained in Wisconsin, but in April, 1870, the rest of the family came to Wright county. Jonas Johnson secured eighty acres of wild land in section 28, buying out the rights of a homesteader. A small log house, 14 by 12, stood on the place. The cabin was six feet high. Split logs were used for flooring. The first corn was planted with a grub hoe in between the stumps. In return for breaking wild steers the men of the family seeured for a short time the use of the animals that they tamed. After three years Mr. Johnson ereeted a barn and purchased a cow. Soon a pair of oxen was bought. Another eighty acres was purchased, and this was eleared with the assistance of the sons. Good buildings were erected and the family assumed a leading position in the community. They went through privations and hardships and in time reaped the reward of their hard work. Mr. Johnson was a prominent member of the North Crow River Lutheran Church at Knapp. He helped build the first church, served as trustee many years, and before the days of the organ led the singing. He died in 1891. His wife died in 1889.
Herman J. Prigge, an influential farmer of Middleville town- ship, was born in Germany, June 30, 1869, son of Henry and Dorothy (Prohl) Prigge, who brought him to Vietor township in 1870. He attended the distriet schools to a limited extent, and was reared to farm pursuits by his father. He remained at home until his marriage, and then purchased 120 acres in section 27, Middleville township, where he still lives. The traet had been partly cleared, and a frame house had been erected on it. Mr. Prigge continued to improve and develop the land, and in 1909 he erected a splendid barn, 32 by 80 feet, with cement floor, patent stanchions and a modern ventilator system. He carries on general farming, but makes a specialty of stockraising. Being
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a believer in co-operation among farmers, he has taken shares in the Howard Lake Creamery, the Howard Lake Telephone Company and the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company of Mid- dleville. Mr. Prigge was married in 1898 to Minnie Mueller, born in Woodland township, the daughter of Henry and Augusta (Barth) Mueller, and they have four children: Walter, Lauretta, Alene and Evelyn. Walter was born October 20, 1899, Lauretta June 11, 1903, Alene December 24, 1907, and Evelyn November 14, 1913.
Henry Prigge, a pioneer, was born in Hamburg, Germany, son of John Henry Prigge. He was reared and educated in Ger- many, and was there married. In 1870, with his wife and son, Herman J., he started for the United States. The voyage was made aboard an old sailing vessel, and it was six weeks from the time they embarked until they landed. They came across the country to St. Paul and from there to Vietor township, where they seenred sixty acres in section 14, on the banks of Lake Ann. This traet was mostly woods, though a elearing had been made, a few apple trees planted, and a log cabin and log barn erected. Mr. Prigge started farming with an ox team and two cows. He was well on the road to success when one night in the coldest part of the winter the buildings were burned to the ground. But he reconstructed the buildings, and continued to live there for a short time. Later he moved to a traet of 120 aeres in section 15, Middleville. A road led past the place but the traet itself was covered with woods and no buildings had been erected. He erected a house of hewed logs, which is still a part of the present residence, and put up a barn large enough for two horses and two cows. He added forty acres in section 16, cleared up the place, added a frame house to the log cabin, enlarged the barn, erected sheds and made other improvements. He raised general erops and went extensively into stoek raising. When the first Lutheran meeting in this vicinity was held in the first house erected on the shores of Dutch lake, he attended, and he later became an officer of the Lutheran church at Howard Lake. Being active in all progressive moves, he was a stockholder in the Howard Lake Co-operative Creamery and in the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Middleville. He was also the first man to ereet a silo in the county, in 1900. Mr. Prigge died Angust 10, 1910. Ilenry Prigge married Dorothy Prohl, also a native of Germany. They had seven children: Herman J., Charlotte, Theodore, Bernard, Ella, Pauline and Henry.
