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 37

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 37
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 37

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Cloud. There he took a Government claim and purchased other lands, making a fine farm of 480 acres. For nine years he re- mained here, part of the time being engaged in contracting and building and buying and selling property. In 1878 he removed to Wahpeton, North Dakota, where he took a Government claim five miles west of the city. He has added to his farm and has now 480 acres of land all in one body. He has im- proved his land and erected good buildings. He built his present residence in Wahpeton in 1880, where he has since lived.

Mr. Orcutt was married in 1880 to Miss Helen Rich, daughter of Morgan and Eliza- beth (Friederick) Rich. One child has blessed this union - Jessie L. Mrs. Orcutt is a lady of refinement and finely educated, and is one of the moving spirits in the society of Wahpeton.

Mr. Orcutt is a democrat in politics, is an Odd-Fellow and a member of the G. A. R. He has been county commissioner and city treasurer for several years, and is now the city assessor. Mr. Orcutt is a man possessed of broad ideas, progressive in his thought, and exerts an extensive influence among his fellow-citizens, by whom he is universally respected.

HARLES E. SAWYER, the efficient cashier of the First National Bank of Crookston, Minnesota, is one of the rising young business men of that city and real estate owners of the county.

The subject of this sketch was born at Waukesha, Waukesha county, Wisconsin, September 26, 1857, and is the son of Silas S. Sawyer, of that city. He remained at home with his parents until he had attained the age of sixteen years, drawing his educa- tion from the excellent schools of the city of his birth. In 1874 he entered the employ of

the Waukesha National Bank and remained with that institution for a period of seven years. In October, 1881, he went to Chicago, Illinois, where, for a few months, he was employed in the First National Bank. At the expiration of that time he removed to Racine, Wisconsin, and was employed by the widely-known J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company in the responsible position of cashier from January, 1882, until January, 1885. At the latter date he came to Crook- ston to assume the duties of cashier of the First National Bank of that place, a position which he still holds.

The First National Bank of Crookston was established in October, 1881, by the individual members of the J. I. Case Thresh- ing Machine Company, and incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000. In January, 1884, the capital stock was increased to $100,000, and the bank is to-day the most important monetary institution in the city. Members of the J. I. Case Company are still large stockholders in the bank, as is Mr. Sawyer. The latter, as one of the board of directors and as cashier, has materially helped in bringing the business to its high state of efficiency and financial standing in the community, and has prospered in his own investments to a satisfactory degree. He has real estate interests in the city of Crookston and a considerable amount of improved and unimproved farm lands throughout the county. One farm of 160 acres, in the en- virons of the city, he carries on under his own supervision.

A man of sterling integrity, affable man- ners, and public-spirited and liberal, he is an honor to the community in which he resides, and is held in the highest appreciation by the citizens of Crookston and the surround- ing country. He is a member of Crookston Lodge, No. 141, A. F. and A. M., and of Pierson Chapter, No. 40, R. A. M. Mr. Saw- yer is a member of the First Baptist church

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of the city and one of the trustees of that congregation. Much of his spare time is given to religious work and the advancement of the cause of Christ, and he endeavors in all things to square his life by the teachings of the Christian religion.

On the 24th of January, 1888, Mr. Sawyer was united in matrimonial bonds with Miss Elsie Jennings, a native of Wisconsin and the daughter of I. U. Jennings, of Crookston.

RICK FRANKBERG, the city police justice of Fergus Falls, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, is a native of Sweden, born on the 9th day of August, 1850.

His parents were Andrew and Britta O. D. (Johnson) Berg, both of whom were natives of Sweden. The father was born in 1805. The father's father was Magnus Berg, and the mother's father was Oloff Johnson. They were all well-to-do-farmers, and were prominent in the affairs of their native country. Magnus Berg was in the war of 1808-9, and served about three years. He had a large family, of whom four sons and one daughter lived to manliood and womanhood. Oloff Johnson had only two daughters, one of whom died at twenty-two, and the other, the mother of the subject of our sketch, lived until 1877, when she died in her native land. She was born in 1815.

