USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 88
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Lewis Thompson, also known as Lars Thorson, was the first Norwegian settler of Lansing township, and lived on a farm in that township forty-three years. He was born in Norway, Sep- tember 13, 1827, and remained in his native country until 1845, when he came to Rock county, Wisconsin. In 1856 he came to Mower county and pre-empted a quarter section in section 7, Lan- sing township. He continued to reside on this place, working hard and living a frugal life, increasing his possessions until he owned 400 aeres. He held various local offices, and was highly esteemed by his neighbors. After living in retirement in Austin for several years he died in 1904. He was married in Mitchell county, Iowa, August 1, 1857, to Elase Tollifson, a native of Nor- way, who came to Rock county, Wisconsin, with her parents at the age of ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were the parents of nine children: Jennie, Carrie, Theodore, Edward Inga, Maria, Oline, Ole, Lewis and Aaron. Carrie is the wife of C. I. Johnson, a merchant in Austin. Lena is the wife of Edward Engen. Aaron lives on the home farm and has four children : Lee, Esther, Reu- ben, and the baby.
Theodore L. Thompson, who has a fine farm of 160 aeres in Lansing township, was born December 15, 1861, on the old Thompson homestead in Lansing township, son of Lewis and Elase Thompson, the pioneers. Theodore L. was reared on the farm, was educated in the schools of his neighborhood, and later took up farming for himself. Ile married Annie Olson, and they have seven children: Clara, Agnes, Hilda, Florence, Blanche, Ruth and Esther. Clara is the wife of T. Paulson.
Teman Temanson, a retired farmer of Grand Meadow, was
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born in Dane county, Wisconsin, October 27, 1852, son of Teman and Inger Temanson, who came to America in 1852 and in 1865 located in Frankford township, this county, where they farmed all their lives. Teman, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the district schools and farmed with his parents un- til thirty-three years of age, at which time he purchased 100 acres in Frankford township. To this he later added ninety acres, thus making a fine place of 190 acres on which he farmed until 1896, when he sold his farm, and moved to Grand Meadow village, where he has since resided. He is a Republican in politics, a member of the M. W. A. and a stockholder in the First National Bank, of Grand Meadow, and in the M. W. A. hall in the same place. He attends the Lutheran church. Mr. Temanson was mar- ried June 22, 1879, to Mary Severson, who has proven a capable helpmeet.
Burr Beneke is a prominent citizen of Waltham township, has been a resident of the township sinee 1870, has served as super- visor of his township as well as elerk of the school board, and at the present time is doing excellent service as town treasurer. Burr Beneke was born near Berlin, Germany, November 13, 1858, son of Frederick and Julia (Miesel) Beneke, who brought their fam- ily to America in 1868, settled near Rochester, Olmsted county, and there resided until 1870, when they came to Waltham and settled in section 30, where Frederick ended his days in 1898 and Julia in the spring of 1899. Burr, the subject of this sketch, attended school as a very young child in Olmsted county, and later in dis- triets 50 and 93 in Mower county. After his marriage he took charge of the farm in section 30, where he now owns a fine farm of 200 acres, in addition to eighty acres in Udolpho township. The family home, which was originally erected in 1883, was remodeled in 1896 and is now a comfortable residence, well fur- nished throughout. The subject of this sketch married Matilda Kroening, and they have eight children: Edward, Clara, Lillie, Alma, George, Helen, Ernest and Stella. The parents of Mrs. Matilda (Kroening) Beneke were Herman and Hulda (Brogge- man) Kroening, the former of whom was born in Germany, came to America in 1872, located first in Milwaukee, and later in Waltham township, this county.
