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 67

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 67

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).

Frank L. Mennie remained with his par- ents in Green Lake county for a number of years, being given a good common-school education, and assisting his father on the farm. He completed his course of education in the R. C. Spencer Commercial College, in Milwaukee, and after his schooling was com- pleted he came to Olmsted county, Minne- sota, with his brother George. He resided in Rochester, of that county, for some two years, and then came to Lincoln county,

making his settlement, as stated in the open- ing lines in this sketch. Mr. Mennie was married October 30, 1878, to Miss Lillian B. Byington. This lady was born in Marquette, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, where she received an excellent education. She was a daughter of M. I. Byington, a harness-maker and carriage-trimmer by trade, and a promi- nent citizen of the place in which he lived. Mr. and Mrs. Mennie have two children- Edward B. and Ella Irene, both of whom are living at home.

Mr. Mennie experienced all the discomforts and discouragements of pioneer life in mak- ing his first settlement in Marble township. Life was commenced here in a shanty, and under many peculiar difficulties known only to the pioneer settlers of a country. His first visit to the township was made by train from Rochester, in the month of April, 1878, at which time he filed on his land, and soon afterward returned to Rochester. During the first years but little could be done in the way of opening farm improvements. After building his shanty, the first year he broke ten acres of land and put in a small crop. The next year he put in ten acres of wheat, and kept slowly increasing through the suc- ceeding years. He lias now a fine farm, and a pleasant and commodious home, and has an . agreeable family. In politics our subject affiliates with the republican party. For- mierly he was a member of the " Temple of Honor," of Wisconsin.

ILLIAM B. STINE is the present clerk of the district court of Mur- ray county, Minnesota, being elected to that office in the year 1886, but did not take the office until 1888. He came to Murray county in November, 1880, and was one of the early settlers of the county.

Mr. Stine was born in Greenville, Tennes- see, June 27, 1856. He was the son of

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Christian Stine, a tanner by occupation and at present a resident of Murray county, where he located in 1883 in the township of Lowville. The father was born in Greenville, Tennessee. The mother's maiden name was Mary A. Brown, a native of the eastern part of Tennessee, being born in the same place in which her husband was born. They had a family of seven children-William B., our subject; John R., James D., Benjamin D., Jennie, Ida and Hugh E.

William B. Stine remained beneath the parental roof, being the recipient of its hospitalities until he was sixteen years of age, up to which time he had received a good common-school education. From that age on until he was twenty years old he assisted his father in work on the farm. He then learned telegraphy at Lemars, Iowa. He made this his principal business from 1876 till 1886, and during the last seven years was station agent at various places, among them being Rushmore, Nobles county, Minnesota ; Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county, and Hadley, Murray county, remaining in the latter place until he was elected clerk of the district court.

Mr. Stine was married May 28, 1882, at Hadley, Murray county, to Miss Minnie Lowe, a native of Canada, where she was born in the year 1863. In 1868 her parents removed to Waverly, Iowa, and thence in 1878 to Lowville, Murray county, Minnesota, where she received the principal part of her education. Later she was sent to Tracy, where she had a thorough course of instruc- tion in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Stine have been blessed with three living children-David L., Harry I. and Dura E. Mabel died at the age of two years and fifteen days.

In politics Mr. Stine affiliates with the re- publican party, and has become quite promi- nent in the local affairs of that organization. He is a man of push and energy, and is one

of the leaders among his fellow-citizens. He is a man of excellent business capabilities and holds his position with ability and effi ciency. His character both as a business inan and as a citizen is above reproach, and he was made many friends.

