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 105
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in the spring of 1879, but at the end of that season going to Lincoln county, where he still lives. Mr. Hirschy was one of the lead- ers in the movement towards the organiza- tion of the township in 1879, and was also conspicuous in the organization of the county. He was a member of the first board of township trustees. Our subject was not at the first meeting, but after it was over was notified that he was elected to a position on the board of supervisors and instructed to go to Mr. Connor's house and qualify, but on going to this place he found but two women in the house and therefore withdrew and did not qualify. After re- maining for some three years on the farm, Mr. Hirschy removed to the village of Lake Benton, where for three years he was en- gaged in the retail liquor business. He then sold out and returned to his farm. He has three hundred and twenty acres of land, of which two hundred and fifty acres are broken and under cultivation. He is engaged large- ly in farming, and also in stock raising, own- ing a large number of Clydesdale and English shire horses and Short-horn cattle. In his business enterprises he has beer. quite successful and has accumulated considerable means, at present owning one of the finest farms in the township.
Louis Hirschy was born in Dayton, Ohio, January 28, 1857. His parents were Samuel H. and Margaret (Felker) Hirschy, the father being a native of Switzerland and the mother born in Saxony, Germany. In early life the father was a farmer and day laborer and by frugality and economy he accumu- lated considerable means, and is now engaged in the mercantile business in Wabasha, Minnesota. The parents both emigrated to this country when they were young. In the father's family there were three children- Louis, Charles and Clara.
Mr. Hirschy's early days were spent in Wabasha, Minnesota, to which place his par-
ents came when he was quite young. He attended the district schools, and completed his education at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in about 1875, having attended college there. After completing his course in college he returned to his parents and for four years remained principally at home. Then he came to Pipestone county and settled on his present place, where he has since lived. In politics our subject affiliates with the republican party, in whose counsels he has become one of the leading local spirits. He is a member of the Odd Fellows frater- nity, and has passed through all the degrees of the local organization. In public matters he has always been an earnest supporter of all things which tended to improve the general welfare, and since the organization of the township he has taken a prominent place in its political government. The name of the township originated from the fact that there is a spring of living water on the prairie on our subject's farm. Mr. Hirschy is an exem- plary citizen, is energetic and public-spirited, and is esteemed by a wide circle of friends.
In 1885 Mr. Hirschy was married to Miss Maggie Hartigan, a native of London, Eng- land. This lady came to the United States when quite young, settling for some time in New York, from whence she removed to the State of Minnesota. This union has been blessed with two children-Samuel and Charles.
RANK F. BURDETT, of Edgerton, Minnesota, is the son of Frederick and Augusta (Hapgood) Burdett, natives of Massachusetts.
The subject of this sketch was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 23, 1850. When he was about six years of age his par- ents moved to Winnebago county, Wiscon- sin, settling in the village of Delhi, where his father was engaged in teaching music.
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Until about sixteen years old our subject re- mained at home with his parents, attending the district schools. He then went to Eau Claire, where he attended the seminary of that place for two terms, after which he at- tended the commercial college of the same place for some time. After his graduation from that institution he went to Nobles county, Minnesota, where he took a home- stead and remained on it, engaged in farm- ing for some ten years, after which he sold out and, in September, 1880, came to Edger- ton and engaged in the mercantile business. He has a very fine double store, with one room devoted to groceries and boots and shoes and the other to dry goods and ready- made clothing.
April 13, 1875 in Nobles county, Minnesota, occurred the marriage of Mr. Burdett to Miss Alice Lytton, a daughter of John N. and Lucy (Gleason) Lytton, natives of North Car- olina. This marriage has been blessed with the following-named children-Fred Ernest, and Gussie, both born in Nobles county, and Frank, born in Edgerton. The last named child died at the age of seven months; the others are living at the present time.
Mr. Burdett is a public-spirited citizen, and has always taken an active interest in the poli- tical affairs of his town and county. He has held the following offices with satisfaction to his constituents and with credit to himself: Member of the village council, holding that position at the present time; and treasurer of the Farmers' Co-operative Association of Edgerton. At present our subject is the only merchant in the village. At the time of his location here, however, there were three others, but they have now gone. As a result of this Mr. Burdett has a large trade and is a prosperous business man. He owns his store building and also a residence in the village. He is a man of good character, of excellent business ability and is one of the
most prominent and respected citizens of Edgerton and vicinity.
DWARD J. ARNESON, an influen- tial farmer of West Brook township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, is a resident of section 10. The place of his nativity is found in the kingdom of Norway, where he was born July 10, 1851.
The parents of the subject of our sketch were Arnt and Hannah (Hanson) Arneson, also natives of Norway, and residing in that country throughout their lives up to the present time. The father is a fisherman by occupation, and reared a family of five chil- dren, three of whom are now living-Hans, Anna and Edward J.
