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 21
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In early life the subject of our sketch re- ceived a good common-school education and was well prepared to enter upon the duties of the life into which he might be called. He has assisted in a very large measure in the development of the various public projects which have agitated the minds of the citizens of Altona township. He has affiliated with the republican party and has efficiently acted in several official capacities. He has been township treasurer for two terms and asses- sor for one term and is the present town clerk, as which he has officiated for three years. On coming to the township he had but very little means with which to com- mence. He had a horse and wagon and this was about the extent of his worldly posses- sions. He located on the farm, however, and commenced actively improving it and has accumulated considerable means. This has all come as a result of hard work and con- tinual and careful attention to the various details of his farming operations.
Mr. Heilig was married August 5, 1885, to Miss Mina M. Smith, who was born in Dover township, Olmsted county, Minnesota, in 1866. Her father was a native of New York and her mother of Canada. This marriage has been blessed with two children -- Laura M., born April 30, 1886, and Charles A., born September 22, 1887, both of whom are living.
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R. BENJAMIN H. HINKLY is one of the most prominent resident citi- zens of Luverne, Minnesota, and is the pres- ident of the Rock County Bank. He has been actively engaged in various important business enterprises since making his settle- ment in the county early in 1888. He ac- cepted his present position as president of the Rock County Bank in May, soon after making his location. The doctor is a native of Tompkins county, New York, where he was born July 19, 1824.
He is the son of Horace and Laura (Mc- Intyre) Hinkly, natives, respectively, o Albany and Tompkins counties, New York. The father was engaged in farming, which line of occupation he followed through the most of his life. In 1832 he removed to the State of Ohio, settling in Fitchville, Huron county, where he remained until his death. He was a man of considerable means and exerted a wide influence in the locality in which he lived.
The life of the subject of our sketch was spent on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He received a thorough high-school education in Huron county, Ohio, and also attended the Cleve- land College of Medicine. In 1852 Dr. Hinkly crossed the plains to California, going overland with mules and horses and arriving at "Hangtown" or Placerville, July 23. They were about the first to ar- rive there. Sickness, cholera and death seemed to rage along the route, but only two out of their train of fifty persons died. One train, whichi had previously left the same town they did, lost one-fourth of their num- ber and did not arrive until in September. Our subject remained in Eldorado county, California, and vicinity, about three years, mining, trading and practicing his profession. He then, in 1855, returned by way of the sea; was shipwrecked with the "Golden Age " on the island of Te-Caro, but after
three days was picked up by the " John L. Stephens " and carried to Panama and from there took a vessel to New York, arriving at his home in Ohio, in May, 1855, having been absent over three years.
Dr. Hinkly graduated from the Cleveland College of Medicine in 1855, and, after com- pleting his medical course, removed to the State of Iowa, locating in Clermont, Fayette county, in 1856. Here he became one of the pioneers of that region, and continued in the practice of his profession until 1876. In that year he removed to Lansing, Michigan, and engaged in business for about a year, after which he took a trip to Europe, visiting Ire- land, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Brussels and Scotland, and the World's Exposition at Paris. After visiting friends in the East for a short time after his return from the old country, and after an absence of one year, he returned to Fayette county, Iowa. After going to Michigan in 1876, the doctor practically retired from the active practice of his profession, but occasion- ally called in that line upon a friend. He has been giving his attention to various financial enterprises in which he has been associated with business friends in the State of Iowa and in Luverne. He is a large stockholder in the Fayette County National Bank, of Fayette, Iowa, and is also a stockholder in the savings bank of the same place, being president of the latter institution. He is also a stock- holder in several other banks in Iowa. He became interested in the Rock County Bank, on its organization, as a stockholder, and is now the president of the same. The following are the names of the organizers of the Rock County Bank: William Jacobson, O. P. Mil- ler, J. K. Thompson, W. H. Wilson, Ezra Rice, R. B. Hinkly, W. R. Kinnard, William Larabee, Frank Larabee, B. H. Hinkly and Daniel Stone. Soon after the organization of the bank the stockholders built a very fine building, which cost $7,200. The doc-
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tor has purchased a very fine residence in the city, and has large landed interests in South- ern Minnesota and in the State of Iowa.