- ON. HENRY N. RICE, M. D., one of the leading physicians of Martin county, Minnesota, resides in Fairmont, the county seat. A native of Whitley county, Indiana, he was born September 2, 1843, his parents being Daniel B. and Rosana (Nickey) Rice, the former a native of New York and the latter born in Virginia. The early life of the subject of our sketch was spent on the home farm, where he was given the educa. tional advantages for obtaining a common- school education. He remained in his native county until August 2, 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, Seventy-fourth Indiana In- fantry. He served throughout the war, being discharged in June, 1865. During his mili- tary life he served as a musician in his com- pany, and participated in many severe engagements. He was in the battle of Ber- rysville, was taken sick with the measles immediately afterwards, and for eighteen montlis he was very ill, being taken to the Louisville hospital, from whence he went to Quincy, Illinois, and on recovering from his attack of ill health he rejoined his regiment at Dalton, Georgia, and participated in the famous march to the sea. The first battle in which he participated was that of Buzzard's Roost near Snake Creek Gap. He then saw service at the battle of Resaca, where he witnessed the most terrible strife of his entire military experience. From thence the division marched toward Atlanta, and after two months of almost continual fight- ing reached that place. At Jonesborough he also participated in an extremely hard- fought battle, and was there struck in

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the shoulder with a bullet, from the re- sults of which he did not recover for some time. In this battle the shot and shell fell so thick and fast that the small trees and brush were mowed down as with a scythe. From Jonesborough the division went on- ward on a career of success to Savannah, the march occupying sixty days and being one continuous round of skirmishing. At one time the regiment was cut off from all communication with the rest of the army, and several times came very near being destroyed by the rebel forces. They were engaged in destroying bridges along the railroad. They bivouacked at Savannah for some two weeks before communications were opened with the rest of the army, and during this time lived mostly on rice and such pro- visions as could be gathered up in the immne- diate vicinity. Marching thence the division reached North Carolina, from whence they removed to Cheraw and engaged in a short battle with the Rebels, capturing a cannon, which was retained by the company, and finally found its way after several years to Fairmont, Minnesota, where, July 4, 1889, it was burst by being too heavily charged. When they came to Raleigh, General John- ston surrendered to Sherman, and from thence the division to which the company was attached marched on to Richmond and then to Washington, where they participated in the grand review. The subject of our sketch was honorably discharged June 9, 1865, and returned home by way of In- dianapolis. He engaged in work on a farm through harvest, and in the fall entered the commercial college at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and continued his studies therein until the spring of 1866. Then the family emigrated to Martin county, Minnesota, where the father purchased a farm and our subject settled on a homestead, where he lived some seven years. In 1873 he attended the medical college at Keokuk,

Iowa, and in 1874 commenced the practice of medicine in Fairmont. On locating in that village he at once showed himself a man of much enterprise and public spirit, and willing to take an active part in all move- ments tending to the general welfare. He became a popular candidate for legisla- tive office and was elected to the lower house of the State legislature in 1875. He was appointed surgeon for the Chicago, Milwau- kee & St. Paul railroad in 1880, and still retains that position. He graduated from the Rush Medical College of Chicago in 1886. He is widely known as one of the ablest and most efficient physicians in south- ern Minnesota. Besides being interested considerably in village property, he is also known as the owner of the "Farm Ranch," one of the finest farms in Southern Minne- sota, located on Silver Lake, Martin county, and comprising four hundred acres of land. The farm is well improved and stocked with bronchos and thoroughbred horses. Dr. Rice is a member of the Commandery of the Knights Templar of Albert Lea, is a repub- lican in politics and is one of the foremost citizens of Fairmont.

The subject of our sketch was wedded to Miss Sarah E. Reed, March 15, 1866, in Columbia City, Whitley county, Indiana. This lady was the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Metzker) Reed, natives of Pennsyl- vania. She was born in Ohio, September 14, 1845. Dr. and Mrs. Rice have been blessed with the following-named children- Estella, Rosana, Stanley, Jenner, Lina and Daisy.

OTFRED ARVESEN, one of the substantial business inen of Jasper village, Pipestone county, Minnesota, is en- gaged in the lumber trade. He is a native of Norway, where he was born in the year 1865. His parents were Ole P. and Ellen

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(Hansen) Arvesen, both natives of Norway. The father is an extensive farmer in his na- tive country, and is also largely interested in ships and ship-building. He has held many pasitions of importance, and is a man of in- fluence and high standing in the country in which he lives. In the father's family there were eleven children, our subject being the sixth, all of whom are living at the present time.

