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 22

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 22
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 22

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Mr. Mackenroth was united in marriage on the 14th of December, 1868, to Miss Ter-

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race Smithberger, and this union has been blessed with the following named children- Frank H., Arthur, Alice, Emil, Charles, Sel- ma, William, Matilda, Orwille, George and Ida. The subject of this sketch is one of the representative men of Barnesville, and has held various offices, such as town clerk. justice of the peace, school director and school clerk. He isa member of the Masonic fraternity, Pierce Lodge, No. 169, A. F. & A. M. He is a republican in politics, and takes an active interest in all local affairs.

ATHAN M. PRESCOTT, one of the enterprising and thrifty agriculturists of Grant county, Minnesota, is a resident of section 20, Delaware township. He was born in Franklin, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, March 4, 1825, and is a son of Jonathan W. and Phebe (Morrison) Prescott, also natives of New Hampshire. Nathan was apprenticed, at the age of sixteen years, to a molder, with whom he remained for three years. At the age of nineteen he com- menced the struggle of life for himself, and for the next few years worked at the trade. He then went to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he followed his trade for a period of nine years. At the expiration of that time he moved to Minnesota, locating at St. An- thony Falls, in 1856. He continued to re- side there, engaged in a planing mill, until 1869, when he removed to Dakota county, Minnesota, settling in Waterford, a small village near Northfield. For the next eleven years his attention was taken up with farm- ing and the dairy business. In 1880 he sold out his business interests, and soon after- ward took up his residence in Grant county, Minnesota. He filed on a homestead of 160 acres on section 20, Delaware township. He has since. added 160 acres as a tree ·claim.

It was Mr. Prescott who first introduced full-blooded Jersey cattle into the State.

Mr. Prescott was married January 12, 1847, to Miss Rozilla M. Haley, the daughter of Daniel N. and Nancy (Morrison) Haley. By this union Mr. and Mrs. Prescott have been blessed with the following children- Nancy, now Mrs. C. W. Lynde, residing in Dakota; Faustina, the wife of P. H. Clague, a druggist of Herman village; Herbert, married to Miss Lizzie Shellenbarger, and residing on section 20, Delaware township; John; David, married to Miss Betzworth, of Iowa, now living in Spokane Falls, Wash- ington Territory ; Fred, married to Miss Lottie Quilliam, and a resident of Spokane Falls, Washington Territory ; Frank (de- ceased), and Nathan C. The family are devoted members of the Methodist church. Mr. Prescott is a prohibitionist, both in precept and practice, and has held various offices of his township, including township treasurer, assessor, and member of school board while in St. Anthony Falls. He is a member of Prescott Lodge, No. 162, A. F. & A. M., at Herman.

LLERY C. DAVIS. While the current of some men's lives runs peacefully along in shady nooks and quiet reaches of the river of life, others are full of the riffles and rapids and seem born to action in wider spheres. Of this latter class is that of Mr. Davis, the subject of our present memoir, who has always filled a prominent part in the history of the country.

Ellery C. Davis, now a leading man of the . city of Crookston, Minnesota, ex-mayor of that place and formerly an extensive railroad contractor, was born in Washington, Sullivan county, New Hampshire, January 24, 1832, and is the son of David L. and Olive

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(Shackley) Davis. When but a few months of age his parents moved from the "Old Granite State" to Hyde Park, Massachu- setts, where our subject received the ele- ments of a good education and grew to man's estate. After laying the foundation of knowledge in the district schools of that locality he studied civil engineering, and when nineteen years old was appointed as- sistant engineer of what is now known as the Baltimore & Ohio railroad system, and for six years followed that profession in the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Ile was employed on the first railroad that crossed the State of Illinois, the Terre Haute, Alton & St. Louis, but in 1856, after his marriage, purchased a farm near Terre Haute, Indiana, . and engaged in the independent and quiet life of a farmer.

