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 16

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 16

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JOHN HUTTON is perhaps one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Windom, Cottonwood county, Minnesota. He is engaged in the general mercantile busi- ness, and also carries on a large trade in grain and wool. He came to the village April 1, 1872, and engaged in his present business.

Mr. Hutton is of Scotch birth, and first saw the light of day in Scotland in the year 1835. His parents were Robert and Isabel (Wilson) Hutton, natives of Scotland. The father was a shepherd by occupation, and was a man of high character.

The subject of our sketch was reared in his native land as a shepherd boy until he was sixteen years of age. He then came to Amer- ica, first settling in St. Lawrence county, New York, where he engaged in farming for about a year. He then attended the St. Law- rence schools, and remained in the State until 1860, when he started on a prospecting trip to Pike's Peak and Montana. He was en- gaged in mining in the western country until the fall of 1867. He then went to Colorado and Idaho for a brief stay, and soon returned to New York State, and engaged in the mer- cantile business in Ogdensburg. In 1873 he came west and located in the village of Win- dom, Cottonwood county, Minnesota. Being possessed of considerable means, he has made numerous investments throughout the county and also in village property. He has been careful and prudent in all his business ven- tures, and has met with merited financial

success. In his business relations no man is looked upon with greater regard than is the subject of our sketch. He has built up a large and profitable trade, and is respected as an honest and upright business man. He has purchased considerable land and built an elevator in the village. He assisted in the establishment of the Windom Bank, of which he was president for some time. He is now vice-president of that institution. He has always assisted liberally in the development of any project which tended toward the ad- vancement and improvement of his village, and has proven himself one of the most gen- erous and public-spirited of its citizens. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party, and is an influential member of the Masonic fraternity.

Mr. Hutton was married, in 1873, to Miss Nellie Carmichael, of Johnstown, New York. This lady died at Pomona, California, in March, 1886, leaving four children-Jennie B., Nellie D., E. May and Jessie F. Prior to her death Mrs. Hutton had been an in- valid for two years, and had gone to Cali- fornia for a brief sojourn on account of her health. In October, 1888, Mr. Hutton was married to Miss C. J. Carmichael, a sister of his first wife.

ILLIAM H. DAWSON, a promi- nent business man of Slayton, Minnesota, is the son of John W. and Evaline C. (Beeman) Dawson, natives, respectively, of Illinois and Pennsylvania. He was born in Clark county, Illinois, October 15, 1853, near the old homestead of his grandfather, Daniel Dawson, a farmer, and into whose home the family of John W. went to live when the subject of this sketch was but a few weeks old. When he was two or three years of age his father moved to a farm a short dis- tance from the grandfather's house. Every few days Grandpa Dawson would ride

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over and take William on his horse behind him, take him home and keep the lad until his father or mother came after him. When William was about seven years old the father gave his consent for William to take up his permanent residence with his grandparents, as the old people were so fond of him. This he did, continuing in the home of his grand- father until fifteen years of age, at which time his grandfather died, when he returned to liis father, who resided then in Kankakee county, Illinois. Remaining here one sum- mer, he then returned to Crawford county, and went to school in winter, and engaged in work as a farm hand the following sum- mer. The following winter he did chores for his board and went to school again, and the next summer engaged in teaching. For one year thereafter, he followed agricultural pursuits, and then went to Robinson, Illi- nois, where he clerked in a general store for nine months. Returning then to his father's farm, he continued thereon until he was twenty-three years of age, when he was married, after which he engaged in teach- ing school during the winters and worked on a small farm that he had purchased, during the summers for some four years. At the end of this time he sold out his interests in that locality, and moved into the city of Kankakee, Illinois, and engaged in clerking in a clothing house for nine months. One year thereafter was spent in the whole- sale and retail grocery establishment of Major R. J. Hanna, of Kankakee, Illinois. He then concluded to engage in business for himself, so, forming a partnership with H. A. Magru- der, they opened a clothing and gents' fur- nishing goods store under the firm name of Magruder & Dawson. They did a remarkably good business, and in two years doubled their capital. At the end of these two years our subject sold out his interests to his partner and engaged in clerking for him for one year. He then came to Murray county, Min-