Frank T. Prohl, an estimable farmer of Middleville township, was born in Hanover, Germany, March 21, 1855, son of C. and Maria (Marquard) Prohl, who spent the span of their years in Germany. C. Prohl was a man of some importance in his native village, and served for many years as supervisor of roads. In
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the family there were eight children: William, Dora, Helen, Frank, Herman, Mariah, Anna and Frederick. Of these, Helen was the first to reach the United States. She came in 1869. Frank T. came in 1870. He located in Carver county, this state, and worked as a farm hand until 1885, when he eame to Wright county and became a clerk at Howard Lake. He was married two years later, and settled on his present place in section 17, Middleville township. The tract then consisted of eighty acres, partly improved. He has cleared and developed it, erected suitable buildings, and added forty aeres more. Ile now carries on general farming and stock raising in a very snecessful manner. Mr. Prohl is a very important man in the community. He has been town clerk for the past dozen or so years, and has been a member of the school board for many terms. For eighteen years he has been manager of the Howard Lake Co-operative Creamery, and for a long period he was secretary of the Middleville Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was secretary of the Farmers' Elevator Company, of Howard Lake, for a long period of time, and in the early days he was secretary of the Farmers' Alliance. He is likewise a leader in the German Lutheran church and has been its secretary and treasurer for twenty-five years past. His favorite breeds of stock are the full-blooded Holsteins of which he has a nice drove, and Poland-China swine, which he likewise raises in goodly numbers. Mr. Prohl was married, in 1887, to Anna Miller, born in Hanover, Germany, July 23, 1857, daughter of Peter and Magdalena Miller, who came to the United States in 1868, lived in New York state until 1871, then came to Woodland township, and in the eighties located in Middleville township, cleared up the land, erected a good home, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Prohl have had eight children : Frank, born June 25, 1888; Marie, born February 1, 1889: Dora, born March 14, 1891; Emma, born September 19, 1892; Paul, born December 14, 1893; Albert, born June 3, 1895; Ella, born August 21, 1896; Delia, born March 9, 1901. By her previous marriage to Claus Mahlstedt, Mrs. Prohl had four chil- dren : Augusta, born September 30, 1878; Ileinrich, born January 30, 1880; Wilhelm, born October 8, 1881; Gustave, born May 16, 1883.
Andrew Erickson, an active farmer of Middleville township, was born in seetion 18, where he still lives, January 29, 1874, son of Eriek and Ella (Gustrud) Erickson. Eriek Erickson was born February 10, 1821, in Kongs, Vinger, Sogten, Norway, and was married, March 3, 1851, to Ella Gustrud, who was born in Gustrud, Eskog, Sogten, Norway, February 2, 1829, and died September 8, 1911. The children in the family were: Erick, born May 13, 1857; Andrew, born July 17, 1853 (died in Norway) ; Ella, born October 27, 1855; Hans, born January 2, 1857; Ole,
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born November 14, 1859 (died in Norway) ; Ole, born January 7, 1861; Julia, born July 17, 1863; Annie, born November 15, 1865; Andrew, born January 29, 1874; Mary, born March 8, 1887. The two youngest were born in the United States, the rest in Norway. Eriek Eriekson, the father, eame to America in the spring of 1868, and in the fall arrived in Carver county, Minnesota. In 1871 he reached Wright county, and purchased sixty-eight acres in section 18, Middleville township. This traet, situated on the banks of the Crow river, was entirely wild and covered with woods. He ereeted a log cabin, and with the assistance of a yoke of oxen started to elear the land. He worked on the rail- road from Smith's Lake, then the end of the line, westward through Wright county, and was thus enabled to secure sufficient funds to send for his wife and family. On this place in Middle- ville township Andrew Erickson was born and reared and here he has sinee continued to reside. He manages the place in a' capable manner and carries on general farming. He is highly regarded, he is a useful eitizen, and his worth is fully appreciated throughout the community. Eriek Eriekson, now nearly ninety- three years of age, is still living on the old home farm with his son Andrew, and despite his advaneed years is still quite active.
