Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens, Part 15

Author: Alden, Ogle & Company
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Alden, Ogle & Company
Number of Pages: 872

USA > Minnesota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 15
USA > North Dakota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 15

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his genial and honorable manner of doing business have earned him a steady and ever increasing trade. He has always taken an active interest in all matters of a public nature, has held various local offices, and every enterprise of a public nature calculated to benefit either his town or county always receives his active support and coopera- tion.

Mr. Swenson was married in June, 1882, to Miss Rose Brown, a native of New York, and their union has been blessed by the birth of two children-Cleveland W. and Eugene W.

In political matters our subject affiliates with the republican party.

ILLIAM P. LONG, a prominent and successful merchant of the Park Regions, is a resident of the village of Osakis, Douglas county, Minnesota, where he is engaged in the general merchandising business, in partnership with H. Flore, the firm name being Long & Flore. Mr. Long is a native of Illinois, born in Pike county, on the 23d day of February, 1842, and is the son of William and Mary (Gose) Long, natives of the State of Virginia. They were married in that State and moved to Pike county, Illinois, in about 183S. The father of the present subject was a farmer through life, and died in the State of Illinois in 1847. The mother of our subject was again mar- ried, in 1850, to Mr. Toner, and they are residing on the old homestead in Pike county. The mother of Mr. Long was blessed with one child, William P., by her first husband, and the fruits of her second marriage were the following named chil- dren-Joseph, Louisa, Jessie and Ellen.

Mr. Long, of whom this memoir treats, remained in his native State until he was

twenty-one years old. During that time he attended the excellent common schools of Pike county, and in the summers assisted his father operate the home farm. In 1863, he removed to Minnesota and settled in Stearns county, where he remained two years, during which time he was on the road considerable, back to his old home, to Chicago, Illinois, etc. From Stearns county he removed to Devil's Lake, Dakota Terri- tory, where he secured a clerkship in the general merchandising store of C. A. Ruffee. He remained with him for one year, and then paid a visit to his old home, and, after remaining there some time, went to Osakis, Douglas county, Minnesota. He secured a position in D. Stevenson's store. Mr. Long remained in that capacity for three years, and at the expiration of that time was offered a position as clerk in the store of J. B. Johnson. He accepted, and remained with Mr. Johnson for ten years. In 1882 Mr. Long then entered into the general merchandising business in partnership with Mr. Lyons, the firm name being Lyons, Long & Co. At the expiration of two years the firm sold out, and our subject formed a partnership, in the same business, with H. Flore. They have since followed the busi- ness in the village and are doing a large and increasing trade. They carry a full line of goods, and are one of the heaviest firms in the county.

Mr. Long was united in marriage, Octo- ber 30, 1871, to Miss Sarah E. Tannehill, and this union has been blessed with the following-named children - May, Effie and Clyde. Mr. Long is one of the prominent business citizens in the village and county, and has held various offices, such as presi- dent of the village, etc. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a republican in politics. He is one of Osakis' representa- tive men, and an active participant in all local matters.

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PARK REGIONS OF MINNESOTA.

LUGH THOMPSON, the well-known banker, and the oldest settler in the village of Fisher, Polk county, Minnesota, is a native of Canada. He was born in Hem- mningford, East Canada, on the 4th day of July, 1850, and is the son of John and Mary (Graham) Thompson, natives of Canada. The family consisted of the following named children-Thomas, James, Adam, Eliza, Mary and Diana.

Mr. Thompson, the subject of this bio- graphical sketch, lived on the home farm, attending the common schools of his native country until he had attained the age of sixteen years. In 1866 he removed to St. Croix county, Wisconsin, where he secured a position in the general merchandise store of Thompson Bros., as clerk, and remained in that position for four years. At the ex- piration of that time he went to Menomonee, Wisconsin, where he clerked for the firm of Knapp, Stout & Company, for four years, and then removed to Crookston, Minnesota, where he went into the employ of A. O. Bailey, and took charge of a store for him. In 1875 he moved to Fisher, Polk county, Minnesota, being the first settler in that place. He at once opened a general mer- chandise store, and for ten years was en- gaged in that business. He then sold his store and engaged in the milling and bank- ing business, in which he has since been occupied. He owns a large steam mill, and is doing an extensive milling business in that locality. He heats his mill with steam, and it is, without doubt, one of the best mills in that region. When Mr. Thompson first set- tled in Fisher, he experienced very hard times. The trains ran on that route only in the summer, and during the winters the provisions, clothing, etc., had to be brought overland from Moorhead, a distance of seventy-five miles. There was a trading post on the Red Lake Indian reservation and Mr. Thompson made a great many

