The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 100

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246

USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 100

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dren, all of whom are living. They are: Dr. Theodore Bratrud, of Warren, Minn .; Albert, who is a farmer in Bennington town- ship; E. Oscar, who is cashier of the State Bank of Roswell, S. D .; John who attends the St. Paul Law School; Clara, who is at the Northwestern Conservatory of Art and Music at Minneapolis, and Arthur and Edward, who are medical students at the state university. Ole Bratrud was a public spirited citizen and was honored by having been elected to several positions of trust in his county. In 1870 he represented Fillmore county in the state legislature. In the spring of 1889 Mr. Bratrud with his family moved to Spring Valley for the purpose of better educating his children and to look after his real estate holdings, which consisted of a tract of 380 acres in Bennington township, in Mower county, and various tracts in Fillmore county. He was an honorable, upright Christian man and worked very industriously to give his children a good education. In this he succeeded admirably and for it they will ever praise his memory. Mr. Bratrud passed away at his home in Spring Valley February 26, 1910.

Joseph R. Mason was born in Westminster, Windham county, Vermont, August 15, 1827. In 1845 he came with his parents to Dane county, Wisconsin, and there his father purchased and improved government land on which he remained until the time of his death. In 1852 he married Lucinda Freeman, a native of the town of Plymouth, Chenango county, New York. In 1856 they started westward to seek a new home, and for several years lived in Mitchell county, Iowa. Their residence in Mower county dates from 1865, when they came to LeRoy township and pur- chased 240 acres of land in section 8. This land they broke and improved, and here they carried on general farming until death, Joseph R. dying June 6, 1894, and his wife December 31, 1893. They had three children, Florence and Clarence, twins, and Arthur. They also brought up two children not adopted, Ida May and Ella.

Asa Brown, an early hotelkeeper, was born in Vermont, and married Lucy Baker, of Ohio. After their marriage they located in Indiana, where Asa was one of the contractors on the Wabash canal. After the completion of the canal he located in Noble county, purchased a tract of land, and founded the village of Lisbon. Here he also erected a hotel which he conducted for several years. In 1861 he removed to Alexandria, Minn., built and conducted a feed and flouring mill, and remained three years. In 1864 he came to Austin, Minn., and purchased what afterward became the Lacy House. Three years later he sold out and pur- chased a farm in Fillmore county. After farming three years he came to LeRoy and engaged in the hotel business a year. Then he and his wife spent two years in Kentucky, afterward taking

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up their residence in Lansing township. Here Asa Brown died in 1876 at the age of eighty-three years. Ilis wife died in June, 1909, at the age of eighty-seven.

Charles B. Brown, a prominent farmer of LeRoy township, was born in Noble county, Indiana, August 19, 1849, son of Asa and Lucy (Baker) Brown. He received his early education in Cold Springs, Ind., and at Austin, Minn., and then engaged in farming in Lansing and LeRoy townships until 1885, when he went to Anoka, Minn., and engaged in lumbering for some four- teen years. In 1899 he returned to LeRoy township and engaged in farming on the Mason place in section 8, where he is now successfully engaged in diversified farming, making a specialty of Durham and Black Poll cattle. Mr. Brown was married November 5, 1873, to Florence Mason, born in Rutland county, Vermont, May 12, 1856, daughter of Joseph and Lucinda (Free- man) Mason. This union has been blessed with three children: Jay R., born March 6, 1875, is manager of the North American telegraph in the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce; May, born July 16, 1880, is the wife of Charles Howe, of LeRoy village. Grace is the wife of Arthur J. Arnot, of Bismarck, N. D.

John H. Skinner, managing editor of the Austin Herald, daily and weekly, was born in Northampton, Mass., August 13, 1864, son of Thomas and Rosamond (Reece) Skinner. The family moved to South Hadley, Mass., where John H. was reared. After leaving school he took up newspaper work, came to Mower county in 1896, and became proprietor of the Herald two years later. In 1907 he disposed of a half interest to Fred C. Ulmer. Mr. Skinner was married June 26, 1900, to Gertrude C. Ellis, daughter of Allen V. and Helen (Quain) Ellis. Mrs. Skinner was born in Mower county, has traveled extensively in Europe, and was superintendent of Mower county schools ten years. She is now associate editor of the Herald.

