Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 190

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

USA > North Dakota > Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life > Part 190

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NILS P. NORDIN, county auditor of Bot- tineau county, and a substantial agriculturist and pioneer of the county, resides on his well-equipped

farm east of the city of Bottineau, and is one of the best known men in this section of the state. Ilis portrait is to be found on another page.

Mr. Nordin was born in Sweden, December 9, 1861, on a farm in the northern part of that king- com. He is the third child of his father's second marriage. His father was a merchant in early life, but afterward retired to the farm. He died in his native land. The mother of our subject was Mar- garet Christena, also a native of Sweden.

Nils P. Nordin was reared on the farm and at- tended the common schools and then took a four- years advanced course in high school, receiving a good education. The farm on which he was reared was near the sea and he amused himself in fishing and sailing during his boyhood days. After he had finished his education he went to sea, first sailing to Scotland and then Montevideo, South America, then to Buenos Ayres, returning to Belgium and home. The next summer he sailed to France, next to London, England, and then to Quebec, Canada. At the mouth of the St. Lawrence river he had a narrow escape from a watery grave. The vessel ran into the ice and was wedged in and for eight days and nights they were compelled to pump to save the vessel from sinking.

Mr. Nordin lived about two years at Three Riers, province of Quebec, Canada, and during that time obtained a knowledge of the French lan- guage. He then came to the United States and lo- cated in Houghton county, Michigan, where for two years he was employed by a wholesale liquor, grocery and merchandise store. He also spent some time in the lumber woods of Michigan. In the spring of 1883 he left Calumet, Michigan, and came to Bottineau county by way of Winnipeg, Manitoba City and St. Johns, North Dakota, and from that point he came on foot to Bottineau county. He took up government land east of the city of Bot- tineau and for the first six or seven years lived the life of a pioneer bachelor. His first team was a yoke of oxen and with these he farmed until 1888. At the time of his settlement supplies had to be hauled from Devils Lake, and many times he made these trips with oxen and accompanied by half- breed Indians. He is now the owner of a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land, about fifty of which is under cultivation, and the rest devoted to pasture and hay lands. He has a comfortable residence, with good barn, granary and all machin- ery for farm work, including a threshing outfit.

Mr. Nordin was married, in 1890, to Miss Rosa- lee Juneau. Mrs. Nordin was born in Merrill, Wis- consin, and is of French descent. Her parents came to the United States from Canada and her father's uncle, Solomon Juneau, founded the city of Mil- waukee, Wisconsin. Mrs. Nordin was educated at St. Joseph's Academy, of St. Paul, Minnesota, and is an accomplished musician and artist. To Mr. and Mrs. Nordin five children have been horn, named in order of birth as follows: Peter A., Law-

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.

rence O., Rosa M., Norman P. and Maria C., all born on the farm in Bottineau county.

Mr. Nordin takes an active part in public af- fairs of the county and adheres to the Democratic faith in political matters. He has been chosen to fill various local offices and in 1898 was elected county auditor, in which capacity he is now serving. He is popular throughout the county and is an efficient and able official.

JOHN STEWART. This gentleman is the for- tunate proprietor of a very handsome place in town- ship 161, range 74 west, Bottinean county, and has greatly prospered since his coming into North Dakota. His prosperity has been largely the result of his own thrift and industry, and has come in very small degree from the favor of fortune or accident.

Mr. Stewart was born in Waterloo county, On- tario, in 1838, and was reared on a farm. His father, who also bore the name of John, was a native of Perthshire, Scotland, where he was trained to rural life. He emigrated to New York state and settled on a farm with his wife and four children. His wife bore the maiden name of Jean McLean. She was the daughter of a veteran of the English army. Young John was the youngest child, and had to endure the privations common to farm life in the early day. He attended district school in the winter, and made good use of such seanty schooling as his father could afford, and is a man of good sense and broad views of life. When he had reached the age of twenty-four he left home and secured work with the neighboring farmers, thinking it high time for him to have a thought of his own life career. He presently bought a farm of a hundred acres in Ontario, and in 1864, was mar- ried to Miss Margaret Sinclair. She was born in Invernesshire, Scotland, and came to America when a little girl. Her father, Alexander Sinclair, was a stone mason by trade. To Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have been born four children, Duncan, Catherine, John A. and Roy. They remained on their Canadian farm ten years, and though it was in good order and well developed, it seemed all too small for their growing family. It had eighty acres under tillage, good log buildings and a fine orchard, but they sold it, and in 1874 moved to Bruce county, Ontario, and carried on a rented farm for four years. They were nine years in Lampton county, where he was both a lumberer and a farmer, spending every winter in the woods and working land in the summer. Mr. Stewart and his oldest son came to North Dakota in 1887, and located on section 74, township 160 west, Bottineau county. They put up a claim shanty, 12×14 feet, and kept house for themselves the first summer. They broke eighty acres of ground with an ox team. The following winter they spent in the lumber woods of Minnesota, and the next sum- mer the entire family reassembled on the Dakota claim. Mr. Stewart put up better buildings, and

