Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 147

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

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derness, and in the space of twenty years his most extravagant anticipations have been realized. He erected substantial buildings, and has a farm thoroughly cultivated and improved with all the appurtenances that go to make modern farming successful. He is now the owner of eight hundred acres of excellent lands, and since his coming to Dakota he has continuously followed agricultural pursuits.

Mr. Cunningham is a Democrat in political be- ief, and has been an active participant in the local public affairs of his county. In 1890 he was elected to the state legislature, and he has been a school official a good share of the time since his settlement in the county. He has always taken an interest in educational maters, and is a strong supporter of the public school system.

Mr. Cunningham was married, in Reynolds, North Dakota, to Miss Dora Whiteman, who is a native of the state of Michigan. To this union two children have been born, namely: Duncan C. J. and Mary A.

HON. ENOS GRAY, one of the most widely known and highly esteemed citizens of Gill township, Cass county, is a pioneer set- tler of that locality, and is among the com- paratively few early settlers who have re- mained to enter into the duties of upbuilding their community and rendering valuable aid in sustain- ing its better interests. Mr. Gray has converted a large tract of the once wild land of Cass county into a thriving agricultural spot, and the buildings upon his fine estate evidence the good management and painstaking care bestowed upon it. He has filled the position of postmaster at Embden, North Dakota, for eighteen years, and is efficient and pop- ular with the people. His portrait is presented on another page.

Our subject was born in Embden, Somerset county, Maine, February 4, 1829, and was a son of Joshua and Betsy ( Williams) Gray, both natives of Maine. His father was a farmer by occupation and spent his entire career in his native state, as did also the grandfather of our subject, Joshua Gray, Sr., who also was a farmer. Our subject had four brothers and two sisters, but he is the only one of the family in North Dakota.

Mr. Gray was reared and educated in his native state and there began farming which he continued there until 1857, and then removed to Minnesota, and spent two years in the vicinity of St. Paul. He went to California in 1859 and remained there four years, engaged in mining, and in 1863 returned to Maine, where he stayed until 1876, and then again located in Minnesota, at Minneapolis, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He went to Cass county, North Dakota, in April, 1879, and entered claim to the land on which he still resides. He has converted his original farm into one of the finest pieces of property to be found in the county, and he

HON. ENOS GRAY.

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and his son own in partnership one thousand six hundred acres of choice land, which he devotes to grain raising, and yearly harvests twenty thousand bushels of grain. The Casselton branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad is now being constructed through his farm.

Mr. Gray was married, in Maine, in 1852, to Miss Mindwell Thompson, a native of that state. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gray, as follows: Imogene and Oscar F. Mr. Gray rep- resented the fourteenth district in the constitutional convention of 1889, and has filled various positions of trust. He was county assessor in 1887-88, and has served as chairman of the township board and in other local offices. He assisted in the organiza- tion of Gill township, and has favored every enter- prise for its upbuilding, and for his active public spirit is highly esteemed by his associates. Politi- cally he is a Democrat, and is a man who keeps pace with the times and stands firm for his convictions.

HON. DAVID E. MORGAN, district judge of second judicial district residing in Devils Lake, is one of the prominent men of Ramsey county, North Dakota. He is a man of good education, intelligent and honest in his efforts and has a host of friends in that locality, where he has spent over seventeen years of his life. He has gradually built up an extensive law practice and has long stood at the head of the Ramsey county bar. He is loyal and determined and his success is well merited.

Our subject was born in Pomeroy, Meigs coun- ty, Ohio, November 8, 1849. He removed with his parents to Sauk county, Wisconsin, when he was a child and there he was reared on a farm. He was educated in the common schools and at Spring Green Academy in Sauk county, Wisconsin, and at Platteville Normal School, where he graduated in 1873, and then took a special course at the Wiscon- sin University one year. In the meantime he taught school one year at Ironton, Wisconsin, and was also principal of the Chilton high school one year. He was elected clerk of the circuit court of Sauk county, Wisconsin, and was re-elected to the same office and studied law with Judges Remington and Barker, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, during the five years that he held such office, and resigned from the position in 1881. He was admitted to practice in 1880, and first commenced the practice of law at Grand Forks, North Dakota. He went there with Hon. A. H. Noyes, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, now a judge in Alaska, and he and Mr. Noyes formed a partnership for the practice of their profession, which existed one year, when Mr. Morgan, in 1883, went to Devils Lake and established his office there and in September, 1883, entered into partnership with Judge McGee, now of Minneapolis, and has continued his practice there since that date. He was elected state's attorney of Ramsey county in 1884 and re-elected in 1886, serving in that capacity two terms. He was elected district judge in October, 43