Edward Gilmer, a prosperous business man of Smith's Lake, Middleville township, was born May 6, 1866, in Ontario, Canada, son of Archibald and Susan (Christie) Gilmer, natives respee- tively of Ireland and Scotland, who were brought to Canada by their parents when they were children. They were married in Canada, and after their marriage continued to live there about twenty-two years. The children born there were: William J., Jane, Mary Ann, David, Burley, Tessa, Archibald, Allen and Edward. Another child, Christie, was born in Minnesota. The family came to Minnesota in 1872 and seeured a traet of 136 aeres in section 6, Vietor township. To this they added forty acres more the following spring. Some eight or ten aeres had been cut over by the process of girdling the trees. A log house, 12 by 16 feet, had been erected, and into this the family moved, taxing its capacity to the utmost. Soon a larger log house was built. With the help of a team of horses the land was cleared, and as time passed a modern home and comfortable barns and out- buildings were erected. Archibald Gilmer assisted in ereeting the first schoolhouse in district 87, and he also helped to ereet and support the Presbyterian church at Howard Lake. After a useful and successful career he died in 1902 at the age of seventy-seven. His wife died two years later at the age of seventy-six. Edward Gilmer was brought to Minnesota by his parents, and was reared on the home farm, attending the district school. At the age of twenty-one he started for himself on a farm of forty aeres in
AUGUST BIRKHOLZ AND FAMILY
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Vietor township. This traet was partly improved. He ereeted the buildings and lived on the place until 1900, when he gave up his farm pursuits. He now owns land in Canada which he bought in 1900, and also eighty aeres in section 2, Vietor town- ship, which he bought in 1911. From 1900 to 1906 he dealt in livestock. Since 1906 he has been grain buyer for the Thorpe Elevator Company, at Smith's Lake, Middleville township. Ile is an expert at his business, and is widely known for his honor and fair dealing. His fraternal associations are with the Wood- men at Howard Lake. Mr. Gilmer was married in 1896 to Mrs. Sadie Lyren, daughter of John Johnson, now deceased, a resident of Middleville township. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer have two children : Anna, now Mrs. R. C. Mealey, and Andrew, now of Minneapolis.
August H. Birkholz. Frederick Birkholz, the Founder of the family of that name in Wright county, was born in Germany. As a young man he married Amelia Wentlund, and they had seven children: Fred, William, Charles, August, Ritka, Minnie and Mary. These young people, except Mary and August, eame to the United States and settled in Wright county before 1879. In 1879 came Frederiek Birkholz, his wife and his daughter, Mary, now Mrs. William Koutz, of Delano. They took up their residence with the son, Fred Birkholz, in Vietor township. Fred- eriek Birkholz died at the age of eighty-four, his wife at the age of seventy-seven. August Birkholz was born December 14, 1844, was reared in Germany, and there married, in 1865, to Albertina Sehmaltz, who was born December 23, 1847. In 1880 he eame to the United States with his three children, August H., William and Mary. He settled on eighty acres in section 19, Vietor town- ship, and started to develop the farm. For three years he used a yoke of oxen in elearing the land. Ile built first a log house and a log barn, and as the time passed he erected a modern house and barns. When he arrived, no road led past the house, but later one was built, thus plaeing him in better connection with the outside world. August Birkholz died in 1897. August II. Birkholz is one of the most substantial farmers of Middleville township. He was born in Germany, April 24, 1870, son of August Birkholz and grandson of Frederick Birkliolz, both men- tioned above. He was brought to Vietor township, this county, when about ten years of age, and here grew to manhood. His opportunities for schooling were somewhat limited, but he has made up for this with sturdy intelligence and sound common sense. Ile was reared to farm pursuits, and remained at home until his marriage. He bought a place of eighty aeres in section 29, Vietor township, started developing it, and ereeted a log eabin. Into this cabin he brought his bride. They toiled together and achieved prosperity, one of their improvements on the place consisting of a frame house which they built onto their log house.
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In1899 they sold this place and moved to their present farm of 120 acres in section 20, Middleville township. Forty acres has since been added. At the time of the purchase a small frame house and barn had been erected. Mr. Birkholz has erected a splendid modern home, a sanitary barn 36 by 100 feet, equipped with a ventilator system, cement floor and running water, and other necessary outbuildings, and carries on general farming and stockraising. August II. Birkholz was married, September 24, 1891, to Augusta Browske, born March 4, 1872, in Woodland township, this county, daughter of Andrew and Gustina (Ziedler) Browske. Andrew Browske was born in Germany, and was there married. In 1872 he brought his wife and children to America, and located in Woodland township, in this county. Later he moved to Albion township. He died in 1882 at the age of fifty-five. She died in 1907 at the age of seventy-two. They had eight children: Caroline, Anna, Henrietta, Elizabeth, Wilhelmina and Christina, were born in Germany. Augusta and Charles were born in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. August H. Birkholz have ten children: Otelia, Alice, Paulina, Charles, Amelia, Emil, Eva, Arthur, Frances and Ione. All the children are at home except the oldest, Otelia. She married Emil Fiedler, of Albion township, and they have one child, Arnold. The family faith is that of the Lutheran church.
