Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 173

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

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FRED J. WALDRON, county superintendent of schools of Williams county, has won for himself an enviable position among the educators of North Dakota in the brief time he has been a resident of that state.

Mr. Waldron was born at Waterville, Minne- sota, March 17, 1872. He was the youngest child in a family of four children born to Jacob C. and Amanda A. (Thrasher ) Waldron. The father was of English descent, born in Canada, and was a farmer all his life. His mother was of Scotch- English descent, her father having been born in Scotland. Our subject was reared on a farm in St. Croix county, Wisconsin, where he found plenty of hard farm work to do, besides his experience in saw-mill work, which claimed a portion of his time. He attended school during the winter months until he was seventeen years of age, when the family moved to a farm near Roberts, Wisconsin. He attended the village school of Roberts and later the Hudson high school one year. He taught his first term of school at the age of nineteen years, and two years later entered the River Fall Normal School. He continued there one year and then engaged in teaching. He entered the West Superior Normal School at the age of twenty-four years and grad- uated from that institution in the elementary course and received a five-years' state certificate. In 1897 he came to North Dakota, arriving in Williams county July 8 of that year. ()n account of his mother's death the same year as his graduation the family was broken up and separated. the father going to Leadville, Colorado, to live with his sister.

On his arrival in Williams county Mr. Waldron went on a ranch to recuperate his health, which had been threatened by close application and hard work. For many years he had not only paid his own way at school, but had assisted in the support of the family. He spent the summer on a ranch, and in the fall taught the Stony Creek school. He met with great success, and in the fall of 1898 was elected county superintendent of schools of Will-

iams county by a large majority vote. He con- tinued to teach at Stony Creek for another year, and then, in 1899, accepted a position in the Wil- liston high school, a position he still holds. In po- litical sentiment Mr. Waldron is a Republican and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has evidenced a capacity for educational work by a general advancement in the grade of work done in the schools of the county, and he is well known as a thorough educator and school man.

GEORGE DUNCAN, clerk of the district court of Benson county, whose well appointed home is in the thriving city of Minnewaukon, was born in Scot- land, June 15, 1862. He was the fourth child in a family of eight children born to James and Janette ( Wilson) Duncan, both of whom are now deceased.

In 1879 Mr. Duncan went to Glasgow with the intention of taking ship for New Zealand or the South African mines, but learning that times were rather dull in both those places, he and his two com- panions determined to try their fortunes in America, and on arrival in this country Mr. Duncan joined his brother in Wabasha county, Minnesota. He found employment in the lumber districts and at farm work for some time. In the spring of 1885 Mr. Duncan went to Grand Forks, North Dakota, and leased a farm for the season, and was unfortu- nate enough to lose by frost all his crop in which he had invested his earnings from his hard work in Minnesota. In the fall of 1885 he came to Benson county, and the following spring took up land in the county. He worked at odd jobs in Minnewau- kon, and by close economy and hard work paid the last of his debts in Grand Forks county. He then laid aside enough of his earnings to enter Sauk Center Academy, and began his studies in that in- stitution in 1889. On completing his work there he returned to Minnewaukon and took a position as clerk in the old Minnewaukon Bank, and in 1893. was appointed deputy register of deeds. In 1897 he was appointed to complete the unexpired term of the clerk of courts, and at the next general election was returned to that office, and is now serving in that capacity. In 1896 Mr. Duncan began dealing in real estate, and he now does a profitable business in real estate and loans.

In 1895 occurred the marriage of Mr. Duncan to Miss Tillie Pierson, and to this union three chil- dren have been born, named in the order of their birth, as follows: Walter R., George R. and Mabel. In political faith Mr. Duncan is a Republican, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is a genial and popular gentleman, and a highly re- spected and esteemed member of the community.

THOMAS G. HARROLD, a pioneer settler of Wheatland township, Cass county, has devoted his career to the pursuit of agriculture, and is now one of the most extensive land owners of the state of North

THOMAS G. HARROLD AND WIFE.

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Dakota. He has a thorough knowledge of his call- ing and is passing his declining years amid the com- forts which result from a well-spent life. He is a man of excellent character and highly respected throughout the region in which he has spent over twenty years. The portrait of him and his excel- lent wife will be received with favor by the intelli- gent readers of this work.

