Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 116

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago, G.A.Ogle
Number of Pages: 1432

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eighty acres of land, most of which is under cultiva- tion, and he has erected a complete set of substan- tial farm buildings, and has made every arrange- ment for the economical conduct of the place and thecomfort of the family. His farm is well improved and he has forest and fruit trees, fences, buildings, and machinery for a model farm. He suffered the loss of one hundred tons of hay by prairie fire in 1895, but despite that and other losses he has pros- pered in his calling, and is now one of the substantial men of that locality.

Our subject was married, in 1893, to Miss N. A. Speer, who was born and raised in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of James Speer, a blacksmith by trade. Mr. Page is a man of active public spirit and has held numerous school offices in his community, and is an earnest worker for educational advancement. Politically he is a Re- publican.

OLE OLSON. Among the leading farmers of Grafton township Mr. Ole Olson is deserving of special mention for the enterprise and thrift that have marked his career in Walsh county, North Dakota, since his settlement there in the spring of 1878. His thoroughness and his integrity have brought him the esteem and confidence of all who know him and this has enabled him to do much for the improvement and best interests of his com- munity and county.

Mr. Olson was born in the kingdom of Nor- way, January 22, 1855. He was reared in his native land until past the age of twenty years, and he then came to America, arriving here in the spring of 1875. He first located in Minnesota, where he lived until 1878, when he came to what was then Dakota territory, now North Dakota. He filed a claim to land in section 16 of Crafton town- ship, and has made that his home ever since. He has made many and valuable improvements upon his estate, including a substantial and comfortable residence, barns and outbuildings and various con- veniences for the care and shelter of his stock and machinery and the garnering of his crops.

Mr. Olson was married in Crawford county, Wisconsin, to Miss Johanna Iverson, who was born in Norway July 27, 1857. They have a family of ten children, whose names are here given: Paulina, Susanna, Iver, Permelle, Sina, Samuel, Oscar, Clar- ence, Peter and Ida. Mr. Olson has always taken an active interest in matters of a public nature, and has for the past fourteen years served as treasurer of Grafton township. He also interests himself in the advancement of education in his community, and in his services as a school officer his district has been greatly benefited by by his zeal and earnestness to secure the best methods and thoroughness in school work. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church, and is regarded as one of the substantial and influential citizens of the county.

HARRY BUIK. A prominent position as a citizen and a member of the farming community of township 150, range 72, in Wells county, is held by the gentleman above named. He has become thoroughly identified with the development and advancement of the region in which he has chosen his home and his farm is among the finest pieces of property in the county.

Our subject was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1863, and was a son of Henry Buik, a rope spin- ner by trade, who followed that business throughout his life. Our subject was the fourth in a family of five sons, and was raised in Dundee and attended the city schools. At the age of fifteen years he entered the office of his father, and also traveled as salesman four years for the business. He came to America in 1887 and settled at Melville, Foster county, North Dakota, and in July of the same year went to Wells county aud took government land, on which he began farming in the spring of 1888. He built a small claim shanty and lived alone the first two years, and with limited means began oper- ations on his land. He now owns and operates six hundred and forty acres of land, five hundred of which is under cultivation and the balance in pasture. He has erected the finest dwelling in the township, a two-story structure, 28x40 feet, and his other buildings on the place include a large barn with lean-to, granary, machine shed, hog house, and mill house. He has all the machinery neces- sary for the economical conduct of the place, and engages in grain raising principally. He shipped the first carload of wheat from Harvey and is in- terested to some extent in cattle raising. His suc- cess has been unbounded and he is now one of the substantial men of his locality.

Our subject was married in the fall of 1892 to Miss F. K. Sexton. Mrs. Buik was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was a daugh- ter of James Sexton. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Buik, as follows: Ellen C., the first child born in Harvey, North Dakota; Henry R., Francis F. and Herbert E. The children were all born in Harvey, North Dakota. Mr. Buik was the first justice of the peace in the township and was elected in 1894 and has held the office since. and takes an active part in public matters. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and his high position is well merited.

WILLIAM H. HASSING, editor and pro- prietor of "The Weekly X Rays," published in Hamilton, Pembina county, is a young man of rare business ability and foresight, and enjoys success in his newspaper work.

