The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 61

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 61

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Ralph P. Crane, lumberman, of Austin, was born in this city April 21, 1887, son of Frank I. and Sylvia (Pettibone) Crane, the pioneers. He received his education in the Austin schools, and graduated from the Austin high school in 1905, afterward taking

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courses at Carleton College, Northfield ; the University of Minne- sota, at Minneapolis, and the Cornell University, at Ithaea, N. Y., taking law studies in the latter institution. In July, 1909, he took up the lumber business in Austin with his father, and at the time of the latter's death took full charge of the business. While at college he was admitted to the fellowship of the Alpha Delta Phi, one of the Greek letter fraternities, and since then he has allied himself with the Masonie order. He is president of the Austin and Mower County Automobile Club and also a member of the Austin Commercial Club.

Benjamin Hilker, a veteran of the Civil war, now deceased, and for many years a well-liked resident of Austin, was born in Preston, Ontario, November 22, 1843, and as a boy moved with his parents to Fort Elgin, Ontario, where he grew to manhood. He was married there January 22, 1869, to Abigail Detwiler, daughter of John R. Detwiler. Mr. and Mrs. Hilker eame west in 1873, and settled in Lansing, where they lived on a farm for twelve years. In 1885 they moved to Austin, where the family has since resided. For three years Mr. Hilker was in the meat business with Fiehn & MeMann. Later he worked at the trade of mason and house mover. During the Civil war, while at work in the Michigan woods, he enlisted at Flint, Mich., in Co. I, 30th Mich. Vol. Inf., in 1864, serving until the close of the war. He died September 10, 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Hilker had five children: Mrs. Dell Roberts, John Hilker, Mrs. Eugene Fairbanks, Albert Hilker and Mrs. Charles Pitcher. Abigail Detwiler Hilker, widow of Benjamin Hilker, now makes her home at 400 Water street, Austin. She was born in Roseville, Ontario, Canada, and is the daughter of John R. and Naney (Dodge) Detwiler, the former a hotel keeper in Canada. John R. Detwiler and his father were both from Pennsylvania, and of Duteh (Holland) ancestry, the latter for many years eondneting a grist mill on the Sehnylkill river in that state.

Reuben Oscar Hall, a retired business man of Austin, and one of the honored old residents of Mower county, was born in Rochester, Vt., January 10, 1829, son of Reuben and Marena (Brown) Ilall. He received his early education in the district schools of his neighborhood, and took one year's course in the high school at Rutland, Vt. HIe eame west in 1850, and located in Wisconsin, farming summers and teaching school winters for six years. In 1856 he went to Mendota, Ill., and there engaged in the grocery business until 1866, in which year he went to Wheaton, Ill., a short distance out of Chicago, in DuPage county, and purchased a farm. Three years later, in 1869, he went to Dixon, Ill., and engaged in the flour business four years. The year 1873 dates his arrival in Austin. In that year he came here

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and opened a dry goods store in partnership with his son-in-law, Col. Charles L. West. After twenty-six years' constant attention to this business, he sold the business to Colonel West and retired. Then he spent nearly two years in California and one year travel- ing in the southern states. Mr. Hall is a Republican in politics, having been an Abolitionist and a Prohibitionist also; has served as sheriff of Mower county four years, from 1875 to 1879; has been alderman of Austin from the second ward, and has done excellent service to the city as chairman of the Austin board of education. He is a high degree Mason, and has been a trustee of the Methodist church for over forty years. The subject of this sketch was married April 8, 1852, to Frances Annette Smith, a native of Schoharie county, New York, born April 8, 1834, and died July 25, 1896, leaving six living children. Eliza Marena, born May 4, 1856, in Mendota, Ill., is now Mrs. Lyman D. Baird. Charlotte Cerucia, born January 6, 1853, in Winnebago county, Wisconsin, married Col. C. L. West, and is now deceased. Frank O., born July 29, 1860, in Mendota, Ill., is a groceryman of Austin. Adelbert Eugene, born July 16, 1871, in Dixon, Ill., is agent for the Wells-Fargo Express Company, at Madison, S. D. Fred H., born September 12, 1869, in Dixon, Ill., lives in Kansas and travels for the Marshall Field Company, of Chicago. Jay Mason, born March 25, 1873, is a St. Paul dentist. Mr. Hall was married the second time August 31, 1897, to Alice Gertrude Harvey, of Wood- stock, Vt., daughter of George W. and Caroline (Conant) Harvey, of Woodstock, Vt., the former being still living and the latter dead. To this union have been born two children: Louise Eliza- beth, born February 18, 1899, and Reuben Harvey, born April 17, 1905. It is worthy of note that the old Harvey homestead in Woodstock, Vt., has been in the family since the time of Mrs. Hall's great-great-grandfather in revolutionary times, and is now owned by Mrs. Hall's father, G. W. Harvey. Edmond Harvey, Mrs. Hall's great-great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.