1889, and has held the office continuously since that date. He has performed his duties faithfully and well and is widely and favorably known for his equity and judgment.

Mr. Morgan is a genial, popular gentleman and was recently nominated by the Republicans for judge of the supreme court and the Democratic conven- tion endorsed by such nomination. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity and has passed the thirty-second degree of the order.

GEORGE F. THAYER, familiar to the people of Nelson county and surrounding country as Col- onel Thayer, is one of the influential and popular men of his community. He has also aided materially in the upbuilding of that region, and especially the thriving town of Aneta, and he originally owned the town site of the city. He now makes his home there and conducts a farm of twelve hundred acres in extent and is also engaged in handling real estate. Our subject is a native of Rochester, New York, and was born March 15, 1845. He was the eldest son of seven children born to Alvah and Mary ( Conlay) Thayer. The father was of Mohawk Dutch descent, and the mother was of Irish birth. Our subject re- moved with his parents to Berrien county, Michigan, when he was eleven years of age, and there he was reared to farm work. He enlisted April 14, 1864, in Company K, Sixth Michigan Heavy Artillery, and engaged in numerous skirmishes up and down the Mississippi and participated in the capture of Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines. He was then at Fort Hugo, and the siege and capture of Mobile, and thus participated in the last engagement of the war. He was discharged from the service September 20, 1865, at New Orleans, and at once returned to Mich- igan, where he devoted himself to agricultural pur- suits until 1878, when he disposed of his interests there and went to Kansas and followed farming near Independence with good results, and in Octo- ber, 1881, arranged to go to Dakota, and in the spring of the following year moved his family thither and located on the present town site of Aneta, when Nelson county boasted neither railroad nor school house, and he and Mr. Prindle are now the oldest resident settlers in Ora township. Mr. Thayer de- veloped his farm and acted as locating agent and real estate dealer. He began sheep culture in 1888 and continued this line successfully until 1892. In 1896, through his influence, the Great Northern Rail- road was built through Aneta and the village then sprang into existence, and the village with its beau- tiful park and other advantages is a monument to the energy and push of our subject, as he has been a leading spirit in its advancement and public en- terprises. After the town was located Mr. Thayer sold a half interest in the town site to A. A. White. of St. Paul.

Our subject was married, in 1869, to Miss Mag- gie Quick, a native of Michigan. Three children, two of whom are living, have been born to Mr. and

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.

Mrs. Thayer, and are named as follows: Eva May, deceased ; Carrie M., now Mrs. M. Prindel, of Aneta ; and Frederick Ward, now engaged in farming with our subject. Mr. Thayer early became identified with the Republican party in political faith, and served many years as a member of the county central committee, and is a regular attendant at county and state conventions. He is a robust man of great men- tal and physical vigor and has surmounted every obstacle which came to him in his pioneer life in North Dakota.

CORNELIUS DANIELS. This gentleman is well known as one of the foremost educators and agriculturists of Brenna township, where he is an od settler. He has followed teaching throughout his career with good results, and has intelligently applied himself to agriculture since taking up his residence in North Dakota in connection with his school work, and is now the fortunate possessor of a fine farm of one half-section.

Our subject is a native of Norway, and was born September 16, 1838. His parents, Daniel Ole- son and Marie ( Stephenson) Daniels, were natives also of Norway, and passed their lives in Nordland, near Tromsoe. Three sons and two daughters were born to them, of whom our subject and one daughter are the only ones in the United States.