Our subject is a native of Delavan, Minnesota, and was born October 9. 1872. He was the eldest of three children, born to Barnard and Hannah (Goodge) Hassing, who now reside in Cass county, North Dakota, where the father follows agricultural pursuits. Our subject spent his early boyhood

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in Iowa, and in 1893, removed with his parents to Dakota, and in that state completed a high school course at Casselton, and later completed a business course in Fargo College, after which he took up newspaper work as his business. He purchased the "Buffalo Express," and edited that sheet for about three years, and in 1898 went to Hamilton and purchased the paper known as "Gilpin's X Rays," which he re-christened "The Weekly X Rays," and continued to publish the paper. Under his management the circulation steadily increased, and the paper is growing in prominence, and its local columns contain bright and well-arranged topics of the day. Editorially the paper deals from a Republican standpoint on political questions of the hour, and altogether is one of the popular and much quoted exchanges of the newspaper world of Pembina county.

Mr. Hassing was married, in 1899, to Miss Han- nah M. Roney. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Modern Woodmen of America, Ancient Order of United Workmen and is a member of the North Dakota Press Association.

SAMUEL D. RICHARDSON, one of the well known and highly respected pioneers of Hunter township, Cass county, is the fortunate possessor of one and a half sections of land, and has acquired a comfortable competence since taking up his res- idence in North Dakota. He is intelligent and progressive, and possessed of untiring perseverance and an energetic character and occupies a higli position in the minds of his fellows.

Our subject was born in Wisconsin, December 29, 1857, and was a son of William L. and Eliza- beth ( Hanson) Richardson, natives respectively of Canada and Yorkshire, England. His father was a farmer by occupation and went to Wisconsin in the early '50s, and in 1879 removed to Cass county, North Dakota, where he entered a home- stead claim to land in section 2 in Hunter township. He followed farming thereon until 1896 and then removed to Hunter, where his death occurred De- cember 6, 1897. The mother died in Hunter town- ship in 1881. The grandfather of our subject, John Richardson, was a native of Ireland, and spent the latter part of his career in Canada. Our subject has five brothers and four sisters, all re- siding in North Dakota.

Mr. Richardson was reared in Canada and there received his education and continued his residence there until 1879, when he went to Cass county, North Dakota. He entered a pre-emption claim to the southwest quarter of section 2, in Hunter township, and made his home there until July. 1894, when he removed to his present home on section 16. He was among the first settlers of that locality to begin breaking the land, and he walked from Casselton to his home. He is now the owner of one and one-half sections of land in Hunter township and is successfully conducting general

farming. For some years he was a director and secretary of the "North Dakota Independent," pub- lished in Grand Forks.

Our subject was married, in 1884, to Amelia Hanson, a native of Denmark, who came to Illinois in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson are the parents of three sons and one daughter, named as follows: Irving L., Myrtle, William and Gerald. Mr. Rich- ardson is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and politically is a Populist. He has filled some local offices and was delegate to the national convention of his party in Omaha, in 1892. He keeps pace with the times and is widely and fa- vorably known.

WILLIAM T. H. CUMMINS, of whom a por- trait appears on another page, is one of the promi- nent young man of Kelso, Traill county, where he is identified with the business and farming interests of the locality. He is the Kelso agent for the Minne- apolis & Northern Elevator Company, also agent for the lumber firm of O. C. Sarles & Company, and has recently purchased land near the village of Kelso.

Our subject was born in Newburgh, New York, February 22, 1863, and was the youngest of three children born to Samuel and Jane (Henderson) Cummins. His father now resides in Alexandria, Minnesota. The parents of our subject were born in Ireland, and the mother was of Scotch descent.

Mr. Cummins lived in his native state until the spring of 1870, when he removed with his parents to Pope county, Minnesota, where the father settled on a farm, and our subject was reared on the farm. He received a high-school education, and at an early age began teaching, and was thus engaged about three years, during which time he also engaged in wheat buying. He purchased. wheat for Porter, Pratt, Wheeler & Whalen, at Elliott, Minnesota, in 1889, and in the fall of 1890 bought for the North Dakota Elevator Company at Voss and Niagara, and in the spring of 1892 went to Kelso, where he has resided since. He has become thoroughly iden- tified with the interests of the community in which he makes his home and has prospered.