Lorenzo S. Chapman, of Waltham, station agent, bank cashier and village clerk, was born in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, May 28. 1862, son of William W. and Elizabeth (Palmer) Chap- man. He received his early education in the district and graded schools of his native county, and also attended the normal school in that eounty as well as the one in Crawford county, Kansas. He taught school for a time in Green Lake county, and then became a carpenter and painter for a few years. In 1888 he
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entered the employ of the Minnesota & Northwestern, now the Chieago Great Western, as agent and operator at Renova, Minn. In 1889 he was transferred to Waltham as agent and operator, and in this eapaeity he has since continued. Before assuming his present position in the Waltham State Bank he was its viee- president three years. His clerkship of the village dates from the original organization. Mr. Chapman was married April 28, 1889, to May Rockwell of Brownsdale, daughter of Alfred Roekwell and his wife, the former of whom died in 1900, and the latter of whom is still living in Brownsdale. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have two children : William Alfred, who was born Mareh 4, 1890, is assist- ant eashier in the Waltham State Bank, and Eva S., an adopted daughter, who was born June 4, 1894, lives at home. The family faith is that of the Methodist church. Mr. Chapman is a Repub- liean, a high degree Mason, and a member of the M. W. A. Will- iam W. Chapman was born in New York state and married Eliza- beth Palmer, a native of the same state. They located in Wis- eonsin in 1855, and farmed in Green Lake county until 1878, when they rented their farm and went to Crawford county, Kan- sas, where they continued farming until the winter of 1879, when William W. died. His widow returned to Green Lake county, Wisconsin, lived there until 1896, and then eame to Mower eounty and lived with her son, Lorenzo, until her death, August 16. 1902. There were five children in the family : Z. W. lives in Northfield, Iowa; II. A. lives in Green Lake county, Wisconsin; Olive A. is now Mrs. F. L. Nareross, of Crow Wing county, Minn .; Ella is now Mrs. Charles Bassett, of Windom township; Lorenzo is a banker of Waltham village.
George A. Hormel, president of the pork paeking plant of Geo. A. Hormel & Co., the leading industry in Austin, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., December 4, 1860, son of John G. and Susan (Deeker) Hormel. He was edueated in the publie schools of Toledo, Ohio, and in early youth went to work for his father in the sheepskin tanning business. In 1876 he went to Chicago and worked in the paeking house market for a year, after which he returned home and worked in the Wabash shops. Subsequently he again returned to Chieago and re-entered the paeking business. Soon after he became traveling agent for J. N. Dubois, Kansas City, purchasing hides, wool and the like. Next he engaged with Oberne, Hosiek & Co., in the same line of business, traveling out of Des Moines for seven years. At the end of this period he resigned, and entered the retail meat business in Austin, with a partner, under the firm name of Friedrich & Hormel. This part- nership was dissolved in 1892 and the firm of George A. Hormel & Co. was formed. This plant has grown in importanee, and is now one of the leading industries in southern Minnesota. It has
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been an important factor in insuring the prosperity and growth of the city. The company maintains, aside from its plant, a retail store in Austin, and branches in several cities. Mr. Hormel is a Republican in polities, and a Mason of the Knights Templar degree. Ile has affiliated with a number of societies and organ- izations, and is a valued member of the Austin Commercial Club and the Union League Club of Chicago. The subject of this sketch was married in February, 1892, to Lillian B. Gleason.
Frank Irving Crane, now deceased, was one of the well-known citizens of Austin, and well deserved the honor and esteem in which he was held. He was born in Sharon, Medina county, Ohio, September 26, 1848, and lived there until 1863, when his father, William A. Crane, sold his homestead on which he had resided for thirty years and came to Minnesota. The family came across the lake to Milwaukee, and from there came to this state in an emigrant wagon. All of the family were present except Eugene, who left the party at Madison, Wis., to go to Ann Arbor to con- tinue his law studies. The party crossed the line between Iowa and Minnesota on Frank's fifteenth birthday. The Crane family spent the winter of 1863 with Frank's unele, William Chatfield, then living near Spring Valley. In the spring they came to Austin, reached here March 16, 1864, located in the log house on the farm that is now the property of the Oakwood Cemetery Association, and in 1865 built the brick house which still stands to the west of the cemetery. Frank worked on the farm and attended district school. In 1872 he joined his brother, Eugene B. Crane, now of Minneapolis, and worked with him as appraiser of Northern Pacific lands, and later attended a business college in Minneapolis. From there he entered the old Mower County Bank to learn more of business methods. In 1873 he went to work for William Richards, father of Mrs. Lafayette French, who con- dueted a lumber yard near the present C., M. & St. Paul station. Bray & French at that time also had a humber business here, near the corner of Franklin and Water streets. In 1876 Mr. Crane succeeded Bray & French, and continued in the lumber business until the time of his death. Mr. Crane took a prominent part in all public movements, belonged to the old Board of Trade and the Booster Chib, was a member of the Board of Education, was appointed on the first Library Board of the city, and was its president from its organization until his death. One of his most distinguished services was as mayor. He was elected in 1896, and it was due to his efforts that the finances of the city were put in a greatly improved condition. So great was the favor with which his official acts met that he was re-elected without opposition in 1897. Ile was a high degree Mason, and also belonged to the Elks. The subject of this sketch was married March 14, 1880, to
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Sylvia Pettibone, of Bainbridge, Ohio. Mr. Crane and his wife were born within forty miles of each other, but never met until she came to Austin to visit her sister, Mrs. H. H. Kent. To them were born four children : Leah, Ralph, Clara and Florence. Mr. Crane lived in Austin from 1864 until the time of his death in 1910, a period of forty-six years, and his mind was a storehouse of first-hand knowledge of local history. Few events happened here in the half century of which he had no mental record. He had a wide acquaintance in his home town, his county and sur- rounding towns. He knew and called his friends by name in his fraternal fashion, and never forgot them. One needed to go about with him to realize the number of friends who gave him hearty greeting wherever he went. His hospitality was genuine and extended alike to rich and poor. His keen, practical mind gave him business sagacity and a cool judgment to discriminate be- tween the real and the sham, while his warm heart taught him the worth of men and helped him to forget their failings.