started farming on a larger scale. Frost destroyed the crops that year, and there was absolutely nothing to sustain the family. Mr. Stewart found employ- ment, however, and all came through alive and happy.

Mr. Stewart has experienced all phases of our genial western climate. It 1890 he was caught by a blizzard when one mile out from Willow City on his way home. He faced it five miles, and then found refuge in a cow stable. He spent the night there and part of the next day, but reached home alive and uninjured. He has fought prairie fires many times, and more than once has narrowly escaped complete destruction. He is now the owner of a fine farm of four hundred acres with a full half-section under the plow. His buildings are complete, his machinery modern and up to date, and his farm well provided with good horses. He is largely a grain farmer, and one year he harvested four thousand, four hundred and forty-eight bushels from one hun- dred and three bushels sown-being a yield at the rate of thirty-seven bushels to the acre. Mr. Stew- art is a Democrat, and takes a lively interest in every- thing that concerns his own neighborhood and the county.

JAMES H. LOCKWOOD is widely known as a progressive and prosperous grain and lumber dealer of Rugby, Pierce county. He deals in lumber, fuel, grain and livery business and has an extensive patronage.

Our subject was born on a farm in the state of New York, in 1853. He was a son of Abram and Harriet (Phillip) Lockwood. His father was a native of Connecticut, of Scotch descent, and the mother was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, and was of German-Scotch ancestry. Our subject was the third in a family of four children and was raised on a farm and worked with his father. He left home at the age of twenty-one and began farming in Pennsylvania, the family going to that state at the same time. Our subject farmed there several years in Erie county, on rented land. He came to North Dakota in 1882 and settled in Nelson county, and then worked for others in Grand Forks, and his wife taught school there. He came to Rugby in October, 1886, and bought grain for Little & Simons, of Duluth, and was the first to buy grain in Rugby. He handled the grain in sacks and the warehouse was an open platform. He was for some four years engaged in the buying and ship- ping of buffalo bones. In this business he made $1,500 the first year, and was the first vocation in which he was engaged for himself in North Dakota. He ran a stationary pumping engine one year for the Great Northern Railway, and in the fall of 1888 went to work for the St. Anthony & Dakota Elevator Company, and remained with them until 1899. They erected the first elevator in the town and our sub- ject assumed charge of the same. He started in the grain business for himself in 1899, and built a

JAMES H. LOCKWOOD.

MRS. JAMES H. LOCKWOOD (Deceased).

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 'AND BIOGRAPHY.

25,000-bushels capacity elevator and has a good business in that line. He established a livery barn in 1892, succeeding O. O. Adams in the business, and has continued with good results. In 1895 he suc- ceeded Nels Jacobson in the lumber business, and now conducts one of the largest yards in the county. He has a farm of eight hundred acres, and engages in grain raising almost exclusively.

Our subject was married, in Erie county, Penn- sylvania, in 1874, to Miss Allie E. Osborne, a na- tive of that county, and a daughter of Dr. Robert J. Osborne, a prominent physician of that region. Mrs. Lockwood was a faithful helpmeet through pioneer struggles, and her willing hands and heart per- formed many duties which helped our subject to succeed. She died in Rugby, North Dakota, June 1, 1900, and her portrait in connection with that of Mr. Lockwood gives a pathetic cast to this narrative. The pictures appear on opposite pages. One child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lock- wood, who bears the name of Furdenia M., and was born May 16, 1878. Miss Lockwood is widely known as a vocalist, having spent seven years in study in Minneapolis, under the instruction of Miss Beushley and one year in New York city, the pupil of Madam Bjorkstine. Mr. Lockwood assisted in the organization of the town, and was one of the first board of trustees. He is public-spirited, but does not seek public office. Politically he is a Demo- crat.

