Illustrated album of biography of Southwestern Minnesota : containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers...:History of Minnesota, embracing an account of early exploration...and a concise history of the Indian outbreak of 1862, Part 103

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago : Occidental Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 814

USA > Minnesota > Illustrated album of biography of Southwestern Minnesota : containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers...:History of Minnesota, embracing an account of early exploration...and a concise history of the Indian outbreak of 1862 > Part 103

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion and died in Andersonville prison. Ezekiel served in the Union army and died from the effects of wounds at Madison, Wisconsin, to which place he had returned at the close of the war.

The parental home remained the abiding place of our subject until he was nineteen years of age, up to which time he had been given good educational advantages in the public schools of Wisconsin. He attended the university at Madison and took a scien- tific course, graduating with the degree of B. S. Prior to this he had served three years as an apprentice to the trade of mill- wrighting. After his graduation he read medicine at Madison and also taught school during the summer months in Missouri and Wisconsin. He attended lectures at Mc- Donald's College at St. Louis during each winter and graduated from that institution in 1859. He then went to Texas and en- gaged in the business of selling tobaccos until the breaking out of the war. Return- ing to Wisconsin he commenced the practice of medicine in the northeastern part of the State, continuing in that locality until 1863, in which year he commenced work for the United States government in the quarter- master's department, in which he continued about a year. He was then transferred to duty in the hospital, in which he successfully practiced for eleven months. From thence he returned home and after a short time went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he practiced for three years and was to some extent engaged in the mercantile business. In 1870 he removed to Minnesota, first stop- ping at Minneapolis, where he opened an office and engaged in practice. Remaining in that city until 1878 he then came to Pipe- stone and built on the place where he now lives on Olive street, his house being the sixth building put up in the city. He has invested to some extent in other properties

and now owns another dwelling-house in the city.

In 1865 Mr. Carr was married to Miss Jennie Bell, of Madison, Wisconsin. One child has blessed this union-Ida B.

The subject of our sketch has been one of the most intelligent of Pipestone's benefac- tors. He has rendered material aid in many ways in the development and advancement of the city's interests. He is one of the best known and most widely respected citizens of Pipestone. The political affairs of the muni- cipal and county government have attracted more or less of his attention and he has held several positions of trust and responsibility. He has been court commissioner, register of deeds of the county, village recorder, and is at present county physician. In politics the doctor is at present a prohibitionist. He is a leading and influential member of the Ma- sonic and Odd Fellow fraternities and occu- pies a prominent position in the South western Minnesota Medical Society. In his profession Dr. Carr has met with remarkable success in all its departments. He is a skilled surgeon and a physician of undoubted ability. Thor- oughly educated, a gentleman in every sense of the word, energetic and public-spirited, he has firmly planted himself in the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens.

ANDREW O. ANDERSON is an in- fluential farmer who resides on sec- tion 24 of Ann township, Cottonwood coun- ty, Minnesota. The place of his nativity is to be found in the kingdom of Norway, where he was born November 2, 1837. His parents were natives of Norway, their names being Ole and Isabel (Hoganson) Anderson. In the father's family there were nine chil- dren-Hogan, Ole, Thomas, Anton, Andrew, Isabel, Rachel, Helen and Andrew O. The parents emigrated to America in 1840, find-

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ing a home in Racine county, Wisconsin, where they resided until their death. The father was a farmer by occupation and was a well-to-do and influential citizen of his township.

The early life of the subject of our sketch was spent on the home farm, where he was given good educational advantages in the district schools. At the age of twenty-one years he went to Beloit and worked at the blacksmith's trade for about a year. A year and a half thereafter were then spent with his parents, and then he engaged in black- smithing, following that occupation for two years. In the spring of 1860 Andrew went to Nevada, where he remained for two years in different lines of business. He then went to Missouri, whence, after a year's resi- dence, he went to Illinois, into which State he took a drove of cattle. One month later he went back to his old home in Wisconsin and lived with his parents for some three years. Then, in the spring of 1871, he came to Minnesota, finding a location in Cotton- wood county, where he now lives. He took a homestead of 160 acres, and has since been actively and energetically engaged in im- proving the same, having provided it with an excellent frame house and other good buildings. He has three acres of an excel- lent grove of trees. Our subject's life since coming to Cottonwood county has not been all success, nor has it all been failure, but he has met with his share of backsets and hard- ships such as usually come to pioneer life. For several years the grasshoppers ravaged his fields and destroyed nearly all his crops, obliging our subject to go elsewhere to earn a living. For several years he raised no grain whatever, and finally, after the disap- pearance of the grasshoppers, he was met with success in raising grain, and since that time has placed himself in good circum- stances. In connection with his farming op- erations he is also engaged in raising stock,

and has several head of good horses and cat- tle, and also a large herd of fine sheep.