The subject of our sketch was married, in 1857, to Miss Emma C. Bryant, a daughter of S. S. and Elizabeth Bryant, of Albion, Michi- gan. Dr. and Mrs. Hinkly have had a family of five children, one of whom died in infancy and one at three years of age. The names of the others are-Ray B., who has been cashier of the Rock County Bank since its organization ; Frank L. and Fred M.
In politics the subject of our sketch affili- ates with the republican party, and through- out his career lie has been intimately associated with all movements tending to the renovation of politics and the building up and strengthening of good government. He has held several positions in the various localities in which he has lived, and in every instance has proven his efficiency and thoroughness as an official. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and a Knight Templar, and for many years has held some of the most important offices of the lodge. He is a man of stanch character, a loyal cit- izen and is respected by all who know him. Careful and systematic in his business rela- tions, he lias accumulated large means, and, being of a liberal disposition and generous spirited, he has largely assisted in the build- ing up and development of the various towns in which he has lived.
- ILLIS A. CHAPMAN is publisher and proprietor of the St. James Journal, the only newspaper published at the county seat of Watonwan county, Min- nesota. Mr. Chapman is a native of Coles county, Illinois, where he was born Septem- ber 19, 1853. He is the son of Dr. Newton W. and Mary J. (Bragg) Chapman, the for- mer a native of Indiana, the latter of Vir- ginia. Dr. Chapman practiced medicine in
Sangamon, Coles and Douglas counties, Illi- nois, and now resides at Tuscola, in the last named county. He entered the Union army in May, 1862, enlisting in the Fifty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry as assistant sur- geon, at Mattoon, Illinois. In December of the same year he was transferred to the Sixteenth Illinois Cavalry, and served as physician and surgeon through the war, having charge at one time of hospital No. 23 at Nashville, Tennessee. He was wounded once and was twice taken pris- oner, once in Tennessee by General Pil- low's forces, and later in Virginia by Gene- ral Longstreet's forces, was paroled the first time, and escaped the second. He was with Sherman in all his battles from Chat- tanooga to Atlanta; was discharged from the service May 12, 1865.
The subject of our sketch became an ap- prentice in the Tuscola (Illinois) Journal office on September 29, 1868, when fifteen years old, and has followed the printing business since that time, becoming part proprietor of the above paper in 1873, and later became full owner. In July, 1877, he sold out and re- moved to Minnesota, settling at St. James and establishing his present paper. The first issue appeared March 20, 1878. He built his printing establishment in 1883, on Main street, and has a fine residence, which cost some three thousand dollars, at the west end of Main street. The subject of our sketch is a believer in the principles promul- gated by the republican party, and his paper is conducted along these lines. Mr. Chap- man is a man of excellent principles, and through his paper forcibly advocates all mat- ters that he deems right. In public matters our subject has always taken an active part, and is now serving on his sixth year as vil- lage recorder.
Editor Chapman was married in Decem- ber, 1880, to Miss Lilla M. Clark, daughter of S. C. Clark, of St. James. Three children
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have blessed this union, namely-Severance W., Lawrence H. and Merrill B.
HILO KENDALL, one of the leading prosperous farmers of Lake Benton township, Lincoln county, Minnesota, located on a pre-emption in July, 1874. He was one among the very first settlers of the township and assisted substantially in the early foundation of the civil government. He was one of the first supervisors of the township and served for two years in that position. The officers of the board were Arthur Morris and S. G. Jones, the latter being clerk. Mr. Kendall is at present director of school district No. 43. He has always taken an active interest in local affairs and has done all in his power to assist in the building up and developing of his locality. When he came to his place he found fifteen acres broken, which he planted to corn. This crop was destroyed by grass- hoppers in 1874, and in 1875 our subject sowed considerable grain and lost his harvest by reason of grasshopper raids. In 1876 he put in a crop on his entire farm and reaped about half a crop. In 1877 he had grain in on five different places besides his own. This year the harvest bid fair to be of fine quality and the yield was expected to be about thirty-five bushels per acre. Within a week of cutting time, liowever, as the result of a long period of dry weather, his crops were destroyed. He did not reap a sufficient harvest to pay the expenses of put- ting in the seed. In order to support his family he had to work out for different ad- joining farmers and also to hunt through the winter, in all kinds of weather. In 1878 he had a very fair crop, but lost twelve hundred bushels of grain by wind and weather. He had this grain in the stack, but on account of the setting in of winter early in October the stacks were blown down and covered
with snow. In 1879 he rented his place and again met with misfortune in his crops, and did not reap as many bushels of grain as he sowed. Since that time his crops have been very fair, and during the last two or three years he has reaped a profitable harvest. Regardless, however, of these discourage- ments of his farm life, he has overcome all obstacles, and has by thrift and economy been gradually growing in prosperity, until now he is in comfortable circumstances, and is one of the most well-to-do and prosperous farmers in the township.