Our subject was married, in 1892, to Miss Sarah J. Cox, a native of Minnesota. Her parents were Edwin and Alice (Andrew) Cox, both natives of Canada, and came to Minnesota in 1866. Mr. Cox served one term in the legislature, and was a promi- nent man in his adopted state. One daughter has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cummins, now four years of age, upon whom they have bestowed the name of Dorothy G. Mr. Cummins is a thirty-second-de- gree Mason, and in political faith is a Republican. He has attended numerous conventions, and takes an active part in the affairs of his party. He has served as justice of the peace since taking up his residence in Kelso, and is well known as a young man who is rapidly gaining a high position as a citi- zen and business man.

WILLIAM T. H. CUMMINS.

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ANDREW J. ALLEN. Among the very early settlers of Eddy county, this gentleman may be mentioned. He has prospered in the pursuit of agriculture, and is now living retired from active labors in a comfortable home in New Rockford, and enjoys the fruit of his well-spent career. He experienced many hardships during pioneer times, but never wavered from his purpose of gaining a comfortable competence in North Dakota, and his labors have been rewarded by the acquisition of a fine farm near the town of New Rockford, in town- ship 149, range 66.

Our subject was born on a farm in Oakland, Michigan, October 1, 1841, and was the eleventh in a family of twelve children, born to Alva and Mary (McRoberts) Allen. His father was born in Ireland and settled in Ontario, Canada, and later came to the United States, where his marriage occurred to the mother of our subject, who was of Scotch descent.

Our subject was reared on a farm and attended the country school and assisted on the home farm during his boyhood days, and assisted in clearing three farms in Michigan. He spent a short time attending college at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then was engaged in the lumber wood of Michigan thirteen years, and was familiar with the work of a lumber camp from cooking to hauling and raft- ing, and the business afforded him an opportunity to travel over the state of Michigan. He enlisted in Company K, Ninth Michigan Infantry, October 17, 1861, and immediately went with his regiment to join Thomas in Kentucky, and his service was in that state and Tennessee. He was discharged in August, 1862, on account of disability, and January 12, 1864, re-enlisted in Company C, Fifth Michi- gan Infantry, and went with his regiment to Vir- ginia. He participated in the battle of the Wilder- ness, and spent fifty-two days and nights under fire. He was in thirty-six battles and skirmishes from the Wilderness till the close of the war, and when in front of Petersburg was wounded in the left leg and confined to the invalid ranks six weeks. He was on the skirmish line the day of Lee's surrender, and was discharged from the service July 17, 1865, after a long and brave service, which he can review with just pride. He returned to his home in Michi- gan and engaged in farming, and later brought grain for the Detroit Elevator Company five and a half years. He then spent one year in the lumber woods, and two years in farming, and in 1882 went to North Dakota and located on section 17, township 149, range 66, in Eddy county, and he and Mr. A. D. Tomlinson farmed together. He removed to his homestead on the southwest quarter of section 17, in the same township and range in 1883, and erected farm buildings, and has since made a well- improved estate there. His first crop was a com- plete loss on account of hail, and the following year hail destroyed a portion of the crop, but he per- severed, and is now the owner of a farm which yields a good average crop. He removed to New

Rockford in the fall of 1897, and during the fol- lowing summer built his present comfortable resi- dence.

Mr. Allen was married in 1866. Mrs. Allen died in 1876, leaving two children, Cornelia and Mary. The last named is now deceased. Mr. Allen was married to Miss Martha J. Ford, in 1883. Mrs. Allen is a native of China, Maine, and her ancestors have been in America many generations. Her father, Daniel Ford, was of English descent, and was a mechanic by trade, and her mother was of Scotch ancestry. Mr. Allen is a striking example of what can be accomplished by strict attention to business and industrious hab- its. He entered Dakota with four dollars, and is now among the substantial men of his locality, and is deservedly held in high esteem by his asso- ciates.

