The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 90

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

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They were generally in the care of his eldest son, William I .. In November, 1873, Mr. Wells was elected senator of Mower county and served during the sessions of 1874 and 1875. He introduced several bills and helped enact them into laws. Prob- ably as beneficial as any was one that has doubtless helped many a worthy farmer to secure pay for damage caused by fires started by railway locomotives. Another he thought was meritorious was that endowing women with the right of franchise in public school matters. However, he did not find conditions in the leg- islature as congenial to his natural disposition as home life and was quite satisfied, therefore, to let others have the honor as well as the responsibility .. As age with its infirmities grew upon him Mr. Wells gradually closed out his holdings and returned to the village to live once more. On September 14, 1859. Mr. Wells was united by marriage to Charlotte E. Soule, daughter of Dr. R. Soule, of North Fairfax, Vt. They had two sons born in Fairfax, Vt. The oldest, William L., August 20, 1861. He lived with his parents until he was married to Hattie Dearborn, of Austin, April 13, 1885, when he commenced housekeeping on section 10 in Lansing, some of the time farming in connection with his father and some of the time independently. In 1897, on account of the failure of his wife's health, he disposed of his place and moved to Austin. Ile purchased a home there and later bought an eighty-acre farm some three miles distant, which he rents. Most of the time since moving he has been, as he now is, connected with the postal department, city delivery, as mail carrier. They have two daughters. The oldest, Sue Ardelle, expects very soon to graduate from Hamline University. The other, Mae Elizabeth, is to graduate from the Austin High School at about the same time. The second son, Horace Renssalaer, was born in Fairfax, Vermont, January 20, 1864. He is a graduate of the Austin School, also of the medical department of the Uni- versity of Minnesota and is now practicing medicine in North Yakima, state of Washington, where he owns considerable or- chard property. He married Amelia Webb, a native of Indiana and a graduate of Asbury Hospital, Minneapolis. They have two children, a girl named Charlotte Frances and a boy named Horace Paul. Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Wells had one daughter named Susan Charlotte, born January 11, 1869. She married Erastus Hale, of St. Lawrence county, New York, and they are now liv- ing on a farm near Canton. They have two sons, the oldest named Charles and the youngest Roy. Elias II. had one brother older than himself, named William L., who is little more than a remembrance, as he died when quite young. The succeeding younger brother was named George Newton. IIe, except when attending sehool or teaching, lived with his parents until he be-

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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

came of age, when he entered upon a mercantile career-a part of the time in Westford and a part of the time in Fairfax, Vt. Newton married Celia Roberts, daughter of Larkin Roberts, of Fairfax. They had but one child, a daughter named Ardelle. Not long after the close of the Secession war they moved to Clarksville, Mecklenburg county, Virginia, where he invested his funds in land and landed securities. Not very long after this he was elected treasurer of the county, when he moved to Boydton, the county seat. There he continued to live, retaining his official position until shortly before his death. He died April 9, 1892. Both he and his wife are buried in the Sanderson ceme- tery in Fairfax. The other member of the family was named after his deceased brother, William L. He grew up to manhood on the farm in a manner similar to Elias and Newton, ex- cepting that before finishing school he responded to the call for. volunteers to help preserve the Union. He enlisted in Company II, Second Regiment Vermont Volunteer Infantry. He was ap- pointed one of the color guards for the regiment and some of the time carried the colors. He went with them to the front, par- ticipating in the first battle of Bull Run, also fighting with his regiment during MeClellan peninsular campaign, remaining with his regiment until they were again on the Potomac guarding Washington. But the toil and exposure amid the swamps of the peninsula brought on a fever and he was ordered to the hospital. When partly recovered he returned to his regiment, but imme- diately suffered a relapse, which ended his career, October 22, 1862, aged twenty-three. His remains were returned to Fairfax and buried in the family lot in Carroll Hill cemetery, followed by a large concourse of real mourners. The parents of Elias H. were Horace Wells and Harriet Farnsworth Wells. They lived the usual laborious and uneventful life of farmers until the year 1861 or about then, when they sold their farm and moved to the village and bought a home and other nearby property. He died June 18, 1864, aged sixty-five years and six months. His death was caused by overwork in aiding the mechanics to repair his barn. He was at times a member of the board of managers for the town and school. Mrs. Horace Wells died at Fairfax, July 23, 1893, when past her eighty-sixth year. Horace Wells was a member of the Congregational church and his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church, to the aid of which she gave all her possessions. They not only taught their children the way they should go, but also what they should believe. As Elias matured and thought of such things, he found that he could not conscientiously accept the old creeds and theories and gradually acquired a more scientific faith, more in accord with nature and its orderly course as we are coming to know it;