Fred C. Ulmer, business manager of the Austin Herald, daily and weekly, was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, December 23, 1880, son of Charles and Bertha (Pezold) Ulmer, both of German birth. He was brought by them to Austin in 1891, graduated from the Austin high school in 1901, and began his newspaper career as a reporter on the Mower County Register. A year later he entered the employ of George A. Hormel & Co., and remained with this firm until 1907, when he became a copartner in the firm of Skinner & Ulmer. Mr. Ulmer is an official of the Episcopal church, worshipful master of Fidelity Lodge, No. 39, A. F. & A. M., and a member of various other organizations and clubs.

George E. Anderson, assistant postmaster of Austin, is a native born son of this county, having first seen the light of day August 23, 1876, on a farm in Marshall township, twelve miles

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east of Austin. His parents are Sven and Anna (Anderson) Anderson, the pioneers. George E. attended the district schools, came to Austin with his parents in 1881, and graduated from the Austin high school in 1893. Then he attended the University of Minnesota three years. Subsequently he entered the mail service as clerk in the Austin postoffice, and later took the first civil service examination which was held in Austin for the city carrier service, standing the highest in a class of forty-five. He served as carrier for nine years, and in 1907 was appointed assistant postmaster. In December, 1910, he was placed in the civil service by an order affecting all the assistant postmasters in second class offices throughout the United States. Mr. Anderson is a member of the Masonic order, and is a past commander of St. Bernard Commandery, No. 13, Knights Templar, as well as past worthy patron of Unity Chapter, No. 29, O. E. S. He is also a member of the M. W. A., the Austin Commercial Club, the Austin high school alumnae association and the Minnesota Association of Assistant Postmasters. The subject of this sketch was married July 1, 1903, to Mollie Anderson, daughter of O. G. and Matilda (Nelson) Anderson, old settlers of Lansing township. To this union has been born one child, George E. Anderson, Jr., born November 15, 1910. The family faith is that of the Lutheran church. In spite of his busy life, Mr. Anderson has found time to make a hobby of collecting coins and Civil war relics. His collection of war relics is one of the finest in southern Minnesota and his coin collection contains many coins of rare value.

Paul C. Keith, the successful editor of the Adams Review, was born in Traer, Iowa, April 23, 1885, son of William C. and Betsey (Jackson) Keith, natives of Scotland. He attended the common schools, graduated from the Goldfield (Iowa) high school in 1901 and then took courses at Monmouth College, Mon- mouth, Ill., and Coe College, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Then he took up newspaper business. He came to Mower county in 1908 and in April of the following year became editor of the Adams Review. He is a member of a number of organizations and has served the village of Adams in various capacities.

Charles Brownlow, one of the prominent citizens of LeRoy village, has extensive interests in this part of the county, and is honored as a man of progressive views and keen business ability. Hle was born in Beaver Dam, Wis., November 17, 1872, son of Joseph and Eliza (Hufton) Brownlow. He received his early education in the district schools of Mower county, and then took up farming with his father and brothers, helping to break and develop what was then the extensive Brownlow farm. Here he carried on farming until 1901, when he retired and moved to the village of LeRoy, where he and his family now reside in a beau-

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tiful home on North Main street. He looks after his own business interests, and has charge of his wife's farm of 1,280 acres in Clayton township, owning aside from this a section of land in North Dakota. He is a Republican, has served on the village council of LeRoy, affiliates with the I. O. O. F. and the M. W. A., and attends the Baptist church. Mr. Brownlow was married December 5, 1901, at LeRoy, to Claudine Colman, daughter of D. B. Colman.

Joseph Brownlow was born in Lincolnshire, England, and came to America as a young man, afterward returning to his native shire and marrying Eliza Hufton, a native of the same place. Together they located in Beaver Dam, Wis., where Joseph engaged in farming for a short period, later taking up the cooperage business at the same place. In 1875 he moved his family to the state of Maryland, where they remained four years, from 1875 to 1879, and then in 1880 coming to LeRoy immediately locating in Lodi township, where he first purchased 280 aeres of land. To this farm he added from time to time until he owned 640 acres, his land lying in the townships of LeRoy, Bennington and Lodi. Together with his sons he broke and developed this land, erected commodious buildings, and there remained until his death. He was a man of sterling qualities, well liked throughout the community for his industry, thrift and honesty. He died November 3, 1903, and his wife March 16, 1887. They were the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter: William, now on the home farm in Lodi; Fannie, who is now Mrs. Henry J. Boyd, of LeRoy; Richard, a farmer of LeRoy township; Charles, of LeRoy, and Frank, who also carries on farming in LeRoy township.