trips with a dog team over the snow-covered prairies, in his intercourse with the Indians. Sometimes during the long, tedious winters food became very scarce, and our subject relates that he many a time had only a mess of fish for breakfast, fully realizing the old saying of "Catfish or no breakfast." While in Crookston Mr. Thompson participated in the first educational movement in that place. There were no schools of any kind at that time, and in 1874 the citizens decided to form a school. Mr. Jocobus and Mr. Porger were appointed as a committee to raise the necessary funds for a teacher. After con- siderable effort he succeeded in raising $75, and at once sent to St. Paul, Minnesota, to secure a teacher. Accordingly a Miss Luella Thompson soon accepted the position, and at once assumed her duties.

Mr. Thompson was united in marriage on the 15th day of December, 1875, to Miss Luella Thompson, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and the daughter of Samuel and Phobe Thompson. The fruit of this union has been one child, Luella May. Mrs. Thompson passed away on the 10th of July, 1888, sincerely mourned by all. She was an accomplished lady and a natural artist. Many of her paintings have been on exhibition in Minneapolis and St. Paul and received high praise from good critics.

Mr. Thompson owns the town site, and is one of the substantial business men of the vil- lage. He has held the following offices- President of the village council, county com- missioner, and surveyor-general of the logs and lumber in the Seventh district. He, with his family, belong to the Presbyterian church. He is a member of the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, Fisher Lodge, No. 87. He was the first postmaster in Fisher village. He has one of the finest residences in the place. A man of the ut- most honor and integrity, his word is as good as a bond. Enterprising and public-

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spirited, every enterprise calculated to bene- fit either his town or county receives his active support and encouragement.

IMON LARSON, of Ashby, Grant coun- ty, Minnesota, is a dealer in general merchandise and is one of the successful and well-known business men of the Park Reg- ions, and as such well deserves notice in this ALBUM. Born in Norway, he comes of that sturdy nationality which has furnished Dakota and Minnesota with so many of their most successful and valuable citizens- a nation proverbial for their industry, frugal- ity and integrity. Mr. Larson was born amid the picturesque hills of his native land on the Sth day of April, 1834, and was the youngest child of Lars and Mary (Jacobson) Hanson, natives of the same kingdom. Up to the age of fourteen years, Simon attended the common schools of his fatherland, early imbibing those principles which so distinguish the nationality from which he springs. The family consisted of six children, whose names were Hans, Jacob, Carrie and Simon, the subject of this article, and Mary and Simon, who died.

From the age of fourteen until he was twenty-one, Simon worked at various em- ployments, including farming, mining, rail- roading, steamboat work, etc. In the year 1863 Mr. Larson decided to seek a live- lihood in a free country, and accordingly embarked on a sailing vessel for the United States. After a voyage of twelve days he landed in Quebec, Canada, going from there to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he remained for a few days, viewing the busy life and activity of a western city. From St. Paul lie went to Rice county, Minnesota, where he worked at the stone mason's trade for five years. Still desirous of viewing the different localities, he went to Northfield, working at

the stone mason's trade for five years, then removing to Grant county, of the same State. In 1873 he homesteaded a farm on section 3, Pelican Lake township, and has since successfully operated this tract of land. In 1882 he opened a dry goods and grocery store in Ashby, and has since run the same in connection with his farm. His farm com- prises 900 acres of well cultivated land, and he carries a full line of dry goods and gro- ceries in the store.

Mr. Larson was united in marriage in 1866 to Miss Carrie Peterson, and this union has been blessed with eight children, two of whom are deceased, as follows-Peter, Mary, Lena, Julia, Sophia and Clara living. Lewis died when but six weeks old, and one named Mary died when eight months old. Mr. Larson with his family belong to the Lu- theran church. He has held the office of village treasurer for one year. In political matters he affiliates with the republican party and takes an active interest in that. party's campaigns.