Joseph R. Tomlinson, for many years an honored and useful citizen of Middleville township, was born in what is now West Virginia, and was there reared and educated. In early life he came to Minnesota and took up farming in Carver county. It was in 1867 that he came to Wright county and bought forty acres in section 7, Middleville township. He cleared up this land, erected some good buildings, and became a representative citizen. In time he added forty acres to the east of his original tract, and on the farm of eighty acres thus created, he followed general farming and stock raising until his death, March 21, 1907. Joseph R. Tomlinson was married in Wright county, May 15, 1870, to Anna Dix, who was born in Illinois, November 20, 1848, and came to Wright county in 1867. She lives on the home farm, and is highly regarded throughout the community. The family faith is that of the Christian church. Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson have had nine children: Lucy, now Mrs. Edward Ferrell, of Middleville township; Mary Bernice, who lives with her mother; Cliffie May, now Mrs. James M. Battles, of Clear River, Minn .; Samantha Belle, now Mrs. Robert McClay, of Middleville township; Henry M., who died in infancy; Friend E., of Cokato; James D., of Middleville township; Marion D., of Middleville township; Joseph C. (deceased).
Marion D. Tomlinson, proprietor of the Highland Creamery. prominent business man, and expert butter-maker, was born
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on his father's homestead in Middleville township, Wright coun- ty, July 27, 1885, son of Joseph and Anna (Dix) Tomlinson. lle attended school in Maple Grove district, No. 51, and at the age of nineteen took up creamery work at Pleasant Hill in Me- Leod county. On October 1, 1907, he took charge of the High- land Creamery in section 12, Middleville township, then owned by his brother, F. E. Tomlinson. From there he went to Minne- apolis, and became a clerk in the department store of the Leader Mercantile Co. May 1, 1911, he eame back to Middleville town- ship, bought the Highland Creamery from his brother, and took over the sole management. He has greatly increased its output, his business methods have appealed strongly to the farmers, and he is making an nnusually strong success of the proposition. He is a high class butter-maker, and belongs to the Wright County Dairy Association. Mr. Tomlinson was married September 22, 1910, to Sophia Lind, born in Middletown township, daughter of Nels and Anna Lind, both now deeeased. Mr. and Mrs. Tom- linson have two bright sons, Kenneth and Wesley.
Nels Lind, the pioncer, was born in Kjattbo, Sweden, Decem- ber 22, 1861, son of Stor Per Nelson, a real estate dealer in Sweden. Nels Lind was reared in Sweden, and was there mar- ried December 22, 1886, to Anna Peterson, who was born July 9, 1867. Their oldest child, Gustave, was born in Sweden, July 25, 1887. In May, 1888, they arrived with this child, in Iron- wood, Mich. In April, 1889, they located on forty acres in Mid- dleville township. An old barn, and part of a frame house stood on the place, and two or three acres had been cleared. With a yoke of oxen, Nels Lind started clearing the place. He added two tracts of forty acres eaeh, and by gradual improve- ments, brought his place to a high degree of development. He was on the town and school boards, and a director in the Farm- ers' Elevator at Waverly. His fraternal associations were with the Modern Brotherhood of America. He died July 5, 1905, and his wife January 26, 1910. The children born in America were: Sophia, born January 29, 1890; Oscar, born October 29, 1891; Signie, born September 25, 1893; Wallace and William, twins. born June 5, 1895; Amanda, born April 12, 1897; and August, born November 21, 1899.
Bernard H. Prigge, a wide-awake farmer of Middleville township, was born in Victor township, March 27, 1875, son of Henry and Dorothy ( (Prohl) Prigge, who brought him to sec- tion 15, Middleville township, as a boy. He attended the district schools, was reared to farm pursuits, and has remained on the old homestead of 120 acres, which he now owns. He has made excellent improvements, among which may be mentioned a sightly barn, 32 by 80 feet, with cement floor, patent stanchions, and a modern ventilator system. He successfully carries on
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general farming, and makes a specialty of raising good stock. He has always favored every move that has for its object the betterment of farm conditions, and has taken shares in the How- ard Lake Creamery, the Howard Lake Telephone Co., and the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Co., of Middleville.