The subject of our sketch assisted his father in his fishing operations up to the age of twen- ty-two years, when he emigrated to America. Up to twelve years of age he attended the public schools and received a limited common- school education. On coming to America he located a farm in West Brook township, and then went to Goodhue county and worked through the harvest, going from thence to Wisconsin, where he worked in a saw-mill for a short time. He then returned to West Brook township, and spent the winter on his farm, going back to Wisconsin in the spring and remaining in that State for three years, working during the summer months in a saw- mill and during the winters in the woods. He then came to his present location and settled on 160 acres as a homestead. He is a hard- working farmer, and has striven constantly to make his place one of the best in the town- ship. He has succeeded quite well in this enterprise, and has put his land under an ex- cellent state of cultivation and provided it with a good dwelling-house and outbuildings. He has four acres of a fine grove of trees about his house. In connection with his farming he is engaged in stock raising to a
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considerable extent and with good success. He has nineteen head of fine cattle and sev- eral Norman horses. In politics Mr. Arne- son affiliates with the republican party, and always takes an active interest in matters pertaining to the public welfare. He is a man of good character, and is much re- spected.
Mr. Arneson was married in July, 1881, to Luna Peterson, a native of Norway. This union has been blessed with four children- Alfred, Martin, Theodore and Hannah.
LLEN G. LINCOLN is a prosperous farmer living on section 32 of Sweet township, Pipestone county, Minnesota.
The subject of our sketch is the son of Oliver and Almira (Denton) Lincoln, the former a native of Vermont and the latter born in New York. They were the parents of thirteen children-nine boys and four girls, Allen being the eighth child. The father was a mechanic by occupation and was the son of a farmer of Vermont. The mother's father was also a farmer. The parents both died in Michigan in 1886.
The native place of our subject is to be found in Genessee county, New York, where he first saw the light of day October 23, 1850. During the first sixteen years of his life Allen G. Lincoln remained at home assisting his father and attending the com- nion schools. At that age he started out for himself and came to Iowa, where for three years he worked on a farm in Butler county. He then rented a farm in that county for one year, after which, in 1871, he came to Minnesota and took a homestead in Rock county, where he followed agricultural pur- suits for some four years. The village of Luverne became his next abiding place, where, in partnership with James Gillard, he opened a hardware store and for two years engaged in that business. He then
sold out, and in May, 1878, came to Pipe- stone county, and took 160 acres of land, where he now lives, as a pre-emption.
The marriage of our subject occurred April 23, 1870, at which time he wedded Miss Julia Gillard. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln have been blessed with five children- Freddy O., Ed- ward A., Lettie M., Ovid H. and Gracie S. all living at the present time. Mrs. Lincoln's parents are still living, and are residing in Rock county.
In politics the subject of this present sketch affiliates with the republican party, and has always taken an active interest in the affairs of that party, as well as in all matters tending to the general welfare of his town and county. For seven years he was one of the school directors, was town treasurer of Eden township, Rock county, for five years, and was also constable for one year in that county. Mr. Lincoln is a man of excellent character, is an energetic and enterprising farmer and holds the highest re- spect and esteem of a wide circle of friends and neighbors.
NGUS GRANT is an influential and well-to-do farmer and stock raiser of Lake Sarah township, Murray county, Min- nesota. He located here in 1878, and pur- chased 120 acres on section 9, where he still lives. He improved his place and made it his home for two years, then went east and, coming back some time later, sold his farm and took charge as superintendent of a farm of twelve hundred acres, with his residence on section 9. This is one of the largest farms in the township, and in fact in the county, and our subject is giving his attention largely to the raising of blooded stock, such as full blooded Short-horn cattle and Norman horses. This is in company with his brothers, D. and D.W. Grant, who are railroad contrac- tors. The improvements on this farm are
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among the best in the township, if not the best. They have two large barns, one forty- six by one hundred feet and the other thirty- two by 250 feet. The house on which our subject lives is twenty-four by thirty feet with an addition eighteen by twenty feet.
Mr. Grant was born in Upper Canada, May 24, 1856. He was reared in that country until nine years of age, when his par- ents moved to central Ohio, where they staid ten years, and where our subject received a good common-school education. Then, with his parents, he removed to Rice county, Min- nesota, and located on a farm where they re- sided four or five years. Then our subject commenced railroading on the Northern Pacific railroad, and continued in this line for five or six years. He then took a trip to Cal- ifornia and Washington Territory in search of a location. Not liking the country, how- ever, he returned to Minnesota and soon after located on his present place.
The father of the subject of our sketch was William Grant, a farmer and lumber- man. He was born in Canada and died in Ohio. He was a man of considerable means and was highly respected. The mother's
maiden name was Catharine McDonald, a native of Canada and who died in 1887 in Rice county, Minnesota. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Grant was married in August, 1879, to Miss Anna Mills, a native of Rice county, Minnesota. This lady was given an excel- lent education in the St. Mary's seminary at Faribault. Mr. and Mrs. Grant have been blessed with three children-Rosie, Donald and Goldie Maud. Mrs. Grant is the daugh- ter of John Mills, a native of New York State. Her father was a lawyer and died when Mrs. Grant was six months old. Her mother is still living.
Perhaps no man in Murray county has charge of such important interests financially as the subject of our sketch. He has a great number of men under his supervision and yearly puts in a large acreage of grain besides raising many head of horses and cattle. In the management of his immense farming business he has been met with merited suc- cess and has accumulated considerable means. Heisa man of excellent principles and is highly respected by all with whom he has to do.
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