nesota, in the employ of A. Boysen, of Chi- cago, for whom he was selling lands. He continued in the employ of this gentleman from August, 1885, until November, and niade seven trips between Illinois and Min- nesota, bringing settlers out to and locat- ing them on farms in Murray county. In February, 1886, he came to Slayton, and built a house, to which he moved his fam- ily in the month of March, and on June 7, 1886, he purchased the interest of Mr. Quaintance in the hardware business of Bar- ker & Quaintance. The firm is now Barker & Dawson.

Mr. Dawson was married in Kankakee county, Illinois, September 20, 1876, to Miss Amanda J. Lancaster, a native of Kankakee county, where she was born July 20, 1859. Her parents were Hugh and Elizabeth (Magruder) Lancaster, natives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson have been blessed with the following children-Flora Agnes, Charles Arthur, Oscar O. and Lillian O.

On starting out in life for himself, Mr. Dawson had no one to look to for help, the parents being in limited circumstances, and, commencing with empty hands, he had to carve his own way in the world. Looking back over his life, one may see that the success which has come to him has not been the result of fortune or luck, but has been hewn out of the hard rocks of life which surrounded him on every side. His triumphs have been the result of earnest, systematic, thorough toil, and now he looks back over a life well spent in useful business pursuits, crowned with success and good fortune. Wherever he has been, his influence has been felt on the side of right, and he has striven in every department of his busy life to render aid to the many business projects which have arisen in his different homes for the upbuilding and improvement of the general welfare. He has held various offi- cial positions, among them being that of

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village recorder, township clerk and justice of the peace. He is now serving his third term as secretary of the Murray County Agri- cultural and Mechanical Fair Association. His life is not so busy but that he finds time to engage to a considerable extent in religious ivork. He is superintendent of the Method- ist Sunday-school, and accomplishes great good in this line. He organized the first local camp of Modern Woodmen of America organized in the State of Minnesota, having been deputy head consul of that organization while a resident of the State of Illinois. He was a charter member of King's Forest Camp of Modern Woodmen of America, No. 134, at Kankakee, Illinois, and feels a just pride in the fact that he is the founder of so grand an order in the great State of Minne- sota. He surrendered his membership with the above mentioned camp to become a charter member of Minnesota Camp, No. 169, of Slayton, Minnesota, which is the pioneer camp of the State. He afterward organized Fulda Camp, No. 487, at Fulda, Minnesota. Both of these camps are living monuments of his ambition to do good, and reflect credit upon their founder. He has been for several years an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having become a past grand in the State of Illinois, holding his membership in Howard Lodge, No. 218. Having missed very few meetings of his lodge for several years, he felt quite at a loss on coming into a village where no lodge existed, and in the spring of 1888 he succeeded in getting four others to join him in a petition for a charter and be- came a charter member of Charity Lodge, No. 136, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Slayton, Minnesota, of which he is now the acting past grand, and which he repre- sented this year in the State Grand Lodge. Notwithstanding his great love for these orders and matters of public interest, he does not forget to let his family interest him more

than all else. He is very fond of children birds, flowers, and works of art, and my in- formant says, "There is no doubt that he has more friends among the little folks of the village than any man in town."

Below we append a short sketch of the grandmother of Mr. Dawson, taken from the St. Louis Globe:

" The oldest person, and one well known in Crawford county, Illinois, is Mrs. Esther Dawson, of the village of Hutsonville, who reached the advanced age of ninety-four years, the 18th of June, 1889. Her maiden nanie was Esther Wells, and she was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, June 18, 1795. She was the daughter of Stephen and Esther Wells, natives of North Carolina. When Esther was a little girl they moved to Orange county, Indiana, where she lived until her marriage to John Fulton, by whom she had four children, only one of whom is living at the present writing-Mrs. Charles Williard, now of Hutsonville, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Fulton moved to Illinois in a very early day, settling in Crawford county on the site of the present little village of Hutsonville. When they moved there the country was covered with unbroken forests, and heavy timber extended miles upon miles in every direction. The shrill cries of the forest birds and the howls of the wild beasts could be heard on every hand, while the lawless Indians wandered all throngh the woods in small bands. These and many other dangers and hardships threatened on every hand, but the hardy pioneers suffered but little in- jury and patiently worked and watched and waited for the dawn of prosperity which gradually came and which now has attained to high noonday. In October, 1827, Mr. Ful- ton died, and somewhat over a year later his widow married Daniel Dawson. By this latter marriage there were four children -- Nancy (now Mrs. William R. Cox), William W., John W. (who married Evaline C. Bee-

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man), and Henry C. Mrs. Esthur Dawson is five feet five inches in height, and although having attained such an extremely old age, is but slightly bent. Her eyesight is very good, and the only point in which she suffers a little inconvenience is the fact of having slightly defective hearing. She is still able to move about and indeed makes a practice of getting exercise by walking. She is a rapid walker and thinks nothing of walking to the postoffice, a mile distant, and during the summer of 1888 walked this distance some half dozen times. The Dawson family has produced some of the most loyal. patriotic and intelligent citizens that the West has had, and every member of the family, and especially the pioneers of whom we have just spoken, is held in the highest esteem by the citizens of Crawford county, Illinois."

DWIN W. DAY is the present efficient register of deeds of Pipestone county, Minnesota. He is now serving his second term as the incumbent of that office, and is peculiarly well fitted to fill the same with the highest efficiency. Our subject was born in Granville, New York, November 14, 1832. His parents were Captain Lanson and Phœbe (Whitney) Day, both natives of New York. The father was a hatter by trade, and followed that line of occupation until he was about thirty years of age, at which time he turned his attention to agri- cultural pursuits, operating a farm of some two hundred acres. He continued in this line of business, also raising sheep and cattle, until within a few years of his death, when he turned his attention principally to keep- ing bees. He was a man of extensive gen- eral knowledge, and was considered an authority in all matters pertaining to the bee industry; having a perfect acquaintance with the nature and habits of the bee he was en- abled to adapt himself to their keeping, and

made an eminent success in a financial way. In the last year of his life, in 1865, he cleared five hundred dollars from this industry. So attached was he to this line of occupation that they caused a bee-hive to be graven on his tombstone. His death occurred in 1865. The mother died in 1842. In the father's family there were nine children, three of whom are now living-Eliza (now Mrs. Jason Miller, of Woodstock, Illinois), our subject and Mary C. (now Mrs. Sim, of Winona, Minnesota). The grand-parents of the subject of our sketch were Luther and Meribah (Smith) Day, both natives of Massachusetts. The grandfather was a blacksmith by trade and followed that occupation throughout a long life. He was a great religious worker, and was a deacon in the Presbyterian church for many years. These people removed to Granville, New York, in early life, and made that their home until their death. They had one son-Lan- son, the father of the subject of our sketch. The great-grandfather of our subject was Noah Day, who was without doubt a native of England, and who came to America with three brothers in about 1650. He settled in Massachusetts with one of his brothers, one locating in Connecticut, and one in New- Hampshire. Captain Lanson Day, the father of the subject of our sketch, was a great worker in all church enterprises, and was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. He took great interest in the work of the Sunday-school, and gave that depart- ment of church work a great amount of study and attention throughout his life. He received the title of captain by reason of his being a captain of the State militia for a great many years. Besides his religious and social work he also interested himself largely in the temperance movement and did all in his power to promulgate the principles of temperance and sobriety. He was also a great singer, and taught his sons to sing tem-

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perance songs. They would then attend temperance meetings and interest and enlighten the audience by their singing. Phœbe Whitney, our subject's mother, was a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Gould) Whitney, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. This lady's parents were extensively engaged in farming in their native State, and moved to Granville, New York, in an early day, where her father lived until his death, which occurred in 1838. The wife, Mary (Gould) Whitney, is prob- ably of the parent stock of the same family as Jay Gould, of New York, and it is interest- ing to note that the Whitney family, of social renown in New York City, also trace their family history to the same line of English ancestry. Her parents reared a family of seven children. They were people of prom- inence and influence in social and religious circles, and were members of the Presby- terian churchi.

