Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 167

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

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Our subject was born in the northern part of Iceland, April 10, 1848, and was the eldest of a fam- ily of eight children, born to John and Una (Gud- brandadottir) Rognvaldsson. Her father, John Rognvaldsson, was the first child of Rognvaldur and Margaret. (Petursdottir) Jonsson, and the grand- parents of our subject were Jon and Anna (Jons- dottir) Rognvaldsson, and the family can be traced thus back several hundred years to King Harold Harfari Sigurdson, who reigned in Norway, previ- ous to the settlement of Iceland. In the great famine in Iceland, caused by the eruption of Mt. Hecla, our subject's great-grandparents above named, and two of their four children died of starvation at the place Klifshaga on Axar Fjord in Thingeiar sislu. The father of our subject was born December 10, 1808, and was a man held in high esteem for his educa- tional attainments. He was very methodical in his life, and left a diary giving details of the passage of the Icelandic colony with whom he came to America in 1874, and especially of the families who settled in Nova Scotia. He died October 16, 1888. As will be noted the name of our subject has undergone radical changes, and has entirely lost its identity. His Icelandic name was Jon Jonson, and he was born on the farm Holi (meaning hill). They were many of the name of Jon Jonson who took passage with the colony, and our subject was designated Jon from Holi (John from the hill). He was later known as Jon Holman, which finally became John Hillman. The colony with whom he arrived on American soil went to Kenmouth, north of Toronto, Canada, but as some were not pleased with the loca- tion, our subject and three companions searched for a new location, and eight of the Icelandic families settled in Halifax county, Nova Scotia. Our sub-

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ject remained there for eight years and followed the sea two years of the time, and then mined and worked in the woods and also at carpentering. His father through correspondence with friends in Win- nipeg learned of the new Icelandic settlement in Pembina county, North Dakota, and thither our subject went in the spring of 1882, and upon his arrival there had but ten cents in money. He worked at carpenter work in Pembina two years, and then settled in the inland village of Mountain, and in 1886 and 1887 was employed in the lumber yards of St. Thomas. He went to his farm to re- side in 1889, but had been placing improvements thereon and investing his money in its cultivation for some years, and he now has a well improved estate, and is one of the substantial men of Beaulieu township.

Our subject was married, in 1878, to Miss Johan- nah Hafstein, who died August 2, 1884, leaving two children, named Anna Sigridur Victoria and Haf- stein, now deceased. Mr. Hillman was married to Miss Elizabeth C. Sveinson in 1892. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hillman, named Lewis H. Mr. Hillman holds membership in the Inde- pendent Order of Foresters, and politically is a Democrat and active in party affairs. He served four years as a member of the township board, and for three years on the school board, and is an intel- ligent and progressive citizen.

CHARLES A. MALETTE, a prosperous and influential farmer of Casselton township, Cass coun- ty, is a pioneer of that locality, and has labored earnestly for its upbuilding and financial and so- cial growth. He has been rewarded by the acquisi- tion of a fine estate, and the highest esteem of his associates, and he now enjoys a happy home amid the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. His portrait is published in connection with this sketch and forms a valuable part of this history.

Our subject was born in Montgomery county, New York, December 2, 1857, and was a son of William W. and Isabella ( Heath) Malette, the for- mer a native of New York. His father was a mer- chant and a farmer by occupation, and is now a resident of Otsego county, New York. The grand- father of our subject, Philo Malette, was a planter and lived and died in New York state, and the family Malette, were prominent in Revolutionary times, and were of French Huguenot stock. The mother of our subject was a native of England.

Charles A. Malette was reared and educated in New York and followed farming there until 1878, when he went to North Dakota and located in section 33, of Casselton township, purchasing land there. He has fully improved this property and made it one of the best farms in the Red River valley. He owns and controls six sections of land, all well improved, and is also interested in property in the village of Wheatland, and is also a director in the Cass County Mutual Fire Insur-

ance Company. He has witnessed the growth of that locality and has seen every building in Cas- selton erected.