The subject of our sketch was married December 26, 1875, to Julia Narveson, a native of Norway. Some years ago her par- ents emigrated to the United States, and her father is now a resident of Ann township. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been blessed with one child, Oscar Arnold, born August 6, 1877. This family ranks high in the esteem of the citizens of Ann township. They are consistent and influential members of the Lutheran church.

The political faith of the subject of our sketch is fixed in the principles promulgated by the republican party. He is a man of much public spirit, and always takes an inter- est in affairs pertaining to the general welfare. He has held several township offices, among them being that of clerk and treasurer.

EV. HENRY JAJESKI, the present able and efficient pastor of the Cath- olic church at Wilno, Lincoln county, Min- nesota, is the son of Henry and Catharine (Wisniewski) Jajeski, natives of Poland. In about 1867 the parents left their native land, emigrating to the United States, and finding a location in Winona, Minnesota. Here the father engaged in buying wheat, and became one of the prominent and influential citizens of that place.

Rev. Henry Jajeski was born in Pome- rania, Poland, November 27, 1859. When he was about eight years of age he came with his parents to the United States, locating with them in Winona, Minnesota, where he was given excellent educational advantages in the Catholic school, operated and conduct- ed by the sisters of the Catholic church. He continued his studies in that institution for two years, and was then sent to St. John's University, in Stearns county, where, after a thorough course of study for five

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years, he was graduated from the classical course in the year 1878. For some years he had been training his mind and directing his life toward the Catholic clergy. In order to be thoroughly fitted and prepared for work in this line, after his graduation at St. John's, he went to Grand Seminary, in Montreal, Canada. For five and a half years he pursued his studies in that institu- tion, and, graduating therefrom, was or- dained a priest in the Catholic church De- cember 25, 1883. A few weeks later he was given charge of the churches at Minnesota Lake, Wells and Mapleton, in the southern part of Minnesota. He remained one year on this charge, accomplishing great success, and added considerable to the strength of his church in these localities. At the expira- tion of the year's service he came to Wilno, where for three years he had charge of the church, and also one at Tyler and at Lake Benton. After three years had elapsed he was made pastor of the church at Wilno, over which he has since presided. His church has a membership of some 160 fami- lies, all of whom are devotedly attached to their beloved pastor. He is a man of the highest attainments, having been thoroughly educated both in literature and theology, and is well fitted for the successful manage- ment of the manifold duties which devolve upon hin as the pastor of a large and in- creasing congregation. Besides his educa- tion attained in school, he is also peculiarly fitted for his high calling by excellent natu- ral endowments. He is a genial, courteous gentleman, and, both as a man and pastor, is held in the highest esteem. He is a thorough scholar, and in his pulpit ministra- tions calls assistance from a wide range of diversified knowledge and study. He is a deep thinker, a careful and clear reasoner. He is a powerful speaker, and by the force of his eloquence carries conviction into the minds of all who hear him. Believing thor-

oughly in the principles on which his church is founded, he calls to his aid in their defense and proclamation a resistless array of thought clothed in ripe, scholarly words. His position among his fellow-citizens, too, is without reproach, and he is acknowledged as one of the most exemplary citizens, as well as one of the truest representatives of his exalted calling. Being possessed of a wide acquaintance among the people of Lin- coln county, he is accomplishing a great amount of good and building up and strengthening the church organization over which he presides as pastor.

RANZ TOEVS, a prominent resident of Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, was born in Prussia, April 3, 1812. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth (Dick) Toevs, natives of Prussia. The mother died when our subject was about seven years old, the father died in 1833.