Decatur B. Colman, now deceased, the father of Mrs. Charles Brownlow, was one of the most successful farmers in Mower county, at one time owning 2,560 aeres of land in this county. He was born in the town of Springfield, Otsego county, New York, September 21, 1826, and was reared to agricultural pur- suits, receiving his edueation in the district schools and later attending the Oriskany Academy in Onondaga for three terms. At seventeen years of age he began his life as a teacher, which profession he followed the greater part of his time for the fol- lowing twelve years, in the states of New York, Ohio, Wisconsin. He had during this time been engaged in elerking in a general store one and a half years. In 1855 he dealt in horses, living in Ohio and shipping them west. In 1857 he moved to Iowa and located at Burr Oak, and there engaged in the mereantile busi- ness. There he continued for two years. In 1859 he moved to Preston, Fillmore county, this state, where he was a pioneer. There he opened a store with a large stoek of general merehan-

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dise, and was with Conkey Bros., the leading merchants of Prescott, for many years. In 1874 he opened a branch store at Grand Meadow, being the first store in the place. In 1868 he purchased four sections of land in Clayton township, viz .: sec- tions 14, 15, 22 and 23. Later he sold sections 14 and 23. In 1869 he commenced improvements on sections 15 and 22, and in 1877 settled on the farm, where he followed general farming until 1896, when he retired and moved to LeRoy. He died July 12, 1900, and his wife passed away December 1, 1903. They were the parents of two children: Clarence, who died at two and a half years, and Claudine, who is now Mrs. Charles Brownlow, of LeRoy. Mr. Colman was married January 22, 1856, to Minerva E. Thayer, born in the town of Springfield, N. Y. Mr. Colman always took an active interest in public affairs, served as a member of the town board of Preston, was county commissioner of Fillmore county, and several times chairman of the board of supervisors in Clayton township.

Allen Valois Ellis was born in Potsdam, St. Lawrence county, New York, February 8, 1834. He attended district school until his fifteenth year, when he entered St. Lawrence Academy. After a year in study here, he taught school for two years and at the age of eighteen, on April 6, 1852, he started for the gold fields of California. He made the journey overland from Erie, Pa., where railroad traffic ended, and at St. Joseph, Mo., joined the Beeman-Pugh overland party to California, under the per- sonal leadership of Pugh. The journey ended at Eldorado, Cal., September 11, 1852. For the next three years Mr. Ellis worked in the gold mines of California. He made the homeward journey via Isthmus of Panama, minted his gold in Philadelphia and returned to his old home in Potsdam, where he married Belle McGill, February 13, 1856. Three months later he came west, preempted 160 acres of land thirty miles west of Red Wing and also bought a quarter section. Later he sold his land and returned east. His wife died January 1, 1857, leaving an infant daughter. In May of that year he again came west and located at Austin, and was employed as civil engineer of the Minnesota Central railway. On April 24, 1859, he married Helen Quain and the next day they moved out to what is now known as the Evergreen Farm, where he lived for more than fifty years, dying there August 3, 1909. He left a widow, two sons, Charles F., of Mandan, N. D., and Dr. Sidney A., of Boston, Mass., also four daughters, Mrs. W. W. Keyser, of St. Louis, Mo .; Mrs. J. H. Skinner, Austin; Mrs. K. C. Ingmundson, St. Paul, and Mattie C. Ellis, Peru, Neb. Mr. Ellis was one of the builders of the county. He was a man of tireless energy and indomitable will. When other men were satisfied to sow their wheat among the

ALLEN V. ELLIS

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stumps, he cleared-his fields by grubbing. He is credited with being the first man to bring the evergreen trees to this county and from his nursery rows thousands of these trees were trans- planted to beautify southern Minnesota. He counted these his best monument.