OBERT BERNON MUMFORD, the agent for the Northern Pacific rail- road lines, and a resident of Glyndon village, Clay county, Minnesota, is a native of Con- necticut. He was born in New London, Con- necticut, in 1842, and is a son of James and Clarissa (Kenyon) Mumford, natives of Rhode Island, where the father was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser. They had a family of seven children, three of whom are now liv- ing - Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Smith, of Connecticut; James A., now engaged in the real estate business in Minneapolis, Min- nesota, and Robert Bernon, the subject of this article. The father died in 1870, and the mother passed away in 1876, both dying in Connecticut. James Mumford, Sr., was the son of Nathaniel Mumford, a native of

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Rhode Island and an extensive land owner and farmer. He was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary War and was of English descent. Clarissa (Kenyon) Mumford was the daugh -. ter of Green Kenyon, a native of Rhode Island, and of Irish descent.

The subject of this article was reared to farm life, and received a common school edu- cation, remaining at home until he was sixteen years of age. He then secured the position of clerk in a general store in Norwich, Con- necticut, and remained at that occupation until 1862. He then enlisted in Company B, Twenty-sixth Connecticut Infantry, as first sergeant. He enlisted for nine months, but served twelve. He participated in a number of hard engagements ; was at Port Hudson, and was under fire for forty-two days. After the war he returned to his home and bought 200 acres of land about three miles from Norwich City, Connecticut, where he re- mained three years. In 1870 he settled in Duluth, Minnesota, where he was engaged in the grocery business for two years. Mr. Mumford then moved to Rochester, Min- nesota, at which place he was occupied in buying and selling all grades of cattle. After three years' sojourn in that place, he moved to Clay county, Minnesota, driving 200 cows. In partnership with a Mr. Tenny, he started a cheese factory in Glyndon. At this time, in 1875, they distributed the stock around among the farmers, and Mr. Tenny managed the factory while Mr. Mumford watched the stock. In 1878 Mr. Mumford commenced his present business, and did a great deal toward the settlement of Richland county, Dakota Territory. He now handles land, principally in Dakota and has a 160-acre farm on section 12, Glyndon township, which he took as a soldier's claim in 1877. He is engaged extensively in general farming and raising of graded cattle, having some stock which he brought here with him that took the first premium at the county fair. Be-

sides the farm, Mr. Mumford owns land in Brainerd and Minneapolis.

Mr. Mumford was married in Connecticut to Miss Helen Phillips, a native of that State and a daughter of George and Mary (Meech) Phillips, who were natives of Connecticut. Mary (Meech) Phillips was the daughter of Deacon Charles Meech, a native of Scotland, who came to this country with his brother, Stephen, on account of religious persecutions in the Old World. He was a deacon in the Presbyterian church for fifty years, and was an extensive farmer in Preston City. The ancestry of the wife of the present subject were of English descent, her grandmother on the Phillips side being Nancy Rose. As far as can be traced, they were devoted to agri- cultural pursuits. Mr. Mumford and wife are the parents of the following children - Arthur, Hamilton, Hale, James and Maurice. Mary died in September, 1887, aged eight months. Mr. Mumford was chairman of the board of supervisors in 1875, and is one of the leading men in Clay county. He is a republican in his political affiliations, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

LAF DAHLHEIM, the leading hardware dealer of Evansville, Douglas county, Minnesota, is a native of Sweden. He was born in Nerike, February 2, 1841, and is the son of William Olaf and Igeborg C. Larson, natives of that kingdom. The father was a farmer, and lived and died in Sweden, as did also the mother. They were the parents of the following children-Lars, Igeborg, Olaf, Per, Johan, Andrew, Carl and August.

Olaf Dahlheim, the subject of this biograph- icalsketch, spent his school days in Nora and Stockholm, Sweden, until reaching the age of twenty-one. Leaving the military school at Stockholm in 1862, he came to the United States in October, landing at New York City, and going, eventually, to Red Wing,

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Minnesota. From there he went to Cairo, Illinois, where he enlisted in the United States navy. He served on the United States gunboat "Ibex" until August 6. 1865, when he was discharged at Mound City, Illinois. He again returned to Red Wing, Minnesota, and remained at that .place for a year or two, and then went to Douglas county, Minnesota. He took a 160- acre homestead in Evansville township, on which he lived for five years, and, in 1873, he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, remain- ing there eight years, engaged in business for Arthur A. Pond in the house furnishing goods business. Our subject then returned to Evansville and engaged in the hardware business, at which he has since been engaged. He carries a full line of heavy and shelf hardware, and carries on a successful business.