Andrew Berg, the father of the subject of our sketch, was a carpenter and builder by trade, and also a pattern-maker. He fol- lowed these lines until 1871, when he re- tired from active business life. Previous to this, however, he had engaged extensively in farming, and ran a large farm in connec- tion with his other business, but in 1856 gave his farm into other hands. From 1871 until his death in 1886 he lived a retired life. He and his wife were loyal and prom-

inent members of the Lutheran church, in which he held a leading office for many years. He was a liberal-hearted man, and was always ready to help the poor. He was respected and loved by all in life and la- mented in death. His wife was a lady of generous qualities, much given to alms- giving, and belonged to various organiza- tions for the promotion of social purity and for the good of her people. They had a familfy of six children-Oloff, now dead ; Magnus, Anna, now Mrs. Johnson; Erick, Andreas, and Jonas, now dead. Three of these children came to America. Oloff set- tled in Chicago, where he was engaged in building and contracting. He came to America in 1867 with his sister, Mrs. John- son. He lived in Chicago until his death, which occurred in 1875. The rest of the children remained in Sweden with the ex- ception of the subject of our sketch.

Mr. Frankberg, whose name appears at the head of this sketch, reached Chicago, Illinois, on the 12th of August, 1871, having left Guttenburg, in his native land, July 21st, of the same year. His childhood-days were spent in school in his native land. Until thirteen years of age lie attended the public schools, and at that age lie had passed all the grades taught in those institutions. At this time he was sent to his uncle Mag- nus, where for one year he attended a select school. After this he was sent to the city of Hudicksvall, where he continued his studies in the high school for one year, at which time he was confirmed in the Lutheran church of that city. He was then engaged as clerk by the proprietor of the principal hotel of that place, in which employment he remained for one year. His father now insisted that he learn the trade of carpen- ter and builder, and the son engaged in this line for two and one-half years. Then for one year longer he served with H. Shavon, in the city of Hernosand, Nor-

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land, finishing his apprenticeship to that trade. At this time he returned home, and, when twenty years of age, in obedience to the Swedish law extant at that time, he attended a military school, being promoted for the third time to the office of vice-corpo- ral. After remaining for one month he visited his father's family for some three weeks, and then migrated to America, com- ing to Chicago in 1871. In Chicago he turned his attention to working at his trade, and, together with his oldest brother, took and fulfilled a great many contracts for building. On the 9th of October of that year came the terrible Chicago fire. At this time the brothers were just completing a new building. This, together with a great many valuables that he had brought from Sweden, was burned and utterly destroyed. His loss directly from the fire was over $1,200, and in a short time he lost $292 more that had been deposited in a bank ; the bank failed, and he was out of money. After the fire he worked at liis trade, and was very successful. He overworked, how- ever, and was taken sick with a fever, being laid up for nine weeks, and was, during the most of this time, paying $5 a week for board and $1 per day for doctor's services. This sickness ate up all of his hard earnings. On his recovery he again turned his atten- tion to working at his trade, and was again successful in gathering together considerable money. During the winter in 1872 he went to a private school for the purpose of learning the English language and the business cus- toms of our country. Again he turned his attention to the carpenter's trade, continuing in this business until 1875, when he went to Pierce county, Wisconsin, where he was en- gaged in contracting and building until 1880. During this time he served as constable for two years and studied law some. But he longed to come further west, and on the 2d day of · October landed at Fergus Falls,

Minnesota, where he went to work for Erwin Gage at the carpenter's trade. Here he had charge of the building of the school-house that was destroyed by fire in 1887. He fol- lowed the business of building and contract- ing until 1884, when he engaged in other lines, and turned his attention to real estate business principally. He followed this until 1885, when he was appointed city justice to fill out the unexpired term of Soren Listoe. In the spring of 1887 he was elected to that office without opposition and has held that position since. He has held nu- merous other positions of trust, being at one time appointed superintendent of the con- struction of the high-school building. Dur- ing the year 1872, when in the city of Chi- cago, he made his declaration of citizenship and took out his first papers in the spring of 1877, then being in Pierce county, Wiscon- sin. His application was made before Judge Bundy from whom he received his natural- ization papers.

On the 24th day of November, 1887, Mr. Frankberg was married to Miss Louise Johnson, of Pepin county, Wisconsin. She was a native of Sweden and came to America when twelve years of age. She was born October 23, 1856. Two sons have blessed this union-Albert P., born February 4, 1881; and George W., born December 20, 1882.

