USA > North Dakota > Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life > Part 48
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Mr. Spoonheim is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Malta and Mod- ern Woodmen of America. He is well known throughout the state in educational circles and is an efficient and highly esteemed officer. Politically he is a Populist, and is a gentleman of broad mind and keeps abreast of the times and favors reform prin- ciples. His many friends will be pleased to find a portrait of Mr. Spoonheim in connection with this article.
Eksponhum
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JACOB S. ESHELMAN, deceased. The pio- neer settlers of Grand Forks, North Dakota, re- member well the subject of this review. He was one of the important factors in the upbuilding of the financial interests of the city, and resided therein many years.
Our subject was born in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, in 1850, and went to lowa and later to Illi- nois at the age of eleven years. He went to Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1870, and in 1874 became associated with William Budge in various enter- prises. He assisted in organizing the Citizens' Na- tional Bank and was its first president. He also assisted in building some of the best business blocks of the city of Grand Forks, and ever had the interests of his adopted place at heart.
Mr. Eshelman held various offices of trust, and was chairman of the county board for some years, and was mayor of Grand Forks for four years. He held membership in the Masonic fraternity. He was a Democrat politically, and was firm in his con- victions and an ardent worker for party principles. Mr. Eshelman died in April, 1889, and left a host of friends in Grand Forks and vicinity to mourn his loss.
FRANK H. CARTER has resided in Casselton, North Dakota for over twenty years, and has gained an enviable reputation throughout .Cass county as a gentleman of ability and true citizen- ship. He is manager of the Biedler & Robinson Lumber Company, and conducts the extensive in- terests of that company in an entirely satisfactory manner.
Mr. Carter was born in Painsville, Lake county, Ohio, January 15, 1855, and was a son of Daniel O. and Lydia (Cox) Carter. His father was a native of New York and was an early settler of Lake county, Ohio, where he still resides, en- gaged in farming. The mother of our subject was a native of New Hampshire.
Our subject was reared and educated in his native county, and began his career as a farmer, and in 1874 went to California, where he spent two years in the nursery business. He then returned East and remained till the spring of 1879, and in that year located in Casselton, North Dakota, and assisted in closing up the unsettled business of E. S. Tyler & Company. He entered the employ of Wallace Grosvenor as manager of his lumber yard in 1880, and continued thus until 1892. when he accepted the position as manager of the Beidler & Robinson Lumber Company, which position he still retains.
Our subject was married, October 5, 1880, to Marion C. Deshon, a native of Kentucky. One daughter has been born to this union, upon whom they have bestowed the name of Ella B. Mr. Car- ter affiliates with the Masonic fraternity, and has passed the degrees of Knights Templar and Mys- tic Shrine. He is a man of excellent character and
respected by all who know him, and his public spirit has never been called in question. He has aided materially in various ways in the upbuilding and strengthening of good local government, and has served twice as alderman of the city.
CHARLES H. WOODBURY, who ranks among the foremost men of his calling, is proprietor of a fine estate in Abercrombie township, Richland county, and has a comfortable competence as a re- sult of well-directed labor. He was born in Mont- pelier, Vermont, November 22, 1850.
Mr. Woodbury was reared in his native place on a farm, and when nineteen years of age left his native state and went to Plainview, Wabasha,coun- ty, Minnesota, where he remained a few months and then followed lumbering at Humbird, Wis- consin, for three years. He then went to Dayton, Bremer county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and continued one year, and then disposed of his interests and emigrated with a team to Norman county, Minnesota, and took up a homestead on Wild Rice river, in that county. After eleven years' residence there he sold his farm and moved to Walsh county, North Dakota, and engaged in the mercantile business at Forest River, about 1886, and remained there until 1896, when he sold his business interests and went to Richland county, North Dakota, and purchased the east half of sec- tion 20, in Abercrombie township, where he has since made his home.
Our subject was married, in Montpelier, Ver- mont, February 20, 1875, to Miss Myra M. Little, a native of that state. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Woodbury, as follows: Hat- tie M,; Byron E .; Sadie Grace, deceased ; Nellie A .; Winnie O .; Edward; and Clementine. Mr. Woodbury takes an active interest in the affairs of his community, wherever he makes his home, and while a resident of Norman county, Minnesota, served as county commissioner. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Independent Order of For- esters, Modern Woodmen of America and Fraternal Union of America.
WILLIAM F. GRANGE, county treasurer of Ransom county, throughout his career in North Dakota has been one of the most prominent public men in the locality in which he has lived. His counsels and executive ability have been utilized to the benefit of his county and state, and he well merits his enviable reputation.
Our subject was born in St. Joseph county, In- diana, December 26, 1862, and was the eldest in a family of three children born to Phelix and Eliza- beth (Goodman) Grange. His grandparents were of French birth and his parents were natives of America. When seventeen years of age our sub- ject left his father's farm to enter the University of Notre Dame, and completed the commercial and
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classical courses in that institution. He engaged in farm work one year, and after attaining his ma- jority went to Dakota in the fall of 1883, and en- tered a general store at Sheldon, Ransom county, as bookkeeper and clerk. He was elected superin- tendent of schools in 1866, and removed to the county seat, serving three terms in that capacity, until 1892. He then invested in general merchan- clise in Lisbon, and disposed of his business in the fall of 1893 and again made his home in Sheldon, where he followed bookkeeping. He was elected county treasurer of Ransom county in the fall of 1898.
