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 62

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 62
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 62

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until they closed out, a year later. From that time until the winter of 1871-72 he was variously employed, and then went to Min- neapolis, and was there and in St. Paul engaged in clerical work for five years, and in the sewing-machine business. Having, by industry and vital energy. conquered a good education, in the fall of 1877 he com- menced practical surveying and the study of civil engineering, following that profession for two years steadily under a thorough instructor.

May 17, 1879, he left Faribault with a horse and buggy containing, besides his wife and child, a complete surveying outfit, and came to Ada, with a cash capital of $4.50. When he started, on his arrival in the lat- ter place he had but 50 cents. Ile started to look upa claim,he found it in the town of Gar- field, now inside of the limits of the village of Fertile, and settled there, one of the first families in that part of the country. On the organization of the town in 1880, Mr. Ham- ery was chosen town clerk, and held that office and that of justice of the peace as long as he remained a resident of the town. In the fall of 1881 he was appointed deputy county surveyor, and has since that time followed civil engineering as a mnode of live- lihood. In 1883 he removed to Crookston, and that fall was appointed deputy United States surveyor for the district of Minne- sota, and held that position for nearly four years. In the fall of 1882 he was elected to the office of county surveyor, and held that office for two years. In April, 1887, Mr. Hamery received his appointment to his present position and was re-appointed to the same in the spring of 1888

Mr. Hamery was married September 12, 1875, to Miss Joanna C. Johnson, a native of Dane county, Wisconsin, and daughter of Thomas Johnson, the first settler in the town of Garfield. By this union there have been three children, as follows-Mary Matilda,

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born April 10, 1877 ; George Thomas, whose birth took place April 6, 1881; and Stella Miranda, born March 23, 1887.

- VERY W. HIXSON, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 19, Lein township, Grant county, Minnesota, is a native of Iowa, born at Bur- lington, January 10, 1846, and a son of John and Mary (Burnett) Hixson, natives of Ohio. Our subject remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, at which period in his life he engaged in farming on his own account for a few years. He then purchased a saw-mill, which he continued to operate for about eight years, and which he has since retained. In 1883 he removed to Grant county, Minnesota, and bought 320 acres of land on section 19, Lein township, where he has since remained.

Mr. Hixson was united in marriage Sep- tember 17, 1868, to Miss Martha B. Long, daughter of Kendall and Macury (Clarkson) Long. Mr. and Mrs. Hixson have been blessed with three children-Almont, Robert B. and Berthia. Mr. Hixson has been a mem- ber of the town board for several years, also school director. In political matters he affiliates with the republican party, and is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. He is a gentleman of the strictest honor and integrity, a capable and intelligent business man, and is highly esteemed both as a neighbor and an exemplary citizen.

JOHN H. GRASS is a member of the firm of Grass, Morrison & Grant, dealers in dry goods, clothing, carpets, boots and shoes, hats and caps, and all those articles usually · kept in a retail dry goods store, and is located at Fergus Falls, Otter Tail county, Minnesota.

Mr. Grass is a native of Walworth county, Wisconsin, and was born on March 1, 1850. He is the son of Anthony and Catherine (Noblet) Grass, both of whom were natives of Alsace, Germany. Anthony's parents were Joseph and Barbara Grass, who came to America when he was twelve years old and located in Detroit, Michigan, where the father engaged in the manufacturing of boots and shoes. Later he sold out his boot and shoe business and engaged in farming in Michigan, and the family remained on the farm until 1844, when they removed to Wis- consin, settling at Spring Prairie, Walworth county, where they engaged in the occupa- tion of farming throughout their lives. Jo- seph Grass was one of the prominent farmers of the county in which he lived. Both he and his wife lived to a ripe old age and died, the one at the age of eighty-six, and the other at eighty-one years of age. They were both members of the German Catholic church. He was a supporter of the demo- cratic party. In their family there were four children - Anthony (the father of the subject of our sketch), Barbara, Abbie and Rosabelle. Anthony was reared on the home farm and remained on the homestead until 1869. At this time he sold out and removed to Racine county, Wisconsin, where he purchased some two hundred acres of land, and where he is still living, en- gaged extensively in farming. He has a fine farm, and has made a marked success in that line of business. He has many head of fine cattle and is engaged extensively in dairying, selling milk and cream to the creameries. He had a family of nine children. One daughter, Elizabeth, was drowned in a lake when eighteen years of age by the capsizing of a boat. She, with another young lady, was taking a pleasure ride on the lake on the home farm. The living chil- dren are Nicholas, Abbie, Catherine, John H., Joseph, Frank, Annie, Julia and Edward G.

