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 99
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The early life of our subject was spent principally on the farm of his father. Until eighteen years of age he alternated between farming and the district school and was able to acquire a good common-school education. On the 20th of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volun- teer Infantry, and remained in the service until the 27th of July, 1865. His military career was full of hardships and many nar-
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row escapes. He participated in many bat- tles, among them being the siege of Atlanta, the last battle of Jonesborough, and was with General Sherman on his march to the sea. During this grand march our subject was employed mainly as a forager until he went to Goldsborough. After his honorable discharge our subject returned to Middleton, Wisconsin. Here he engaged in teaching and also attended the state university at Madison. He took a scientific course in that institution and obtained a thorough educa- tion after which he taught school in Dane county until 1871. In that year he entered the drug store in the city of Middleton and remained a year, after which he went to Chicago and entered the Rush Medical Col- lege and after his graduation from that institution came to Pipestone county, Minn., since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession.
The subject of our sketch was united in marriage in the year 1869, to Miss Sanford, of Middleton, Wisconsin, where she was edu- cated and received her early training. She was a daughter of J. D. Sanford, a resident of the place just named. Dr. and Mrs. Taylor have been blessed with five chil- dren-Orva, Luella, Maude, Mary, and Jennie.
Since coming to the city our subject has associated himself with all projects tending to the business improvement of the village, and besides assisting in making public im- provements, he has built for himself a drug store block which was constructed in 1884 on Olive street. Heis a member of the Masonic chapter and is also honorably associated with the Southwestern Medical Society and also with the Odd Fellows fraternity. He is a leading and influential member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Since com- ing to the county the doctor has been actively engaged in his medical practice and has built up an enviable reputation as a phy-
sician and surgeon. He has performed many difficult operations and has brought about many radical cures and is therefore looked upon as being one of the very best physicians and surgeons in Southwestern Minnesota. As a business man he is careful and conservative and has met with large suc- cess in whatever he has engaged. He is a man of excellent character, possessed of broad ideas, intelligent and courteous, and has a wide circle of friends extending throughout the entire county.
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HARLES TESMER located in Ger- mantown township, Cottonwood coun- ty, Minnesota, in 1872, in which year he took a homestead on section 4, where he still lives.
The subject of our sketch was born July 12, 1850, in western Prussia, Germany, his parents being David and Christina (Schmid) Tesmer, also natives of Germany. When our subject was fourteen years of age he learned the tailor's trade, and worked at that business for some two years. It was too confining, however, and he was obliged to give it up. He then found employment on a farm and worked in that line for three years. Then, in 1869, he came to America, stopping for some time in New Ulm, Minne- sota. He could find no work, however, of any profitable character, and in the winter he went to Waseca, where he hired to an Irish farmer for $10 per month, and em- ployed his time in splitting rails until spring. For this work he never received his pay, and concluded that this was not a good country to live in, and made plans to return to Ger- many. These, however, were defeated by his procuring work on the railroad. He fel- lowed this business until 1872, when he came to Germantown township, where he has since lived.
November 6, 1872, Mr. Tesmer was mar- ried to Miss Anna Semro, daughter of David
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and Hattie (Schmid) Semro, and who was born in West Prussia, Germany, April 20, 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Tesmer had known each other in the old country for years, and the lady came to America to marry Mr. Tesmer. She died April 14, 1885, leaving the following-named children-Carl, Adolf, Benjamin and Mary. Mr. Tesmer was mar- ried the second time April 28, 1886, in Germantown township, to Minnie Ohlman, daughter of David and Elizabeth Ohlman. This lady was born in Ger- many July 8, 1854. She was the widow of Fritz Bohne when she married her pres- ent husband.
