Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life, Part 195

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

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ALEXANDER WOODS, a well known and de- serving member of the farming community of Forest River township, Walsh county, resides on section 14, and his pleasant home is surrounded with the comforts and conveniences that go to make life cheerful in a country home.

Mr. Woods was born in Pakenham, Carrolton

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county, Ontario, June 15, 1857, where he was reared to manhood and lived until 1878. In that year he went west to Manitoba, where he remained two years and then came to Walsh county. He filed a homestead claim to a tract of land in section 14, Forest River township, and at once took up his residence at the place where he now lives. He has met with great success and has enhanced the value of his estate by the many improvements he has placed upon it, including a good set of buildings. He now owns three hundred and twenty acres.

Mr. Woods was married in Forest River town- ship, May 25, 1881, to Miss Mary A. Graham. Mrs. Woods was born in Carrolton county, Ontario, August 20, 1860. They are the parents of four liv- ing children, named as follows: George B., Walter A., Roland G. and Frederick W., and they lost one son, Earl F., who died when he was three and a half years old.

Mr. Woods is a Republican in political faith, and has been an active worker in the interests of that party, and in all public matters of a local na- ture. He has been a member of the school board and of the board of township supervisors and is ready with his support for every worthy enterprise. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, as is also Mrs. Woods.

REV. FATHER JOHN F. MALO, of St. Ann's Mission, Belcourt village, is one of the most im- portant factors in the development and progress of Rolette county.

Father Malo was born near Montreal, Canada, February 1, 1830. He was the fourth in a family of thirteen children born to John and Elizabeth (Goulet) Malo, both of French lineage. Up to his seventeenth year he worked on his father's farm. His first college work was done in L'Assumption College, where he completed an eight-year course. He then taught classics in that institution for two years. Following his original intentions, he en- tered the Montreal Theological Seminary, and in December, 1858, was ordained a priest. After one year in Montreal as assistant priest, he was sent to Oregon in 1859, and for ten years labored among the Chinook Indians and the few white settlers scat- tered upon their lands. St. Paul's Sisters Institu- tion of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, which still flourishes there, is a monument to the great labors he performed in that field. In 1859 he ac- companied Bishop Blanchard to Rome and attended the Vatican council, and then spent three months in visiting various countries in Europe. In Wash- ington, District of Columbia, he assisted in organiz- ing the Catholic Indian Bureau, and afterward aid- ed in gaining support for it. In 1879 he was sent to Yankton, Dakota, and worked three years among the Sioux Indians. He brought a colony of twenty- ofte persons to Dakota in 1882 and established St. John's Mission, and in 1884 established St. Ann's Mission, caring for both until 1886, when he came

to St. Ann's Mission to live. He is a man of great kindness of heart, and studies the needs of those who are placed in his charge. He speaks fluently many languages, including several Indian dialects. His influence among the Indians is remarkable, and he understands the red man's nature better, per- haps, than any man in North Dakota.

ST. MARY'S CONTRACT BOARDING SCHOOL. This institution was established by Father Malo in his efforts to provide a school for halfbreed Indians, and his labors were rewarded by the opening of this institution through the donation in 1890 of $10,- 000 for the purpose by Catherine McAuley, who visited St. Ann's with her two sisters in that year. An appropriate spot was selected and additional capital secured, by which commodious buildings were erected, and the school opened with Mother Genevieve in charge. One hundred and thirty pupils were enrolled, and since that time one thou- sand pupils have passed through the courses pro- vided. The common branches are taught, together with the art of cooking, sewing and other pursuits. The discipline is perfect and the surroundings and influences such as tend to the proper development and progress in learning and morality. The insti- tution is of vast importance to the community and county, and many men and women have gone forth from it to become substantial citizens and useful members of the communities in which they make their homes.

ELMER FRANCIS, one of Ward county's most prominent farmers, and a pioneer whose ex- periences have seldom been equalled in western frontier life, is a resident of township 153, range 81, his pleasant home being located on section 4 of that township.