Our subject was married October 27, 1880, to Ann E. Hadwen, a native of Ontario, Canada. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Malette, as follows : Edna G., now attending Ham- line University; Leroy, George H. and Frank L. Mr. Malette has served several years as town clerk and is active in public affairs. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Casselton, and is a lifelong member of that denomination. He was the first superintendent of the Sunday school of Casselton, in 1879, and still occupies that posi- tion. He assisted in the erection of the edifice in that city, and has been a trustee of the church since its organization. Politically, he is a Demo- crat, and is a stanch advocate of party principles.

LEVI H. PETERSON, one of the best known early settlers of Nelson county, is a resident of the village of Petersburg, which town was named in his honor. Our subject was born in Norway, March 2, 1834, and was the youngest in a family of six children, born to Holver and Tone (Hoxtru) Pe- terson.

The parents of our subject emigrated to America in 1843, arriving at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 28, and settled on a farm in Racine county, where our subject remained until 186t. He engaged in the live stock business during war times, and in 1872 settled on land of ms own in Filmore county, Minesota, and in the fall of 1880 first vis- ited Dakota in the vicinity of Crookston. In Sep- tember, 1882, he and M. N. Johnson, went to Grand Forks, North Dakota, with a car load of horses, and in search of land drove to Grafton, Edinburgh, then to Turtle mountains, then through Ramsey county, and from there to Wamduska, Nelson county, and then to Larimore, and hearing of the land surveys in eastern Nelson county, retraced their way with a third party, J. P. Martin, and there came to the claim shanties of J. H. and T. D. Terrett. Johnson took land north of a small lake named Stella lake, in honor of Mrs. Johnson, and there a shanty was built and our subject and Martin remained with the horses while Johnson returned east. Mr. Peterson selected a farm near the present site of Petersburg, and erected a sod barn, and as the railroad was built Johnson sent a car load of feed and lumber, and our subject went to Bartlett and established a feed store. In January heavy storms blocked the road and he started for his claim by train, but the train went only four miles from Bartlett when it was stopped by the heavy snow, and our subject remained on the train four days, foraging from a deserted claim shanty. The morning of January 12 opened clear and Mr. Peterson started afoot and arrived safely at Mich- igan City, where he ate dinner and then went his way, and when within a mile of his siding near his farm he left the track and struck across the country

CHARLES A. MALETTE.

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for Terrett's shanty. A blizzard came upon him when half way, and he at once retracted his steps to the railroad and followed down to his sod stable, and there he found the snow drifted and the place so cold that he decided to find warmer quarters, and went to a cellar which he had dug and over which he had laid the floor of a proposed building. Here he built a fire, but the smoke drove him out, and about eight o'clock in the evening he again started for the sod stable, but missed his way and wandered out on the prairie. It was thirty-eight degrees below zero and he burrowed in a snow bank, but fearing he would be drifted in too deeply to get his way through and as the long exposure was weakening him, he de- cided to make another effort and dug his way through, but made another hole in which he re- mained until morning, and then again started to find Terrett's shanty. He came to a locked shanty, but repeated efforts to force the door failed and all hope was lost, but he desired to get inside so that his body might not be prey for the wolves. He then lay down by the shanty exhausted and went to sleep, and after awakening struggled to his feet, and finally noticed ice under him and he decided that he was on Deer Lake, and knew there were two shanties on its banks and then arrived at the stable near the shanty of Mr. Ingebritson, and there wished to lay down be- tween two stacks of hay, where he thought he would die, but the stack was fenced in and he was too weak to crawl through the fence, and chancing to see a trail to the shanty he staggered on and reached the door, and was taken in and cared for by the family and refreshed by food and thawed out with snow, and after thirty-six hours of exposure he slept twenty-four hours and then could scarcely be awakened. The result of this terrible struggle was the loss of the ends of three fingers and a thumb, and his toes were also slightly injured. After his recovery to full health he established a general store and conducted the same until 1894. In 1883 the postoffice was located and named in honor of our subject, Petersburg, and Mr. Peterson was made postmaster.

Our subject is a member of the Lutheran church, and politically is a Republican, and was one of the most prominent of the early day leaders and organ- izers of the party.