Mr. Prigge was married February 6, 1900, to Mary Mueller, born in Woodland township, the daughter of Henry and Augusta (Barth) Mueller. They have two daughters, Luella, born Feb- ruary 21, 1901 ; Dorothy, born February 14, 1909.
Leander Watson, a prominent citizen of Middleville town- ship, was born in Marion, in what is now West Virginia, June 11, 1842, son of John C. and Orilla (Mason) Watson, grandson of William Watson, and grand-nephew of David Watson, a sol- dier in the Revolutionary War. John C. Watson was born in Marion county, Virginia, was there educated, reared and mar- ried, earning his livelihood as a stonemason and shoemaker. Three of his children, Elizabeth, Lucinda and Malissa died in what is now West Virginia. In 1865, with his wife, and his other children, Leander, Augustus, Jane, Susannah, John C., William, Alexander, Thornton and Rhoda he came by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to St. Paul. From there they came to Minneapolis, and then by horse-team they came on to Montrose, in Wright county, where they remained for about a year. In 1866 he secured a tract of eighty aeres in sec- tion 26, Cokato township. A trail led past the place. Ile erected a cabin of unhewed logs, and began to clear the place. Ile fortunately had a pair of oxen and three cows. In April, 1867, he moved his family onto the place. St. Anthony was then the trading point, and members of the family sometimes walked there after supplies. John C. Watson died in 1868, in the faith of the Baptist church. His wife died in 1866. From the old home the family has scattered far and wide, and the only one that remains there is John C., Jr., who successfully carries on general farming. Leander was reared in what is now West Virginia, and in December, 1862, when his part of the state re- fused to follow the rest of Virginia into the Confederacy, he enlisted in Company B, in a regiment of West Virginia Infantry, and served two years. Ile came to Wright county with other members of the family in 1865. In 1867 he acquired a tract of eighty aeres in section 32, Middleville, just on the edge of the townsite of Smith Lake. Nothing had been cleared, and only a crude track led to the place. Ile erected a log cabin, and secured work on the railroad. In this capacity he helped to clear the right of way for the Great Northern from Delano to Montrose. This work gave him ready cash, and thus enabled him to pursue his farm operations. Ile cleared up the eighty acres, erected modern buildings, and developed a good farm.
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A sightly feature of his place are the rows of maple and cotton- wood trees, some of them three feet in diameter. These trees he set ont as saplings in 1873. Mr. Watson has served as con- stable and as a member of the school board, and has been a member of a number of committees and delegations. Leander Watson was married July 22, 1864, to Minnie King, a native of Virginia, daughter of John King. She died in 1865 at the age of twenty, leaving one child, Raymond William, now living in Ohio. For his second wife he married Julia Martin, of Indi- ana, daughter of William Martin. This union resulted in three children, Mary, Hattie and Judson. The present Mrs. Watson was Lulu Stiles, a native of Wisconsin. Their happy marriage has been blessed with three children, Sidley, Gladys and Kenneth.
Albert Zeidler, an enterprising farmer of Middleville town- ship, was born in Prussia, Germany, February 24, 1867, son of John Frederick and Rosine (Brandt) Zeidler, who brought him to Wright county in the summer of 1872. He was reared on the homestead in Middleville township, attended the district school, and thoroughly mastered farming. About 1899 he came into possession of the home place which he has since conducted. He successfully carries on general farming and stockraising, and is a very prominent man in the community. He has been chair- man of the township board of supervisors seven years and town- ship treasurer three years. For eighteen years he has been school officer of his district. He has taken an interest in the Howard Lake Co-operative Creamery and holds shares in that institution. The family faith is that of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Zeidler was married in 1901 to Mollie Drawert, who was born in Germany, and was brought to Victor township, at the age of one and a half years, by John and Gotlieba Draw- ert. Mr. and Mrs. Zeidler have five children, Hilda, Arthur, Esther, Florence and Agnes.
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