Perhaps no man in the county has had such hard trials to encounter as the subject of this sketch, and perhaps no man has fought them so manfully and overcome so well. During grasshopper times, when every- thing was destroyed for several years by this terrible scourge, our subject could raise no grain, and had to go long distances from home in order to earn money on which to support his family. The only assistance which he ever received from the State was a bushel of seed wheat. After five years of continued losses and discouragements, and more or less debt, our subject was almost discouraged, and was heartily sick of Min- nesota, occasioned somewrat by the annoy- ing impudence of his creditors. He has, however, kept sturdily at work, and and has finally overcome these difficulties, and has surrounded himself with evidences of pros- perity. He is at present in good circum- stances, has a pleasant frame dwelling-house, a large barn and granary, owns four horses and eighteen head of cattle, and has one hundred and ten acres of land under culti- vation of his own farm, and also fifty acres under cultivation on railroad land adjoining. Mr. Tesmer is a man of good character, and and is highly esteemed by all who know him.
DWIN GILHAM is the present sheriff of Rock county, Minnesota. He is a resident of the city of Luverne. Mr. Gilham is a native of Macoupin county, Illinois, where he was born in 1845.
The parents of the subject of our sketch were Josiah and Margaret (Lester) Gilham, both natives of Illinois, where they followed the occupation of farming. In about 1847 the parents removed to Wisconsin, and occu- pied their time in farming and mining. The mother died in Wisconsin in 1866. In 1877 the father removed to Rock county, Minne- sota, and made his home with our subject until his death, which came early in 1889. In the father's family there are seven living children-Marcelia, Lillie C., Edwin, Saphro- nia, Pelay N., Delia, Elias A.
The boyhood days of the subject of this sketch were spent by him on the home farm, where he was given a good education. He remained with his parents until he was about fifteen years of age, and then commenced work on a farm in Iowa, where he remained about two years. His next move was to enlist in December, 1863, in Company E, Fifth Regiment Iowa Cavalry. He remained in the service throughout the war, and was discharged August 18, 1865. He was en- gaged in many battles under General Thomas and General Willson, in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky, his regiment being attached to what was known as the Western Division. After his discharge he returned to Dubuque county, Iowa, engaged in inin- ing, and remained in that county until the following year. In August, 1866, he re- moved to Sioux Falls, Dakota, and there, in company with a friend, engaged in trapping for about a year. Removing from Sioux Falls to several adjoining places he remained in Dakota until March, 1868, and then came to Luverne, taking a contract from Philo Hawes to carry the mail from that point to Yankton by way of Sioux Falls. He ful-
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filled his share of the contract for about nine months and then sold out. At the end of this time he located in Yankton, where he remained principally until 1873, in which year he came to Luverne and engaged in farming on 160 acres which he had home- steaded in 1871. He continued farming on this land, just west of the city, until he was elected sheriff in 1878. He has held the office since that date, being the present in- cumbent. Four years prior to his election he was deputy sheriff under Sheriff Rice.
The subject of our sketch was married in 1872 to Miss Eva G. Miles, of Yankton, Dakota.
Our subject passed through many inter- esting experiences on first coming to the vicinity of Luverne in the fall of 1866 and the spring of 1867. During these times he hunted elk along the Rock river and was en- gaged extensively in trapping. He carried his operations through an extensive scope of country between Sioux Falls and Flandreau and Pipestone. There was then not a shanty or house of any description in all Rock county, and when he engaged for Mr. Hawes in carrying the mail there was but one house between Luverne and Sioux Falls, while from that city to Yankton, a distance of fifty-two miles, there was not a house to be seen. Our subject has become one of the popular officials of Rock county, and has gained a strong hold on the esteem and con- fidence of his fellow-citizens.
LE ASLAKSON, an influential farmer, of Scandia township, Murray county, Minnesota, was born in Christian stift, Norway, February 2, 1846. His parents were Oslak and Anna (Ammonson) Olson, both of whom were natives of Norway.