Mr. Francis was born in Rock county, Wiscon- sin, on a farm, May 27, 1852. He was the second child in a family of eight children born to Cyrus and Elmira (Hatfield) Francis, farming people of New England. The family removed to Minne- sota when our subject was a child, and he was reared in the western part of that state, on a farni, and received a limited common school education. His home was about fifty miles from the scene of the Mankato massacre. At the age of twenty-four years our subject began farming for himself, and in June, 1882, came to Dakota, locating in the Mouse river country, fifteen miles from the site of the present city of Minot. He drove overland from Minnesota by ox teams, the trip requiring six weeks. He arrived in August and put up a log shanty 18x22 feet and began farming. He had good success from the start, and he continued for eight years to use oxen for farm work. He has since made many valuable improvements upon his land, and has devoted much time of late years to. stock raising, with great success. He recounts many trying experiences with blizzards and prairie

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fires. On one occasion he had gone to Larimore for household goods, and one of his horses choked to death and he had to trade the wagon for a sleigh, and finally had to abandon it and walk home. 'The first year he was in the county he shot and badly crippled one hand and arm and has had trouble with it ever since. .

Mr. Francis was married, in 1875, to Miss Lydia Robins, a native of Wisconsin, and daughter of J. L. Robins. To Mr. and Mrs. Francis nine children have been born, as follows: Mark, Amy, Earl and Gertrude, born in Minnesota, and Ralph, Harry, Nellie, Frank and Lucy, born in Dakota. Mr. Francis is a Democrat and has been active in local public affairs. He has been school director for many years and has served as assessor, and has been active in party affairs, attending numerous conventions of his party. He is well known in the county, being a pioneer of that section of the state.

WINTHROP MITCHELL, publisher of the "Minto Journal," of Minto, Walsh county, North Dakota, is one of the best-known newspaper men in the state.

Mr. Mitchell was born in Rochester, Minne- sota, January 10, 1868. He was reared and edu- cated in Northfield and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and learned the printing business in his father's office at Northfield, beginning at the age of eight years.

His father, the late William H. Mitchell, was one of the oldest newspaper men of North Dakota. He came to Minto in 1882, and in the spring of that year started the "Minto Journal", and con- ducted that enterprise until he retired from active business life in 1890. He died in Minto, Febru- ary 19, 1895. On retiring from the management of the "Journal," he was succeeded by his sons, William G. and Winthrop S., the subject of this sketch. They have actually conducted the paper since 1885. The "Journal" is a Republican organ, issued weekly, and has a circulation of about one thousand copies.

Mr. Mitchel has been village clerk of Minto for two years, and village assessor three years. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Foresters and the Modern Woodmen of America.

William G. Mitchell, editor of the "Minto Journal," of Minto, Walsh county, North Dakota, was born in Washara county, Wisconsin, August 23, 1854. His father was the late William H. Mitchell, of whom mention will be found in the sketch of our subject's brother, Winthrop S.

Mitchell.

When he was six years old, William G. Mitchell went with his family to Rochester, Minnesota, where they lived ten years, and then went to North- field, Minnesota. He received his education in the common schools and in Carlton College of North- field. He learned the newspaper business in his

father's office and has been constantly engaged in the printing business ever since. For about two and a half years he operated a job printing office in Minneapolis. He was editor and proprietor of the "St. Vincent Herald" for about two and a half years prior to coming to Minto in 1882. In 1807 he was appointed postmaster at Minto. He has been an active member of the Republican party, and has taken great interest in all matters of a public nature, and wields much influence in Walsh county. He has held the office of justice of the peace in Minto for several years past. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Mention of the "Minto Journal," of which Mr. Mitchell is editor, will be found in the sketch of his brother, Winthrop S.

HENRY GILBERT, the popular postmaster of Sentinel Butte, Billings county, North Dakota, is one of the pioneers of western North Dakota, com- ing to the county in 1882.

Mr. Gilbert was born in Cornwall, England, on the estate of Lord Vivian, in 1842. His father, William Gilbert, was a surveyer of public roads, and his grandfather, William Gilbert, served all his active life in the English navy, during the reign of King George III. The mother of our subject was Rachel Chapman, and her people were farmers in England.