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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

rather than as humanity once imagined things were, with eon- stant interference by some divine power, with things and events. lle became better pleased to see old ereeds and superstitions slaughtered and sacrificed than to see scientific facts and sensi- tive beings sacrificed. Ile is today happy in the belief that the people in general are not accepting either religious or political ideas quite as hypnotically as our ancestors did. However, he does not accept the theory of accidental aggregations of atoms in our anatomy nor in accidental things generally, but believes that all that is is from some source quite according to an orderly, progressive manhood. The grandfather of Elias was named Cyrus and lived and died on a farm adjoining that of his father. He married Mary Kingsbury, by whom he had children named Zonas, Horaee, William, Jeremiah and Mary. After the death of his first wife he married a widow, Farnsworth, by whom he had children named James, Alonzo and Melissa (twins) and Dennison. There was also a Brazilla in the family. They also adopted a danghter, a Hannah Munsel. The aforesaid widow, Farns- worth, was by her first husband the mother of Elias's mother. The children of Widow Farnsworth by her first husband were John, Parker, Betsy and IIarriet. Elias thinks that his grand- father Cyrus, accompanied by a brother, Jonathan, who also left a large family, eame to Fairfax from Halifax, Vt., about 1805, and that their father was named Jonathan, but of his ear- lier ancestors he personally knows nothing. Those who have personally examined town and church records of colonial times in Connectieut and Massachusetts, notably Mrs. Annie Wells Hugo, wire of Hon. N. F. Hugo, of Duluth, are satisfied that the family are direct descendants of Ensign Ingh Wells, of Essex county, England, who was born about 1590, and who, accompa- nied by a brother, Richard, came to this country in ship Globe in 1635, landing in Massachusetts, then went to Hartford, Conn., but finally settled in Wethersfield. He was a brother of Gov- ernor Thomas Wells, of early colonial times. From these broth- ers, particularly Ilugh, Mrs. Hugo traces the large Wells fam- ily to Hadley and other places in Massachusetts into Halifax and other places in Vermont. She traces one, a royalist, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, others to New York, New Jersey, Penn- sylvania and other places and finds several quite ereditable char- aeters, who played prominent parts in those trying times, leav- ing us as an inheritance the freest, most demoeratie and represent- ative nation on the earth, though still capable of being greatly improved. Starting baek in England, Mrs. Hugo finds among the female ancestors the names of Goodwin, Crow, Meigs, Phil- lips, Drake, Ellis, White, Newton, Hubbal, Beardsley and other unknown ones. Mrs. Charlotte E. Soule Wells, wife of Elias

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H. Wells, was born in North Fairfax, Franklin county, Vermont. Her father was Dr. Renssalaer Soule, who was born in Fairfield, Franklin county, Vermont, July 30, 1803. Dr. Renssalaer Soule's father was Salmon Soule and his mother's name was Sarah. His ancestors came from England in the Mayflower. Salmon Soule died June 16, 1858. Sarah, wife of Salmon Soule, died May 23, 1846. There was a large family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom Dr. R. Soule was the third son. Dr. R. Soule was educated at the Vermont University in Burlington, graduated from the medical department, practiced medicine in Canada and Fairfield, was married to Susan Rich- ardson, of North Fairfax, Vt., December 23, 1833. Two chil- dren were born in Fairfield, Henry Chilo, who died in infancy, and Renssalaer Soule, Jr. Then they moved to North Fair- fax, where five children were born, Renssalaer Soule, Jr., Sarah, Charlotte Susan Jane, Henry and Helen. R. Soule, Jr., was born March 27, 1836, married Cornelia Hawley January 4, 1860, and died in Lansing, Mower county, Minnesota, March 5, 1904. Sarah, the second living child, was married to George Robin- son in North Fairfax and died in Lansing, Mower county, Min- nesota, August 5, 1866. Henry and Helen died in North Fair- fax, Vt., in 1864. Charlotte Soule Wells's mother was Susan Richardson, of North Fairfax, Franklin county, Vermont. Her father (Charlotte's own grandfather) was Moses Richardson, who was born December 2, 1776, and died June 5, 1825, aged forty-nine. Her mother was Sally Richardson, who was born October 9, 1783, and died November 10, 1830, aged forty-eight. There was a large family. Susan, one of the daughters, was adopted by her uncle John Richardson and Aunt Anne after the death of Susan's parents. John Richardson was born Octo- ber 15, 1768, and died December 24, 1846, aged seventy-seven years. Anne Richardson, wife of John Richardson, was born January, 1764, died in 1830, aged sixty-six years. Susan Rich- ardson, adopted daughter of John and Anne Richardson, was born June 25, 1812, died March 10, 1880, aged sixty-seven years. Dr. R. Soule, with his children, most of whom were married (Susan Jane being married in Lansing to William M. Howe), moved west to Lansing, Minn., in 1865, where he purchased a large tract of land. He died November 7, 1880, aged seventy- seven years. Dr. R. Soule and wife were members of the Epis- copal church. Charlotte E., a member of the Baptist church.