The subject of our sketch spent his early life in the mountains of his native land, and much of his time during the winters, until he
was sixteen years of age, was spent in hunt- ing in the woods and mountains. During these mountain trips he had many narrow escapes. He received a good common-school education, and when sixteen years of age en- gaged in work in a tannery for one year. He then found employment on board an ocean vessel and followed a seafaring life for some eighteen months. Returning to his home in Norway, he remained a short time, and then found work in the copper mines for another eighteen months. In 1869, to avoid being a soldier, he came to the United States, first stopping in Madison, Wisconsin, where for six months he engaged in farming pur- suits. He then came to Nicollet county, Minnesota, chopped wood during the winter, and in the spring rented a farnı, which he operated two years. He did very well during these two years, and rented the farm for another two years. The third year, how- ever, his grain was destroyed, as were also his crops the next year. He then moved to the village of St. Peter, and for four years engaged in work at the carpenter's trade, after which he came to Murray county and settled on a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 14, Scandia township. He at once commenced active improvements on his farını, built a sod house, in which he lived until 1888. He has now a neat frame dwell- ing-house and a good frame barn, thirty-six by forty feet. He has 160 acres of excellent. land, with 100 acres under cultivation, and owns quite a number of head of horses and cattle. He is a man of good business quali fication, and has identified himself with all matters of a public nature ever since his lo- cation. He has accumulated considerable ineans, and holds the respect of all who know him. He has been school clerk, school treasurer, and has been constable of the township for nine years.
Mr. Aslakson was married in Norway, on Easter day, in the year 1869, to Miss Thura
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Knutson, daughter of Knute and Margaret (Viglickson) Thergerson. This lady was a native of Norway, and came to America in early life. Mr. and Mrs. Aslakson have had the following-named children-Alick, Anna Mary, Anna, Lena E. (deceased), Amelia (deceased), and Lena Elizabeth.
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ARNEST TOPEL, a resident of Marsh- field township, Lincoln county, Min- nesota, is the son of Edward and Caroline (Kagler) Topel, natives of Saxony, Germany. The parents remained in their native country until 1840 and then came to America, locat- ing in the State of Wisconsin. The father died in Centreville in that State, in 1862, and one and a half years later the mother married Frederick Cook, who owns a farm near Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
The birthplace of the subject of our sketch is found in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where he first saw the light of day July 1, 1849. Removing with his parents to Centreville, when he was two years of age, he lived there with the family for six or seven years. After the father's death, and on the marriage of the mother the second time, our subject went with the family to the farm of his step- father near Sheboygan. He remained with his mother until he was fourteen years old, and then left home and went into the pine woods, where he found employment and worked during thirteen or fourteen winters. In the summers during that time he worked in a shingle mill, and sometimes for farmers throughout northern Wisconsin. In 1871 Mr. Topel was married and removed to Ludington, Michigan, where he resided for about two years and then removed to Clark county, Wisconsin, renting a farm and en- gaging in agricultural pursuits for about a year. The year following was spent in work in a mill and in the pineries, and then
our subject's wife returned to the home of her parents and remained with them for some time. In 1879 Mr. Topel came to Lincoln county and located his farm as a tree claim on section 4, Marshfield township, settling on one hundred and sixty acres on the north- west quarter of that section. He continued on the farm, taking care of himself and lead- ing a bachelor's life for two years, when his wife joined him, and since that time they have made it their home. Mr. Topel has been quite successful in his various farming enterprises and has laid by considerable means. He has good farm buildings, has a number of head of horses and cattle, and has his land under excellent cultivation. His life in Marshfield township is not without its unfortunate side, and he has met with con- siderable financial loss and other discourage- ments. October 31, 1883, when our subject was away from home, the wife went to the well, a few rods from the house, to get water, and on looking back to the building she saw that it had caught fire. She hastened back to save the children, who were both in the burning building-Edward, two and a half years old, and Earnest, one year old, were frightened almost into spasms. One was lying on the floor, screaming for his mother, and the other did not know what to do. Mrs. Topel caught up the one and threw it out of the house, but Edward had concealed himself somewhere so that she failed to find him. The house was completely destroyed, including everything that it contained, and Edward perished in the burning building. Mrs. Topel was very severely burned. Nearly all her clothing was burned from her body and her face was so badly scorched that she was almost unrecognizable. Besides the loss of the house and the more touching and sad loss of the child Edward, all the fruits of that harvest were destroyed, as it had been threshed and put into one of the rooms of the house. On escaping from the house
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Mrs. Topel found her clothing burning, and in order to save herself had to roll on the ground to put out the fire. In spite of these backsets and misfortunes Mr. Topel has kept heart and has been continually applying him- self to the details of his farming enterprise and has put himself in good circumstances. He has a good farm, provided with excellent buildings, and under good cultivation. Since coming to the township he has taken an ac- tive interest in all matters of a public nature and has assisted actively in the local govern- ment.