Mr. Arvesen spent his boyhood's days in the home of his parents, being given excel- lent educational advantages in the municipal schools, from which he graduated when he was about sixteen years of age. After spending a year at home he came to Amer- ica, and, in the month of April, 1882, locat- ed at Manistee, Michigan, without any knowledge of the English language what- ever-without a friend or relative in the United States, being the first one of the family to cross the ocean; but with a full stock of good health and strong will, which readily found him employment the ensuing summer months in the pine woods and saw- mills on the Manistee river. In the fall he attended school for a couple of months, and then engaged in " scaling " logs in a shingle- mill during the following summer. Leaving this employment, he again entered the high school in Manistee, and continued his studies for some months. Leaving school he found employment in the lumber office of Louis Sands, where he worked for three and a half years as assistant book-keeper and retail salesman. Then, in July, 1887, he came to Minnesota, and visited relatives in Kittson county. His next move was to ( rookston, where he found employment with the Red River Lumber Company on their drives from the Red Lake reservation to Crookston and Grand Forks. His engagement with this company continued for about four months, when the drive was "hung" up on account of the dry season, after which he returned to

Kittson county and remained with friends until in February, 1888. Removing thence, he went to Minneapolis and engaged as billing clerk and salesman for the Hall and Ducey Lumber Company, in their wholesale office. On the 11th day of February, 1889, he removed to Jasper, Pipestone county, where he established his present business, having had seven years' practical experience in all branches of the lumber trade, from the stump to the consumer. Although having been in Jasper but a short time, he has already built up quite an extensive trade and gained the confidence of local business men by his push and energy in working up patronage. He has purchased yard-ground and built lum- ber and lime sheds, and also an office building. In politics he affiliates with the republican party, and is a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. Arvesen is but on the threshold of a useful and prosperous career, and if no disastrous fortunes come to him, he will soon be one of the leading and wealthiest citi- zens of this part of Pipestone county.

ENRY SIEMUND is one of the promi- nent farmers of Rose Hill township, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, and resides on a fine farm on section 34. He is of Russian nativity and was born May 23, 1865. His parents were well-to-do people of that country and were by name Henry and Elizabeth (Dietchman) Siemund. The par- ents emigrated to America in 1875 and after a few days' stay in Kansas came to Rose Hill township, where the mother died in 1878. The father returned to Russia in 1881 and is now a resident of that country. Four brothers and three sisters of our subject are now residents of this country.

The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm; he assisted his father in the support of the family until he had attained the age

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of twenty-six years, when he located where he now resides, in Rose Hill township. He took 160 acres of land as a homestead and has worked hard and enthusiastically to make his place one of the best in the town- ship. He has provided it with excellent im- provements and has a beautiful home. He experienced hard times during the grass- hopper raids and was obliged to work on the railroad in St. Paul for two years in order to recruit his circumstances. During several years his crops were entirely destroyed by the grasshoppers. Mr. Siemund and family are members of the Lutheran church of Rose Hill township. In politics he has always affiliated with the republican party and has become quite prominent and influential in the affairs of his township.

Mr. Siemund was married December 8, 1881, to Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel He- ben, a native of Austria. This union has been blessed with three children-Mary, Katie and Emiel.

JACOB WICKERSHEIM, a leading and influential farmer of Ash Lake township, Lincoln county, Minnesota, home- steaded his present farm on the southeast quarter of section 8 in 1878. He was one among the early pioneers of this region and passed through the usual pioneer experiences. He commenced farming in a small way by breaking some thirty-six acres of land and building a small house 12x16 feet and mak- ing other trifling improvements. He lived in his primitive dwelling some two years and then built a small addition 10x16 feet and in 1885 built a main part 24x16 feet with four- teen-foot posts, making one of the very best dwelling-houses in the township. He first came to Lincoln county April 27, 1878, and then went back to his home in Faribault, Rice county, for the purpose of reaping his harvest there. He returned to his land

in Lincoln county in the fall and made a permanent settlement. In the spring of 1879 he set out a large acreage of cottonwood, box- elder, ash, elm, hackberry and plumb trees and also a variety of fruit trees. He has now one of the nicest groves in the township. At the organization of the township in 1879 our subject took an active part and participated in the first meeting, which was held on sec- tion 19 in a little building which was used as a frontier store. He was elected treas- urer of the township in 1879, and was the first to perform any official acts in the town- ship. He has held that office with credit and efficiency ever since. He is also treas- urer of school district No. 10, which position he has held since the organization of the dis- trict. He takes a hearty interest in all mat- ters of an educational nature and is one of the main supports of the various local school organizations. For a year he was director of school district No. 10, and has by word and deed assisted in bringing educational matters to the attention of the people. The first board of township supervisors consisted of our subject, W. W. Townsend, chairman, David Phipps and H. Jacklin. John Court- ney was assessor and Mr. Jacklin was jus- tice of the peace.