Mrs. Charlotte E. (Soule) Wells received her education at Newhampton Institution, at South Fairfax, Vermont. The aunts and uncles of Mrs. Wells on her mother's side were: John, Har- riet, Elvira, Susan, Caroline, George, and Robinson, all deceased. Her aunts and uncles on her father's side were: Sally, Chilo,

HENRY WEBER, SR.

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Armida, Bradley, Salina, Ruth, Jane, Solon and Joseph. All are dead.

August C. Wollenburg, an esteemed citizen of Waltham town- ship, has taken an active part in the affairs of his neighborhood. He has been supervisor of his township for six years, treasurer for eight years and trustee and treasurer of the German Lu- theran church for many terms. In Germany, November 11, 1855, he first saw the light of day in the home of his parents, Daniel and Johanna (Wutehke) Wollenburg, and was by them brought to America in 1868. Upon reaching this country they settled in Lomira, Dodge county, Wisconsin, where Daniel is still livng at the good old age of ninety-one years. August C. attended school in Dodge county and remained on the home farm until twenty-two years of age. At that age he married and came to Waltham township in a covered wagon, bringing his bride. Here they located on section 34 and nobly started housekeeping in a shack. Prosperity has crowned their efforts. The old shack has been replaced with a roomy house surrounded by airy and commodious barns, while the original farm of eighty acres has been increased to half a section. By his wife, who was Mary Wuertz, daughter of John N. and Catherina (Stahl) Wuertz, Mr. Wollenburg has five children: Augusta, August, Frederick, George and Marie. Augusta is the wife of William Steinbach and they have three sons, Elmer, Clement and Merton. August H. is married, lives in Waltham township, and has three chil- dren: Lorene, Elwin and Harold.

H. L. Welken, one of the supervisors of the town of Dexter, has lived on his present farm in seetion 8 for some sixteen years. He has a well-kept farm of 268 acres, with good substantial buildings, including a large barn, which he has just erected for his sheep. While diversified farming occupied his attention, he also gives much of his time to stock raising, and has a fine floek of registered Shropshires and a drove of Duroc hogs, in addi- tion to the usual amount of cattle and horses. Mr. Welken was born in Granvin Hardanger, Norway, February 9, 1867, came to America in 1888, located in Brownsdale, this county, worked out for several years, and finally purchased his present farm. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. and is unmarried.

Henry Weber, Sr., was a prominent citizen of Grand Meadow 'for many years, and his memory will ever be revered by the people of that locality. His variety of experience gave him a breadth of opinion and he was a thorough believer in educa- tion, being himself a man of many scholarly attainments. He was born in Brusau, Austria, was given a good education, in- cluding the graded and high schools. At an early age he ac- quired the German, Bohemian and Italian languages and after-

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wards the English language and was a deep reader of the work of the philosophers and thinkers in these languages. He made civil government quite a study, having himself lived under three systems, the old feudal system, the new constitutional monarchy, and later, in the United States, the republican form of govern- ment. In 1855, Mr. Weber came to the United States and set- tled in Racine county, Wisconsin, where he farmed. In the spring of 1861, he came to Grand Meadow township and bought his first quarter section of land direct from the government and here lived until his death in 1905. He was one of the pioneers of the county, whose plain sturdy manhood, self-reliance and untiring industry helped to subdue the raw unyielding soil into rich fertile fields and change the scene of a monotonous, unshel- tering-looking prairie into an ideal farm home with beautiful surroundings. He married Julia Nagle, also a native of Austria, and to them were born the following named children: Julius, Polly, Frances, Robert, Henry and Emma. The three sons are the only ones now living of the family and they reside at Austin, Minnesota.