Mr. Topel was married in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, May 22, 1871, to Miss Amanda Howard, daughter of Elias and Catharine (Jennings) Howard, natives of New York. Miss Howard was born in Wis- consin, August 8, 1850, and received her early training and education in that State. Mr. and Mrs. Topel have been blessed with the following-named children-Henry, Ed- ward, Earnest and George; all of these, except the oldest, being born in Minnesota. Henry was born in Wisconsin.
Mr. Topel is a man of exemplary character, is a loyal citizen, and his family are all mem- bers of the Lutheran church.
DAM BARTLEY is a prosperous and influential farmer of Carson town- ship, Cottonwood county, Minnesota, and resides on the northwest quarter of section 14. He located on this claim June 3, 1871, and for the first six weeks camped out in his wagon until he could make improvements on his land. He built a sod house and contin- ued his residence on the farm until the fall of 1880, when he went to Iowa, and remained a year. He then returned to his farm, and has since resided thereon.
Mr. Bartley was born in Canada West, September 11, 1844. His father was also a native of Canada, and is now living, at the
age of ninety-four years, on a farm twenty miles distant from the place at which he was born. Our subject's mother's name before her marriage was Catharine Marquette, a native of Canada, and still living. In the father's family there are thirteen living chil- dren-Henry, Rosana, George, Aurilla, Catharine, Carrie, Adam, Michael, William, Lucinda, Margaret, Reuben and Phoebe Ann.
Our subject was reared as a farmer's boy; the educational advantages he received were furnished by the district schools of his na- tive country. He remained beneath the parental roof until he was twenty-four years of age, when he was married, and engaged in farming, coming to Iowa in February, 1869. In May, 1871, he came to Cottonwood coun- ty, Minnesota, and located the land on which he now lives. He was one of the very first settlers of the township, assisted in its organization, passed through varied trying circumstances of early days, and has witnessed the growth of the township from the bleak, almost bare prairie, to the land now dotted with productive farms and pleas- ant homes. On coming to the county our subject had but little means; the extent of his money was forty cents, and his personal effects included a few household goods and a team of horses. He traded the horses for two yoke of oxen, and with this outfit plowed his ground and prepared it for the crop. He has been quite successful in his farming operations, and has accumulated considerable property. He has a number of cattle of the Durham grade, 117 head of sheep, and nine horses. He keeps about sixty head of cattle. Our subject assisted in the organization of the township in 1871, associating in this enterprise with the other early settlers, who were Messrs. Robinson, Smith and Hanson. In politics Mr. Bartley affiliates with the republican party, and is one of the representative men of the county.
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Mr. Bartley was married November 25, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth Story, born in Canada West April 22, 1844. She was the daughter of Benjamin Story, a native of Scotland; her mother was of English birth. In an early day the family came to Canada,
where they reared four children. Her mother died in 1882, being over sixty years of age. The father left Canada and came to Sac county, Iowa, where he now lives a retired life on a farm, and is over eighty years of age. In the Story family there are six living children-Belle, Robert, Elizabeth, Martha, Frank and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Bartley have been blessed with the fol- lowing children-Adam, Catharine and Lizzie.
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ARDIS H. TURNER, one of the prominent farmers of Osborne town- slip, Pipestone county, Minnesota, made his location on the southwest quarter of section 8, March 16, 1878, taking his place as a home- stead. On reaching his new home he at once commenced active operations, breaking some ten acres of land and erecting a sod shanty in which he lived for a number of years. In 1884 he built a comfortable dwell- ing-house, and has continued to make other improvements, until now his farm is provided with good buildings and everything neces- sary to comfort and successful management. The first year our subject had five acres of corn and the grasshoppers succeeded in har- vesting the crop before he did, thus causing the loss of all the time and labor which he had bestowed in seeding and cultivating. Ever since he has resided in the township our subject has exhibited considerable enter- prise in building up the welfare of his local- ity and has surrounded himself with a large circle of friends. He was one among the earliest settlers and assisted in the organiza- tion of the township in the spring of 1879.