Ole Aslakson is one of the leading citizens of Nevada town- ship. He has been assessor of the township for thirty years, member of the board of supervisors three years, chairman of that board five years and clerk of the school board of his distriet for many terms. He believes in the betterment and improvement of farm conditions, and his services as president of the Nevada Farmers' Co-operative Creamery have given general satisfaction. Mr. Aslakson was born in Norway, April 14, 1845, son of Aslak Oleson, and came to America as a young man. He lived a time in Chicago working at the carpenter trade, which he had learned in the old country, and then came to Mower county, pursuing the same line of work. In 1875 he purchased 160 acres in section 14, Nevada township, where he now lives. In the early days he erected a shanty 14x16 and in this lived for some time. He now has a fine complement of buildings, mostly erected by his own hands. The old original residence is preserved on the place and used for a tool shed. At first Mr. Aslakson raised grain, but of late years has carried on general diversified farming on the three quarter sections of land which he now owns. He takes particular pride in his herd of Shorthorns, and has about forty head, which he breeds for both beef and dairy purposes. Mr. Aslakson was married June 24, 1876, to Susie Anderson, a native of Norway, and they have eleven children: Anton, Andrew, Theodore, Chris- tian, Halver, Ole, Clara, Lena, Selva, Gertrude and Hilda. Anton is married and lives in the town of Nevada; others are at home and the three youngest attend school. The family faith is that of the Lutheran church.

Peter Lausen, one of the substantial farmers of Lyle township, has made his own way in the world with but little encouragement, and is a fine example of a self-made man. He was born in Ato Schleswig-Holstein, now Germany, then a part of Denmark, September 10, 1863, son of Peter and Anna (Hansen) Lausen, natives of Schleswig-Holstein, but of Danish blood. The father is still living in the old country, and follows his trade as a shoe- maker. The mother died in 1895. Peter received his education in the schools of his native land, and came to this country at the age of seventeen years, arriving in Austin, April 27, 1881. Here he worked out by the month on a farm for a period of five years, and then spent a summer in California, later returning to Austin, where he accepted a position with Osear Ayers, in his machine shop, remaining with him for five years. He then accepted a

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position with the Minneapolis Harvester Company, working with that company three years. Subsequently he engaged with the Interstate Grain Company, as manager of their elevator at Varco, for six years, serving in the elevator winters and working on his farm in the summer. In 1893 he purchased 160 acres of land in section 1, Lyle township, which he developed and brought to a high state of cultivation. In 1899 he erected a new modern home and buildings, now having a model farm place in every respect. In 1902 he added eighty acres to his farm, making 240 acres in all. Mr. Lausen is an independent Republican, a member of the Lutheran church, a member of the M. W. A., and has served on the board of town supervisors of Lyle township, a position he still occupies. He also is clerk of school district number 46. When Mr. Lausen came to this vicinity he had $2.80 in his pocket, and since then, aside from acquiring his fine prop- erty, he has sent over $1,000 to his parents in the old country. The subject of this sketch was married August 26, 1896, to Randi E. Evenson, and to this union have been born three children: May, born December 23, 1897; Henry, born October 19, 1901, and Minnie, born October 31, 1906.

M. J. McGown, one of the progressive farmers of Waltham township, was born in Rochester, Minn., February 13, 1869, son of Alexander and Mina (Johnson) MeGown. The father, Alex- ander, a native of Ireland, came to America in 1853, settled in St. Lawrence county, New York state, and then in 1865 came to Minnesota. After living four years in Rochester, he came to Waltham township, and settled in section 21, where he carried .on farming until his death, in 1904. J. M. MeGown spent his early life on his father's farm and was educated in the common schools. After his marriage to Alice, daughter of Bert E. and Eliza (Symes) Stimson, he purchased his present farm in section 21, Waltham township. Here he has a comfortable home, com- modious barns, and 320 acres of land upon which he conducts general farming. He has taken an interest in the affairs of the township and has served as supervisor, town clerk and assessor. Being of a fraternal nature he has allied himself with the A. F. & A. M., the Eastern Star and the M. W. A.

Rev. Olaf Carl Myhre, pastor of the Little Cedar Lutheran Congregation, of Adams, and of the West Leroy Lutheran church, in LeRoy township, is an earnest worker for the cause to which he has consecrated his life, being respected by the entire com- munity and loved by the members of his two flocks. He was born in the parish of Vang, Valders, Norway, January 18, 1870, being baptized March 31, of the same year. He is the son of Chris- topher and Marie Myhre. The subject of this sketch received his education in the public schools of Norway, came to America with