Henry Weber, Jr., the popular judge of probate of Mower county, is one of the leading men of the community, and being still a young man, his friends predict for him many more and still greater honors in the coming years. He was born in Grand Meadow township, May 14, 1861, and is the son of Henry and Julia Weber. He has always taken a keen interest in education and in the reading of books and the gaining of knowledge of a substantial nature. He studied law in the office of W. W. Ranney, of Austin, and after being admitted to the bar, he opened an office at Dexter and there enjoyed a good law practice until he took his present position on January 1, 1911. During his resi- dence at Dexter he held many local offices, including those of president of the village council, member of the school board, and he still retains his position as president of the First State Bank of Dexter. He is a member of Dexter Lodge, No. 253, A. F. & A. M. The subject of this sketch married Hannah Rahilly, daughter of John and Ellen Rahilly.

H. L. Ziemer is one of the successful and estimable citizens of Waltham township, where he has a farm of 160 acres in see- tion 5. His farm is well kept and his dwelling homelike and comfortable. His barns are also commodious and in an excel- lent state of repair. No further word need be said of his char- acter than that he is a devout member of St. Michael's Evangel- ical Lutheran church, and in the absence of the pastor he ably conducts and reads the church services. H. L. Ziemer was born in Jackson, Washington county, Wisconsin, September 11, 1860, son of Carl and Bertha (Koepke) Ziemer. He received his

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schooling in Jackson county and came to Waltham with his parents in 1881. At the age of twenty-five he purchased eighty acres of land in section 5, Waltham township, and soon added another eighty, making 160 in all. Mr. Ziemer married Amelia, daughter of Ferdinand and Caroline (Paape) Steffen, and this union has resulted in nine children: William, Beata, Gustav, Samuel, Oscar, Laura, Herbert, Arnold and Hilda.

Carl H. F. Ziemer, for some thirty years an honored resident of Waltham, was an honest, honorable, hard-working man and left a goodly heritage of integrity to his children and descend- ants. His death, which took place in 1911, was sincerely mourned by the community at large as well as by his large family of five sons, four daughters, forty-one grandchildren, six great-grand- children and two brothers and four sisters. Carl H. F. Ziemer was born September 29, 1833, at Nadelfitz, Pomerania, Germany, and was ten years of age when brought to America by his par- ents, who settled in Jackson, Wis., twenty miles from Milwau- kee. He grew to manhood there and was married at that place November 2, 1855, to Bertha Koepke. In 1881 they came to Waltham, with their family, and settled on his farm, consisting thien of 300 acres, which he had purchased in 1879, a mile north of the village of Waltham, where the subject of this sketch car- ried on farming until his death, March 8, 1911, at the age of seventy-seven years, five months and nine days. Ilis children are as follows: George, Frank, Henry and John, of Waltham; Alfred, of Austin; Mrs. F. C. Garbish, Mrs. John Lewis and Mrs. Otto Kuchenbecker, of Waltham, and Mrs. Henry Pluck- han, of Milwaukee, Wis.

John F. Ziemer, a progressive and popular farmer of Wal- tham township, is a thorough believer in scientific methods in agricultural pursuits. He was born in Jackson, Washington county, Wisconsin, November 26, 1870, son of Carl and Bertha (Koepke) Ziemer. His early education was received in Jackson, Wis., and in Waltham, Minn., to which latter township he was brought by his parents in 1881. In 1897 he graduated from the agricultural department of the University of Minnesota. Mr. Ziemer's farm consists of 160 acres, all under cultivation. His home is large and comfortable, and his barns are commodious and sanitary. In addition to his own farm in section 3, he has recently purchased the old homestead of eighty acres. IIe is an active member of the agricultural societies of Minnesota and has been treasurer of the village of Waltham for fourteen years. The subject of this sketch married Cora A., daughter of Charles A. Schwartz, the present county commissioner of Mower county. This union has resulted in four children: Raymond R., Florence E., Harold F. and Lynn.

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F. M. A. Ziemer, an industrious farmer of Waltham township, was born in Jackson, Washington county, Wisconsin, October 30, 1864, son of Carl and Bertha (Koepke) Ziemer. He received his education in Jackson, assisted his father on the farm, came with him to this county in 1881, and is now one of the substan- tial farmers of the township. He married Emma, daughter of William and Wilhelmina (Koch) Prodahl, who came from Ger- many and settled near Zumbrota in Goodhue county, living there many years. Mr. and Mrs. Ziemer have seven children: Carl, Bernhard, Adelia, Esther, Everette, Minnie and Marvin.