Mr. Frankberg owns a comfortable home on Summit avenue, which he built in 1882. In politics he is a stanch republican, and with his wife and family attends the Luth- eran church. He is a leading member of the Odd-Fellows fraternity, being deputy grand master of this district. He became a member of the Odd-Fellows lodge Decem- ber 25, 1876. In politics Mr. Frankberg takes a prominent place. In 1886 he was appointed secretary of the republican county committee, and in 1888, during the entire campaign, was chairman of the republican

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committee of Otter Tail county. He has proven himself an earnest, enthusiastic worker in political matters, and at all times a wise counselor. His parents' name was Berg, but on attending the millitary school in Sweden he was given the name of Frank, so that his name became Frankberg.

HOMAS D. MULLIN, one of the prominent business men of the famous Park Regions of Minnesota, is at the present writing engaged in the collection business in the thriving village of Herman, Grant county, Minnesota. He is a native of New Brunswick, born on the 18th of February, 1853, and is the son of Joseph and Rachel (Davis) Mullin, natives of Ireland and Wales, respectively. The grandfather of our subject on his mother's side was John Davis, a far- mer and a native of Wales. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch on his father's side was John Arthur Mullin, a native of Ireland, and at one time a merchant in that country. The father of our subject died in April, 1867, and was by occupation a school-teacher. IFe was also engaged at manufacturing boots and shoes in the city of Fredricton, New Brunswick, for a good many years. He with his family belonged to the Free Baptist church. They had a family of the following- named children -John A., Amelia, Joseph H., Eldon, Sarah A., George L., Thomas D., Melburn S., Barnett M. and William H. George was drowned at the age of eleven years, in the St. John river, New Brunswick. John died in a Florida hospital three months before the close of the Civil War. He en- listed in a Maine Cavalry Regiment. Joseph died in June, 1886, in the land of his birth, New Brunswick, being forty years old. He was head salesman in a large dry goods firm at the city of Fredricton, New Brunswick.

Mr. Mullin, the subject of this biograph- ical sketch, spent his school-days in his native land, and at the age of seventeen years quit his school-life and commenced an appren- ticeship in a carriage-shop, continuing at his trade until 1882. Prior to this, in 1879, he had removed to Herman, Grant county, Minnesota, and engaged at his trade until the time mentioned. After quitting his trade he engaged in the hotel business, and during that summer successfully operated the Commercial House in Herman. He then engaged in the same class of business, in which he is now engaged. He traveled as a collector for the Walter A. Wood Harv ester Works, and in June, 1888, resigned his position with that company and commenced his present collection business on his own ac- count. He is extensively engaged in this line of work and is considered to be one of the best men in his line. He carries all lines of collections, and, as he is a man of the utmost honor and integrity, he commands a large and growing business, and is one of Grant county's most prominent business men.

Mr. Mullin was married November 23, 1881, to Miss Abbie S. Cater, who was born at Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1856. She is the daughter of Andrew J. Cater, a farmer and lumberman, who with his family came to Minnesota, in 1869, and settled at Princeton, Minnesota. She is one of six children, and was educated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Mullin are the parents of one child, Genevive, born August 15, 1882. Mr. Mullin was engaged three years with C. M. Stevens in the collection business, and after leaving that gentleman engaged with the Harvester Works. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity-a member of Pres- cott Lodge, No. 162, A. F. & A. M. Eldon. the brother of our subject, is principal of the Provincial Normal School, in Fredricton, New Brunswick, and is considered to be the most highly educated man in the province. In

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1886 he was appointed as commissioner of education at the Indian Colonial Exhibition, at London, England. Barnett,another brother of Mr. Mullin, is a principal of a school in St. Mary's, New Brunswick ; and Melbourn was a partner of our subject's in the carriage business in the village of Havlock, New Brunswick, but since the fall of 1879 he has been in the employ of the Government Railway Works in the city of Moncton, New Brunswick.