JOSEPH TOMBS, vice-president of the First National Bank of Grafton, is one of the solid finan- cial men of Walsh county. Aside from his business interests in the town of Grafton, he also operates a fine farm, and in every enterprise in which he has engaged success has attended his good manage- ment. He is energetic, and possessed of good busi- ness qualifications, and his public spirit commends him to a high standing as a citizen and business man.

Our subject was born in Ireland, April 6, 1827, and is a son of Robert and Jane (Small) Tombs, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The family came to America in 1835 and located at Deerfield, Massachusetts, and in 1855 moved to Winnebago county, Illinois, and in 1866 moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the parents died. They followed farming throughout their lives. Thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, were born to this worthy couple, of whom our subject and one sister reside in North Dakota.

Mr. Tombs was reared in Massachusetts, and in 1848 went to Winnebago county, Illinois, and en- gaged in the grain and stock business. He was thus engaged at various places in Illinois and Iowa, and in 1882 came to Walsh county, North Dakota, and entered claim to land. He also followed the hardware business and clothing business. He was elected vice-president of the First National Bank of Grafton about 1894, and aside from this business also has valuable farming lands near the city.

Our subject was married, in 1855, to Emma H. Randall, a native of Michigan. Mrs. Tombs is a daughter of William and Sophia ( Plomteaux) Randall, both of whom were natives of New York. They moved to Illinois, where they died. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tombs, named as follows: Frank W., Ralph H. and Helen H., now Mrs. Stockwell. Mr. Tombs served as mayor of Grafton for seven years, and has always taken a hearty interest in local affairs, and in any enterprise tending to the upbuilding of the town he is foremost with his support. He is a member of

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the Masonic fraternity, and, politically, is a Repub- lican, and since 1854 has been a supporter of that party.

CHARLES S. COLLINS. The farming in- terests of Cass county have had an able representa- tive in the person of Charles S. Collins for the past fifteen years. He is proprietor of a fine farm near Hunter, in Hunter township, and has devoted his career to agricultural pursuits in which he has been remarkably successful, and from a beginning with- out means has attained a high place among the sub- stantial men of his calling.

Our subject was born in New York, August 2, 1860, and was a son of Stowell and Laura ( Wilcox) Collins, both of whom were natives of New York. His father carries on a blacksmith shop and resides in Duluth, Minnesota, where he located in 1868. The grandfather of our subject, Stowell Collins, was a merchant and died in Minnesota. Our sub- ject has two brothers and three sisters, one brother now residing in North Dakota.

Mr. Collins was reared and educated in Minne- sota, and in 1883 went to Cass county, North Da- kota, and superintended the farm where he now lives, and later purchased a section and a half of land south of this place, and has lived on his farm continuously since. He has met with success and has a well developed farm.

Our subject was married, in 1887, to Miss Rosa Russell, a native of Canada. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Collins, as follows : Stoel, Lloyd, Rosa, Charles and Dallas, all of whom are living. Mr. Collins is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically, he is independent. He takes an active interest in local affairs, and has served as chairman of the town board for some years. He is a man of energetic character and strict integrity, and his life and labors in North Dakota have been crowned with well-mer- ited success.

ARTHUR N. BEISEKER, founder and cash- ier of the German State Bank, of Harvey, North Dakota, is a young man of exceptional business and executive ability, and has made a success of his business in North Dakota. The bank of which he is cashier is one of the oldest and best established institutions of the county, and carries the heaviest deposits of any bank in Harvey.

Mr. Beiseker was born in Austin, Mower county, Minnesota, January 1, 1879, and was the sixth in a family of nine children. His father, Charles N. Beiseker, was a native of Berlin, Germany, and was a cooper by trade. He enlisted from New York in the Civil war, and served three years and four months in the Army of the Potomac and partici- pated in the battle of Fair Oaks and also Gettys- burg. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Kate R. Reilly, was of Irish de-

scent and was born in Ireland, and emigrated to America when twelve years of age and settled in Wisconsin.