Reuben Hall, father of Reuben Oscar Hall, was born in Ver- mont and there married Marena Brown, a native of the same state. They came west in 1853 and located in Wisconsin, coming to Mower county in 1867. Here they took up their residence and farmed a few miles out of Austin all their lives. Reuben Hall lived to be 80 years of age, and his wife reached the age of 93. Both now repose in Oakwood cemetery at Austin. John Brown, maternal grandfather of Reuben Osear Hall, was one of the first settlers in the town of Rochester, Vt. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and took part in the battle of Plattsburg.

Andrew T. Hobson was born in Spring Valley, Fillmore county, this state, April 14, 1877, and received his education in the dis-

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triet schools of Clayton township and in the Austin graded schools. He began life for himself as a clerk in the store of C. M. Rice, in Austin, for a year, and then formed a partnership with L. G. Billings in a general store at Oakland village in Fill- more county, a few miles from Austin. In 1898 he sold his interest, and purchased his father's farm of 150 acres in Austin township, on which traet he has since conducted general farming. He has been road overseer four years, was school clerk for six years, and has taken an active interest in public affairs. He attends the Christian church, and belongs to the Modern Samari- tans and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Hobson was married June 28, 1899, to Emma Rosenthal, and their home is brightened by one child, Mildred.

Robert Hobson, retired farmer of Austin, was born in England December 11, 1845, and there lived until thirteen years of age, at which time he came to Sparta, Wis., and lived on a farm. In 1877 he came to Minnesota and located in Spring Valley, where he farmed two years. Then he came to Mower county, purchased 440 acres in Clayton township, and there lived thirteen years. Later he moved to Austin township and continued farming. In 1898 he sold a tract of land in section 21, Austin township, to his son Andrew, and purchased a quarter section in section 32, Red Rock township, where he lived five years, after which he sold out, purchased his present property and erected his present home. Robert Hobson was married July 10, 1867, at Sparta, Wis., to Almira Kelsey, of Pennsylvania, and this union has been blessed with five children: Eliza, Jayne, Andrew, Blanche and Almira. Dr. Eliza Morrison has erected a sanitarium which she conducts at Stuttgart, Ark .; Jayne married John Anderson and died in November, 1892, leaving a son, Robert I., who has been adopted by his grandparents; Andrew farms in Austin township; Blanche died January 23, 1896, and Almira married Albert Watkins.

Abram Hollister, now deceased, a veteran of the Civil war, gave his health and strength to the service of his country, receiving wounds on the nation's battlefields from which he never fully recovered, suffering therefrom until his death, April 1, 1909. Mr. Hollister eame to Austin in antebellum days, and at the outbreak of the Civil war enlisted in Co. K, 4th Minn. Vol. Inf., his enlist- ment dating in 1862. IIe was wounded in the right foot, and received his discharge in 1865. He never fully recovered from this wound, and although he continued farming for some years his wound annoyed him all his life and hastened, probably, his end. He was married in 1866 to Celia Rawson, and this union was blessed with two daughters, Alice M. and Myra J. Alice M. mar- ried Elmer Loucks, and they have three children: Arthur H., Celia M. and William A. Nathan Graves is the husband of Myra

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J. and they have two children, Lester HI. and Nathan A. Mrs. Celia (Rawson) Hollister, widow of Abram Hollister, was born in Jefferson county, New York, daughter of Ozias Rawson, a car- penter by trade, who later in life moved to Canada and became a farmer.