Mr. Daniels was reared and educated in Nor- way, and attended the seminary, and in 1868 came to the United States, and in November of that year located at Paxton, Illinois, where he attended Au- gustana College and then attended St. Paul's Col- lege at Springfield, one year. He completed his studies with a year's course at Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis. He then taught school in Wiscon- sin seven years, and in the spring of 1878 went to Grand Forks, North Dakota, and soon afterward located land in section 27 of Brenna township, where he has since resided. He now owns a halt- section of valuable land, and has made a success of his labors in that line. He has also followed teaching and has aided in promoting educational work in his district.

Our subject has served as supervisor of his township and assisted in the organization of the township. Politically he is independent and lends his influence for good local government.

Our subject is one of the bachelor farmers pecu- liar to Dakota.

HERBERT C. TIIOMSON, a member of the firm of Thomson Brothers, dealers in hardware and lumber, in Bowesmont, Pembina county, is one of the rising young business men of that locality. He has been identified with the financial growth of the town and county and is widely and favorably known.

Our subject was born in Goderich, Ontario, Can- ada, December 19, 1864. and was the fourth in a fam- ily of five children born to James and Elizabeth

(Collins) Thomson. His father is well known in Pembina county as a gentleman of good business ability and much social influence. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, 1830, and is now traveling in quest of better health. The mother of our subject was a native of England, and the parents emigrated to America while children, and were married in London, Ontario, where the father established himself in the wagon-maker's trade. To provide land and possessions for his chil- dren he went to Pembina county, North Dakota, in September, 1880, and entered claim to land in section 21, in Lincoln township, and the family jomed him there in the spring of 1881. This was the beginning of a permanent settlement near Bowes- mont, and through the influence of Mr. Thomson many Canadian families were induced to try their fortunes in Dakota. The father of our subject sold his farming interests in 1887 and removed to Neche, Pembina county, and became cashier of the Bank of Neche. He went to Bowesmont, in July, 1890, and established a hardware and lumber business, and in 1891 our subject became a partner of the business. A brother, Oscar W., bought a partnership in the business in 1895, and the father retired to private life, and now enjoys the fruit of his labors. He was always a stanch Republican and a man of broad ideas and good business qualifications.

Mr. Thomson has prospered in the mercantile business and the firm now has a liberal trade and is one of the well known business firms of that lo- cality. Our subject has served as postmaster of the Bowesmont office since 1894 and is a popular and efficient officer.

Mr. Thomson was married, in 1888, to Miss Mary Spinning. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, named as follows : Edna, Roy, Ross, Lynn and Fred. Mr. Thomson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and Ancient Order of United Workmen. In political faith he is a Demo- crat and is firm in his convictions, but is popular with the people regardless of party affiliations.

THOMAS D. LEWIS, one of the extensive land owners, stock raisers, and general farmers of Foster county, is a pioneer settler of that region, and has accumulated his fortune only through honest industry and good management. He is now the owner of one thousand eight hundred acres of land, and his farm is fully equipped with every comfort and convenience found on a model farm. He makes his home in section Io, in township 145, range 65. A portrait of Mr. Lewis appears on another page.

Onr subject was born on a farm in Wales, March 8, 1855. His father, John Lewis, was a farmer, as was also his father, Griffith Lewis. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Catherine Evans, and his father, Daniel Evans, was a farmer by occupation.

Mr. Lewis was the oldest in a family of eight

I.S. Lewis

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.

children and was raised on his father's farm, and attended the schools of his native country. He assisted his father on the farm, and later had charge of the farm more or less until he came to America in May, 1882. He then located in Jamestown, and worked for Sykes & Hughes, who were opening up a large farm in Wells county. He made the trip from Jamestown to the farm overland, and when six miles from Jamestown passed the last house before reaching his destination, sixty miles from Janiestown. He worked on that farm until the fall of 1883, and the previous year had entered claim to the east half of the northwest quarter, and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 10 as a pre-emption, and erected a shanty 12x14 feet. He spent the winter of 1883-84 in his native land and in the spring returned to his home on the south- east quarter of section 10, township 145, range 65, and built a small house and sod barn. He bought a team of horses, wagon, plow, and drag, and be- gan farming in earnest, and during the winter of 1884-85 worked for others, returning to his farm work in the spring. He followed grain raising al- most exclusively in early years, but is now raising cattle quite extensively. He owns one thousand eight hundred acres of land, and his buildings, in- cluding residence, which is two stories high and basement, and contains fifteen rooms, and his com- modious barns, granary, machine shed, and other buildings are among the best to be found within the limits of Foster county. He has a few forest trees, and some small fruits, and enjoys many of the luxuries of farm life. He has two windmills, plenty of good water and a complete set of farm machinery, and keeps one hundred head of cattle and twenty head of work horses.