PHRAIM A. SWEET, a farmer of Polk county, Minnesota, is a son of Henry and Jane (Dandley) Sweet, natives of New York and Connecticut, respectively. He was born in the province of Ontario, May 22, 1848. He made his home with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age. He followed the business of farming in On- tario till the spring of 1881, when he re- moved to the United States, coming directly to Fisher, Minnesota, where, the first year, he bought 160 acres of land, and the next year purchased eighty acres more, making him a fine farm of 240 acres, besides a piece of timber land on the banks of the Red river. He is an exemplary citizen and a suc- cessful farmer. He resides, at this writing, in Fisher village. Ephraim A. Sweet was married May 29, 1873, to Miss Agnes E. As- selstine, daughter of Benjamin and Char- lotte (Huffman) Asselstine, natives of Ontario. The fruits of this marriage were the follow- ing children-Mabel G., Arthur G., Cyrus J., George II., Edna May, and Harry B., all of whom are living, except George H., who died the fall after they came to this country. Ephraim's parents, who both died in Ontario, have six children, who still survive them at this date-Mulford J., James, George W., Esther M., Orison D. and the subject of this sketch. The parents of Mrs. Sweet also died

in Ontario, and she has eight brothers and sisters now living-Wesley, Cyrus, Nicholas, Coleman, Charlotte, Mary, Olivia, and Effie. Mr. Sweet and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has served as township clerk, supervisor, and school clerk, also as steward of his church.

EXTER E. BRONSON, the affable and accommodating proprietor of the sale and livery stable in Breckenridge, Min- nesota, is a native of New York. He was born in Chautauqua county, New York, in 1838, and is a son of George A. and Mary (Barnes) Bronson, natives of the "Empire State." The father was a blacksmith by trade, and remained in his native State until 1859, when he went to California, where he died September 20, 1860, and the mother died March 4, 1861. They had four children who are now living-Dexter E., Phœbe E., now Mrs. Cyrus Underwood ; Alice A., now Mrs. Ferrin, and Georgia, the wife of Mr. Hale. The subject of this sketch remained at home attending school until he was twenty years of age, at which time he commenced in life for himself. He opened a hotel in Bradford, Iowa, where he had settled in 1853 with his parents. He enlisted, October 2, 1862, in Company B, Sixth Iowa Cavalry, and was in the service three years. He was promoted to first lieutenant and afterward to captain. He served in the Indian war in Dakota, and, after his honorable discharge, moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he remained for several years engaged in the contracting business. In 1879 he moved to Pope county, Minnesota, and settled on a farm near Han- cock, where he remained engaged in agri- cultural pursuits for three years. In 1881 he removed to Wilkin county, Minnesota, and settled in Breckenridge, still operating

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his farm in Pope county for one year. On settling in Breckenridge, he engaged in the hotel business, which he followed for three years. He then started in his present busi- ness, at which he has since been engaged.

Mr. Bronson was united in marriage in 1860 to Miss Vira Foster, and this union has been blessed with two children - George A. and Frank D. Mrs. Bronson is a native of Maine, and is a daughter of Dr. R. R. Foster.

Mr. Bronson is one of the most prominent inen of his village. He lield the office of city marshal for one year, and takes an active interest in all public matters. He is an adherent to the principles of the repub- lican party.

R. BRIGGS. The bar of the Red River Valley includes many of the most able lawyers in the State, and the gen- tleman whose name heads this article may justly be rated as one of the most prominent among them.

R. R. Briggs was born at Lake Mills, Jeffer- son county, Wisconsin, April 20, 1851, and is the son of Silas H. and Sarah A. (Reed) Briggs. The father was born in Steuben county, New York, and the mother was a native of Waupaca, Wisconsin. Silas H. came to Wisconsin when a young man, en- gaging at both farming and mercantile busi- ness. He left that section in 1865 and went to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and farmed for two years ; from there he moved to Wi- nona, where he ran a boarding-house. His wife died at that place in 1868. He remained a few months, and moved to Martin county, Minnesota, again engaging in farming, fol- lowing the same until 1885, when he died. His people were of English origin, and he was a man of much prominence in Wiscon- sin. Sarah H. Reed's father was a native of New York, but came to Wisconsin in an

early day. He spent his last days at St. Charles, Minnesota, where he died in 1885. He was also of English origin.