Aaron E. Henslin, M. D., C. M., who has taken a deep interest in the business and social progress of Mower county, as well as in its hygiene and sanitation, was born in Racine, in this county, June 20, 1865, son of Frederic and Ernstine (Weekwerth) Henslin. He was reared on a farm in his native township, attended the Spring Valley high school, and in 1888 entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Keokuk, Iowa, graduating with a medical degree in 1891. Then he took two courses in the Chicago Polyclinic, and in the fall of 1894 entered the Milwaukee Medical College, graduating with honors in surgery in 1895. In the sum- mer of 1891 Dr. Henslin practiced a short time in Adams. After completing his special studies he came to LeRoy, where he has been since that date in active practice, having an extensive elien- tele, and enjoying that full measure of confidence and regard which is the skillful physician's reward. Dr. Henslin is a member of the American, state and county medieal associations, as well as of the Austin, Flint and Cedar Valley association, of Iowa, the Anti-Tubercular Congress, and the American Association for the Advancement of Seience. He has served as president of the Mower county association. He is also county coroner and county health officer. His civic interest is shown by his membership in the LeRoy Improvement Association, and he is also a member of the I. O. O. F., the Degree of Rebekah, the B. P. O. E. and the M. W. A. He was one of the chief promoters and one of the organizers of the LeRoy Telephone Company, of which he is now the treasurer. Dr. Henslin was married June 1, 1905, at Racine, this county, to May L. Pinckney, and their son, Robert F., died at the age of two years.

Frederic Henslin, the pioneer, was born in Prussia, Germany, and came to America at the age of 25 years. He was married in Wisconsin to Ernstine Weekwerth, who was born in his native place and was brought to this country with her parents at the age of ten years. Frederic Henslin and his wife eame to Mower county in 1859, and located in Red Rock township, going in 1863 to Racine township. Frederie died November 23, 1903, and the mother June 21, 1891. . They had nine children, seven of whom are living : Christina, wife of John Pfuhl, of Sergeant ; Aaron E. Henslin; Emma, wife of August Rein, of Paynesville, Minn .; Sarah, widow of Charles Davis, of Pasadena, California ; Julius F., of Ilalbrite, Canada ; Bertha, wife of J. C. Schroeder, of Raeine township, and Mary L., a teacher in Minneapolis.

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Atkins Hotson, who is acceptably filling the position of secre- tary for the Mower County Farmers' Fire and Lightning Mutual Insurance Company, was born in Norfolk, England, March 22, 1851, son of Thomas and Esther (Guttridge) Hotson, who brought him to Illinois in 1854 and to Mower county in 1862. He received the larger part of his early education in the district schools of Lyle township, and farmed with his father until 1877, when he started farming for himself in section 14, Lyle township. He first purchased eighty acres, but by thrift and energy he managed to acquire 200 acres, all in Lyle township, which he still owns. On this place le successfully conducted farming operations until 1902, when he rented his land to his son, and moved to Austin to assume the position which he has since occupied. Mr. Hotson is at the present time serving with credit as a member of the city council of Austin. While in Lyle he served twenty-two years as town clerk. He was also treasurer of school district No. 12 at one time and clerk of district No. 54 for many years. Mr. Hotson belongs to the A. F. & A. M. and to the Knights of Pythias. He was married May 24, 1876, to Maria E. Gregg, of Nevada town- ship, this county, who died January 3, 1900, leaving four chil- dren : Frank A., now farming in Nevada township; Fay G., who is on the old homestead in Lyle township; Mabel E., who is a graduate of the Austin high school and teaches school, and Nellie M., at the present time a student of the Austin high school. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Thomas Hotson, of Lyle township, was born in Norfolk, Eng- land, and there married Esther Guttridge, a native of the same locality. They came to America in 1854 and located in Illinois until 1862, when they came to Mower county and purchased 160 acres of land, which they broke and developed, still carrying on! general farming.

Patrick Hoban, retired farmer, was born in Kilkenny county, Ireland, August 15, 1847, son of Martin and (Purcell) Hoban. He was brought by his parents to America at the age of five years, lived in New York two years, and then came with his parents to Wisconsin, where he spent his boyhood. In 1862 he came with them to Rochester, Minn., and remained there until the following summer, when he came to Oakland township, Freeborn county, helped his father break land, and then went back to Rochester. In 1868 he located in Oakland township, Freeborn county, took up eighty acres of railroad land, made the usual improvements, and added to his land until he owned 500 acres, all in Freeborn county. In the meantime he bought half a section in South Dakota, sold this tract, and purchased a whole section in North Dakota, and later disposed of this tract also. In 1909 he pur- chased a fine property on College street in Austin, where he has

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since resided. Mr. Hoban is an independent Democrat and attends the Catholic church. He has worked his way upward in life by his own efforts entirely. Mr. Hoban was married November 1, 1874, to Mary MeGuire, a native of Berlin, Wis. This union has been blessed with eight children: Mary, now Mrs. James Quinn, of Bowman county, N. D .; Julia, now Mrs. Gus Kenevan, of Free- born county ; Martin, who is on the home farm; James, who is also on the home farm; Nana, who is a sehool teacher ; William, who is in North Dakota; Arthur and Katherine, who are at home. Martin and Julia (Pureell) Hoban were born in Ireland and came to America in 1852, remaining in New Jersey two years. Then they located in Berlin, Green county, Wisconsin, and re- mained until 1862, when they came overland to Freeborn county, remaining one summer, on the way, in Rochester. Martin home steaded eighty acres in section 14, Oakland township, but the first year lived on what was known as the Johnson place. He improved his land and increased his acreage to 240. Mrs. Hoban died in 1881 and her husband in 1886.