In August, 1862, during the course of the Rebellion, when the land was covered with the pall of death, "and the torrent grew dark with the blood of the slain," he received authority from Governor Morton, the noted war governor of Indiana, to raise a com- pany or battery of light artillery; but when the men were enlisted and ready to be mus- tered into the service it was changed to an infantry organization. and became Company G, of the Eighty-fifth Indiana Infantry, of which Mr. Davis was commissioned as cap- tain. With his command he served under General Gordon Granger, in Kentucky, until after Chickamauga's bloody day, when the command to which he belonged was assigned to the Twentieth Corps, under Major-General Joseph Hooker. Ile participated in the "Battle Among the Clouds," at the storming of Lookout Mountain and in all the subse- quent engagements until after the battle of Peach Tree Creek, when, on account of physical disability, he was compelled to resign his commission and return home. A month later he was appointed by the governor of the State, in recognition of his valuable serv- 1

ices, as military agent of Indiana. and re- turned to the front, where " deeds of eternal fame were done." There he remained until the winter of 1864-65, when his disability growing greater, he once more returned to Indiana and sought rest and the restoration of his health on his farm. In the following spring he sold his place and engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, but followed that line of trade for only one year, at the expiration of which he removed with his family to Chicago, Illinois. For a time he was there engaged in contracts for street paving, and then followed contracting on the Illinois and Michigan canal. When the latter was finished in 1871, Mr. Davis took a large contract on the construction of the Northern Pacific railroad, grading the same from Detroit to Moorhead. He then took a simi- lar contract on the St. Paul & Pacific railroad, now the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba, from Crookston north, which he finished in a satisfactory manner. He shipped a large amount of goods to Breckenridge by rail, and there building two large flat boats on the river, shipped them to Grand Forks. At the same time he loaded some twenty-five teams with goods, intending to cross the prairie with them. He found the ground so soft that he could make no headway, and was compelled to lighten the loads, and leave goods by the wayside to return for them when the weather would permit. The teams crossed the Red River at Georgetown and came up on the Dakota side of the river, or they would never have got through. He himself came round by Grand Forks, with a team and light buggy, and driving to where the survey crossed the river, then one and a half miles from where Crookston now stands, placed two logs together, on which he put the body of his buggy, with the wheels inside, and crossed the river. Hitching up on the other side, he drove to Glyndon. On return- ing to Crookston he sent his teams to Grand

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Forks. The boats which were built in Breck- enridge were pulled to pieces in Grand Forks. From this place these teams hauled the lum- ber to Crookston, where it was used in the construction of the first frame building in the village, an edifice which stood until 1886 ere it was torn down.

Mr. Davis made Crookston his headquar- ters, having his store in a tent until the erec- tion of his building for the time he was en- gaged in the contract. Besides the railroad supplies he was engaged in the general mer- chandise trade at that point for some time. When he first came here, on the 11th of June, he took a claim, upon which his pres- ent residence now stands, and all of which is now within the city limits, sixty acres of it being cut into blocks and lots.

Mrs. Davis came to Crookston in August, 1872, and remained here until the arrival of the train, a week or two later, when she left, being the first lady to leave the town on the train. In October following she re- turned, and she and her husband took up their residence in four of the offices built for the construction of the railroad, which being placed together formed a house about sixty-five feet long and ten feet wide. In this domicile they made their home for six years.

When the county of Polk was organized in 1872, Mr. Davis, in recognition of his ability as a business man, was chosen the first chairman of the board of county com- missioners, and in 1878 was re-elected to the same office. In the latter year the city of Crookston was incorporated, and our subject was elected the first mayor and held that office for three consecutive years. In 1881 he took a contract to grade a portion of the Winnipeg & Duluth railroad, and remained on that work until the following spring, when, for want of financial means, the work was stopped. In the spring of 1886 Mr. Davis was employed in making the prelimi- nary survey for the Brainerd, Crookston &

Grand Forks railroad, and the same year was again elected to fill the office of mayor of Crookston.

Mr. Davis' father, David L. Davis, started in 1832 as superintendent of construction and repairs on the Boston & Providence rail- road, and has been with that road ever since in that capacity; being one of the oldest railroad men in the United States. On the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the road the officers tendered handsome recog- nition to Mr. Davis of his services.

The subject of this sketch is living in the first brick house erected in the whole Red River Valley, the brick of which were made on the homestead of the owner in 1879. In addition to his real estate in the town, Mr. Davis owns a fine farm of some three hun- dred acres within five miles of Crookston.

Mr. Davis was united in marriage, Novem- ber 15, 1854, with Miss Rachel M. Appleton, a native of Northfield, Summit county, Ohio, and daughter of Thomas and . Hannah (Myers) Appleton. By this union they have had two children -- Francis E. and Jesse L.