Mr. Gilbert was the eldest of a family of three children, and was reared and educated in his native village, and attended high school form the age of eleven to fifteen years. At the age of fifteen he en- tered the government marine engine works, at Devonport, England, as an apprentice. He learned the trade and worked altogether fourteen years there. During this time he was a member of the Southdown .Volunteer Artillery for a period of ten years, and he served one year as supernumerary engine room artificer in the British navy.

In the spring of 1870 Mr. Gilbert came to Amer- ica, landing in Canada, at Quebec, and going thence to London, followed his trade in the latter place for five years. In 1882 he came to North Dakota and located at Sentinel Butte. He had worked at railroading in Canada, and for the first two years in North Dakota he worked for the Northern l'a- cific road, and part of the time conducted a board- ing house for the construction crews on the railroad, which proved a success. In 1885 he settled on his present ranch and engaged in stock raising, and he has made a great success of this undertaking, though a previous experiment in the same line had proved disastrous. He now raises Hereford and Durham cattle and has a herd of two hundred cows. When he arrived at Sentinel Butte there were no buildings, and his was the first erected in the place. He was appointed postmaster in 1885 and has held the place continuously since.

Mr. Gilbert was married, in England, in 1868, to Miss Jane Runnels, and to this union three chil-

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dren were born, viz: Harry, Fred and James. Mrs. Gilbert died in Canada. In 1880 Mr. Gilbert was married, in London, Canada, to Miss Caroline Woods. Mrs. Gilbert was born in Canada. the daughter of Henry Woods, a farmer of Irish descent. To this union a family of eight children has been born : William J., Charles, James, Lewis, Edward, Albert, Mabel and Maud.

NIr. Gilbert is a Republican and has been active in the interests of his party since coming to Dakota. He is justice of the peace, school director, chair- manof the Republican county central committee and of the sixth judicial district state committee, and has attended numerous county and state conventions of his party. He was appointed a census enumer- ator for 1900.

THEODORE NELSON, one of the progressive sons of Norway who has made Walsh county his home, resides on section 17, Martin township, where he has become the owner of a fine property.

Mr. Nelson was born in Norway, July 9, 1855. He was reared to manhood in Norway, and re- ceived an education in the common schools. In the fall of 1879 he came to America, landing in New York, and went to Canada and engaged in work on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. He was thus employed until the spring of 1881, when he came to Dakota, and settled on the farm in Walsh county, where he now resides. He has met with success in farming, and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of excellent lands, and he has im- proved his farm by the erection of many convenient buildings for farm purposes.

Mr. Nelson was married, in Martin township, to Miss Mary M. Kloaften. Mrs. Nelson was born in Norway, and came to Walsh county when a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have seven children, named as follows: Bennie A., Thena, Bertie, Theo N., Mary, Oscar and Agnes. Mr. Nelson has been chosen to fill many local offices, and has taken much interest in education and other matters of public interest.

FRANCIS DE FOE, whose pleasant and com- fortable home is on section 15, Pembina township, is one of the most influential men in Pembina coun- ty, and enjoys the confidence of his fellow men to a high degree.

Mr. De Foe is a native of the province of Que- bec, born on the banks of the St. Lawrence, Feb- rary 10, 1848. He was the third child in a fam- ily of nine children born to Rafælle and Lizette De Foe, the family being one of the oldest and best known in Quebec province. The grandfather and two granduncles came from France at an early day, all being tillers of the soil. The father of our subject died in 1876 and the mother in 1877.

Mr. De Foc remained at home until he was fif -. teen years of age, when he went to work in the lum-

ber woods of upper Canada. After four years there he went to Massachusetts and engaged in broom making. In 1876 he came to North Dakota, by way of Moorehead, and a Red river boat as far as the Canadian border, whence he came to Pembina. He located the homestead on which he now resides, five miles west of Pembina, erecting the log house in which henow lives. He invested in cattle ard horses at first and made a success of this line, but eventu- ally sold out his stock and followed farnung, and has accumulated a valuable property. He owns about twelve hundred acres of land on the Pembina river with about two hundred acres of timber land.