William M. Hynie, the capable manager of the Albun & White lime kiln, at LeRoy, was born in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, March 15, 1874. He received his education in Blue Earth county, and then worked three years with the C. M. & St. P. Then he took a position with Fowler & Pay, of Mankato, and has since been engaged in the lime business, working for a time in Austin, and now in LeRoy, his home being located in Austin. He is a Republican in polities, a Lutheran, and a member of the M. W. A. and the F. O. E. In addition to being in the lime business, Mr. Hynie spent one season, that of 1906, in Montana, where he worked on railroad bridge construction. Nels and Carrie Hynie, parents of William M. Hynie, were born in Norway, and on com- ing to America located in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where they took a homestead of 120 acres in Brilliant Valley. In 1892 they retired and moved to Lake Crystal, in the same county, Nels dying there February 28, 1893, and his wife, January 8, 1895.

Milan J. Hart, M. D., a successful practitioner, is village officer of LeRoy, and vice-president of the First State Bank in the same village. He was born in Dover, Olmsted county, Minn., May 9, 1866, son of John G. and Phoebe (March) Hart. Milan J. passed his boyhood and early manhood on the farm, attended the village schools, graduated from the Dover high school, and then entered the University of Minnesota, graduating from the medical department in 1895. After a short period as interne in the City Hospital, at Minneapolis, he came to LeRoy and opened an office. IIe has a wide trade and is well liked. Being thoroughly ethical in his practice, he has allied himself with the American, the Minnesota, the Southern Minnesota and the Mower County Med-

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ical associations, and keeps well abreast of the latest develop- ments in medicine and surgery by wide reading. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the Eastern Star, and a member of the M. W. A. Dr. Hart married Maybelle Avery, daughter of John and Myra (Mitchell) Avery, early settlers. John G. Hart came to Minnesota in 1856, locating west of Rochester, and moved to Dover in 1863, farming there the remainder of his days and died in 1876. He married Phoebe March, who proved an able helpmeet, and lived until 1895, when she, too, passed to the Great Beyond.

John S. Lacy was an early hotel keeper in Austin, having erected the second hotel in the place. Mr. Lacy was a native of Ohio and upon coming to Austin erected a two-story frame build- ing opposite the present court house square, on the site now occu- pied by the Mccullough printing establishment. Mr. Lacy sold his house to Asa Brown, who in the fall of 1865 sold it to one Cole, who in the spring of 1866 sold it to Jacob and A. M. Fleck, who raised the main part of the building, put in a basement, added a story and fitted up in all thirty rooms. The Fleck house was then built on the same site. After passing through several hands, it ceased to be a hotel and is now used for commercial purposes, as above stated. Mr. Lacy died in Montrose, S. D., September 13, 1902.

Jonas Haney, the pioneer, was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, August 1, 1828. He grew to manhood in his native county, receiving his education in the common schools. His parents were John and Sarah (Berk) Haney, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania, of Germant descent and the latter a native of New Jersey, of English extraction. This couple reared a family of nine chil- dren, and continued to reside in New Jersey the remainder of their days. In 1851 Jonas Haney went to Port Jervis, Orange county, N. Y., and was there married to Sophia Miller, born in Orange county, New York, January 15, 1831. He worked at the carpenter and joiner's trade three years after his marriage, and in the spring of 1856 came to Minnesota, landing at Winona the first day of May. He remained there until September of the same year, when he came to Mower county and settled in section 30, Lansing township, where he remained until the time of his death, in 1892, with the exception of two years which he spent in Austin. Mr. Haney was a Republican in politics, and filled various offices of trust in the township. He was county commissioner two terms, assessor of his township for some time, and chairman of the board of supervisors. He had four sons-John W., now living in Oregon ; Myron C., now deceased; Charles and Frank. His wife died in 1909.