KARL JULSRUD, treasurer of Pierce county, is one of its pioneer settlers and most prominent farmers. Mr. Julsrud was born in Askim, Norway, April 27, 1855, and was reared chiefly in Rakkestad. His father, Ole A. Julsrud, was a farmer, and also owned a saw-mill and flouring-mill, a tannery and brick yard, and was a prominent man in his district. He was a soldier three years in the Norwegian army. He lived and died in Norway.

Karl Julsrud was reared at home, and worked at his father's various interests, attended school till he was fourteen or fifteen years of age, and in 1876 started for himself, first working in a machine shop

at Sarpsborg, and then taking a course in a technical college at Horton, Norway. He graduated from this institution in 1878, and then did machinist's work for some time. He also served threee years in the Norwegian army. In 1882 he came to America, landing in New York, and proceeding west to Chi- cago. After a short time in the latter city he went up into Michigan and worked in a saw-mill. He then visited St. Paul, Minnesota, and soon after came west to Dakota, reaching Hillsboro in 1882. His first job in that vicinity was firing an engine for a threshing machine. He remained in that county three years, going to the pineries in northern Min- nesota during the winter months. In 1884, he with three others, A. R. Ruud, A. O. Ruud and Anton Julsrud, started west in wagons from Traill county, and visited Northwood, Devils Lake, Stump Lake, and spent four weeks in examining the country in the vicinity of these points. They proceeded along the Mouse river as far as Burlington, and went up to Round Lake. From Churchs Ferry to Mouse river they found but two settlers. In the spring of 1885 they made a permanent settlement ten miles northwest of Rugby, in the vicinity of Round Lake, putting up their shanties in a cluster, and bached it for the first few years. In 1886 they started break- ing their land, using oxen for the first few years. Mr. Julsrod had trying experiences the first few years, his crops failing frequently, and the snow dur- ing the winter of 1886 and 1887 completely covering most of their shanties. With the exception of 1896 and 1897 that was the severest winter this region has had since its earliest settlement. In 1890 he found it necessary to work on the Great Northern Railroad to help him out, and joined the construct- ing forces in the Rocky mountains. He nows owns three hundred and twenty acres of excellent land, two hundred of which is under cultivation, and he devotes attention to wheat and stock raising.

In politics Mr. Julsrud is a Republican, and has been active in public affairs of his county. He has held a number of local offices in his township, and was school director about eleven years. In 1898 he was elected county treasurer, and is now serving in that capacity. He has attended numerous state, county and district conventions of his party, and is a leading citizen of the county and influential in the councils of his party. He took part in the organiza- tion of Pierce county, and has done much to direct its growth and development.

Mr. Julsrud married, in 1893, Miss Mary Tolsby becoming his wife. Mrs. Julsrud was born in Nor- way and came to America in 1882. Her father, Andrew Tolsby is a prominent farmer in Pierce county. Mr. and Mrs. Julsrod have two children, Olga and Alma C.

WV. L. RICHARDS. A prominent place in the business affairs of Stark county is awarded to the gentleman here named. He is president of the Da- kota State Bank at Dickinson, and is also interested

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largely in the ranch business in that region, and is a well-to-do and wide-awake citizen of his locality.

Our subject was born in a village in Randolph county, Alabama, August 16, 1862. His father, T. S. Richards, was a merchant in the early days, and is now a hotel keeper in Texas. He is of English descent, and the family came to America in colonial days. He served as captain during the Civil war. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Mary Lawson, was raised in Texas, and was of Irish descent.

Our subject was the eldest of a family of ten children, and was raised on the frontier in Texas and attended the county schools. He left home at the age of eighteen years, and went to the cattle ranches of Texas and followed ranching and the life of a cowboy for seven years in Texas. He then went to North Dakota and settled eighty miles northwest of Dickinson, and worked on a ranch there until 1889, and then assumed management of a ranch forty-five miles north of Dickinson for W. L. Crosby, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and continued to manage the ranch until the death of Mr. Crosby in 1892. After Mr. Crosby's death the ranch went into the hands of the Crosby Cattle Company, and our subject continued its management until 1897, being a shareholder in the company. In 1897 the company closed its affairs, and Mr. Richards con- tinued in the stock business, and is now the owner of the ranch, which is known as the "Old Diamond C." ranch. This was one of the most extensive ranches of the state, and at one time our subject had charge of five thousand head of stock. In the fall of 1898 Mr. Richards removed to Dickinson, Stark county, and established the Dakota State Bank, of which he is president, and J. L. Hughes is cashier. The bank was opened for business March 14, 1900, and does a good and growing business.