DAVID CLARK is one of the most progressive and prosperous farmers and ranchmen in Bottineau county, North Dakota.

Mr. Clark was born on a farm in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, September 3, 1850. His father, William Clark, was a farmer and came from Scotland to Canada in 1872. David Clark was the eldest in a family of eight children, five sons and three daugh- ters, and grew to manhood and obtained his edu- cation in Scotland. He was reared on the farm and knew the meaning of hard work in his youth. The family settled in Ontario, Canada, and David started out for himself, taking any work that was offered. He was emploved in saw-mill work for the first four years, and at the end of that period put all his earn- ings into land. He then engaged in stock raising and farming in Canada for thirteen years and owned two hundred acres of land there. He met with suc- cess, but in order to provide homes for his children he determined to go where he could get plenty of land, and in 1888 came to Bottincau county and found a location four and a half miles southwest of the county seat. He purchased the relinquishment of a claim and began farming at once. He is now the owner of six hundred and forty acres of culti- vated land, and in the spring of 18- purchased three hundred and twenty acres of grass land in the Mouse river, which is now his ranch property. It lies in McHenry county. On his home farm he has a barn 40x56 feet with stone basement; a granary 18x50 55

feet ; machine shed 16x36 feet, a comfortable resi- dence, and other improvements and conveniences, making one of the most complete set of farm build- ings in the county. He also has about three hundred trees and much small fruit. His farm is equipped with modern farm machinery, and he keeps eleven horses for farm .work. Upon his ranch he has a comfortable residence, a barn 36x95 feet, and a shed 12x60 feet for hay, machinery and workshop, and an additional shed 14x36 feet, and still another 18x96 feet, also a windmill for pumping, grinding, etc.

Mr. Clark resided on his farm until 1896, when he removed to his ranch and resided there until the spring of 1899, since which time he has been a resi- dent of the city of Bottineau.

Mr. Clark was married, in 1873, on July 3, to Miss Jessie Stephen. Mrs. Clark was born in Aber- deenshire, Scotland, and came to America in 1873, and her parents and family, who lived in the same town in Scotland as Mr. Clark's family, came to America in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are the par- ents of nine children, named as follows: William J., managing his father's ranch; David A., living on his father's farm; Annie, now married; Mary, at the ranch; Ellen, now married; George, on the farm ; Eliza, Irvine and Rhoda, at home. Mr. Clark is a Republican in political belief, and has taken an active interest in public matters, and has been a mem- ber of state and county central committees of his party altogether five years. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a popular and valued member of the community. He has won his way to affluence by virtue of his energy and good manage- ment, and is now one of the substantial and well-to- do citizens of the county.

JOHN ILDSTAD, residing in section I of Acton township, Walsh county, is one of the public spirited and enterprising citizens of his community, and is highly esteemed for his labors as a citizen and agriculturist. He is a foreign born citizen, but has acquired a thorough knowledge of the cus- toms and progress of America, and is identified with the growth and development of that part of North Dakota. He has engaged in various enterprises since taking up his residence in this country, in all of which he has met with good success, and his pres- ent home is one of comfort and convenience.

Our subject was born in Norway, September 29, 1840. From nine years of age he followed the sea until 1872, serving in different capacities up to sea captain. He emigrated to America in the spring of 1871 with his wife and one child, and settled in Lyon county, Minnesota, and there followed farin- ing until 1881, in which year he went to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Ilc there engaged in the machinery, collection and insurance business for about five years and then removed to Park River, Walsh county, and there engaged in the hotel busi- ness two years and then moved to Grafton. He erected the Merchants' Hotel of Grafton, which he

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operated until December, 1894, when he traded his property for the farm on which he now resides and took up his residence thereon. He owns a half- section of choice land, and this tract is well cultivated and operated with good management and is one of the pleasant farms of the locality.