Our subject was born in Halton, Ontario, Can- ada, April 25, 1829, and was a son of James F. and Catherine (Ghent) Harrold, of Irish-Canadian and American descent. The father went to Canada when a young man and engaged in teaching school and farming and he died the same year our subject was born. Our subject had one brother and three sisters and the brother and our subject are the only survivors of the family and reside in Cass county. The maternal grandparents were of English ex- traction and settled in North Carolina and when that colony seceded from the English government they removed to Canada. Our subject was reared and educated in Canada and resided in Hamilton, where he was employed in a boot and shoe factory ten years as a leather cutter. He went to Cass county, North Dakota, in 1879, and purchased a half-section of land in Empire township and also entered claim to land as a tree claim in Richland

county and in 1881 moved to the farm where he now resides in Wheatland township. He is now the owner of twenty-eight hundred and fifty acres of land, all of which he operates, and raises annually over twenty-five thousand bushels of grain of dif- ferent kinds. He has met with phenomenal success and is one of the solid men of the state.

Our subject was married, December 6, 1855. to Miss Catherine Davis, who died in 1858, leaving two children, one son now living, named Ralph W. Mr. Harrold was married to Mrs. Mary A. Stewart, nee Cross, a native of Halton county, Ontario, Sep- tember 29, 1862. Mrs. Harrold's grandparents were natives of Vermont and were of the old Puritan stock, but removed to Canada during the Revolu- tionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Harrold are the parents of four children, as follows: Carrie E., now Mrs. J. M. Pattullo, of Tacoma, Washington ; Benjamin H. ; Willis P .; Franklin S., all of whom are living. Mr. Harrold is a member of the Baptist church and Mrs. Harrold of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Harrold has advanced the better interests of the community in which he has made his home and is interested in public affairs, but has never sought public preferment, devoting his attention to his work, and is highly esteemed as a citizen and farmer. Politically, he is a Republican.

JAMES TWAMLEY. This gentleman needs no introduction to the people of Grand Forks county and vicinity. He is well known as one of the pio- neers of that region and for many years was asso- ciated with the commercial interests of Grand Forks, and is now engaged in farming in connection

with other financial interests. He has a well-im- proved estate in Falconer township and has made a success of his work in North Dakota.

Our subject was born in Ireland, November 5, 1843. His parents, Peter and Eliza ( Abbott ) Twamley, were natives of Ireland, and they emi- grated to the United States about 1846 or 1847 and settled in the state of New York, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Three sons and three daughters were born to them, of whom our subject is the only one who located in North Dakota.

Mr. Twamley was reared and educated in New York and attended the University of New York City, and then engaged as a salesman in a whole- sale dry goods house, in 1860, and in 1865 went to Chicago as a buyer for J. V. Farrell & Company, and after one year there engaged in business for him- self in Chicago. He remained there until 1871, when fire destroyed his stock, and he then returned to New York and soon went to St. Paul. He became a partner in the firm of Anerbach, Finch & Scheffer, as buyer, and in 1876 he went to Grand Forks, North Dakota. He soon afterward pur- chased land in sections 28 and 33, in Falconer town- ship, and later engaged in general merchandise busi- ness in Grand Forks in company with Frank Viets, and later the company moved into Minto, where they engaged in business and remained five years. Mr. Twamley then rented the Twamley block, now known as the Ontario Store, to R. B. Griffith, and subsequenty sold it to him and he now occupies it. Mr. Twamley returned to Grand Forks and has since followed farming in Falconer township, and devotes some attention to other financial interests.

Our subject was married in New York, in 1866, to Mary E. Hawkins, of Orange county, New York. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Twam- ley, named as follows: J. Frederick and Mary E. Mr. Twamley was regent of the North Dakota Uni- versity ten years and has also served on the local school board and as chairman of the township board, which office he now holds. He is prominent in secret society circles and is a thirty-third-degree Mason and is the oldest Scottish Rite Mason in North Dakota. He is also a member of the Order of Foresters and is first high chief of the state. He is president of the Old Settlers' Association of North Dakota.