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The subject of our sketch was reared on the home farm, receiving his education in the Rochester Academy, of Rochester, Wis- consin, and also at the Burlington high school. When eighteen years of age he commenced clerking in Burlington, Wis- consin, remaining employed in this line for four years. After the end of this time he removed to Elkhorn, Walworth county, Wis- consin, where he had charge of a store for his former employer, Joseph Cram, in whose employ he continued for three years. Then, in company with B. C. Drake, he purchased a stock of goods and ran a business for one and a half years, and then sold out to his partner. In 1879 he came to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and commenced business with O. C. Chase & Co. Finally Chase sold his interest to Mr. Grant and the firm became Grass, Morrison & Grant. The business has been continued under that firm name.

In 1876 Mr. Grass was married to Miss Adella Silvernail, of Waukesha county, Wis- consin, daughter of Peter Silvernail. One child has blessed this union-Charles F.

Mr. Grass affiliates with the republican party and is a prominent member of the Odd-Fellows fraternity. He has built up an exceedingly large business in the line of staple dry goods, and has also made several other fortunate investments of capital in Fergus Falls and vicinity. Heis extensively engaged in farming in Otter Tail county, and has made an excellent success in the breeding of blooded stock. In his stables are to be found Holstein cattle of fine grade and form, and on his fields Shropshire sheep and Jersey red swine. In the stock business he is associated with his youngest brother, Edward G., who is at present attending to the management of this business. They have an extensive farm located on the Red river between Fergus Falls and Brecken- ridge. Mr. Grass has been eminently suc- cessful in all his business ventures in Fergus

Falls, and has to-day become one of the wealthiest and most substantial citizens of the town and county. He is a thorough- going, energetic business man, and inspires confidence in all those with whom he has business relations.

R EV. C. SAUGSTAD, the pastor of the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran church of Crookston, a faithful watchman upon the walls of Zion, was born in Norway June 13, 1838, and is the son of Tollef and Kirsti Saugstad. In 1850 his father, with a desire to lift his family out of the poverty that was one of the necessities of existence in that country, came to the United States to prepare a home for them, and located in Vernon county, Wisconsin. The next year the mother and her two younger children crossed the ocean to join her husband, leav- ing three boys, the subject of this sketch among them, in their native land to look out for themselves, and to follow when and how they could. With the noble independence which is a part of the Norwegian character, and which has preserved their land from despotism, the subject of our memoir toiled on to accumulate the money necessary to cross the seas that divided the family, rely- ing upon himself, and in 1854 immigrated into this country. Working his way across the stormy Atlantic, he landed at Quebec, Can- ada, from which port he came as far as Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, where, his money giving out, he went to work some three months to earn enough to carry him to his parents. At the end of that time he reached Vernon county and found the family settled on a forty-acre farm. By combining their efforts the boys assisted their father to increase the homestead to 120 acres and place the family in more comfortable circumstances.

The subject of our sketch remained with

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his parents, or rather gave them the benefit of his labor, until he had reached his legal majority, when, without a dollar, he com- menced life for himself. Purchasing eighty acres of wild land and erecting a log cabin thereon, he commenced its tillage. A short time after this, however, he traded with his brother, who was living on the family home- stead, paying the difference in money. Going to work now to clear himself of the debt incurred, he spent the next ten years in "a rough struggle with a reluctant nature," and brought the place to a high state of cul- tivation. While on that place Mr. Saugstad was quite prominently identified with all town and school matters. He held several of the offices, such as chairman of the town board, or treasurer, as well as that of school director, nearly all the time of his residence there.