Mr. De Foe was married, in 1866, to Miss Her- mina La Valle, also a native of Quebec province. They have seven children, named as follows: Al- bert, Francis (deceased), George and Hermina, twins (deceased), Fred, Charles E. and Mary Louise. The home is one of refinement, in which music and art find devotees. Mr. De Foe is giv- ing his children every advantage consistent with their growth and development, and is an affection- ate father and devoted husband. Although a Re- publican for many years, he is now a Democrat, and his influence among his countrymen is very great.

JEREMIAH S. LETTS, proprietor of the hotel at Gladstone, Stark county, North Dakota, is one of the leading business men of that place. He is the oldest settler in Gladstone, now living in that city, although his residence there has not been continu- ous since his first settlement. He has taken an active and commendable interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the locality in which he lives, and his genial ways have made him many friend among both his fellow townsmen and the traveling public.

WARREN M. MOORE, an intelligent and well-to-do farmer, whose residence is in township 161, range 75, was born on a farm in Ontario, Canada, April 11, 1862, and is a son of William S. Moore, a native of New Jersey, of Irish descent, and a life-long farmer. The Moore family has been in this country since before the Revolution. Rachel (Thompkins) Moore, the mother of the sub- ject of this article, was of German descent, and was born in New York, her family having long been settled in that country.

Mr. Moore is the fourteenth in a family of fifteen children, reared on the farm in Canada, and as the statement of such a family might suggest there was work for all. He grew up accustomed to hard work and has much to be thankful for in the fact that as a boy and a young man he was familiar with labor. He remained on the home farm until he had attained his majority, and soon after this he came to North Dakota to seek a home. In 1884 he took a farm three miles northwest of the

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city of Bottineau, and put up a shanty made of boards from Turtle Mountains, there being a saw- mill there at that time. The following year he put up a larger shanty, and bought a yoke of oxen and a plow, and began the preparation of his farm. In 1885 he raised his first crop of five hundred bushels of wheat and three hundred of oats. The next summer he rented his farm and worked out all the season, and in the fall went back to Ontario. In 1888 he returned to North Dakota, sold his claim and worked through the season. That fall he bought another farm, and cultivated it for several years with poor success. In 1895 he sold it and bought his present home, a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, six miles south of Bottineau, and put up a complete set of buildings. From this time his proress towards financial ease and in- dependence has been rapid. He now owns four hun- dred and eighty acres, and has all but about one hundred acres under cultivation. He has a good outfit of machinery and six first-class horses. Upon his farm are a few small natural groves. These he is enlarging, and has great hopes for them. He is a Democrat and a member of the Modern Wood- men of America.

W. W. FEGAN, wholesale and retail dealer in cigars, whose place of business in the Hotel Da- cotah building, Grand Forks, is a popular and genial gentleman and a man of business ability, who is making a success in his line of business where so many others have failed.

Mr. Fegan was born in Fairfield, Iowa, March 4, 1856. His parents, James and Mary A. (Boggs) Fegan, were natives of the state of Pennsylvania, as were also both his paternal and maternal grand- parents, both being old and well known families of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The parents of our subject removed to Iowa in 1846. The father, whose business was that of carpenter, died in Nebraska in 1883, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother resides with a son, Frank R. Fegan, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has reached the ad- vanced age of seventy-four years.

At Fairfield, Iowa, Mr. Fegan received a com- mon-school education and then under the super- vision of his father, learned the carpenter's trade, and followed that occupation about five years. June 26th, 1876, he entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company as tele- grapher. In 1880 he was promoted to the re- sponsible position of train dispatcher at Trenton, Missouri. In 1881 he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered the employ of the Great Northern Railroad Company, and was connected with that road for fifteen years in the capacity of telegrapher, train dispatcher and agent. He was agent of the company at Larimore, North Dakota, from 1882 to 1891. In 1896 he quit the railroad business and engaged in his present business in Grand Forks, and he has met with success from the start.

Mr. Fegan was married, in June, 1883, at Ottum- wa, Iowa, to Miss Emma L. Gillaspy, who was born in that city. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., the U. C. T. of A., of which he is secretary and treasurer, the B. P. O. E. and the Zodiac, of which he is also treasurer.