Our subject was married, February 5. 1884, to Miss Catherine Harry, who was born and raised in Wales. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, as follows: William Harry, John Biddulph, Thomas Penry, Gladys Ann, Mabel Mary, Alfred Gladstone and Glyn Myrddyn. Mr. Lewis is prominent in local affairs, and has held numerous offices in his township. He was appointed county commisioner in April, 1894, and has twice been elected to the same office. He holds membership in the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Politi- cally he is a Republican, and is an earnest worker for his party principles. Mr. Lewis has been the builder of his own success. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are members of the Congregational church. The father of Mrs. Lewis was William Harry, the eldest engine driver at the time of his death in Europe. He was for many years a committeman of the Great Western Railway. He was well read in Welsh literature during his life time and also a keen poli- tician of the Bright and Cobden school-always in the van of progress. He was a prominent and good man. He died in Wales April 26, 1883. Mrs. Lewis' mother died there February 19. 1887. The grandparents of Mrs. Lewis were farmers and were all residents of Wales.

MORRIS MADSEN. A prominent station is accorded this gentleman as an old settler and busi- ness man of Rugby, Pierce county. He conducts a lumber yard in the town and also has extensive farming interests in the vicinity.

Our subject was born in the suburbs of Chris- tiania, Norway, in December, 1860, and is a son of Nels Madsen, a mechanic. The mother died in Norway and our subject and his father came to America in 1865, and in 1868 returned to their native land. Our subject grew to manhood there and attended the city schools, and at the age of eighteen years returned to America and settled at Racine, Wisconsin. His father died in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1879. He followed various occupa- tions including bookkeeping, clerking and working in a printing office and attended school, and he worked on several papers in Wisconsin. He started in business at Racine, Wisconsin, when he was twenty-one years of age, and carried a line of dry goods, notions, and gents' furnishings, and was in business there until 1887. He came to Rugby, North Dakota, in 1887, where he started a general store and was one of the pioneer merchants of the town. He also took government land and lived on the farm a portion of the time. He continued in business there until the spring of 1890 when he sold the stock and was appointed county auditor in April, 1890, and served one term. He was deputy treasurer during 1891 and 1892, and was elected county auditor in 1892, and in 1894 was re-elected, serving in that capacity two terms. He established a lumber yard in Rugby in 1896, and enjoys a good trade and has been successful. He is local agent for the town site company, and also handles insurance business. He owns a farm of four hundred and eighty acres, on which he conducts grain raising with good results.

Our subject was married, in 1887, to Miss Inga- borg Anderson, a native of Norway, who came to America in 1880. Her father is a watchmaker and jeweler. Mr. and Mrs. Madsen are the parents of five children, who are named as follows: Agnora, Arthur, Oscar, Morris and Harold. Mr. Madsen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and Woodmen of the World. He is a Re- publican politically and has been chairman of the county central committee and is prominent in party affairs.

WILLIAM WEBSTER, who has devoted his later years to agricultural pursuits, has a fine farmi in the township which bears his name, and is one of the extensive land owners of Ramsey county. He was born about eight miles from Dundee, Scotland, Angust 9, 1838, and his present home is in section 31 of Webster township, Ramsey county.