The subject of our sketch was born in Al- sace, Germany, in July, 1836. He was the son of Frederick W. and Catharine (Ortliep) Wickersheim, both of whom were natives of Alsace. In about 1845 the parents brought their family and effects to the United States, locating in Lake county, Illinois, where the father died after twenty years' residence, his death occurring in about 1865. The father was a farmer by occupation, and homesteaded land in Illinois, on which he continued to live throughout his life. He was a prominent member of the Lutheran church, and was an exemplary citizen. The mother died in Wheeling, Cook county, Illi- nois, in 1868. She was a member of the

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Lutheran church, and an estimable Christian lady. In the father's family there were five children, two boys and three girls-Barbara, Ellen, Mary, Frederick and Jacob. Freder- ick was a well-to-do farmer in Wheeling, where he died some years ago.

Jacob Wickersheim came to America from his native land when he was about nine years of age, and spent the next twenty years of his life on the farm in Lake county, Illinois. He was given good educational advantages in the district schools, and for two years after the period just mentioned he resided in Wheeling, Cook county, Illinois, engaged in handling dry goods and Yankee notions. For some time he followed the road as a peddler, engaged in retailing the goods just mentioned. Coming to Minnesota at the end of the two years spent in Cook county, he spent one and a half years in railroading at Faribault. He then purchased a farm of fifty acres near Roberts Lake, Minnesota, and made that his home for some nine years. Then for six months he was engaged with a brother-in-law in the tombstone and monu- ment business in St. Paul, after which he re- turned to his farm in the vicinity of Fari- bault, and selling soon after came to Lincoln county, where he has since lived.

The subject of our sketch was married April 10, 1858, to Miss Louisa Meyer, a na- tive of Alsace, Germany. She came to America with her parents when a small child and located with them in Lake county, Illinois, where she was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Wickersheim have five chil- dren-Charles Jacob, William John, Edward Frederick, Mary Louisa and Emma. Charles Jacob is married and a farmer in Ash Lake township. Emma is a school teacher. Will- iam John graduated with honors from the Mankato Normal School, May 29, 1889.

The subject of our sketch has taken a prominent interest in all matters which tended toward public advancement, whether

in a financial or moral way. He has actively participated in the affairs of local goverment and has served his constituents in various official positions. He is a man of excellent character, of good business qualifications, and is a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has taken quite an interest in this religious organization and for years has been a class-leader, his son Charles J. being now a class-leader of the local or- ganization. Having come to the county in an early day our subject has passed through many trying experiences, but with all he has been highly successful and has accumulated considerable means. He has a pleasant home and an agreeable family.

DWARD B. COOK, a well-to-do farm- er of Lowville township, Murray coun- ty, Minnesota, resides on section 14. He was born in Brome, Canada, March 2, 1845.

The parents of the subject of our sketch were Silas Cook, of New York, and Anna Townsend Cook, born in Brome, Canada. The father was a farmer by occupation, and reared a family of three children, two boys and one girl, our subject being the old- est and only one living at the present time. The father and mother resided in Canada until their death, where, also, our subject's sister, Achsah, died. A brother, William, was killed in the battle of the Wilderness, while serving in the ranks of the Union army. When our subject was some four or five years old his father died, and some time later the mother remarried. She died in about 1854.