FERDINAND LEUTZ. This gentleman is one of the wealth and influential citizens of Hebron, Morton county, North Dakota. He was one of the pioneers of that locality and has made his fortune and assumed his high station by his own persistent efforts. He was born in a village in the southern part of Germany, in 1854. His father, John W. Leutz, was a German by birth and was a merchant. He was the youngest in a family of four children and was raised in Eberboch, Germany, and received a liberal education at Wortenburg, Germany. He began life for himself at the age of sixteen years

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and clerked in wholesale houses in different parts of Germany, and at the age of nineteen years entered the army and then returned to clerking and served several short terms in the army. In Janu- ary, 1883, he came to America in search of health and spent a few months in Chicago and St. Paul, and in the summer of 1883 went to North Dakota. He settled on a farm four miles west of Hebron and built a small store, the first one in the western part of Morton county, and he and Charles Krauth conducted the same in partnership. The store and block were burned in 1883, the building being struck by lightning, and the following spring Mr. Leutz erected another building and continued the business. He also followed farming and continued there until 1885, when a colony from Chicago started the town of Hebron, and Mr. Leutz built the first store in the town and gave up his farming operations. He and his partner were actively engaged in the busi- ness until 1891, since which time they hold interest in different stores in the vicinity and are retired from active pursuits. They control stores in Rich- ardson, Taylor, Gladstone and Antelope, as well as at Hebron, and are also engaged extensively in stock raising, the ranch being located twelve miles north of Hebron. The buildings, erected in the spring of 1884, were destroyed by fire in 1889, and again the stock and buildings were replaced by our subject as soon as possible.

Our subject was married, in 1886, to Anna Leutz, who was born in Germany and came to America in 1886. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Leutz, named Lottie, Fritz, Annie and Hans. Our subject is a member of the Republi- can party and is prominent in public affairs of the county, was a member of the convention at Phila- delphia, 1900, and a member of the delegation to notify the President of his election and chairman of the committee and chairman of the county conven- tion.

HON. EIRIKUR H. BERGMAN, the pioneer merchant of Gardar, is also engaged in farming and handles real estate extensively. He was in- strumental in getting many of his countrymen from Iceland to settle in that locality and there is no more progressive and enterprising settlement in Pembina county than that composed mostly of Ice- landers in Gardar township. A portrait preserves the countenance of this remarkable man, who has accomplished so much in an alien country.

Mr. Bergman was born in Iceland, April 15, 1852. and was the oldest in a family of three children born to Helmar and Valgerdur ( Bergman) Erikson, both of whom are deceased. The father was a fisherman and from the time our subject was eleven years of age he spent much of the time on the water with his father. He was fourteen years of age when the father died, but the mother kept the family to- gether and as our subject neared manhood he heard from fellow countrymen, who emigrated to America,

in 1871, of the advantages of this country. He de- cided to try his fortunes with the others and in 1873 came to America with the first large body of Icelanders, the party numbering two hundred and fifty, most of whom settled in Ontario, but our sub- ject, with five other families, went to Milwaukee and Mr. Bergman worked at farm labor and in the woods for four years. He went to Lyon county, Minnesota, in 1876, and took government land and lived there four years. He was one of the pioneer settlers of that county, but he would penetrate a still newer country and in the fall of 1878 came to Dakota to look over the country for an Icelandic settlement. He viewed the country near Lake Kampeska and Big Stone lake, in what is now South Dakota, and in 1879 visited Pembina county, and decided on the country along the north branch of the Park river. In June, 1880, he pre-empted land in section 16, of Gardar township, on the banks of the above named stream, and built a log cabin, with ceil- ing and flooring of lumber hauled fifty-five miles from Pembina, and also hauled his farm machinery from there over the unbroken country. The family is the oldest resident family of Gardar township and in the winter of 1881-1882 a postoffice was es- tablished and the name of Gardar chosen at the suggestion of our subject, in honor of a Swedish pioneer of Icelandic history. Mr. Bergman was appointed postmaster of Gardar and has held the office continuously since, with the exception of about four years. He began the real estate and loan busi- ness about 1885 and has devoted some attention to this line since that date and about the same time established a general store in Gardar and now has a well-stocked establishment and enjoys a good trade. He owns and operates six hundred and forty acres of land and has made a success of farming.