John F. Cook, one of the carly real estate dealers of Austin, was born in Malone, N. Y., May 13, 1823, son of the Rev. Stephen Cook, a clergyman in the Empire state in the period following the Revolution, and first pastor of the Congregational church at Ans- tin. John F. was twelve years of age when his parents removed from Malone, and with them he subsequently lived in various places in his native state. As a young man he was engaged in various occupations, working for a time at Clintonville, N. Y., and later at Peru, N. Y., where he began his eareer as an office boy in a large retail store, and rapidly advanced till he became an equal partner in the business .. Subsequently he went to Iowa, and during the construction of the Illinois Central through that state was engaged in railroading and in the mercantile business, being located at Waterloo and subsequently at Independence. Mr. Cook came first to Anstin in 1854, but did not remain. He returned in 1856 and purchased land around Austin, and owned an undivided one-fourth interest in the original townsite. He re- mained here about two years, retaining his interest in a number of mercantile establishments in Iowa. He sold his interests there and returned to Austin in 1864, taking up the real estate business. He was Austin's mayor in 1870 and again in 1874. He was an act- ive business man and a public-spirited citizen. He died at his home in Austin, December 2, 1892. The subject of this sketeli married Addie E. Carpenter, and to this union three children were born: Charles F., Addie and John F.
Ira P. Chase, rural mail earrier, is one of the popular men of Dexter, and has one of the prettiest homes in the township, his place being well kept and very attractive to the passerby. Being of a sociable nature, he has allied himself with the M. W. A., and
JOHN F. COOK.
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is a popular member of the local lodge of that order at Dexter. He is also a member of the Masonie Lodge No. 253, at Dexter. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, March 17, 1863, son of Amos B. and Annie (Martin) Chase, the former of whom, a native of New York state, came west, and after a few temporary stops, located in Dane county, where he farmed for many years. The subject of this sketch was reared on the home farm in Wis- consin, attended the district schools, and in 1903 came to Mower county and located in the northwest quarter of section 36, Dex- ter township. He married Lizzie W., daughter of Charles and Maria (Huntley) Seymour, and they have five bright children : Asa, Ina, Ray, Lena and Annie.
John H. Eckstein, a scientific and well-read farmer of Le Roy township, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, May 12, 1856, son of Herman and Fredrika (Grass) Eckstein, natives of Wurtem- berg, Germany. This worthy couple came to America in 1849, lived in Cleveland, Ohio, until 1856, then located in Howard county, Iowa, where they acquired 600 acres of land and engaged in farming, Herman dying August 15, 1910, while his widow still makes her home on the farm. John H. received his educa- tion in the district schools, then took up farming at home. Later he went to South Dakota, farmed there six years, and then came back to the farm in Iowa, engaging in general farming. In 1905 he came to Le Roy and purchased a tract of land in section 34, where he repaired the buildings and improved the land. He still earries on general farming and makes a specialty of stock and grain raising, taking great pride in Hereford cattle, Shropshire sheep, Chester White swine and Belgium horses. The sub- ject of this sketch was married December 26, 1904, to Julia Aga, born at Hardanger, Norway, March 28, 1866, daughter of Mikkel and Margreta (Huse) Aga, the latter of whom died in Norway, March 21, and the former of whom came to America in Septem- ber, 1906, and now makes his home with his daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Eckstein have one son, Ernest Aga, born February 27, 1909. The family faith is that of the Presbyterian church.