Our subject was married in Norway, in No- vember, 1866, to Miss Rachel Fostevdt, who was born in Norway July 20, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. lldstad are the parents of seven children, named as follows: Thomas, Sarah S., Adolph J., Samuel, Ida R., May and Edna A. Two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ildstad died in childhood. While a resi- dent of Grafton Mr. Ildstad was elected as a member of the city council, and in Minnesota he held various public offices of local import, and is active in main- taining and supporting good local government. He has prospered through his own efforts and his success is well merited.

OLE O. SLOULIN, proprietor of one of the fine farms of Lee township, Nelson county, has a comfortable home on section 4. He was the first settler of Field township, Nelson county, and re- sided therein until recently. He now owns four hundred and eighty acres of land and has made a success of agricultural pursuits.

Our subject was born in Church precinct of Lom, Gulbrandsdalen, Christiania Stift, Norway, May 2, 1851. He was the eldest of a family of four children born to Ole O. and Marit ( Aukrustbakken) Sloulin. The father died when our subject was but thirteen years of age, and our subject and the mother conducted the small farm until Mr. Sloulin reached huis manhood, when he emigrated to America and en- gaged in fishing at Fish Creek, Wisconsin, and in 1874 went to Green county, Wisconsin, and in Brooklyn established a shoe shop with his consin. lle went to Vernon county in 1876 and there followed the shoemaker's trade, and in 1879 invested in a team and drove to Kansas, and passed the winter of 1880 and 1881 in the Wisconsin woods, and in Sep- tember, 1881, went to Dakota. He remained one year in Traill county, and in the spring of 1882 went to Nelson county, and selected land in what is now Field township and was the first settler. He worked for others to secure means with which to live during the first winter and during the winter made a trip from Traill county where he had been threshing, and encountered many difficulties and hardships on ac- count of heavy storms and blizzards. When he reachen his home he found it deserted by liis fam- ily on account of lack of fuel and provision . and he afterwards found them at the home of Knud Fjeld, the nearest neighbor, and for five weeks three families lived on wheat ground in a coffee mill, and March 16 our subject and Mr. Fjeld started for Blanchard, sixty miles distant, and re- turned after about ten days, enduring hardships which will never be forgotten.

Our subject was married, in 1874, to Miss Anne Kroke. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sloulin, and are named as follows: Olaf, en- gaged in the drug business in Aneta; Mary, now Mrs. N. O. Haugen ; Charles, a merchant, of Sogn, North Dakota; Obert, a blacksmith in Sogn, North Dakota; Thea: Gilbert; Henry, deceased; Clara; and Emma. Mary and Charles are twins. Mr. Soulin is a member of the Lutheran church and Knights of the Maccabees. He has mixed freely in local affairs, and politically is a Populist.

LOUIS SCHLOSSER, known all over Grand Forks county as a genial and prosperous farmer, was among the earliest settlers to take up their residence in Gilby, on section 35 of which his pleasant home is situated.

Mr. Schlosser was born in Winnebago county, Wisconsin, October 28, 1852. His parents, Albert and Catherine ( Nuss) Schlosser, were natives of Germany, the father having been born in Wurtem- burg, and the mother in Alsace. They came to America in 1842, first settling in Wisconsin, and afterwards going to Goodline county, Minnesota, in 1859, and the father latterly lived in Mason City, lowa, and died August 12, 1900. The mother died in Rice county, Minnesota. A portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Schlosser may be found elsewhere in this work. Louis Schlosser is one of a family of four sons and one daughter, all living, one of the broth- ers being also a resident of North Dakota.

Mr. Schlosser was reared in Wisconsin and Min- nesota, worked on the farm and obtained his edu- cation in the public schools. In 1879 he left Min- nesota and came to Grand Forks county and filed a pre-emption claim to land in section 35, of Gilby township, where he has since made his home. In the following spring he was joined by his family, being one of the first permanent settlers of Gilby township. He has been an energetic worker and a successful manager, and is now the owner of two sections of as valuable land as can be found in North Dakota, and has the best of improvements and con- veniences.

Mr. Schlosser was married, in 1889, to Annie Bratland, a native of Norway, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Sherman L., Walter H., Arthur G. and Lloyd R., all of whom are living. Mr. Schlosser has never taken an active part in partisan politics, but has been selected by the people to serve as a member of the township board and as school treasurer. He is highly respected and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

WILLIAM J. SYVERSON, a farmer who has made a success of agriculture in Foster county, North Dakota, resides in township 145, range 62, where he has developed a valuable farm.