Our subject was married, in 873, to Miss Inge- borg Thorlacius, a native of Iceland. Three chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bergman, named as follows: Fredrik P., now attending St. Peter College, in Minnesota; Hjalmar A., also a student of St. Peter College, and Kristine. Gardar township was originally organized as a part of Thurgavalla township, and our subject was chosen chairman of the first township board. He was ap- pointed county commissioner in 1885 and later elected to that office. He was elected state repre- sentative in 1888 and served one term and was a member of the ways and means committee. He is a Republican politically and is a recognized leader of his party in the southwestern part of Pembina county and is now a member of the county central committee.

JOHN S. METCALF is the efficient postmaster of Lakota, North Dakota, and is also a prominent citizen of that town. He was born near Carmi, White county, Illinois, February 4. 1830, and was the second child and oldest son born to John and Ann E. (Culbertson) Metcalf.

HON. E. H. BERGMAN.

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When our subject was one year old the family settled in that part of Tazewell county now known as Logan county, Illinois, and Mr. Metcalf was raised on a farm and given a limited schooling. He began working for himself at the age of twenty- one and worked at farming until 1855, when he removed to the village (now city) of Lincoln, Illi- nois, and as a member of the firm of Howser, Met- calf & Company conducted a mercantile business. He disposed of his interests in 1857 and engaged in the drug business, and in 1861 was appointed post- master at Lincoln by President Lincoln and held the office eight years. He returned to the farm'in 1870 and was elected assessor of East Lincoln town- ship, which included the business portion of the city of Lincoln, and he held the office fifteen consecutive years. He went to Nelson county, North Dakota, in the spring of 1883, and settled on land in section 12 in Illinois township, and in 1884 filed claim as a homestead and also took an eighty-acre tree claim in section 24, and engaged in farming until 1891, during which time he mixed freely in township and schoolaffairs. He moved with his family to La- kota in December, 1891, and followed newspaper work, being connected with the "Nelson County Observer," a weekly sheet, established July 20, 1888, by Lampman & Knappen. The paper was in- dependent or non-partisan in politics and changed hands many times during the first few years of its existence. Mr. Lampman became sole proprietor and then sold a half interest to Mr. Kelly and then again became sole owner, and in March, 1891, sold the plant of the Observer Publishing Company, and the first issue under the new management was dated March 6, 1891, with Robert L. and Mrs. Meld- onnetta Metcalf, proprietors, and in 1892 Mrs. Metcalf became the sole owner and our subject and sons edited the sheet. George E. Metcalf is now acting editor and Thaddeus E. Metcalf is in charge of the job and press work. The paper is Repub- ican in politics and for the past eight years has been the official organ of the party in the county. Mr. Metcalf received his appointment as postmas- ter of Lakota in 1899, since which time he has given up newspaper work and devotes himself to his official duties.

Our subject was married, in 1853, to Miss Mel- donetta Howser. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf: Martha E., de- ceased; Charles T., married and farming in Illi- nois township, Nelson county; Robert L., owner of an elevator in Lakota ; Frank L. and Hattie, both ceased ; Thaddeus E., connected with the "Nel- son County Observer"; George E., editor of the above named paper; and Harry T., engaged in farming the home farm in Illinois township. Mr. Metcalf is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a charter member of Lakota Lodge, No. 52, and a member of the camp and Rebeckah. He is one of the oldest members of the order in the state, having joined March 7, 1857. He is a stanch Republican and an earnest worker

for party principles and a regular attendant at county and state conventions.

Metcalf, the family name, is accounted for by a traditional exploit which, it is said, occurred in 1312, Chelmsford, county of Essex, England. "On a cer- tain day his majesty, Edward II., with many lords and gentlemen, were in his majesty's park, where there was a wild bull that they feared to encounter, but when he encountered with Mr. John Armstrong he was killed with his fist, and when Armstrong came to his majesty, says he to Mr. Armstrong : 'Have you seen the mad bull?' 'And please your majesty,' says he, 'I met a calf and knocked hin down and killed him with my fist,' which, when it was known to be the bull, Mr. Armstrong was hon- ored with many and great honors. And as a token of this notable exploit he was made a knight, and his name was changed to Met a Calf." The Met- calfs of Midway were descended from the Rev. Leonard Metcalf, born in 1545, and rector of Lat- terford, Norfolk county, England. Michael Met- calf, his son, came to this country and was ad- mitted freeman July 14, 1637, in Dedham, Mass.