Our subject was married, in 1893. to Miss Mabel Smith, a native of New York, and a daughter of Favette M. Smith, a hotel keeper of Hebron, North Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Richards have two sons, named Wilson Crosby and Thomas Franklin, both of whom were born in North Dakota. Mr. Richards is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and politically is a Democrat.

LAFAYETTE W. SCOTT, deceased. In the death of the late Lafayette W. Scott Cass county lost a worthy citizen and Maple River township an old settler and representative farmer. Mr. Scott was a native of Monroe county, Kentucky, and was born February 13. 1836.

The parents of our subject. Allen and Polly A. (Eveans) Scott, were from Virginia, and removed to Kentucky in an early day, and later moved to Iowa about 1849, and both died in that state. They were the parents of four sons and three daughters, of whom one son and two daughters are now living.

Our subject was reared in Kentucky .until thir- teen years of age, and then removed with his par-

ents to Iowa and was educated in both states. He enlisted from Iowa in 1862 in Company I, Twenty- seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, of which he spent one year in the field and the balance of the time as acting hospital steward and clerk in a provost marshal's office. He partici- pated in the battle of Holly Springs, Georgia, where he was taken prisoner and held as such a short time. He returned to Iowa at the close of the war and re- mained there until 1881, when he went to Cass county, North Dakota, and the following year pur- chased the farm in Maple River township, which he conducted until his death. He met with good suc- cess, and his farm is in a good location and well im- proved.

Mr. Scott was married in Iowa, September 29, 1859, to Margaret A. Hillis. Mrs. Scott was a na- tive of Ireland, and emigrated to America with her father at the age of ten years. She died in North Dakota February 5, 1898. Two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Scott, named Allen O. and Walter, both of whom reside in Maple River township, Cass county. Mr. Scott died in North Dakota April 23, 1900, and is mourned by a large circle of relatives and friends. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was honored by all with whom he had to do. He took an active part in local affairs and politically was a Republican.

Allen O. Scott was born in Iowa January 8, 1863, and was reared and educated in that state and went to North Dakota with his parents. He was married, January 16, 1887, to May Hill, a native of Minne- sota. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Scott, as follows: Lafayette W., Robert L., Alexander H. and Margaret A.

Walter Scott was born in Iowa in 1864, and went to Dakota in 1881. He was married, in 1895, to Alma Hill, a sister of Mrs. Allen Scott. He and his brother, Allen O., are prosperous farmers of Maple River township, Cass county, and are young men of energetic spirit and held in high esteem in their community.

FRED J. FARROW, sheriff of Pembina county, North Dakota, is one of the highly respected pub- lic officials of the county, and has a pleasant home near the village of Cavalier. He was born in Huron county, Ontario, May 26, 1858.

The father of our subject was a native of Lon- don. England, and the mother was of Canadian birth and English descent. The father cleared a farın of one hundred and thirty acres in Canada, and on this farm our subject was reared and is the second in a family of nine children. When he at- tained his majority he heard of the Manitoba settic- ment and in the spring of 1879 looked over the country and in June obtained work on a river steam- boat and in July, of that year, entered claim to land in section 12, of Cavalier township, Pembina county. North Dakota, and in the fall returned to Minnesota. and in the spring of 1880 bought a yoke of oxen

FRED J. FARROW.

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and went to his new home. He hauled lumber' from Pembina and built a small shanty and in the fall of 1881 built a frame house. The ox team with which he did his first farming on his place was formerly owned by a Norwegian and his experiences with them were amusing and at the same time ex- tremely trying to one's patience, and our subject remembers many instances when he had no con- trol of them and finally gave up his struggle to train them to his liking. His farm was mostly under plow by 1884, and the crops stich as could be put in were remarkably good, and he prospered until the winter of 1888, when his house was destroyed by fire. He erected a comfortable home in the spring and the following season had remarkable success with crops, and was thus relieved of his indebted- ness. He rented his farm in the spring of 1893 and purchased one acre of ground adjoining the village of Cavalier and has made his residence there since that time, and now has an office in the town of Cavalier. He entered the employ of McCabe Brothers as grain buyer in the fall of 1894 and was with them two seasons and then was with the State Elevator Company until January, 1899.