Frank Haney, for many years a supervisor of the town of

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Lansing, was born in Lansing township, January 24, 1859, son of Jonas and Sophia (Miller) Haney. He was reared on the home farm, attended the district schools, and later took up farming for himself, being now one of the substantial men of the township. Like his father before him he is a Republican in politics, and his term as supervisor has extended over a period of fourteen years. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen, the Eagles and the Court of Honor. The subject of this sketeh was married many years ago to Lillie A. Laey, born in the old Lacy house, in Austin, daughter of John S. Lacy. Mr. and Mrs. IIaney are the happy parents of six children-Sophia, Robert L., Orma, Leonard, Aaron and Everett.

W. F. Cobb, M. D., physician and surgeon, of Lyle, has taken an active part in the official and private life of Mower and Mitchell counties, and has attained an enviable position among the medical fraternity of this portion of Minnesota and Iowa. In the medical world he is a member of the American, Minnesota State, Mower County, Mitchell County and Austin Flint Cedar Valley Medieal associations, having been president of the Mower County association and both president and treasurer of the Mitchell County association. He has been county coroner of Mitchell county and served fifteen years as secretary of the school board of Mona. He has been mayor of Lyle, has served six years as president of the Lyle school board; is president of the Lyle Telephone Company, has been local surgeon for the Illinois Cen- tral for over thirty years, and is medical examiner for numerous standard insurance companies as well as of a number of frater- nal insurance orders. W. F. Cobb was born in Maine, June 14, 1847, son of Joel and Abigail E. (O'Brien) natives of Maine who after living in Wisconsin for a time came to Iowa and lived in Mona until Joel died in 1877, after which Abigail E. returned to Maine where she ended her days. The subject of this sketch re- ceived the usual preliminary education, and then entered the University of Wisconsin in 1865, graduating in 1870. In the fall of the latter year he entered the Chicago Medical College, and was graduated, after the requisite hospital and dispensary prae- tiee, in 1874. He then started practice in Mona, remained until 1895, and then came to Lyle, where he has a wide practice in village and country. April 30, 1871, he married Abbie C. Mason, of Rutland, Wis., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Warner Mason, both now deceased. This union has been blessed with four chil- dren : Edith A., Edna M., Ethel M. and Enid II. Edith A. is the wife of L. O. Olson, station agent for the C., M. & St. P. at North- field, Minn. Niles C. Putnam is the husband of the second dangh- ter, Edna M. Ethel M., after teaching school six years, studied domestic science in the Thomas Normal Training sehool at De-

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troit, Mich., and is now attending the Stout Training School at Menominee, Wis. Enid H. is a telephone operator at Lyle. Dr. Cobb is a Republican, a high degree Mason, and a member of various leading fraternities. He attends the First Congrega- tional Church of Lyle, of which he is a deacon and church collector.

William M. Howe, now deceased, was a man of high moral character, and his uprightness of life gave him an enviable stand- ing in the community, both as a public servant and as a private citizen. He was born in Canton, N. Y., June 19, 1835, son of Nathan and Lockwood Howe, received his education in the New York State College in his native place, and then took up clerical work in the court house in the same town, that being the seat of government of the county. Mr. Howe came west in 1865, lived for a time in Lansing village, and engaged in farming for seven years. Later he moved to Austin, was elected county commis- sioner, and still later became register of deeds, serving six years with much credit. During his term of office he compiled a set of abstract books, and after retiring from public life opened an abstract and real estate office, remaining in this business the remainder of his life. Values of more than a million and a half dollars passed under his abstracts, and an abtract of title from him was considered as good as a guarantee from a bonding com- pany. Mr. Howe was a Republican, affiliated with the A. O. U. W. and belonged to the Congregational church. He was clerk of the latter for a number of years, and he, his wife and his daughter all sang in the choir at various times. Mr. Howe departed this life May 16, 1908. He was married January 23, 1867, to Susan J. Soule, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Rensslaer Soule, the former a graduate of the Green Mountain University, of Burlington, Vt., and a physician of considerable note. Dr. and Mrs. Soule came west in 1865, located at Lansing, in Mower county, lived there a number of years and in 1872 came to Austin. The doctor died November 7, 1880, and his wife passed away March 10, of the same year. Mrs. Howe was born in Fairfax, Vt., February 21, 1842. She and her husband were blessed with one daughter -- Jessie Ellen, who was born November 9, 1867, married Winfield S. Pierce, died April 18, 1894, and left one daughter, Florence G., who now lives with her father at Seattle, Wash., having made her home with her grandmother until fifteen years of age.

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 61

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