The subject of our sketch was born in Essex county, New York, December 19, 1835. He received his early training and education in his native State and in Wal- worth county, Wisconsin, to which place his parents removed in about 1838. The family resided in Walworth county for about eleven years, and then removed to Fond du Lac county, where our subject continued for about two years. He then found employ- ment on the Wisconsin river and continued in various lines of occupation for fifteen years along the river. He then engaged in farming for about a year, and after that came to Brown county, Minnesota, where he purchased some land and fol- lowed agricultural pursuits for three years. Again the spirit of migration took pos- session of our subject, and he removed to Ransom county, Dakota, where he tried farming for two years. During this time he met with continual hardship and disappoint- ment. Both of these years he was eaten out by grasshoppers and had to support his fam- ily by trapping. After these two years were expired he went to Jimtown, Stutsman county, where he engaged in farming for two years, meeting with the same experience as before, being eaten out by the grasshop- pers during both seasons. Here again he had to support his family by trapping, and finally growing disheartened by his misfor-
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tunes there, he concluded to return to Min- nesota. He then made his location on his present place, where he has since resided. While living in Stutsman county, Mr. Ken- dall served as one of the first justices of the peace in that county.
The subject of our sketch was married June 9, 1861, to Mary Bowden, a native of Walworth county, Wisconsin, where she re- mained until she was six years old. Removing thence she located with her parents in Fond du Lac county, where she received her train- ing and education. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall have six living children-Miranda, Myrtie, Fernando, Nellie, Victor and Grace. The names of those deceased are William, Lucy, Effie, Walter and Genna. Miranda married C. R. Gould, and is a resident of section 20, Hope township, Lincoln county. Myrtie married Sidney Dickson, a farmer near Oaks, Dicky county, Dakota.
The subject of our sketch has passed through many thrilling experiences dur- ing his early settlement in Dakota and Minnesota. Hardships and misfortunes doubtless come to every pioneer's life, but with our subject these circumstances were especially distressing. Two or three in- stances of his early experiences may be of interest to the general reader. While in Ransom county, Dakota, there were only five other families besides that of our subject in the entire county, and these were sixty miles from the nearest outposts of civilization. The nearest postoffice was Abercrombie, some sixty miles distant, and it was only about twice a year that these people received any mails. One winter the subject of our sketch started for the mill to obtain flour and provisions, and was caught out in a ver- itable Dakota blizzard. He had to camp out in the storm during two days and one night, and suffered untold agony from the intense cold. The second winter he at- tempted to do this same thing. The snow
was about four feet deep, and when our sub- ject got about four miles from Fort Aber- crombie, out on the plains. a terrific north- wester came up, and he had to seek the first shelter he could find and stop for a short time. Within eighty rods of him lay a man and fifteen-year-old boy in the side of a snow- bank. They were both badly frozen. The boy had both legs amputated, and died three days later. Our subject thought that he could find his way along the route, and so started out again, determined to accomplishi his journey without any further stopping, or perish in the attempt, as his family were nearly out of provisions. He had consider- able trouble to force his ox-team along on account of the fiercely-driving snow. The blizzard was so thick about him that he could not see a rod ahead of his team, and much of the distance he had to find the road by probing through the snow with a large stick until he found the solid track. In this way he succeeded in worrying along for thirty miles, and after an absence of four weeks re- turned home with flour and provisions. These are merely instances of some of the thrilling experiences through which our sub- ject passed. There have been numerous other hair-breadth escapes, and untold experi- ences of privations. The instances given were but passing events in those days, and it would give the reader much surprise to hear re- counted all the trying circumstances through which our subject passed in the early days. Since making his location in Lincoln town- ship our subject has built up an enviable reputation for honesty and systematic business life. He has been quite successful of late years, and has surrounded himself with the evidences of prosperity and good circumstances. In politics he affiliates with the republican party, and assists in the re- ligious work of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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AMES COWIN, a leading citizen of Adrian, Nobles county, Minnesota, is engaged in the grain and lumber business. He is the son of William and Ann (Garrett) Cowin, natives of the Isle of Man, on which island our subject was born July 25, 1843.