The father of our subject was a farmer by oc- cupation, and Mr. Webster was reared on the home farm and assisted with the farm work until he was fifteen years of age. He began to learn the mill-

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.

wright's trade when a boy of thirteen years, and after about two years left home and went to Guelph, Ontario, Canada, where he completed his trade, and was employed in a foundry and machine shop. He continued working there at his trade until 1860, when he went to East St. Louis, Illinois, and con- tinned the same kind of work until 1866. He then returned to Canada and for several years was em- ployed in the saw-mill business until 1883. In the early summer of that year he came to Ramsey county, North Dakota, and located on the farm on which he now resides. He has erected good buildings, made valuable improvements and other- wise provided a comfortable home, and is now the fortunate possessor of thirteen hundred and twenty acres of land. He was one of the pioneers of Web- ster county, and in appreciation of his services in its early development the township was named in his honor.

Our subject was married, in Huron county, On- tario, Canada, to Miss Esther Nay, a native of Can- ada, where she was reared. Mr. and Mrs. Web- ster have been the parents of thirteen children, twelve of whom are n ow living, named as folows : David, Robert, William J., Margaret, Mary, George, Anna, Sarah, Edith, Ida, Pearl and Daniel MI. Samuel died in Canada at the age of two and a half years. Mr. Webster has served as school treasurer for several years and also as justice of the peace. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is an elder in that denomination.

WILLIAM E. PEW, of the firm of Thompson & Pew, real estate dealers of Cando, North Dakota, is one of the most extensive land owners of Towner county, and has a wide reputation as a gentleman of excellent business capacity and true citizenship.

Our subject was born in Pike county, Missouri, August 4, 1857, and was the eldest in a family of four children. His father, Ruben C. Pew, was a native of Kentucky, and still lives. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Alexander, was a native of Missouri. Our subject was raised at farming and stock raising, although residing in the town of Louisiana. He attended college in his native place and took a complete business course at Quincy, Illinois. He remained at home until 1883 and in the early spring of that year went to Lari- more, North Dakota, and rented land north of that place. He then returned to Missouri for stock and implements and cropped the rented land and as soon as the work was finished started west in search of land. He drove overland about two weeks, and then arrived at Coulee Valley, and there decided to locate, and then traveled night and day on his re- turn to his rented farm. He then made his way to his claim and erected a barn with lumber which he took, and became a permanent settler. He now owns fourteen hundred acres of land in township 157 range 66, in the garden spot of Towner county, and is one of the substantial men of that region.

Our subject has been identified with the public movements of Towner county, since the early days. The county was organized in January, 1884, and Mr. Pew was appointed register of deeds and served in that capacity seven years, and following his term of office he was chosen chairman of the Democratic county central committee, and has con- ducted several successful campaigns. The county seat was established at Cando, January 24, 1884, and a small frame building was erected as a court house, and there our subject was a well-known officer. The partnership now existing between Mr. Pew and Mr. Thompson, under the firm name of Thompson & Pew, was formed in 1896. They con- duct an extensive real estate business and are widely known in their line. Mr. Pew is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being a Master Mason.

JUDGE WALTER H. WINCHESTER, judge of the sixth district court of North Dakota, holds and merits a place among the representative legal practitioners and citizens of Bismarck, and the story of his life, while not dramatic in action, is such a one as offers a typical example of that alert Amer- ican spirit which has enabled many an individual to rise from obscurity to a position of influence and renown solely through native talent, indomi- table perseverance and singleness of purpose. His portrait in this work indicates the possession of these qualities.

The Judge was born in Malone, Franklin county, New York, March 21, 1844, and is a son of David and Elvira ( Blanchard) Winchester, na- tives of New York and Vermont, respectively. The father, who was a farmer and carpenter by occu- pation, died in 1845, during the infancy of our subject. Besides the Judge there were two daugh- ters in the family. The paternal grandfather was Henry Winchester, a native of Massachusetts.

Judge Winchester passed his boyhood and youth in New York, and his early education, ac- quired by the common schools of that state, was. supplemented by a course at the Franklin County Academy, from which he was graduated in 1866. In 1864 he enlisted in Company G, Eighth New York Cavalry, but was afterward transferred to Company C of the same regiment, with which he served until the close of the war. He participated in the battles of Cedar Creek and Waynesboro, Virginia ; Five Forks, April 1, 1865, and was in all of the engagements in which his command took part up to and including Lee's surrender at Ap- pomattox.

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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 147

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