While living upon the farm his attention was called to religious matters by an elder brother, and by earnest inquiry became a convert to the cause of Christ. He became quite interested in the religious welfare of his neighbors at the same time, and for three years, besides testifying to his faith in public, was at the head of the Sabbath school of that locality. Shortly after this he deter- mined to procure the necessary education, and to enter the ministry and devote his time and talents to the service of the Master. With that end in view he entered Augsburg Lutheran Seminary, at Marshal, Dane county, Wisconsin, where he devoted some three years to study. At the expiration of that period he removed to Burnett county, in the " Badger State," where he taught school for five years, and preached the word of the Lord regularly every Sabbath. Returning to Vernon county, he there received the appointment from the Synod of missionary to Douglas county, Minnesota. After spend- ing two or three months in that locality preaching the "glad tidings of great joy,"

he returned to his home. His efforts pleas- ing the people of Douglas county, a call to the pastorate was sent him, which he accepted, and on going to Minneapolis was ordained to the ministry by Prof. A. Weenaas, August 12, 1872.

Mr. Saugstad, settling in the town of Holmes City, Douglas county, devoted his attention to the pastoral care of the people committed to his charge, which extended over all the district from the east line of Stearns county to Big Stone Lake, and some sixty miles north and south, and in the per- formance of his duty visited many points in the Red River Valley. In 1880 he was called to what is now Neby, Polk county, where he lived on a farm belonging to his congregation, where he remained over five years. The district assigned him embraced all this northern part of the Valley, having churches at Neby, Satterdalen, Crookston, Seons church, Trinity church, Grand Forks, Turtle River, and Park River. The following years he performed his duties over this ex- tensive field, but in 1883, it proving too much for him, he was relieved of a portion of the burden, that he might give greater atten- tion to the part remaining. In 1885 he re- moved to Crookston, and has, at the present, charge of the church there and three more in the county. That year the congregation of that city put up a temporary edifice for worship, which was replaced in 1888 by a fine building. The latter is 34x56 feet in size in the main part, eighteen feet high, with an annex 18x20 feet in area. The tower is twelve feet square and rises to a height of ninety-five feet from the ground. The structure was erected at a cost of $3,500.

Mr. Saugstad was married January 19, 1861, to Miss Randine Johnson, who died April 28, 1877, leaving five children to mourn her loss, four having preceded her in death. Those living are-Ida C., now Mrs. Rev. J. Lonne, of Hillsboro, Dakota; Martha, Mrs.

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S. Bangen, of Neby; Olaf, and Johannes, in Minneapolis, acquiring an education ; and Ragna Louisa, with her sister in Hillsboro. Believing in the Divine injunction that "man should not live alone," Mr. Saugstad was united in marriage May 1, 1878, with Miss Marie Myhr, who is the mother of the fol- lowing four children-Gea R., Gunnar O., Tollef P. and Alf G.

OSEPH E. BREWSTER, a prosperous and successful agriculturist of the Red River Valley, is a resident of section 15, Fisher township, Polk county, Minnesota, where he is engaged in general farming operations. He is a native of the Empire State, born in Westchester county, April 17, 1833, and is the son of John and Mary (Lynch) Brewster, natives of England. The father and mother of the present subject are the parents of the following-named children -John, Frank, Mary, Ellen and our subject, Joseph E.

Mr. Brewster remained in New York State until he was about ten years old, when he moved with his parents to Clark county, Missouri. During his early life, while in New York, he attended the common schools of Westchester county, and after moving to Missouri with his parents, he attended the schools of the State until he had attained the age of sixteen years. At that period in life he engaged with his brother, John, in buying and shipping hogs to St. Louis, Mis- souri. They followed that business for five or six years, and also operated a farm. At the expiration of that time, our subject removed to Keokuk, Iowa, where he ran a hotel for three years. He then engaged in the railroad business and followed the same for over ten years. During that time he con- tracted for the building of roads, and also bought and shipped produce for about two years. In 1869 he went to Duluth,Minnesota,

and secured Government employment in teaming, which he followed for two years. In 1871 he returned to Iowa, and for five years laid tracks for the railroads in that State. In 1876 he moved to Minnesota and settled at Fargo, Dakota Territory, where he worked for the Red River Transportation Company, and after one year's work returned again to Keokuk, Iowa, and secured the position as track foreman, which position he filled for eighteen months. He then moved to Fisher, Polk county, Minnesota, where he again secured a position with the Red River Transportation Company. After working with this company for two years he obtained a position on the railroad, and one year later purchased a " 160-acres farm " on section 15, Fisher township, Polk county, Minnesota. He has since remained upon his farm engaged successfully in farming and stock-raising. He owns a well-cultivated farm, with good building improvements, and is one of the successful farmers of the county.