The home ties of the subject of our sketch were not severed until 1867, when he came to the United States, stopping in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, for about a month. Removing thence he went to Marquette, Michigan, and resided there until April, 1868, and then started for Colorado. He traveled on the cars as far as possible, leaving them near Cheyenne, where he found one thousand railroad employes and frontiersmen gathered together for protection against the Indians, who had driven them from their work along the frontier. Our subject here took the stage to Denver, and from thence went to Black Hawk, where he was engaged in mining and contracting and superintending for some six years. He visited various places in the min- ing region, spending his time in Central City, Caribo, Georgetown and other places, and during that time crossing the plains some seven or eight times by way of Smoky Hill and the Pacific route. During these days he saw many exciting times, experienced hard- ships, and passed through many dangers. On one of his trips across the plains his train was stopped for about an hour by the pass- ing of a herd of buffalo, estimated by the hunt- ers as containing some fifteen thousand ani- mals. He saw acres of buffalo hides spread on the ground to dry by the hunters who scoured the plains in search of this valuable game. In 1872 our subject spent some six months in Milwaukee visiting friends, and later, in 1874, he went to Bigelow, Nobles county, Minnesota, and formed a partnership with S. D. Tennis in the grain and fuel business. Before a year had expired our subject pur- chased his partner's interest and operated the business alone until 1878, in the meantime,
however, adding a stock of lumber. In 1878 he moved to Adrian and engaged in his former business, which he has followed ever since. For a time after coming to the vil- lage he also engaged in selling farm machin- ery, but gave that up after a year or so. He still owns and operates his grain and fuel business in Bigelow, and in connection with these lines is also engaged to some extent on buying and selling real estate. He owns over eight hundred acres of land in the county and rents all of it but one large farm near the village, which he superintends him- self. He also owns ten or twelve village lots, a store building on Main street, and also a neat residence, where he now lives.
Mr. Cowin has always taken an interest in political matters and is a stanch supporter of the republican party. He has held various local offices, such as township supervisor, vil- lage councilman, and has been a member of the board of county commissioners for some five years. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Lodge No. 11, of Black Hawk, Colorado, and also of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Lodge No. 76, of Adrian.
On the 14th day of March, 1883, he was married to Miss Rhoda C. Moberly, at Adrian, Minnesota. She was the daughter of L. B. and Susan S. (Owen) Moberly, natives of Kentucky, and was born in Davis county, that State, on November 18, 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Cowin have the following named chil- dren-James, Jr., Edith Bland and Alton Bard. Mrs. Cowin is a lady of refinement and is one of the leading members of the Baptist church of Adrian.
R. DANIEL STRAW, a leading phy- sician and surgeon of Wells, Minnesota, came to this village in 1870, and has since been engaged in the practice of his profes- sion. The doctor is a native of Piscataquis
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county, Maine, where he was born May 17, 1847. His parents, David and Caroline (Ayer) Straw, were also natives of Maine, where the father was engaged in the practice of law. David R. Straw was born in 1795, and died at Guilford, Maine, in 1876. He was a grad- uate of Brown University, of Providence, Rhode Island, and was a man of considerable prominence in the locality in which he lived. He was a thorough lawyer and an able practi- tioner. The mother is still living and is a resident of Guilford, Maine. In the father's family there were eleven children, seven of whom are now living-David R., Agnes M., William O., Gideon M., Carrie A., Henry and Dr. Daniel.