L. M. DAVIS, the present incumbent of the office of county surveyor of Ward county, has ex- erted great influence in the development and pros- perity of that section of the state. He is a leading coal mine operator of North Dakota, and is well known in business circles throughout the northern part of the state.

Mr. Davis was born in the city of New Bed- ford, Massachusetts, August 31, 1855. His par- ents were L. D. and Susan P. (Potter ) Davis, the former a tailor by occupation, both natives of Mas- sachusetts. The father's family came to Massachu- setts from England in 1627. Our subject was reared in the city of New Bedford, and received his education in the common and high schools, and grad- uated from the Massachusetts Institute of Teclinol- ogv in 1877 as a civil engineer .. In 1879 he went to Utah and spent two years as civil engineer on the Rio Grande Railroad, and in 1881 was similarly em- ployed on the Canadian Pacific, assisting in locating their route through the Rocky mountains. He spent three years with the Canadian Pacific Com- pany. He spent the next two years on various en- gincering jobs in Indiana and Chicago. In the spring of 1886 he went to Minneapolis and was em- ployed by the Soo line in locating its route through Minnesota, and was with that line until 1893. the . greater part of that time being in charge of the en- gineering work between Elbow Lake, Minnesota, and Portal, North Dakota, as assistant chief en- gineer.

In 1894 Mr. Davis opened the Davis coal mines ' six miles west of Minot, and has since operated those mines with success. In connection with the mines at Davis he has also opened a lumber yard and brick vard and a mercantile business. Although engaged in these various lines, he has found time to prose-

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cute several mining and engineering enterprises in North Dakota and Arkansas.

In 1896 he was elected on the Republican ticket as county surveyor, and was re-elected in 1898, and is now serving his second term. He has taken an active interest in public affairs, and has always en- couraged every legitimate enterprise that has been brought to his notice. He was one of the pioneers of Ward county, and has a host of friends whose es- teem he has won by his integrity and courtesy.

THOMAS RYDER. As a gentleman of true citizenship and progressive, enlightened views the subject of this review is best known to the people of Grand Forks county. He is an old settler of that locality, and has always been found standing on the side of right and justice, and is a representative man where he mkes his home. He is engaged in the pur- suit of agriculture, and has met with unbounded success in that line, and now has a pleasant estate in Ferry township.

Our subject is a native of county Galway, Ire- land, and was born in 1832. His parents, Patrick and Sarah (Madden) Ryder, were natives also of Ireland, and passed their lives in their native land. Our subject had but one brother, who now resides in England.

Mr. Ryder was reared in Ireland, and also spent some time in England and Scotland until 1862, when he went to Canada. He worked there until 1879, and then went to North Dakota, and entered a homestead claim to land in Ferry township, Grand Forks county, where he still resides. He was among the first to locate in that region, and has witnessed its development into a thriving agricultural district. Mr. Ryder owns and operates a half-section of land, on which he has erected a complete set of substan- tial and commodious buildings, and otherwise pro- vided the comforts of a country home, and is one of the well-to-do men of his community.

Our subject was married, in England, in 1861, to Catherine Kernan, a native of Ireland. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ryder, who are named in order of birth as follows: James. J .. Mary, Thomas E. and Anie T. The family are members of the Catholic church, and are well known in their community and highly esteemed. Mr. Ry- der devotes his entire attention to his farm duties, and takes little heed of public affairs, aside from lending his influence for good local government and the upbuilding of the financial and social interests of his locality, and does not seek public office.

HON. GEORGE E. S. TROTT. From the wild lands of the Red river valley this gentleman has succeeded in bringing to a high state of culti- vation twelve hundred and eighty acres, and he is enjoying country life in Wheatland township, Cass county, where he located during the early days of its settlement. He is highly esteemed by his fellow

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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 173

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