Mr. Dahlheim was united in marriage in 1869 to Miss Charlotte Gustava, a native of Sweden, and by whom four children have been born-Gustof, died March 1S, 1SS4; Robert, died October 27, 1872; Alma, died August 5, 1875, and Agnes, who died July 17, 187S. Mr. Dahlheim is an active and representative man of his township, and has held the following offices : school director, village councilman, and president of that body for two terms; constable, assessor, etc. He was a director of the Evansville Farm- ers' Association and treasurer of the cream- ery of that place. Mr. Dahlheim is a demo- crat in his political belief, and has been a member of various social organizations, such as Swedish Brothers' Association and Druids, and belonged to the G. A. R. in St. Paul and Reynold's Post, No. 51, at Alexandria, Minn.

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E. KENASTON, a banker of Brecken- ' ridge, is one of the leading and most prominent citizens in the Red River Valley. He is a native of the Province of Quebec, |

where he was born on the 14th of Novem- ber, 1853, and is the only son of Joseph P. and Jane W. (Eno) Kenaston.

Joseph Kenaston, the father of our sub- ject, with his wife, settled in Ohio, where the wife died in 1854, and two years later, in 1856, he came to the then Territory of Minnesota, and settled in Etna township, Fillmore county, where he was accidentally killed the same fall while chopping wood. Joseph Kenaston's parents were Nathaniel and Sarah (Snow) Kenaston, the former being a native of New Hampshire. At an early day they settled in Canada, where they remained until their death.

The maternal grandparents of F. E. Kenaston were Almond P. and Charlotte (Bowen) Eno, natives of Connecticut and New Hampshire, respectively, and of pure New England ancestry.

The subject of our present article, F. E. Kenaston, was taken to Ohio by his parents when a year old, and two years later was brought to Minnesota by his father. He received an excellent education, finishing his course at the Cedar Valley Seminary, at Osage, Iowa, in the spring of 1870. After this he was employed as a book-keeper, at Osage, for three years, and at the expira- tion of that time, went to Northwood, Iowa, where he engaged in business on his own account, as a dealer in agricultural imple- ments, remaining there from 1874 until 1SS1. During this time he also dealt ex- tensively in real estate. In 1SS1 he removed to Minneapolis, and became general agent for D. M. Osborne & Co., manufacturers of farm machinery. In 1SS5 he went to Breck- enridge, and in September of that year, in company with E. G. Valentine, estab- ished a private bank, which he has since conducted. He is largely interested in other banking institutions in that part of the State, and is president of the bank at Barnes- ville. He is extensively interested in farm-

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ing lands in his own and adjoining counties, as well as in Iowa, and also in village prop- erty. Mr. Kenaston is a man of the highest integrity, and stands high in the community in which he lives. A careful and thorough business man, his public spirit and enter- prise have closely identified him with the later development and progress of the locality in which he resides.

Mr. Kenaston was married, in 1874, to Miss Julia E. Smith, a native of Vermont, and they are the parents of one son -- Burt.

In political matters Mr. Kenaston is a republican. Socially, he is a member of both the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities.

B NDREW HOLES, who is an extensive real estate dealer, doing business at Moorhead, Alexandria and Grand Forks is the person forming the subject of this sketch.

He is a native of Tompkins county, New York, and was born near Ithaca, February 10, 1836. His parents were James and Mary (Hibbert) Holes, natives of England, where they were engaged at farming. They came to America in 1834, and settled in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where they purchased land and went to farming. After- ward they removed to Tioga county, New York, after having first looked over the State of Indiana and not finding what they wanted. James' father's name was Samuel, who was also an English farmer. His wife's name before marriage was Amy Clay. The father was a soldier, having served under Wellington, and was at the famous battle of Waterloo, where he was wounded in his foot. The son James (the father of our subject) had a family of six children, four of whom are now living. One, a daughter, Sarah, died in England at the age of two years. Samuel died, aged fifty-one years, at St.

Cloud, Minnesota. The four now living are George, Andrew, William and James.