Mr. Toevs remained with his father through- out his early life, and when he had reached young manhood he commenced clerking in a store in Marionberg by Dantzig, where he continued eleven years. At twenty-eight years of age he went to Russia and became the proprietor of a large farm, and also owned and operated a large lumber yard in the vil- lage of Pordoneu. He went to this place with a colony of Germans, who had been in- duced to settle there by the Russian govern- ment who desired to have some civilizing and enlightening influence among the Rus- sian natives of that locality. They were promised exemption from military duty ; but after they had improved the country mate- rially and assisted in the civilization and building up and improving of the Russian in- habitants, the law was so changed that these Germans were obliged to either leave the country within ten years or be subject to military duty. Our subject, with hundreds

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of others, became dissatisfied with this state of affairs and this manifest injustice which was about to be meted out to himself and his fellow-Germans, so he sold out and emi- grated to the United States with a small colony, settling in Cottonwood county, Min- nesota, August 9, 1875. Our subject was the leader of the colony, and, coming to his new location, purchased a section of land. He now only owns a quarter section, how- ever, having given the other three quarters to three sons. His own place is very finely improved and provided with a good large barn and other buildings, and a well-built and commodious dwelling-house. He has a beautiful grove of his own planting, has a thrifty apple orchard, and has raised more fruit from his apple trees than is needed for the use of his own family.

The subject of our sketch was married in Prussia, in 1839, to Miss Augusta Johnson, who lived only about seven months after her marriage. Mr. Toevs' second marriage occurred in Pordoneu, Russia, April 9, 1840, on which date he was wedded to Sarah Wall, who died April 10, 1850. Mr. Toevs was married again June 10, 1850, in Pordo- neu, to Susana Avaikantin, daughter of Jacob and Susana (Weines) Avaikantin, natives of Prussia. This lady was born in Russia, November 10, 1816, and, when our subject married her, was the widow of Peter Enns, by whom she had five children, all dead except Peter and Margaret, the former mar- ried and a resident of Russia. Margaret married John Enns, and resides in Kansas. Mr. Toevs by his third marriage had two children-Frank and Katie (deceased). Frank married Margaret Isaak, and resides in Cot- tonwood county. Mr. Toevs' third wife died October 19, 1855, and our subject was mar- ried February 21, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Dick, daughter of Nicholi and Anna (Hilde- brand) Dick, natives of Russia, where she was born March 19, 1836. This last union

has been blessed with the following named children-Nicholi, John, Peter (deceased), Jacob, George, Peter, Henry (deceased), Anna, Elizabeth and Henry. Nicholi mar- ried Anna Dick, and now resides in the vil- . lage of Mountain Lake, where he is engaged in Sunday-school mission work. John married Augusta Enns, and is engaged in the machinery business in Mountain Lake. Jacob wedded Lena Lohrenzend, and now resides on a farm in Watonwan county.

The subject of our sketch is one of the most prominent citizens of Mountain Lake township, and has been one of the most active and public-spirited men of his town. He is a man of considerable means, and is an influential member of the Mennonite church.

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ILLIAM D. BITLEY is a promi- nent farmer and stock raiser, lo- cated on section 9, of Lake Sarah township, Murray county, Minnesota. He came to his present location in 1878, where he has since lived.

Mr. Bitley was born in Saratoga county, New York, in the village of Monroe, July 14, 1853. His father was James Bitley, a farmer by occupation, and a native of New York. He died when our subject was seven years of age. The mother's maiden name was Julia Spraker, who died when our sub- ject was seventeen years old. In the fath- er's family there were twelve children- Maria B., Edward, Caroline, Mary, Elizabeth, Belle, Fanny, Benjamin, James (who was burned to death), Agnes and William D.

The subject of our sketch was reared in his native county, in the State of New York, until he was seventeen years of age, when, on the death of his mother, he went to Branchport, in the western part of Yates county, where he resided fourteen years with the family of an uncle. He attended

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school during a portion of this time, and obtained a good, practical education. Re- maining in the State of New York until 1877, he came west to Minnesota, purchasing his land in Murray county. He remained in the city of Faribault for a brief time during the following winter, and then went back to the State of New York, where he remained a year, after which he came to his present location.

March 13, 1889, Mr. Bitley was married to Miss Maggie White, a native of Marquette county, Wisconsin. This lady was given an excellent education, and during several years taught school.