Our subject, R. R. Briggs, lived with his parents until fourteen years of age, at Wyocena, Wisconsin, where he attended the common schools with the now celebrated Dr. N. E. Wood, of Brooklyn, New York. Our subject then went to Fillmore county, Min- nesota, to assist his father in farm work, also accompanied them to Winona, where he did all kinds of manual labor, paying for his own schooling at the Winona High School, from which he graduated, in 1871, with high honors in the first class which graduated from that school. He made his home for one year with Mrs. Mary C. Nind, who is corresponding secretary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal church. Prior to his graduation he taught school six months in Wisconsin, one term at Mt. Vernon, Minnesota, and one term at Pickwick.

After he had graduated, he was tendered the professorship of the Red Wing Institute, then under the presidency of W. P. Hood. He refused this, however, and entered the law firm of Simpon & Wilson, at Winona, under the tutorship of Judge Abner Lewis, a former member of Congress from New York. After being a student for three years, he was admitted to the bar in 1873, and at once began practice at Winona, where he remained until 1878, when he came to Moor- head. His office is now in the Grand Pa- cific hotel. He is said to possess the most complete private library in the Northwest, much larger than found in any of the public libraries. He values this choice library and his law library at $10,000 dollars. His prac- tice is a large one and is still increasing.

No man of Moorhead has accomplished more or put forth more effort to build up the city and county than has our subject. He was interested in the various railroads

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diverging from the place. He aided the Moorhead foundry and machine shop, also was prominent in the Moorhead Publishing Company (Moorhead Evening News), and has also been a successful operator in farm in- dustry. His residence, which is one of Moorhead's best, is situated on Eighth and Garroway streets, upon a beautiful plat of nine lots.

Mr. Briggs was married July 4, 1875, to Miss Lizzie Bascomb, of Wisconsin. She was a student at the Northwestern Univer- sity at Evanston, Illinois, and a pupil of the celebrated Miss Frances Willard. She also followed teaching in Minnesota some, prior to her marriage. She is now the mother of three children - Florence E., Earl R., and Edith.

Mrs. Briggs is a faithful Christian worker and is vice-president of the W. C. T. U. of Minnesota, and president of her district for the same society. Both parents and children belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. The father has been superintendent of a Sun- day-school for ten years, and has for a long period taught a class of young ladies. In 1884 he represented the Methodist Episcopal church at the general conference at Phila- delphia, as a lay delegate from Minnesota. He holds the office of member of the official board of the Moorhead church. He is a strong advocate of temperance principles and temperance laws, and is a thorough repub- lican in politics. Such is the life story in brief of one of the most highly esteemed gentlemen and one of the leading attorneys of Moorhead.

LE H. LUCKEN, the popular and well-known treasurer of Polk county, Minnesota, is one of the "brave boys in blue " to whom this nation is so much in- debted for their services during the late Civil War, and is the present commander of Cob- ham Post, No. 90, G. A. R., of Crookston,

of which city he is an influential and es- teemed citizen.

It being within the scope of this volume to give a short sketch of the lives of the prom- inent and representative people of this local- ity, it devolves upon us to place in proper order the narrative of the characteristics and events which constitute Mr. Lucken's biog- raphy. He was born in Norway, that cradle of so many dominant races, on the 22d of September, 1837, and is the son of Hans and Maria Lucken. Reared amid his native hills, he there drank in that spirit of liberty and independence that is so characteristic of the man, and there received the elements of an education, the birthright of every native of that favored kingdom. In 1857, being then some twenty years of age, he bade adieu to his Northland home, and, crossing the seas, landed in Eastern Canada, where he made his home until September, 1861, when he immigrated into the United States. Scarce had he reached his post of destination, Madison, Wisconsin, when, on the 20th of September, he enlisted in Company H, Fif- teenth Wisconsin Infantry, and remained a member of that gallant band of heroic men until the spring of 1865. He bore a con- spicuous part in the capture of Island No. 10, in the battles of Perryville and Stone River, and bore the flag of his regiment, so oft the oriflamme of victory, throughout the awful carnage of Chickamauga's bloody day and the perilous assault and capture of the con- federate lines on Mission Ridge. At Chicka- mauga a minie-ball from an enemy's musket grazed his head, knocking him helpless and insensible with a wound upon his scalp. His comrades seeing him fall, left him on the field for dead, but within an hour he was in his old place in the lines of the regiment, with his head tied up in a handkerchief and the beloved ensign of his adopted country waving above him. The command having been assigned to the column of Gen, W. T.

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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 37

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