Charles E. Fairbanks, a scientific farmer of Dexter township, is well known throughout the county, and his place, the "Cold Spring Farm," is one of the model farms of this part of the state. The property consists of 320 acres, well kept in every way, and cultivated with the latest improved machinery along the most modern lines. His comfortable home is a demonstra- tion of the fact that rural life may be made most attractive, while his barns and other buildings are roomy, commodious, airy and sanitary. His sleek-looking stock, well cared for and well housed, form in the summer a pleasant feature of the pastoral landscape. Like most intelligent men, Mr. Fairbanks has a
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hobby, his particular pleasure being in hunting for big game in the northern woods, to which territory he makes frequent trips during the hunting season. At home he is highly regarded and has been honored in his township with various offices, including town assessor for thirteen years, as well as treasurer. Recently he has been appointed by Gov. A. O. Eberhart as boiler inspector in the Sixth district. Charles E. Fairbanks was born near Madi- son, Wis., February 10, 1858, son of Caswell and Miranda (Tyler) Fairbanks, the former of whom was born near Watertown, N .. Y. Charles E. was educated in the common and high schools of Madison, and attended the state normal school at Oshkosh, Wis. He came to Dexter, with his parents, at the age of eighteen, and for a time taught school in the township. He married Au- gusta Heath, also a well-known teacher. Mrs. Fairbanks was the daughter of Kimball and Jane (Walker) Heath, who came from New Hampshire. Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks are the parents of three children. Earle C. is in the real estate business in Minneapolis. Mary C. teaches in Duluth. Ralph B. lives at home.
Philip Heydt, a progressive citizen of Sargeant township, has been a resident of this county since the centennial year, and during that time has maintained a most honorable record. Ile has been supervisor, town treasurer and school director and at the present time is a director in the Farmers Lumber Company, at Hayfield. Philip Heydt was born in Germany, April 14, 1856, son of Carl and Louisa (Ruppenthal) Heydt, natives of that country. He cames to America in 1872, settled at New Ulm, Minn., and remained two years. Then he worked a similar period in Norwalk, Wis. In 1876 Mr. and Mrs. Heydt came to Sar- geant township and he worked for Mr. C. S. Meyer for three years, then he farmed in section 5 for himself thirteen years. Then he moved to his present location in section 8, where he owns a half section of excellent land, with a comfortable home and suitable buildings for stock, machinery and crops. Mr. Heydt was married in 1876 to Katharina, daughter of Henry Elsebach and a native of Germany. They are the parents of seven children: William H .; Lena E., the wife of the Rev. C. G. Roesti; Jacob E., Frederick C., Leonard L., Harvey A. (deceased) and Elmer O. W. H. is married to Bertha Wohlfeil; they have three children, Eva, Florence and Parl. J. E. is married to Lillian Schrapp and have one child, Lucile Vivian, a little girl. The three younger boys are home and work the home farm. Rev. and Mrs. Roesti have five children: Ernest, Katie, Ester, Ruth and Hazel.
E. F. Hunt is one of the honored residents of Waltham, in which town he is now serving his eleventh consecutive term as
PHILIPP HEYDT AND FAMILY.
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town clerk. Ile was born in Pinkney, Lewis county, N. Y., De- cember 3, 1839, son of Hiram and Cornelia (Hall) Hunt, who were born in New York state, migrated to Wisconsin, and then came to Brownsdale, this county, where they ended their days. E. F. attended the common schools, and later on the high school at Beaver Dam, Wis. He spent his early manhood on the farm, and in 1870 came to Waltham township, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres in section 16. Here he built a home and other buildings, and soon added another eighty acres, thus mak- ing a fine farm, which he still cultivates. The subject of this sketch married Mary C. Kezar, at Waupon, Wis., September 17, 1864, she being the daughter of Hiram and Catherine (Nesdel) Kezar. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are the parents of six children : Mary A., Josephine A., Franklin E., Jennie and Louisa and Arthur B., who still lives at home. Mary A. married Otto Miller and they have one child, Mary G. Josephine A. married W. W. Carver and they have two children, Ethel E. and Lloyd F. Franklin E. lives in Clay county, Cromwell township, married Katherine Pick, daughter of Fisher Pick. and has one child, Veronica. Jennie married E. E. Edwards and they have two children, Ever- ette E. and Mark W. Louisa married C. C. Lawis, and they have four children -- Ward, Blanche, Merl, Violet.