Our subject, Andrew, was reared on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and New York, and gained an education at the com- mon school and an academy, leaving school when he was seventeen years old and going to La Porte, Indiana, in 1853, where he taught school twelve miles from the city, during a four months' winter term. IIe spent the next summer at home, but returned to Indi- ana in the fall. The summer following, 1855, he spent at home, and was in the East all the time until 1857, when he again came West, stopping at St. Cloud, Minnesota, where he engaged in making marl lime, the first summer, and in the winter he went to Kandiyohi county, Minnesota, taking up a claim of 160 acres of land, which he im- proved by building a hewn block-house, breaking land, etc. He proved up on this land, and lived thereon some time. Among other experiences in business adventures he had, was the going in with another gentle- man who bought potatoes and tried to ship them down Crow River on a flat boat. The whole cargo was made up of potatoes, hides and tallow. They started from Nest Lake, and had gone two-thirds the length of the river, when the boat swamped in a rap- ids, causing a loss of the whole lot of prod- uce and its occupants to swim ashore. He went to New York in 1859, and spent his time on a farm, and in the winter of 1859-60 he took a contract to build one mile of stump fence. In the autumn of 1860 he went to Michigan, in company with his brother, William, and another young man named Samuel Shirley. They engaged in trapping pine martin for their fur, and, being successful, continued the same for seven months. They sold in Detroit and re- turned to New York. The same company spent the following winter at the same busi- ness and in the same place as trappers.

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After this trapping experience, our subject came to Minnesota a second time, took the stage from St. Paul to Georgetown, fifteen miles north of Moorhead. He took passage on the first steamer," International," for Fort Garry, and, on their way down the river, were threatened by the Indians, from whom they hourly expected an attack. The In- dians claimed they frightened the fish from the stream, so a guard of seven men had to be kept to protect the boat. This wild and romantic exploit was during the month of May, 1862. Upon reaching Fort Garry, our subject, in company with 170 men, fitted out an expedition to start for Carriboo, British Columbia, for the purpose of exploring for gold. In their journey they had what was known as Red River carts, drawn by oxen and horses. They were six months in mak- ing their trip to the Pacific slope. In com- pany with two others, Mr. Holes bought a claim, which proved to be a paying invest- ment. They employed sixty to seventy men, paying them $7 per day, each receiv- ing his gold on Sunday morning, weighed out and properly labeled for each miner. Our subject returned in December, 1865, via Portland, San Francisco and Panama, to New York City. He took the gold dust he had cleared to the Philadelphia mint, where he had it made into coin. His partner, Daniel McAlpine, returned with him, and they both exchanged their gold coins in New York City for government bonds, get- ting twenty-seven cents premium. The " seven-thirty" bonds our subject kept several years, drawing his semi-annual gold interest, but finally sold for a premium. In 1866 he returned to Minnesota a third time, stopping at St. Cloud, with two younger brothers and his mother. He there engaged in the real estate business, spending two winters at Bryant & Stratton's Business College at St. Paul, graduating in 1868. He remained at St. Cloud until 1871, then

moved to Moorhead, where he has since lived. At that date the place consisted of only an old stage station, then abandoned by the stage company and occupied by a settler named Job Smith, who came in the spring of 1871, and sold to our subject, in the sum- mer of that year, his place of 173 acres, where now stands the city of Moorhead. He had taken land in this beautiful and rich valley in 1869-70. The place bought from Job Smith he sold to the Lake Superior and Puget Sound Land Company, which com- pany platted the city. Our subject, how- ever, retained twenty-four acres, on which he erected a fine house and planted an excel- lent orchard. He also engaged for two years in selling flour by the car load, and also built the first ice house in Moorhead. He now deals in both farm and city real estate, at which he has been very successful. He has aided various enterprises in the city, giving $1,500 toward the Moorhead Mills and putting $6,700 into the foundry of that city. He also aided the Red River Manu- facturing Company to the extent of $1,000, to the Broadway hotel, now Hope Academy, $1,000, and afterward $100, besides giv- ing various smaller amounts to other enter- prises.

He was united in marriage in 1870 to his present wife.

In politics Mr. Holes is a republican, and has been a very active citizen in helping to develop the Northwest, especially Moor- head and Clay county. He was the first county commissioner to be appointed by the governor of the State, and has held the office of county commissioner, chairman of the board of supervisors and school trustee at various times since. He is one of the solid and always reliable men of the country in which he lives and so ably represents, and no man has done more to aid in the growth and development of the county in which he lives than has he.

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Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens, Part 15

Author: Alden, Ogle & Company Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Alden, Ogle & Company Number of Pages: 872

Author: Alden, Ogle & Company
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Alden, Ogle & Company
Number of Pages: 872