Alfred A. Ziemer, a hustling and energetic young business inan of Austin, was born May 19, 1884, at Waltham, Minn. His early education was received in the public schools and German school of Waltham, subsequently entering the Southern Minne- sota Normal College in 1901. He was later employed in a Wal- tham drug store for two years, leaving to take a course in the Martin Luther Seminary of Buffalo, N. Y. At the conclusion of this, he enrolled in the Highland Park College, of Des Moines, Iowa, returning to Waltham after his graduation and imme- diately launching into the breeding and raising of fancy fowls and bees. His growing business made new and larger quarters advisable, so in March, 1909, he removed to Austin and pur- chased an eight-acre tract, erecting suitable and up-to-date buildings. He handles a full stock of high-grade poultry and Italian bees and a complete assortment of poultry and bee sup- plies, catering to a large and increasing patronage. Mr. Ziemer is a life member of the American Poultry Association, a member of the National Beekeepers' Association, vice-president of the Minnesota Fanciers' Association of St. Paul, secretary of the Austin Fanciers' Poultry Association, and superintendent of poultry for the Mower County Agricultural Association fair. In politics he votes independent of party, considering the worth of the candidate only in his choice. The Lutheran church counts him a loyal member. Carl and Bertha (Koepke) Ziemer, par- ents of Alfred A., came to this county in 1884, the father en- gaging in farming in Waltham township, where he died in Feb- ruary, 1911. The mother's decease occurred in 1906. Mr. Ziemer was married on October 10, 1910, to Miss Mimi Carlitz.

Thomas Beattie is said to be the oldest builder in active work in Austin and over 200 buildings standing in Austin and vicinity at the present time testify to the skill and fidelity with which he has labored. He was born in Ireland, March 17, 1847, and came to America in 1868, locating at once in Madison, Wis., where he remained three years, afterward spending a similar period in Chicago, pursuing his trade as carpenter, contractor and builder. In May, 1874, he came to Austin and since that

THOMAS BEATTIE.

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time has been employed here at his trade, having erected since his first coming here, an average of six buildings a year. In 1910 he erected twelve buildings during the year. Mr. Beattie married Elizabeth H. Teeter, and they have one child, Elizabeth.

Anson Boyer is one of the old settlers of Frankford town- ship. He was born in Jefferson county, New York, February 18, 1829, came west in 1854 and in 1857 located in Frankford village, purchased fifteen acres of land and combined carpenter work with farming. He was married February 22, 1854, to Azuba Evans, of Jefferson county, New York, and they have one son, Hiram. Mr. Boyer has been an honored man in the community and has done public service of various kinds.

Lowry W. Prosser, agriculturist, horticulturist and stock breeder, of LeRoy township, was born in Marion county, Illi- nois, March 7, 1850, son of Henry and Nancy (Jones) Prosser, natives respectively of Schoharie county, New York, and the state of Kentucky. The parents, after living in Indiana and Illinois, came to Minnesota in 1856 and took up their residence in Spring Valley, Fillmore county. The father died in Novem- ber, 1903, and the mother about 1885. Lowry received his early education in the Spring Valley graded schools and in the Chat- field High School, afterward taking a two years' course in the University of Minnesota. Subsequently he farmed summers and taught school winters in his home county for five years and then in 1878 came to LeRoy township, where he taught and farmed ten years. He purchased a farm of 160 acres and grad- ually increased his holdings until he owns 410 acres in sections 15 and 23. Originally this tract was scrub land, and Mr. Pros- ser cleaned up the hazel bushes and broke the land, bringing it to a high stage of cultivation. He also erected buildings and planted on the northwest of these a fine grove of evergreen trees, firs, balsams. pines and spruces, which act a windbreak and also beautify the farm. Mr. Prosser is a Republican in politics, has served on the school board for many terms and on the board of supervisors for five years. It is as a farmer, however, that he has made his greatest progress. Some years ago he became interested in horticulture and started planting apple trees as an experiment. He now has 1,000 trees and is developing a seed- ling apple, which he has named the "Prosser." This apple is the highest development in the line of Minnesota apple grow- ing, and Mr. Prosser has won many prizes, including $40 in prizes from the Minnesota Horticultural exhibit, and several awards from the Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society. In the agricultural line he makes a specialty of "White Dent" seed corn. and in 1910 was awarded first prize at the exhibit of the Albert Lea Seed Corn Breeders' Association. He also

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 90

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