The youthful days of the subject of our sketch were spent by him on the home farm, where he remained with his parents until fourteen years of age. During this time he had, at every opportunity, attended the pub- lic schools, and had up to this age received a fair common school education. He after- ward was given the advantages of a thor- ough course of instruction at Granville Academy, where he finished his education and became thoroughly fitted for the honor- able duties which have fallen to him throughout his career. He .commenced teaching school at seventeen years of age, and later worked for two years in Warren county, New York, for the American Tract Society. In 1855 he went to Elmira, New York State, and for two years engaged as bookkeeper for his step-brother, B. G. Car- penter. In 1857 he started westward, locat- ing finally at Saratoga, Winona county, Minnesota, where, during the first winter, he taught school in what was known as

the " Harvey district." In company with his brother, George F., he purchased land in that township and engaged in farming for some two years. Then his health failed and he accepted a position in J. A. Austin's store at Sarataga, in which he remained for some three years. In 1862 he was elected clerk of the township and held that position dur- ing a period of thirteen years. During this time he engaged somewhat in farming, and in February, 1864, he enlisted with his brother in Company K, Ninth Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He only served five months, however, and was dis- charged at the end of that time at Benton Barracks, Missouri, on account of physical disabilities. He then returned to his home in Minnesota and continued farining and engaged in other pursuits until coming to Pipestone county in 1878. He became one of the early settlers in Osborn township, and located on 160 acres of land. There was but one other family in the township when he located therein. He at once inter- ested himself in the public affairs of his town and was largely instrumental in the organization of the township and school dis- trict, being elected first township clerk. On the organization of the county he was ap- pointed first justice of the peace by the county commissioners. In 1879 he was appointed county superintendent of schools, in which capacity he served exceedingly well for nine months, at which time he was elected to the office, serving two terms thereafter ; in all, four years and nine months. In the fall of 1886 he was elected register of deeds, which office he now holds. Through- out his career in this county he has been thor- oughly alive to the needs of the county government, and hasinterested himself finan- cially and otherwise in giving to the citizens of the county and township a thorough and efficient government. Besides the office already mentioned, he has also held the posi-

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tion of township supervisor, which office he held for three years, and also that of assessor in which position he acted for two years in Winona county. His life has not all been sunshine and prosperity since coming to Pipestone county, but, with others, he has met with financial backsets and other mis- fortunes. On the 17th of June, 1882, a cyclone destroyed his home property, entail- ing upon him a loss of about a thousand dol- lars. He lost nearly everything on his farm, his house, corn cribs, granary and all farming utensils being entirely destroyed. In spite of these misfortunes he has retained courage and kept sturdily at work, has rebuilt his financial fortunes and is now in good circum- stances. Mr. Day was united in marriage, in 1859, to Miss Harriet E. Ingalls, of Saratoga, Winona county, Minnesota, where she was reared and educated. This lady' was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Bisbee) Ingalls, both of whom were natives of New York. In the early days her parents came to Min- nesota and became among the pioneer set- tlers of Winona county, where they lived until their death. They had a family of four daughters: Anna H. (now Mrs. George F. J. Day), Jane R. (now Mrs. H. H. Straw), Har- riet E. (now Mrs. E. W. Day). and Lydia A. (now Mrs. W. F. Brann). Mr. and Mrs. Day have a family of five sons and one daughter, namely-George W., a teacher and farmer; Lanson H., a book-keeper for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, in Chicago ; Winnifred L., Evan A., Earnest C. and Edith.