Mr. Bitley is one of the representative citizens of Lake Sarah township, and by virtue of his careful, systematic and eco- nomical habits has accumulated considerable means. In religious belief he is in harmony with the Universalist church.

LE O. KNUDSON, one of the leading and most influential farmers of Ann township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, resides on section 24. He was born April 30, 1854, in the kingdom of Norway.

The parents of the subject of our sketch were Ole and Bertha (Halverson) Knudson, who emigrated from Norway to America in 1873, locating for a brief period in Wiscon- sin. The same year they came to Houston county, Minnesota, and thence removed to Fillmore county, where they remained four years and in which county the mother died. Our subject and his father then went to Redwood county, from whence they came to Ann township, Cottonwood county, where our subject has resided ever since. The father afterwards removed to Pope county, Minnesota, where he now lives on a home- stead.

The subject of our sketch followed his father in the various moves throughout the

West, finally locating in Cottonwood county, as stated. He has a fine homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he lias good buildings and five acres of a nice grove of trees. He is engaged in farming, and in connection therewith also raises a good grade of horses and cattle. In his early life he received a good common-school edu- cation, and has taught four terms of school. For two years he was agent for the text- books used in the public schools.

Mr. Knudson was married March 31, 1884, to Miss Ella Erickson, a native of Norway. This union has been blessed with one child-Lillie.

The subject of our sketch has affiliated for some years with the republican party. and has held various official positions within the gift of his fellow-citizens. He has been a delegate to the republican county convention several times and has always taken a lively interest in matters of a political nature. He has been township clerk and justice of the peace for several years. The former position he still holds. He was postmaster of the West Brook postoffice of Cottonwood county for some five years. Mr. Knudson is one of the representative farmers of his nationality in the county, and among his people, and in fact among all citizens of the county, he wields a strong influence for the upbuild- ing and promotion of public interests. He is a man of excellent characteristics, is well liked both as a man and citizen, and is looked upon as one of the leading spirits of the township and county.

ANIEL E. SWEET, one of the very first settlers in Pipestone county, and one of the founders of Pipestone City, was born in Pennsylvania, April 10, 1838, and was the fourth son of Lorenzo L. and Rachel Burr Sweet. He went to Wisconsin with his

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parents, and in 1860 to Iowa. He married Amarancy Hatch, who died in 1870. They had one child, which died in infancy. Daniel Sweet enlisted in the Eleventh Iowa Infan- try when the war broke out, and was pro- moted to the office of color-sergeant, in which capacity he served until the close of hostilities. He then settled in Cedar county, Iowa, where he remained until the spring of 1872, when he removed to Lyon county, Iowa. In the spring of 1874 he came to Pipestone county, Minnesota, and entered as a claim land which afterward became a part of the original plat of Pipestone City. He was an active, energetic man, and was a prominent factor in the early growth and development of both city and county. He held a number of important offices during his residence here, including those of post- master, county surveyor and probate judge. He remained in Pipestone until November, 1886, when he removed with his family to Jennings, Louisiana, where he still lives, hav- ing charge of a line of steamboats.

A MELIUS E. WOODRUFF is a prom- inent farmer of Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota. He is the son of Lyman and Laura (Lee) Woodruff, natives of New York. The father was a farmer by training, but was engaged to some extent in iron mining and contract- ing. He moved to Minnesota in 1863, and settled in Merriam Park, where they en- gaged in farming for five or six years. The parents are still living.

Mr. Woodruff, whose name appears at the head of this sketch, was born in Essex county, New York, July 26, 1841. He resided with his parents during the most of the time until he was twenty-eight years of age. He was given a good common-school education, and assisted his father in various lines of business for several years until 1866, when he came