Some years after the marriage of his mother the second time, at the age of nine years, our subject went to live with a Mr. Lawrence, and afterresiding with him for one year, was taken by a Mr. Moffatt, with whom he lived for two years. He then ran away from the latter's home, and returned to that

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of Mr. Lawrence, continuing with him some five years. At the end of this time he com- menced work for himself, engaging in agri- cultural pursuits on farms in his locality. He continued in his native country until 1871, and then spent two years in New Hampshire, at farm work. He then returned to Canada, and after one year was married and settled down on a farm of his own. After residing on that for two years he rented his farm and went to New Hampshire. One year later he returned to Canada, and in 1883 came to Minnesota, locating on his present farm in Murray county. He has since been a resi- dent of Lowville township. He has 160 acres of excellent land, well improved, and pro- vided with good farm buildings. In politics he affiliates with the democratic party, and has held various official positions, among them being that of supervisor and road over- seer. He is a man of good business qualifi- cations, is thorough and systematic, and has been quite successful in his farming opera- tions.

April 24, 1874, occurred the marriage of Mr. Cook to Miss Mary E. Tibbitts, a native of Canada, and daughter of Samuel and Jane (Brunton) Tibbitts, also natives of Canada. In her father's family there were ten chil- dren, of whom she was the second in order of birth. Her parents are still living, and are residents of Canada.

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OHN JACOB ZIMMERMAN is one of the prosperous farmers of Grange town- ship, Pipestone county, Minnesota. He owns a fine farm of 240 acres on section 12, on which are good farm buildings. He was born in Baden, Germany, May 22, 1843. Mr. Zimmerman was the son of Nicholas and Cath- arine (Scheid) Zimmerman, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. The father was an overseer in a forest in his native coun- ty in Germany, where he lived for a long

number of years. His services as overseer extended through a period of forty-five years, and so satisfactory was his work to the gov- ernment that he was granted a pension after that period. He lived in his native land until his death, which occurred in 1877. The mother died in 1859, in Germany.

The subject of our sketch remained with his parents in the land of his nativity until he attained his majority. Up to the age of fifteen years he was given excellent educa- tional advantages, and acquired a good com- mon school education. At fifteen he com- menced helping his father on the home farm, continuing in that line of employment until 1864, when he came to America and settled in Chicago, where he had two sisters and one brother. Employed at different kinds of labor, he remained in Chicago for a period of two years. Then, January 16, 1866, he en- listed in Company G, Eighteenth Regiment United States Regular Infantry. His enlist- ment was for a period of three years, and he was mustered out of the service January 16, 1869, at Salt Lake City, Utah. Although the War of the Rebellion was concluded some three years before our subject was discharged, yet during that time he saw much hardship and privation in extensive marches in the Southwestern States and Territories. One of the severest tramps he ever experienced was a march of ninety-three days from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to Camp Douglas, Salt Lake City. On reaching Camp Douglas he was detailed as one of the gardeners at the hospital, and continued at that post until his discharge in 1869. On being mustered out of the regular service he returned at once to Chicago, where he established himself in the manufacture of cigars ; he was there at the time of the great fire. He was not burned out, but he lost a great deal in the hasty re- moval of his goods. He then broke up house- keeping, and left Chicago for three months, after which he returned and worked in the

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shop until 1880. At this time he concluded to find a location on a farm somewhere in Southern Minnesota. He came to Pipestone county, and for three years lived on a farm owned by his wife's brother. At that time the owner of the land died, and our subject filed on it as a homestead and tree claim, in all 240 acres, which compose his present farm.

September 12, 1869, is the date of the mar- riage of Mr. Zimmerman to Miss Ernestina Wilhelmina Buchholz, a native of Germany. The fruits of this union are three children, all of whom are living-Frederick W., Frank H. and Emma Juliana Louisa.

As is well known by all our readers, the educational advantages in Germany are of a high character, and the subject of our sketch, during his early life, was enabled to receive a good common-school education. This, to which are added good, practical ideas, makes him a man of strong influence in the neigh- borhood in which he lives. In politics he affiliates with the union labor party, and has the interests of the laboring man thoroughly at heart. He was a member of the Druids Society in Chicago. He has creditably held several official positions, among them being that of district treasurer, which office he held for seven years, and in which he is the present incumbent. He is also on his second term as township treasurer. His memories of his ser- vice in the regular army are very interesting when related by him to the attentive list- ener. While at Salt Lake City he had the privilege of visiting the great Mormon taber- nacle a number of times, and has also seen the famous prophet, Brigham Young, officiating in the services in the temple.

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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 67

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