Mr. Beiseker was reared in Austin, Minnesota, and attended the Minneapolis Business College. His first work for himself was in the Sykeston Bank, at Sykeston, North Dakota, where he went in 1804, and the following year the bank was removed to Fessenden, during the county-seat war, and be- came the Wells County State Bank. Our subject worked there until 1897, in which year he and his brother, T. L. Beiseker, and Charles H. Davidson, Jr., established the German State Bank, of Harvey, the pioneer bank of that thriving town. They be- gan operations January 28, 1898, with the following officers: T. L. Beiseker, president ; Charles H. Da- vidson, Jr., vice-president, and Arthur N. Beiseker, cashier, under which management it has since been conducted.

Mr. Beiseker is one of the youngest men to fill the position of bank cashier in the state of North Dakota, and has met with success in his business ca- reer, and is one of the rapidly rising business men of that region. He is a Republican in political sen- timent, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

HON. PATRICK McHUGH, postmaster of Langdon and a citizen of prominence in Cavalier county, has been identified with the history and growth of the county since its organization. Mr. · McHugh is a native of Victoria county, Ontario, Canada, and was born September 23, 1846. His boyhood days were spent in his native county, but at the age of sixteen years he shipped aboard a lake vessel and followed the coasting and lake trade for about six years. He then went to Omaha, Nebraska, and was engaged in the grocery busi- ness, and where he also served as chief of police of that city for about two years. In 1876 he went to the Black Hills and opened a hotel in Deadwood, and also engaged in mining. He remained there until 1882, when he came to North Dakota, first lo- cating at Grafton and taking up land in Walsh county. In 1884 he came to Cavalier county, and has since been a resident of this county. He was first appointed county commissioner by Governor Ordway, and held this position until the organiza- tion of the county, when he resigned to accept the office of register of deeds (and ex-officio county clerk). He served in this capacity for five years. In the meantime, in the fall of 1884, he was elected to the territorial legislature, serving one term. In the autumn of 1888 he was re-elected to the legis- lature and served a second term. He was also chosen a member of the constitutional convention, and was Langdon's first mayor, having been elected to that office in the spring of 1888. He was one of the organizers of Cavalier county, and has had much to do with the public affairs of that part of the state.

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Mr. McHugh was married, in Omaha, Ne- braska, June 30, 1872, to Miss Rose Welch, a native of the state of New Hampshire. They are the parents of six living children, named as follows : Anna, who is known as Sister Antonia, of St. Joseph's Academy, of St. Paul; Robert E .; George F .; John B .; Rodger F .; Rose G. Patrick Henry McHugh, another son born to Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Hugh, died in infancy.

Mr. McHugh was appointed postmaster at Lang- don by President Mckinley in October, 1897. He has always been identified with the Republican party and is a prominent party worker in the coun- ty. He is a thorough business man, and has been among the originators of many of the enterprises that have served to develop the resources of Cava- lier county. He is president of the North Dakota Land and Townsite Company of the towns of Langdon, Osnabrook, Milton and Edinburgh. He is interested with George A. Gardner, of Duluth, in elevators at Langdon, Conway, Voss, Forest River, North Dakota, and Felton, Minnesota, and was formerly a member of the firm of McHugh & Kelly, clothing merchants, of Langdon. He is president of the Agricultural and Driving Asso- ciation of Langdon, and is largely interested in real estate and buildings, his landed interests aggre- gating some two thousand acres.

Mr. McHugh is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Elks. He is a genial and court- eous man and has a host of friends throughout Cavalier and adjoining counties.

LOREN SYVERSON, a prosperous farmer and well-known early settlers of Foster county, re- sides in township 145, range 62, and has one of the best farms of that region.

Our subject was born on a farm in Crawford county, Wisconsin, July 18, 1860. His father, S. Syverson, was born in Norway, and came to Amer- ica in 1840, when about twenty years of age, and was married in this country. He was a farmer throughout his career. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Posy, was born in Tennessee and was of American descent. Her father, William Posy, was a farmer in Tennessee and Illinois. The parents. of our subject were married in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, and settled in Wisconsin about 1850. They were the parents of ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom our subject was the sixth in order of birth.

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Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 116

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago, G.A.Ogle Number of Pages: 1432

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago, G.A.Ogle
Number of Pages: 1432