Mr. Brewster was married on the 3d day of July, 1874, to Miss Mary Lyons, the daughter of Micheal and Hanore (Connel) Lyons, natives of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Brewster are the parents of the following- named children-Mary E., Abbie C. C., Maud E., Francis H., Harry B. and Addeliade T. Mr. Brewster is an adherent to the principles of the democratic party, and takes an active interest in all local matters. He is well and favorably known in Fisher township, and is a man of honor and integrity, his word being recognized as being as good as a bond.

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LE W OLSON, a prosperous and enterprising merchant in the village of Barrett, Grant county, Minnesota, is a native of Norway, born April 7, 1817, and is a son of Ole Stefanus and Barbara M. Olson, who were also natives of that kingdom. The

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father died in 1855 and the mother died in 1856. When Ole W. was but seventeen years of age he commenced the struggle of life for himself by securing a position as clerk for a prominent judge in his native land, which position Ole held for ten years. In 1844 he emigrated to the United States, first settling in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he bought a farm and engaged in agricult- ural pursuits for five years, when he sold out and bought 120 acres of land, about eighteen miles from his former place. He remained on this land for a period of five years, engaged in farming but he again sold out, moving to Houston county, Minnesota, where he pre-emptied 160 acres. He re- mained there for fifteen years during which time he had accumulated 280 acres of choice land. After a fifteen years' sojourn on that place he presented his son Ole S. with 140 acres, sold the remainder for $2,500 and removed to Grant county, Minnesota, where he filed on a homestead of 160 acres on sections 17 and 20, Elk Lake township, also buying seventy-eight acres additional. He resided on the homestead until 1887, when he purchased 160 acres on section 21 for $900, and 183 acres on section 8 for $1,000. At this time he sold 180 acres to his son Herman for $600, and 160 acres to his son William for $600. Mr. Olson now owns 476 acres of excellent land, all well under cultivation, with good, tasty, commo- dious buildings and necessary implements of husbandry. In March, 1887, in partnership with E. T. Johnson, he opened a store of general merchandising in Barrett, which they have since carried on.

Mr. Olson was married July 15, 1844, to Miss Regnal S. Sampsonson, by whom the following children have been born-Ole S., Samuel, Hans, Herman, William, Jens, Anna, Barbara, Hannah and Lena. Ole is married to Anna Ingebretson, and lives in Houston county, Minnesota; Anna, formerly Mrs. Ben-

son, now Mrs. Hans Helland, living in Elk Lake township, Grant county, Minnesota ; Samuel married Miss Eliza Thompson, and lives in Grant county ; Jens married Miss Julia Hel- land, who was killed by lightning, and he has since married Miss Bertha Remstad, and lives in Grant county ; Hans married Miss Nellie Peterson, now living in Barrett village ; Barbara married Anton Hubred, who lives in Elk Lake township, Grant county.

Mr. Olson has been a prominent man of his town and county, always taking an active interest in all local affairs, and has held vari- ous offices, including county treasurer, town- ship treasurer, etc. He is rated as one of the most reliable and substantial citizens of Grant county, for no man stands higher in the estimation of his neighbors and the citizens generally. His business methods as well as his official record have been charac- terized by the strictest honor and integrity.

NDREW J. GILSETH, the present effi- cient deputy sheriff of Polk county and a leading citizen of Crookston, was born in the kingdom of Norway, March 17, 1852, and is the son of Jorgen and Maria (Hanson) Gilseth. When he was but five years of age his parents left their Scandinavian home and brought their family to the United States. Coming directly West they settled in Win- neshiek county, Iowa, where the father of our subject died the same year.

Andrew remained with his mother upon the farm, she having married again, until he had attained his twentieth year, when he started out in the world for himself, to battle in life for himself. He found employment in the pineries of Northern Wisconsin and upon farms in Iowa until the spring of 1878, when, with a team, he started from North- eastern Iowa for Grand Forks, Dakota. Meeting with no difficulty or serious mishap,

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in three weeks' time he reached his point of destination,and June 8th settled upon a home- stead some fifteen miles from the village of Grand Forks, then a place of no importance.