OHN E. RINEHART, who is engaged in the furniture business in the village of Osakis, Douglas county, Minnesota, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born at Gettysburg, Adams county, Pennsylvania, on the 13th of August, 1828, and is the son of John and Catharine (Plank) Rinehart, natives also of Pennsylvania. They were married in that State, and botlı remained there until their death. The mother died when our subject was but one year old, and the father passed away in 1865. They were the parents of two children-Rebecca and John. The former is now deceased. She was the wife of a Mr. Stallsmith, of Gettys- burg, Pennsylvania. They were the parents

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of four children-Mary, William, Rebecca and John. The father of our subject was married, the second time, to Miss Polly Stall- smith, and this union was blessed with the following children-Soforo, Levi and Alfred.

John E. Rinehart, of whom this sketch treats, spent his school days in his native State, and attended the common schools at and near Gettysburg until he had reached the age of twenty years. He received a prac- tical education, calculated to benefit one for life's work. After leaving the school-room, he remained at home. assisting his father on the home farm until he was twenty-four years of age. At that period he commenced in life on his own account, and until 1852 was engaged in carpentering and joining. He then removed to Ohio, where he re- mained some time and then removed to Indiana, where he remained until 1855. On the 5th of May, 1855, he removed to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he stayed some time, and then went to Farmington, Dakota county, Minnesota, and took a homestead of 160 acres of land, and resided there eleven years, engaged in farming. He was one of the earliest settlers in that county, and, in addi- tion to his farming interests, followed car- pentering to some extent. In 1866 he went to Osakis, Douglas county, Minnesota, and on the 1st of September bought land in Osakis township, and for five years followed farming exclusively. He still retains his farm, and has now 1,000 acres. He owned at one time 1,500 acres, and was one of the most extensive and prominent farmers in the county. After leaving the farm, he removed to the village of Osakis, where he opened a furniture store, and has since carried on the business. He carries a full stock of goods, and is one of the most successful business men in the village. In addition to his furniture business, he is engaged in the poultry, hay and wood business, and is doing a large trade in the village and vicin-

ity. He owns twelve lots in block 8, Stevens' addition to Osakis, on which his store and dwelling are located.

Mr. Rinehart was married on the 1st of January, 1861, to Miss Philenia Gibbs, and this union has been blessed with the follow- ing named children-Ambrose, Emma and Edna. The two daughters are at home, and the son is in Nebraska. Mr. Rinehart is a republican in politics, and is an active par- ticipant in all matters of a local nature.

HARLES O. WINGER. In examining the biographies of many of the prom- inent business men of the villages of Minne- sota. it will be noticed that the Norwegian race furnishes many of the best, most frugal, energetic and thrifty citizens in these places. The subject of this biographical sketch is a native of Norway, born near Christiania on the 24th day of June, 1854, and is a son of Ole and Annie (Clementson) Winger, also natives of Norway.

Mr. Winger the subject of this article, spent his younger days in attending school at the city of Christiania, and in 1872 emi- grated to the United States. After landing at Castle Garden, New York, he went to Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, where he remained two years attending the high school at that place. One year he had charge of a hotel at Grand Rapids, and after leaving there, engaged on the river and in the pineries. After traveling through Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, he settled in Grant county, Minnesota, where he homesteaded 160 acres in Delaware township, on section +, where he lived, engaged in a general farming and stock-raising business until 1881, when he removed to Herman village, where he secured a clerkship with Wells Brothers, and after working six months for that firm, went to Morris, Minnesota. He there was

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employed as a clerk for four months, and at the expiration of that time he returned to IIerman, where he took charge of a general merchandising store for John Christenson, for whom the subject of this article worked until the spring of 1887. Mr. Winger then engaged in business for himself, opening a general merchandise store, and has been en- gaged in the same since that time. He car- ries a full line of goods, and is one of the most prominent merchants of Herman village.

Mr. Winger was united in marriage in 'Fergus Falls on the 10th day of September, 1883, to Miss Amelia Aurland, a native of Norway.

Mr. Winger is now secretary of the board of education. He is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and is secretary of that body. He is a man of the strictest honor and integrity, highly esteemed by all who know him.