PETER H. McMILLEN, a well-known and public-spirited citizen of Pembina county, resides on his farm in section 4, Hamilton township.

Mr. McMillen was born in Ontario, Canada, February 18, 1843, the third in a family of cight children born to Hugh and Bessie (Sinclair) Mc- Millen, the former of Scotch and the latter of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and both natives of Canada. Our subject was reared in Canada and spent about eihgteen years working in the lumber camps. In 1874 he began farming and met with fair success. In 1882 he sold his lands and chattels and came to Dakota, and filed pre-emption, homestead and tree claims to lands in Pembina county. He soon after established his permanent home on his tree claim, where he still resides. He now owns two hun- dred and forty acres of valuable land and has a pleasant and comfortable home.

Mr. McMillen was married, in 1874, to Miss Jane Elliott, and to this union five children have been born, namely : George F. (deceased), Hugh, Lizzie and Henrietta and Priscilla, twins. Mr. McMillen is a member of the Baptist church and is a valued member of the community. Although for eight years a Populist and prominent in the councils of that party, and also a lading Alliance man, upon the consummation of the fusion with the Democratic party, he returned to the Republican ranks and is now a supporter of that party. As a Populist he assisted in organizing the party in the county and was chairman of the county central com- mittee and was also widely known in state politics. He contributed many effective articles to the col- umns of the newspapers. He has been justice of the peace for the past fourteen years, ending in 1900.

JAMES LYMBURNER, owner of the most ex- tensive ranch and stock farm in McHenry county, resides on the Mouse river, where he has surrounded himself with many of the comforts and modern cenveniences that are prized in much older com- munities.

Mr. Lymburner was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1855. He was the eldest in a family of three children, and was reared on a farm and received the benefits of country school education. Being the only boy in the family he was compelled to give his services to their support and remained at home, working with his father until 1884. In 1887 he came to North Dakota, and farmed a short time in Grand Forks county. He then came to McHenry county, and located land on the Mouse river, seven

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miles north of Towner. He hauled lumber from Devils Lake, one hundred miles distant, and erected a shanty, and began stock raising. Two years later, after he had got a start, his father and family joined him. He has had great success and is now the owner of two thousand acres of land, with two complete sets of farm buildings, an abundance of stock and machinery, and is regarded as the most extensive farmer and ranchman in the county. He keeps on hand about six or eight hundred head of cattle.

Mr. Lymburner was married, in 1893, to Miss Belle McDougal, daughter of Duncan McDougal, and a native of Canada, of Scotch descent, her parents being natives of Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Lymburner have two children, Oscar and Penelope. Mr. Lymburner is a Republican in his political be- lief, and has taken an active interest in public affairs of his county, being often chosen as a delegate to the conventions of his party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

ARNA ARNASON, a representative citizen and model farmer of Pembina county, lives in his beautiful home in Park township, where he has met with remarkable success as a farmer and general business man.

Mr. Arnason is a native of Iceland and was

born April 10, 1850. He was the fifth of nine chil- dren born to Arni and Thornun (Jonsdattir) Thor- grimsson. Mr. Arnason's mother now makes her home with him. Our subject grew to manhood in Iceland and followed farming and fishing until he reached manhood. In the fall of 1882 he came to Dakota and joined his mother, who had taken a homestead in Park township, Pembina county. He took up an adjoining tract and they lived in the same claim shanty up to 1884, when he erected a log house 16x20 feet. In 1895 he built his present residence. He has met with success in farming in Dakota. His home is beautifully located and is supplied with all the comforts and many of the lux- uries found in the best country residences. He rents out his farm and is engaged in the real es- tate and collection business.

Mr. Arnason was married, in 1891, to Miss Minnie G. Baldwin. Mrs. Arnason is a native of Iceland, where she was born in 1868. She came to America in 1888 and joined her mother in Dakota, attending school at St. Thomas, Pembina. Mr. and Mrs. Arnason have two children, namely: Richard B. and Thornun. The family are members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Arnason belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a Democrat in politics and takes an active part in pub- lic affairs of a local nature. He is usually chosen as a delegate to county conventions and is a leading party man in the county.

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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 195

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