Mr. Syverson was born in Illinois, August 28,

LOUIS SCHLOSSER AND WIFE.

O. A. SANDERS.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.

1855. At the age of two years he accompanied the family to Crawford county, Wisconsin, where he was reared on the farm, and attended the country schools. He found plenty of hard work, being en- gaged a good share of the time in grubbing on the farm. When he grew to manhood he began farm- ing for himself in Crawford county, purchasing eigthy acres of land, cleared it and grubbed it, and built a log house and stable. He boarded at home most of the time, and farmed for three years there with fair success.

In 1882 Mr. Syverson came to North Dakota in company with his brother, Louis Syverson, and they worked in partnership for several years. Our subject met with fair success, and is now the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land, four hundred of which is under cultivation and the rest in pasture. He has improved his land and erect- ed a complete set of good farm buildings, has an abundance of farm machinery, and his farm is well stocked.

Mr. Syverson is a Republican in political senti- ment, and has taken a considerable interest in public affairs of a local character. He is well known throughout the county, and is one of its pioneers.

WILLIAM JONES, the owner of one of the finest and most extensive farms in Foster county, is a native of Crawford county, Wisconsin, where he was born in 1862. His parents were both of English birth and came to America in 1850. The father, Thomas Jones, served ninety days in the army in our Civil war, and died of disease in Chat- tanooga, Tennessee, while in the service. The mother of our subject bore her husband five chil- dren, of whom William was the youngest. He was but an infant at the time of his father's death. He was reared on the farm and attended the country schools. At the age of twenty-seven years he came to North Dakota, arriving in Foster county, in 1883. He had three horses and one hundred and fifty dol- lars in money. He took land in section 32, town- ship 145, range 62, and erccted upon it a claim shanty. His first crop was in 1884, when he raised twelve hundred bushels of oats and one thousand bushels of wheat. He lived alone the first year, but the second year his sister and mother joined him. His greatest crop was in 1899, when he raised a total of fourteen thousand, five hundred bushels of grain. He is now the owner of sixteen hundred acres, and at one time owned a still larger acreage. His land is all under cultivation, and he has good buildings of all kinds, including an eighteen thou- sand bushel capacity elevator. He has one of the very largest and best improved farms in the coun- ty, with all modern machinery and thoroughly stocked. He runs four self-binders and could sell out at any time for at least thirty-five thousand dol- lars.

Mr. Jones was married, in 1887, to Miss Cather- ine McKennon. Mrs. Jones is a native of Wiscon-

sin and daughter of Edward McKennon, who is one of the early settlers of Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have four children. Mr. Jones is a Republi- can and takes a strong interest in all questions of a public nature. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. and the Modern Woodmen of America.

O. A. SANDERS, a prosperous farmer of Barnes township, whose home is on section 30, is one of the first settlers of Cass county, having lo- cated in 1872 on land on which the city of Fargo now stands, and in 1873 filed a claim to the land where he now resides.

Mr. Sanders was born in Norway, April 29, 1850. He lived in his native country until eighteen years of age, and having learned the carpenter's trade, he started for America in the summer of 1860. He embarked in a sailing vessel, and after eight weeks and three days on the ocean landed at Quebec. He went to Winona, Minnesota, where he followed his trade a short time, and then went to Blue Earth county, of the same state, where he did farm work. He then went to Menominee, Wiscon- sin, where he worked at his trade and attended school about seven months. He then worked for a short time at bridge building for what is now the St. Paul & Duluth Railroad, and afterwards for the Northern Pacific Railroad. He came to Dakota in 1872. He has been very successful, and is now the owner of nine hundred and forty acres of land of great value, located in Cass county. He has fol- lowed farming chiefly, but was also engaged in the hotel business in Fargo, and in the flour and feed business.

Mr. Sanders' first marriage was to Miss Nellie Thompson, a native of Sweden, the ceremony being performed in the city of Fargo. His present wife was Miss Millie Hanson, to whom he was married in 1893. Mrs. Sanders is a native of Norway. To this union one son has been born, namely, Joseph Augustus Sanders. Mr. Sanders is a prominent man and popular citizen of the county. He has been a member of the board of supervisors of Barnes township for several years, and takes an active inter- est in all matters of a public nature. A portrait of Mr. Sanders appears on another page.

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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 190

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