Engaging in agricultural pursuits, Mr. Gil- seth remained upon his farm until 1882, when he sold out and removed to Bellmont, Traill county, Dakota, where he opened a saloon. This latter business he followed for about a year and then sold out and came to Crookston, with the intention of purchasing a farm. Not finding anything to suit him, he rented a place which he cropped one year. In the spring of 1886 he rented the farm of Sheriff N. O. Palsrud, but, after farming there a year, came to Crookston and received the appointment of deputy sheriff, an office he has held ever since.

Mr. Gilseth was united in marriage Feb- ruary 1, 1883, with Miss Eliza Hanson, but who was carried away in the arms of deatlı November 10, 1886, leaving him alone and desolate. He is a very popular and efficient officer and enjoys the highest esteem and regard of every one in the community, and takes great interest in the welfare and development of the city and county.

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ANS P. NELSON, who is a knight of the forge and anvil, is one of Moor- head's prosperous blacksmiths, and among the men, who go to make up the bone and sinew of Moorhead and surrounding country, is justly entitled to a place among the biographical sketches of this volume.

He was born in Denmark, July 19, 1856, the son of Nels and Kate (Anderson) Hansen, who were also natives of Denmark. The father is still living in his native land, and working at the blacksmith trade. Their family had seven children - Andrew, Hans, Lars A., Martinus, Nels, Emma and Mary. The father was drafted in 1848 into the war

between Germany and Denmark. He also was in the military service during another war between those countries. Upon the last named occasion he hired out, serving four- teen weeks, for which he was paid $1,000. In that war he received a gold medal for bravery on the field. After that strife was ended he settled on a farm. Both he and his wife were firm believers in the faith taught by the Lutheran church. Our sub- ject's grandfather, on the father's side, was Hans Hansen, and his wife was Mary Peter- son. The husband was a farmer; he served under Napoleon in the Russian war, lasting eight years. Kate Anderson, our subject's mother, was the daughter of Gens and Mattie Anderson, who were farmers.

Our subject spent his younger days at home, helping his father in the blacksmith shop and attended school eight years. At the age of sixteen years he left home and native land, coming to America and first settled at Clifton and Sebanse, Illinois, where he engaged at farm labor for six months. He next went into a shop and followed his chosen trade, getting the first year $70 and his board. In 1879 he went to Indiana, and, in company with his brother Andrew, opened a blacksmith shop in Benton County. They continued there for eighteen months, when his health failed and he came to Albert Lea, Minnesota, where he again resumed his blacksmithing trade. In 1881 he came to Clay county, Minnesota, locating at Moor- head. He also worked for four years in Fargo. Finally he purchased a blacksmith's shop on Broadway, in Moorhead, and upon the same lot built him a good residence, in which he now lives. He is doing a thriving business and employs several mechanics to assist him.

He was married in 1879 to Miss Anna Anderson, daughter of Andrew and Chris- tena (Peterson) Anderson, natives of Den- mark, who came to America in 1871 and

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located two miles from Albert Lea, Min- nesota, where they purchased a farm, upon which they still live. They are the parents of ten children now living-Peter, Annie, Fred, Hans, Lena, Andrew, Carrie, Mary, Lars and Martin. The parents were both exemplary Christians and identified with the Lutheran church.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children-Emma M. and Ida C. The father is, in politics, a social democrat, and his religion is that of morality and honesty.

RS. P. J. LASCHAPELLE (born Annie Colter), now a resident of the city of Crookston, Minnesota, is one of the earliest settlers in the state of Minne- sota, and was the first white woman known to have crossed the Red Lake river, or settled in this portion of the Red River Valley.

She was born in the north of Ireland, April 20, 1829, and is the daughter of Wil- liam and Mary (Graham) Colter, both of whom were natives of Scotland. Her grand- parents were the recipients of a grant of land in Ireland as a reward for services during the Rebellion of '38, when they espoused the cause of the Government. After her parents were married several years and were the parents of three children, they removed to the north of Ireland. When our subject was about ten years of age she was deprived by death of her father, and a year or so later her mother with her little family crossed the broad Atlantic, and settled in New Bruns- wick, where her two eldest sons had estab- lished themselves in business.

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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 62

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