to Minnesota. After five or six years spent in farming with his father at Merriam Park, Mr. Woodruff became the manager of a farm owned by Mr. Culver, at Farmington, near Minneapolis. After one year spent in this employment, our subject accepted a position as foreman of a construction crew on one of the railroads leading into Minneapolis. Con- tinuing in this business for two years he went to St. Paul, and took the contract for grading one of the principal avenues. After this was completed he came to Cottonwood county, and took charge of a large tract of land for Messrs. Merriam and Wilder. This farm was composed of 3,500 acres in one body, and also about four sections near Win- dom. When our subject came to this local- ity there was nothing to be seen but wild prairie. He has utilized his genius in improving the farm, and providing it with good buildings. He has now about S50 acres under cultivation, has 250 head of cat- tle and fifty horses. Our subject is one of the most successful farm managers in southern Minnesota. He is an apt student of human nature, and is one of the most successful managers of men that we have ever seen. He constantly employs a large force of help, and also has charge of Gov- ernor Merriam's farm in Martin county. Mr. Woodruff is one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens in the township. All matters of a public nature receive his sanction and earnest support. Whatever tends to the general improvement meets with his hearty assistance, and he takes an active part in all matters of a political na- ture. He has been chairman of the town board of supervisors, and justice of the peace, in whichi latter office he has administered the law with rare fidelity to right and justice. He is held in high esteem by all with whoni he has to do.

Mr. Woodruff was married in Essex county, New York, in September, 1868, to Miss

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Loretta Ware, daughter of Silas and Emily Ware, natives of New York. One child was born to this union, Addie, who died in April, 1870.

VEN E. JOHNSON, a thrifty farmer of Scandia township, Murray county, Minnesota, is the son of Even and Agnette (Anderson) Johnson, natives of Norway. He was born in Ostre Toten, Norway, May 29,1863.

When our subject was six months old his parents came to the United States, arriving in St. Peter, Minnesota, July 4, 1869. There the family lived with Hans Peterson Roli for a time, and then moved to a farm in Nicollet county, owned by a Mrs. Hanson. This farm the father rented and worked for one year, and then worked another farm on the same sec- tion for another year ; then came to Murray county in April, 1871, and took a homestead on the northwest quarter of section 22, Scan- dia township, where they now live. Our sub- ject followed his father's family in their vari- ous migrations, and remained with them until the spring of 1889, when he moved to his own farm, on the southeast quarter of section 16, Scandia township. This farm consists of 120 acres, and was purchased by our subject in 1885, since which time he has continued to improve it, and in the spring of 1888 put up a frame house and barn. He has about sev- enty acres under cultivation. Mr. Johnson and his father's family were here during the grasshopper raids, and saw very hard times. The first year he and his mother were here alone, the father and brother, John E., being in Nicollet county at work. The family had no flour during the most of one summer, and had to live on game and eggs that they found, that had been laid by the wild fowls. There were only two set- tlers in sight at this time, and they were as badly off for food as were our subject's fam-

ily. Mr. Johnson has taken an active inter- est in local politics, and has been township assessor for two years in succession, during 1886 and 1887. He is a good citizen and a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

The subject of our sketch was married December 27, 1888, in Scandia township, to Miss Anna M. Anderson, daughter of Otto and Brita (Peterson) Ottosen, natives of Norway. She was born in Fillmore county, Minnesota, June 15, 1865.

ELSON A. HERRICK is a leading farmer and stock raiser in Hanson- ville township, Lincoln county, Minnesota. He located on a homestead on section 4, in the spring of 1881, purchasing his right to the land on which he settled from Mr. C. Eggen, who is now dead. Eggen came to the county in the fall of 1879, built a small house 12x12 feet in size, and made some other improvements. Mr. Herrick reached his farm on the 21st of Septem- ber, his wife and family following lıim in October. He has since been a resi- dent of tlie township, and has become one of the substantial and most respected citizens. He has been engaged extensively in farming, and has improved his farm by building good buildings, and setting out a large number of trees. He has worked hard and faithfully to bring lis farm up to what it now is, one of the best in the township. Altogether he has two hundred acres of land, and besides his general farming he keeps from fifteen to twenty head of Holstein cattle. Mr. Herrick has identified himself closely with all public interests of his local- ity, and has held the office of town clerk since the organization of the township in 1884. He was also treasurer of the school district, which position he has held since the foundation of the district, Mr. Herrick being the one who originated the petition for its

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Illustrated album of biography of Southwestern Minnesota : containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers...:History of Minnesota, embracing an account of early exploration...and a concise history of the Indian outbreak of 1862, Part 103

Author: Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago : Occidental Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 814

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago : Occidental Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 814