In political matters Mr. Winger is a pro- hibitionist, and his wife is the county presi- dent of the W. C. T. U., and both are prom- inent workers in the temperance cause.

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ARTIN JOHNSON, who is engaged in the dry goods business in Glyn- don village, is a native of Norway, born in 1844, and is a son of John and Jennie (Lar- son) Johnson, also natives of that kingdom. There were three children in the family - Martin (our subject), Louis and Johanna. Martin received his education from the com- mon schools, and remained at home until he was ten years of age, when he commenced life for himself by learning the boot and shoe trade. After working some five years, he set up a shop for himself, and was thus engaged until he emigrated to the United States. In 1865 he came to this country and settled in Lansing, Iowa, where he worked at his trade for ten years. He next moved

to Red Wing, Minnesota, where he worked at the boot and shoe trade for twelve months, when he removed to Clay county, Minnesota. He located first at Glyndon, where he erected a building and engaged in his old occupation, employing a number of workmen, and carry- ing a full line of stock. In about three years and a half he engaged in the mercantile business, still retaining the former establish- ment. In 1879 he took a tree claim in Morken township, but soon sold out and pur- chased the building in which the present business of the firm of Johnson & Hanson is carried on. During the same year Mr. Johnson built his present residence on Pleas- ant street. Mr. Johnson is an active and representative business man of his village, and at present holds the office of town and village treasurer.

Mr. Johnson was united in marriage, in 1872, to Miss Mary Hanson, the daughter of Hans and Catharine Hanson. By this union Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been blessed with the following children - Joseph, Oscar, Herman and Edith. The family are exem- plary members of the Methodist church. Mr. Johnson is a prohibitionist, both in pre- cept and practice.

ENRY B. HERRICK, the postmaster of the village of Fisher, Polk county, Minnesota, is a native of the " Empire State." He was born in the town of Jerusalem, Yates county, New York, September 23, 1827, and is the son of Jacob and Roxa (Bradley) Herrick, also natives of the State of New York. The mother died when our subject was thirteen years old, and the father removed to Lake Grove, Wisconsin, and took government land, upon which he has since lived. The father and mother of our sub- ject were the parents of the following named children - Gilbert, Polly, Julia A., Adaline,

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Jason A., Henry B., Phehe M., Harriette and Miles N., four of whom are deceased. The father of the present subject was mar- ried, the second time, in 1848, to Miss Sarah Rouse.

H. B. Herrick, the subject of this biograph- ical memoir, remained at his father's home in Wisconsin until he had attained the age of twenty-eight years. At that period in life he went to Viroqua, Vernon county, Wis- consin, where he remained two and one-half years. The first year and a half he was engaged in the hotel business, and the last year he was employed as a stage agent. He then went to Winona, Minnesota, where he remained eight years, engaged in the stage business. At the expiration of that time Mr. Herrick engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, and soon afterward went to Eyota, Minnesota, and was engaged in the wheat business for seven or eight years. In Octo- ber, 1879, he removed to Polk Connty, Min- nesota, and settled in the village of Fisher, where he took charge of an elevator, which he still runs. He is also postmaster, having been appointed in 18Số. He owns a fine residence in the village, and is a respected and prominent citizen.

Mr. Herrick was united in marriage on the 29th day of January, 1852, to Miss Eveline Armstrong, the daughter of Samuel and Carrie (Van Allen) Armstrong. Mr. and Mrs. Herrick have been blessed with the fol- lowing named children - Fred, deceased ; Eva, deceased ; Harry, who married Miss Lillie Lake, and is now the efficient station agent at Owatonna, Steele county, Minne- sota ; Hellen Maud, the wife of Mr. Bain, a prosperous farmer of Polk county, Minne- sota ; and Edith, who is now living with her parents and is deputy postmaster. Mr. Her- rick, the subject of this article, is an adher- ent to the principles of the democratic party, and always evinces an active interest in that party's campaigns.

LORACE G. URIE. the efficient editor of the Evansville Enterprise, in Evansville, Douglas county. Minnesota, is a native of Wisconsin. He was born at Stoughton, Wisconsin, November 29, 1859, and is a son of Joseph and Anna (Iverson) Urie, natives of Tennessee and Norway, re- spectively. There were three children in the family -Joseph, Horace and Cora.