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his parents in 1882, and located with them in Goodhue county, Minnesota. He was confirmed in that county June 3, 1883, by the Rev. J. N. Kildahl. In the fall of 1884 he entered Luther College, at Decorah, Iowa, where he studied for three years. After this he entered St. Olaf College, at Northfield, Minn., for a similar period. Later he studied for two years at the Dr. Martin Luther College, at New Ulm, Minn. In the fall of 1892 he entered the Augsburg Seminary, and gradnated in May, 1895. After receiving a call he was ordained as a pastor of the United Lutheran church, June 26, 1895, at St. Paul, at the annual meet- ing of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. He accepted the call and became pastor of the Windom Lutheran church, in Cottonwood county, Minnesota, serving three congre- gations, Windom, Heron Lake and Brewster, staying there for twelve years. Then he received a call to Adams, where he was installed pastor of the Little Cedar Lutheran church, September 30, 1906. This charge includes the congregations mentioned at the head of this sketch. Mr. Myhre is a member of the Annuity Fund for Pastors and Professors of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. He was married at Windom, Cot- tonwood county, Minnesota, January 21, 1901, to Clara Marie Hanson, of that place. This union has been gladdened with three sons: Valgard C. H., born October 3, 1903; Hilding C. M., born July 21, 1906; Paul L. S., born April 11, 1908.

Christopher Myhre and Marie Myhre, his wife, were natives of Valders, Norway. They came to America in 1882, and located in Goodhue county, Minnesota, near Kenyon. Two years later, in 1884, the wife died. Shortly after this Christopher Myhre went to Brookings county, South Dakota, where he engaged in farming for the remainder of his days. He died in 1890.

Wilber D. Ames, chairman of Lyle township, has spent his entire life in this county, and is known as one of the progressive and prosperous men of the community, always ready to bear his share in promoting any good cause. He was born in Lyle town- ship, October 9, 1861, only son of Ezra D. Ames, an early pioneer of the county. After receiving his education in the district schools, he took up agricultural pursuits with his parents, remain- ing on the home farm until twenty-five years of age, when he purchased eighty acres of land from his grandmother, Loomis, just across the street from his birthplace, in section 18. Sinee that time he has added 160 acres in section 19. He has greatly improved this land, erected modern buildings, and brought the place to a high state of cultivation, conducting diversified farm- ing along the latest approved methods. He served on the town board for five years, and at the present time is chairman. He has served on the school board over twenty years, and at the

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present time is clerk. He is an independent Republican and a Methodist, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. The subject of this sketch was married March 22, 1887, to Carrie A. Torrens, daughter of James and Charlotte Torrens, prominent farmers of Oakland township, Freeborn county. To this union has been born one son, Loy L., born April 8, 1888, who makes his home with his parents on the farm.

Ezra D. Ames, an early pioneer settler of Mower county, was born in LeRoy, Geneseo county, New York, May 15, 1826. His father was a native of Massachusetts and a millwright by trade. When five years of age Ezra D. went with his parents to Venango county, New York, for two years. They then removed to Penn- sylvania, spending eight years in Mercer and Beaver counties, thence to DeKalb county, Indiana. At sixteen years of age Ezra began work with his father; one year later his father died, and he continued working with his brothers two years. He then engaged on the Wabash canal, and followed boating until 1854, when he took up farming in DeKalb county, Indiana. In 1855 he removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he remained until March of the following year, when he hired a team to convey his family and household goods to Mower county, Minnesota, first living in an empty shanty which they occupied for a few weeks, in the meantime preempting land in section 21, in Lyle township, and building a log house. The same fall they moved on section 19, where a fine frame house was soon erected. Mr. Ames broke and developed the land, and set out an abundance of fruit trees, as well as planting a fine grove. In 1883 he had 250 apple trees all bearing fruit, it being at that time the finest and largest orchard in Mower county. He lived on his farm until 1893, at that time renting out his farm, since which time he has lived with his children, now living with his son, W. D. Ames. His wife died June 7, 1893. He was married June 13, 1852, to Mary Loomis, daughter of Samuel and Christina (Swarts) Loomis. She was born in Wayne county, Ohio, May 19, 1836. They had four chil- dren : Emma, wife of A. A. Smith, now of Austin, died September 13, 1885; Ida, wife of John Summers, of Sioux Falls, S. D .; Hattie, now Mrs. William Jackman, of Nebraska; William D., of Lyle township.

Samuel E. Morse, a pioneer, was born in Camden, Oneida county, New York, April , 1843, youngest son of Elihue and Mary (Stoddard) Morse, well known settlers of the early days. He was brought by his parents to Indiana in 1848, and was but thirteen years of age when he came to Mower county with his parents. He attended school as a boy, and assisted his father on the farm until December 16, 1861, when he enlisted in Com- pany K, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and went south

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 100

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. Number of Pages: 1246

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246