In politics the subject of our sketch affili- ates with the republican party, having had faith in that institution for many years. Himself and family are members of the Congregational church of Edgerton, which society he organized, and of which he is one of the leading deacons. He takes an especial pride in Sunday-school work, and has given many years of his life to study and prepara-

tion in this particular line. For fifteen years he was Sunday-school superintendent in Winona, Edgerton and Pipestone. He also takes an intelligent interest in all musi- cal matters, being a fine singer, and having led the choir in Saratoga and Edgerton for many years. In his business affairs Mr. Day's character is beyond reproach, and with whomsoever he has had business transactions he has always been found to be prompt, re- liable and trustworthy .. He is a man of strong character, broad ideas, and has a large circle of warm friends.

ON. DAVID SECOR is the president of the Faribault County Bank, which was established in Winnebago City in Janu- ary, 1887. The leading men of this financial institution are Messrs. Secor Brothers, Law & Plummer, the headquarters of the last named members of the firm being at Forest City, Iowa.

The place of the nativity of the subject of our sketch is found in Putnam county, New York, where he was born January 6th, 1836. His parents were Alson and Sarah C. (Knapp) Secor, also natives of Putnam county, New York. The father was a farmer by occupa- tion, and followed the same throughout his life, dying in 1868. The mother died in 1881. The father was a prominent and in- fluential citizen in his native county, and was one of its associate justices, having held various other offices during his life with great efficiency. He was a democrat in pol- itics, and took an active share in the local affairs of that organization. The mother was a member of the Presbyterian church in early life, and later associated her religious interests with the Methodist Episcopal church. They had a family of eleven chil- dren, ten of whom are now living-John was a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and died in July, 1889; Abbie J., of Forest City, Iowa;

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Catherine, now Mrs. O. W. Fowler, of West Chester county, New York; David, of whom this sketch treats; Carrie, now Mrs. Sherman, of Peekskill, New York; Eugene, now en- gaged in the banking and real estate business in Forest City, Iowa; Mary E., the wife of L. G. Banister, a leading attorney of Des Moines, Iowa ; Phoebe A., of Peekskill, New York; Julia, now the wife of D. Champ- lin, a hardware merchant of Indianola, Iowa, and Leonard H., a farmer residing near Forest City, Iowa. Egbert Secor died at forty years of age and was burried at Peeks- kill, New York.

. Until twenty years of age, David Secor resided with his parents on the farm. He attended the district schools in Putnan county, New York, and came west in May, 1856, locating for a short time in Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa. He then went to the western part of Linn county, same State, where he worked for a mason by the name of Leonard Hill at mason work. During the winter months he attended college, and remained engaged as just described until the spring of 1859. He then located in Mason City, where he engaged in mason work dur- the summer and taught school during the winter. After one year he located in Forest City and engaged in contracting and build- ing. He purchased a farm of 140 acres ad- joining the town plat, and in about 1862 en- gaged in the real estate business. He became quite prominent in public affairs and was soon after elected county treasurer and re- corder, holding the two offices until they were separated by act of legislature. He was re-elected to the office of treasurer and was its incumbent for six years. In 1882, having been quite successful in his various financial enterprises, he embarked in the banking business in Forest City under the firm name of Secor, Law & Plummer. This firm is still doing business in Forest City and is also interested in banks at Lake Mills,

Winnebago county, Iowa, and at Garner, Hancock county. In 1886 our subject came to Winnebago City for the purpose of begin- ning a banking business. His plans were perfected and the bank organized in January, 1887. The present excellent bank build- ing was built in 1887. It is 42x66 feet, two stories high, one-half of the ground floor being occupied by a hardware store and a rear room occupied by the post- office. The bank is located in the room in the corner.

Throughout his life Mr. Secor has been one of the most prominent public men in the locality in which he has lived. He took an active interest in political affairs in the State of Iowa and held some of the most important offices in the gift of his fellow-citizens. He was a member of the Iowa State legislature for four years and was a register of the State land office for some length of time. For nine years he held the office of postmaster at Forrest City and held various positions in that village, among them being that of may or. He has always been actively interested in all matters which tended to develop the local financial affairs, and has associated himself in various business organizations. in all of which his counsels and executive ability have been utilized to the benefit of his associates and of the business in which he engaged.

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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 16

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