He served as township treasurer and was one of the first to hold that position. There were but few in the township when our subject made his location here. Among these were A. D. Kingsbury, A. A. Dodge, George Spalding, E. W. Day, M. N. Gunsolas and Mrs. Ann Day.
The place of the nativity of the subject of our sketch is to be found in Lewis county, New York, where he was born February 5, 1837. His father was Henry Turner, a native of Onondaga county, New York, and a blacksmith by trade, which occupation he followed throughout the greater part of his life. He came to Wisconsin in an early day and for several years engaged principally in farming. His death occurred in the fall of 1878, at which time he was seventy-seven years old. He was an exemplary Christian and a member of the Baptist church. The mother of our subject was Rosella B. Edwards, a native of Vermont, where she was reared and educated. Early in her life she emigrated with her parents to Jefferson county, New York, where she met and mar- ried Henry Turner. She died February 9, 1889, at the age of seventy-eight years. She was an estimable Christian lady and had her name enrolled in the church records of the Baptist church. Our subject was one of thirteen children, of whom he was the fifth in order of birth. The names of these chil- dren were Mary M., George E., Jane, John S., Sardis, Charles M., Almon R., Alzo D., Melvin, Melvina C., Arletta, Lucetta R., Rosetta. Those deceased in the father's family were Jane, Almon, Melvin and Lucetta.
While Sardis H. was still quite young the parents removed to Rodman, Jefferson county, New York, where our subject re- ceived his early training and education, remaining in that locality until he was about seventeen years of age. He was of an ex- ceedingly studious turn of mind, and ad-
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vanced rapidly in his studies, receiving a cer- tificate granting him the right to teach at the age of thirteen years. When he attained the age of seventeen years the parents re- moved to Jefferson county, Wisconsin, this being in the fall of 1854. Here our subject engaged in teaching school during the winter of the first year's residence and worked on a farm during the summer months. In the fall of 1855 he removed to Portage county, same State, where hespent a number of years working on a farm -- working on a farm during the summers and teaching school during the winter months of four years. During this time he was married, and after the period of teaching just mentioned he engaged in work- ing on a farm for two years. In November, 1863, he enlisted in Company H, First Wis- consin Cavalry, as a private. Among the battles in which our subject engaged were, Cleveland, Lost Mountain, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, West Point, Georgia, Carters- ville, and numerous other skirmishes and battles of minor importance. After his dis- charge at Nashville, Tennessee, in July, 1865, Mr. Turner returned to his home in Wiscon- sin and resumed teaching and farming and remained in Portage county until in the fall of 1875. At that time he located in Sara- toga, Winona county, Minnesota, where he remained engaged in various pursuits, prin- cipally that of teaching, for three years. When that time had expired he removed to his present place in Osborne township, Pipe- stone county.
The marriage of the subject of our sketch occurred April 7, 1861, in Belmont, Portage county, Wisconsin. He was married to Miss Mary Jane Smith, who was born in Aroostook county, Maine, in 1842. This lady received her early training and educa- tion in the county of her nativity, where she remained until about twelve years of age, at which time she removed with her parents to Dane county, Wisconsin, where she com-
pleted her education. Later she moved with her parents to Belmont, Wisconsin, where she remained until her marriage. Miss Smith was a daughter of Stephen and Martha J. (Lincoln) Smith, both of whom were natives of New Brunswick, the father being born in St. Johns in 1818, and the mother born in Frederickton in 1821. The parents were farmers by occupation and reared a large family of children-Thomas N., John L., Theodore L., Dorinda N., Martha Ann, Jeronia and Annetta, twins; Cordelia, George Washington, Amanda, Hannah Jane. Annetta, Thomas and Martha Ann are now dead, the last named leaving a husband and three children at her death. Her parents were exemplary members of the Free Will Baptist church. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have five children-Edward Allen, Myron Aldro, Dora May, Marion and Martha A. Dora May married George Straw, May 16, 1886, and is now living in St. Paul.
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