Horace Urie spent his school days in Stoughton, and at the age of seventeen finished his education in Milton College. After leaving school he was employed as a clerk in Edgerton. Wisconsin, which position he held for two years. He then opened a printing office in Oregon, Wisconsin, and, after successfully operating the same for one year, he sold out and moved to Douglas county, Minnesota. In the fall of 1882 he opened his present office. which he has since continued torun. In addition to his editorial occupation he handles organs and sewing machines.

Mr. Urie was joined in marriage on the 16th day of November, 1SS5. to Miss Betty M. Mathisen, and this union has been blessed with two children, twins, Horace and Joseph. Mrs. (Mathisen) Urie was born, reared and educated in Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. Urie is one of the substantial men of his county, highly esteemed and honored by all who know him. In political matters he is an adherent to the principles of the republican party, and always takes an active interest in that party's campaigns.

OUIS GEWALT, a prominent hardware merchant of Breckenridge, Wilkin county, Minnesota, is a native of Germany. He was born in the State of Sachsen-Coburg- Gotha, Germany, on the 20th of March, 1857, and is the son of Henry and Wilhelmine (Herzog) Gewalt, natives also of that duke-

PARK REGIONS OF MINNESOTA.

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dom. The father of the present subject was an extensive and successful farmer in his native land, and dealt in cattle to a con- siderable extent. He died in 1873, and was one of the leading men in the locality in which he lived. IIe with his family belonged to the Lutheran church, and he was trustee of that organization for a great, many years through life. They were the parents of the following named children -- Herman, Ed- mund, Caroline, Rudolph, Louis; Natalie and Huldreich.

Louis Gewalt, the person of whom this sketch treats, received his education in his native land, and attended the excellent com- mon schools of that country until he had reached the age of fourteen years. On the 1st of May, 1871, he entered an apprentice- ship to the tinner's trade, and completed his trade on the first day of May, 1874. HIe remained at the same place for one year as a journeyman, and then traveled through the different States of Germany, France and Switzerland, in order that he might reach greater proficiency in that line. In 1882 Mr. Gewalt emigrated to the United States, and on the 21st of August, 1882, landed at Hoboken. He at once went to Breckenridge, Minnesota, and worked for a time with a tinsmith, O. P. Todd, and in April, 1884, purchased his stock of hardware and has since carried on the business alone. In 1887 he built his present building on Fifth street, and he carries a large and complete stock of heavy and shelf hardware, also handling stoves, tinware, cutlery, etc. In addition to his hardware store, he owns a fine, well cultivated farm of 152 acres in Sargent county, Dakota Territory. He is one of the prominent and representative citizens of Breckenridge, and has held the offices of township treasurer for three years, and village treasurer for two years. He is a democrat in political affiliations, and takes an active interestin all local matters, extend-

ing hearty encouragement to every enter- prise calculated to aid in the growth and development of the town or county.

ATRICK H. LAMB, mayor of Moor- head, and one of the firm of Lamb Bros., is a native of the County Tyrone, Ireland ; born March 17, 1847, he was the son of Owen and Elizabeth Lamb, also natives of Ireland. By trade the father was a butcher, which he followed in his native land. He came to America with his family in 1849, settling in New Hampshire, where he remained three years, engaged in farming; from there he went to Connecticut, engaging in the same occupation ; thence he went to Missouri, where he again went to farming, raising grain and stock, remaining until 1880. He then moved five miles north of Moorhead, Clay county, Minnesota, where he purchased a farm and where he died two months after his settlement. He had a family of eight. children, seven now living-John. Patrick, Michael, William, Owen, Peter and Mary.

Our subject was educated in the common schools of Connecticut, and when a young man he first worked in a cotton factory at Baltic, that State. He then again engaged in farming and brick-making for seven years, in Missouri, and in 1872 he came to Moor- head, Minnesota, where he first engaged in railroading and helped construct the North- ern Pacific to 'Bismark, in Dakota, after which he engaged in freighting from Moor- head to Winnipeg and Manitoba, in which he continued two years, having a number of teams there with him ; then, with his brother, they started a feed and sale stable in Moor- head, which they still continue; also carried on the manufacturing of brick since 1874, in which they employ a number of hands, and still are engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing. He has 400 head of native and blooded

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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 22

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