Our subject was married, in 1881, to Miss Ada- line Page, a native of Canada. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Farrow, named as fol- lows: Benjamin Freeman, Fredrick H., Pearl and Flossie M. Mr. Farrow was the fusion candidate for county sheriff in the fall of 1898 and was one of three candidates for office elected on that ticket. He is a Democrat politically, but is popular with the people regardless of party affiliations. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, Ancient Order of United Workmen and Knights of Pythias, and was first master of Cavalier Lodge, No. 70, of the second named order. His portrait will please his friends and may be found in this work.

HENRY B. MURPHY, the popular and efficient postmaster of Johnstown is one of the pioneers of Grand Forks county, and has been an important factor in the development and progress of the best interests of the county.

Mr. Murphy was born in Bennington, Benning- ton county, Vermont, September 22, 1848, the only child of Henry and Amelia ( Bushnell ) Murphy, who were also natives of Vermont. The father was a millwright by trade, and died when our subject was but two and a half years old. The mother died in Ogle county, Illinois. The grandfather, John Murphy, a moulder by trade, was a native of Ire- land, and came to the United States at the close of the Revolutionary war. He died in Vermont.

Henry B. Murphy was reared and educated in Vermont and Illinois. In 1875 he made a trip to California, spending two years there, and then re- turning to Vermont. He remained in Vermont one year, when he went to Linn county, Missouri. In the fall of 1879 he came to Grand Forks county, and filed a homestead claim to a tract of land in section

7, Johnstown township, and the following spring removed his family to his farm. He was thus one of the earliest settlers to make a permanent home in Johnstown township. He improved his land and added buildings, fences and other conveniences, and did a general farming business until 1889. In June, 1891, he opened a general store in Johnstown, which he still conducts with success. He was ap- pointed postmaster in 1892, and still serves in that capacity.

Mr. Murphy was married, on the 14th day of December, 1884, to Lois A. Smith, a native of the state of New York, born in Troy. To this union two children have been born, namely Harry F. and Gordon B. In political faith Mr. Murphy is a Re- publican, and has been active in local public affairs. He assisted in the organization of Johnstown town- ship, and is now township treasurer and also clerk. He is the owner of valuable property in the county, and is respected and esteemed by all, without re- gard to party lines.

GEORGE DOUGLAS. Among the substan- tial and prosperous farmers of Johnston township none is more deserving of mention in the annals of Grand Forks county than the gentleman whose name introduces this brief biography. He was one of the pioneers and organizers of Gilby township, where he resided a number of years, and his home is now on section 32, Johnstown township.

Mr. Douglas was born in Durham county, prov- ince of Ontario, Canada, July 2, 1856. His parents were Hugh and Elizabeth Douglas, of whom men- tion is made in the sketch of William Douglas, in this volume. George Douglas was reared and edu- cated in Canada, and farmed there until 1881, when he came to Grand Forks county and filed a home- stead claim to the southwest quarter of section 4, Gilby township. The land was in its native state, and he at once began active operations upon it, and soon had it in a good state of cultivation. He re- sided upon that farm until 1892, when he removed to his present home in Johnstown township. He is the owner of valuable property, and has added many modern conveniences for the conduct of agriculture.

Mr. Douglas was married, in 1897, to Minnie E. Haddow. Mrs. Douglas is a native of Bruce coun- ty, Canada, and her parents are Robert and Marga- ret Haddow, now residents of Wheatfield township, Grand Forks county, North Dakota, having re- moved hither in 1889. To Mr. and Mrs. Douglas two children have been born, upon whom they have bestowed the name of Harold H. and Margaret E. Mr. Douglass is a model citizen and a valued mem- ber of the community. He has served as member of the township board, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Ma- sonic fraternity and of the Modern Woodmen of America.

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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 167

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