Samuel P. Hambleton is oue of the progressive and leading citizens of Frankford township. With the natural ability of a keen, active mind he combines a capacity for good judgment and hard work, and his influence in the community has been an excellent one. He has served the town twelve years as super- visor and for the past five years has been chairman of the town board. He is also a member of the school board of Grand Meadow village and a stockholder in the Farmers Co-operative Creamery in the same place. Samuel P. Hambleton was born in Bensalem township, Buck's county, Pa., December 9, 1854, son of Thomas and Mary Ann (Stackhouse) Hambleton, native of Pennsylvania, the former of whom died in March, 1895, and the latter in Jan- uary, 1899. The subject of this sketch received his early educa- tion in the district schools of his native county and completed with a two years' course in the Andalusia Hall, a school for young mnen located in Buck's county, Pennsylvania. After his school days were over, Samuel P. engaged in farming at home until 1886, when he came to Mower county and for five years worked in Grand Meadow township. Then he came to Frankford town- ship and purchased eighty acres in the east half of the southeast quarter of section 19. In 1903 he purchased the other half of the same quarter. He also purchased three aeres in section 30. making in all 163 acres, on which he now conducts general farm- ing. Ifis place is an excellent one, well tilled and well kept, and
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its value is enhanced by the fact that Deer creek runs through it. The subject of this sketch was married September 29, 1880, at Buck's county, Pennsylvania, to Lidie Stout, a native of Middletown in that county, born December 7, 1857, daughter of Samuel R. and Jane M. (Hibbs) Stout, also natives of Penn- sylvania. The Stout family came west in 1886, purchased 640 acres in sections 28 and 32, Grand Meadow, and there remained until Mrs. Stout's death, November 15, 1902, after which Mr. Stout moved to Grand Meadow village, where he died May 17, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton have three children : Frank S., Samuel R. and Rodman T. Frank S. was born at Bensalem, Pa., August 1, 1881, and now conducts a store and restaurant at Grand Meadow. Samuel R. was born at Bensalem, Pa., May 10, 1885, and died September 29, 1886. Rodman T. was born July 21, 1888. He is a senior at Hamline University, is editor of the Hamline Oracle, and was captain of the Hamline baseball club in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton are members of the Methodist church. Mr. Hambleton is a member of the M. W. A., and Mrs. Ilambleton is a patriotic instructor in the W. R. C.
J. P. Johnson has a well-kept farm of 240 acres in the south- west quarter of section 6, Sargeant township, where he has lived for some quarter of a century. Born in Norway, March 25, 1857, son of Peter D. Johnson, he was brought to America by his par- ents and reared in Dodge county, this state. Later the family came to Mower county and settled on the place where J. P. now resides, and where Peter D. died in 1909. Mr. Johnson, the sub- ject of this sketch, married Anna Kyllo, also a native of Norway, and they have twelve children: Oscar, Enen, Alma, Oneil and Selmer (twins), Bennie and Mabel (twins), Melvine, Elmer, San- ford and Clifford (twins) and Roy. The family affiliates with the Lutheran church at Hayfield.
John T. Keefe, now deceased, was known in both Mower and Freeborn counties. He was born in Ireland and came to America with his parents at the age of eight years. They settled in New York state and there he grew to manhood He married Maryann Kerby, and continued to live in New York state until 1877, when he brought his family west and settled in Newry, Freeborn county, this state. A year later they came to Udolpho township, this county, and lived on the old Field farm. In latter years he took up his home with his daughter, Mrs. John Dennis, and died December 11, 1909.
Albert Keefe, an industrious farmer of Waltham township, was born in Bombay, N. Y., May 20, 1871, son of John T. and Maryann (Kerby) Keefe. He came to Minnesota with his parents, attended school in district 50, Udolpho, and assisted his father on the farm. When twenty-seven years of age he married Mary
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Driscoll, daughter of Michael and Catherine (Pendergast) Dris- coll, the former of whom was born in Ireland, came to America, located in Chicago, came to Udolpho, lived eighteen years on the George B. Hayes farm, and afterward lived twenty years in Red Rock township, subsequently going to Virginia, in this state, where he now lives. Albert Keefe and wife lived five years in Newry, Freeborn county, and then came to Udolpho and located on the Stimson place. They are now on the Budahn farm in Waltham township. They are the parents of three bright ehil- dren : William H., aged ten; Irene S., aged nine, and Margaret, aged one. Mr.Keefe owns 160 aeres in the township of Badger, Roseau county, Minn. Ile is a modern farmer and his wife has proven an intelligent and sympathetic helpmeet.
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