Our subject's grandfather was a native of Maine, where he was engaged in farming. The grandfather was the son of an English- man who came to this country in an early day and settled in the State in which our subject was born. Our subject's mother's father was Dr. Moses Ayer, a native of Maine, and the son of a farmer of that State. This family was of English descent, as was also the other side of the house.
The early life of our subject was spent in the schools of his native State. Very early he exhibited a desire for the prac- tice of medicine, and commenced study- ing toward that end in 1867, at Gilmanton, New Hampshire, with Dr. Nahum Wight. He remained with this physician for some three years and then entered Dartmouth College, taking a thorough course and gradu- ating from that institution in 1869. He afterward returned home and remained a year, after which he came to Wells, Minne- sota, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession.
Dr. Straw was married, in 1871, to Miss Florence Watson, of Boston, Massachusetts. This union has been blessed with four chil- dren-Florence, Fred, Henry and Constance.
The subject of our sketch is one of the
ablest physicians and surgeons in Southern Minnesota, and since his location here, in 1870, he has by his thorough application to this profession, and by earnest and consci- entious work, built up an extensive and lucrative practice. His professional calls sometimes take him into all parts of Faribault county, and even into adjoining counties for a distance of many miles. He has always taken an interest in public affairs and belongs to the State Medical Society. He is the physician and surgeon for the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, and is now a member of the United States pen- sion board of that district. In politics he affiliates with the democratic party and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He owns a beautiful home in the village, surrounded with shade and ornamental trees. As a physician, citizen, and neighbor, Dr. Straw is held in high esteem by all who know him. -
ILLIAM W. ZUEL, one of the most prosperous and influential farmers of Springfield township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, resides on section 14. His native place is found in Fulton county, New York, where he was born August 25, 1842.
The parents of the subject of our sketch were Robert and Elizabeth Zuel, natives of Scotland. In early life the father was en- gaged in operating a flour mill and a saw mill, and later in life followed the occupa- tion of farming. He came to Will county, Illinois, in the spring of 1843, where he died in 1848. The mother died in 1847. In the father's family there were nine children, two of whom are now living.
The subject of our sketch was six years of age when his parents died, and for six years thereafter he resided with different farmers in the vicinity of the place where his parents had lived. In 1857 he commenced clerking
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in a grocery store, continuing thereat for one year, and then re-engaging in farm work. In April, 1861, he enlisted in a local com. pany to serve in the Union army, under the three months' call, but was not called out, and so the company was disbanded. Our subject returned to farming until the 1st of November, 1861, when he enlisted in Com- pany F, Sixty-fourth Illinois Infantry, known as the Yates Sharpshooters. He enlisted as a private, and was first under fire at New Madrid, Missouri, and again at Island No. 10, under General Pope, for three weeks. His regiment was then ordered down the river to Fort Pillow; after arriving there orders came to return to Pittsburg Landing, on the Tennessee river, and soon after serving at the siege of Corinth, Mississippi. The company was then attached to the division which pursued the Rebels to Booneville, and was then ordered back under General Rosecrans to become guard at his headquarters near Corinth camp, at Clear Creek. He participated in the severe battle of Iuka, September 19, 1862, where he had his canteen shot away. His next engage- ment was in the battle of Corinth, Missis- sippi, October 3 and 4, 1862. From that time on, for a brief period, he participated in numerous light skirmishes in serving on outpost duty eight miles from Corinth. Some time was spent during the fall of that year in skirmishing with Roddy's cavalry. In the latter part of 1863 our subject's division went to Pulaski, Tennessee, where he enlisted in a veteran corps. He was then granted a furlough and went home on a visit. He reported for duty at Ottawa, Illinois, when his regiment was ordered to Decatur, Alabama, and joined General Sher- man's army, and participated in the Atlanta campaign. Ilis next move was to go with his division to Rockyface Ridge, Dallas, Resaca, and other points in Georgia, thence to Kenesa Mountain, where he participated
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