Our subject was married, in 1891, to Miss Addie T. Taylor. Mr. and Mrs. Grange are the parents of three sons, named as follows: Myron, Mark and Marshall. Mr. Grange is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a communi- cant of the Catholic church, and in political faith is a Democrat. Throughout his business career Mr. Grange has been remarkably successful, and is a man of careful, systematic habits, and is of a con- servative turn of mind, and all matters with which he is connected are materially benefited when the management thereof is left to his care.
JOSEPH BLATCHFORD, superintendent of schools of La Moure county, and proprietor of one of the fine farms of Henrietta township, is a gen- tleman of excellent characteristics and broad mind, and commands the highest esteem of the people. He has labored with an indomitable will, and his efforts have resulted successfully, and his land in- terests now extend over an area of over nine lıun- dred and sixty acres.
Mr. Blatchford was born on a farm in Huron county, Ontario, Canada, June 1, 1855, and was a son of John and Francis ( White ) Blatchford. His father was born in England, where he lived until 1853, when he emigrated to Canada. He was a farmer by occupation and was married in his native country. Thirteen children were born to this worthy couple, ten sons and three daughters, all of whom are living with the exception of one son, James, who was drowned near the old home in a mill race, when twenty-one years of age. Of the other children, Thomas is a minister in the Meth- odist Episcopal denomination, and is now located at London, Ontario; George is a physician and is lo- cated at Clinton, Michigan; Benjamin is studying dentistry at the Chicago College of Dental Surgery ; Arthur and Richard are farming in La Moure county, North Dakota; John, Frank, William and three sisters, Mary, Martha and Fanny, are living in Canada.
Joseph Blatchford attended school and assisted with the farm work until twenty years of age, when he entered the high school at Clinton, Ontario, and from which he was graduated in the class of 1876. From then until 1879 he taught school in Huron county, and in the fall of that year he entered the
Toronto Normal School, graduating the following year. He followed clerking in Cranbrook, Huron county, two years, and in September, 1882, went to La Moure county, North Dakota, after spending a short time in Grand Forks. He filed claim on land in Henrietta · township and has been a resident thereon since. His duties as superintendent of schools take a great share of his time, but he per- sonally supervises the improvement and cultiva- tion of his farm, and has made a decided success of that line.
Our subject was married, in Seaforth, Huron county, Canada, January 2, 1877, to Miss Caroline Pollard, who was born in that county October 23, 1854, and was a daughter of John and Grace Pol- lard, who were farmers of that countv. Six chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Blatchford, as follows: Addison, Arley M., Wilbur M., Cora M., Milton M. and Erma V. The eldest three were born in Canada and the youngest three in La Moure county, North Dakota. Mr. Blatchford has a niece, Francis L., a daughter of Mr. Blatchford's brother, who makes her home with them, owing to the death of her mother during her infancy. Our subject was elected superintendent of schools in 1896, which office he has since held, and is an efficient and popu- Jar officer. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and the Masonic fraternity, and he and family are communicants of the Methodist Epis- copal church at La Moure.
ALEXANDER STERN. It is astonishing to witness the success of young men who have emi- grated to America without capital and from a posi- tion of comparative obscurity have worked their way upward to a position of prominence. The read- iness with which they adapt themselves to circum- stances and take advantage of the opportunities of- fered brings to them success and wins them a place among the leading men of the community in which they reside. A worthy representative of this class is Mr. Stern, now president of the city council of Fargo, North Dakota, and one of the most promi- nent business men of the place.
He was born in Giessen, Germany, June 7, 1857, a son of Aaron and Emily ( Meyer) Stern, who spent their entire lives in that country, where the father carried on operations as a farmer and stock raiser. In their family were three sons and one daughter, of whom two are now residents of Fargo, and one son is deceased. Our subject was reared and educat- ed in his native land, and in 1871 came to America, landing in New York on the 17th of August. He proceeded at once to Chicago, and from there went to Bloomington, Illinois,, where he was employed as clerk for some time and in 1878 embarked in busi- ness on his own account, remainng in that city until 1882.
During that year Mr. Stern came to Fargo, North Dakota, and opened a clothing store on the corner
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of Broadway and Second avenue, where he contin- ued in business until 1885, when he erected his pres- ent store building on Broadway. In 1892 he built two other business blocks, which were destroyed in the fire of the following year, but with characteris- tic energy he at once rebuilt, commencing work upon the place two days after the fire. He now has the best business blocks in the city and is erecting two others, which will be still finer. He has become in- terested in a number of different enterprises and is now vice-president of the Fargo Packing Company, which he founded, is president of the Fargo Plumb- ing Company, and director of the Merchants' State Bank.
On the 5th of July, 1885, Mr. Stern married Miss Bertha Kauffman, who was born in Arora mining camp in the mountains of Nevada, and they have become the parents of three sons, namely : William M., Samuel S. and Edward A. Fraternally Mr. Stern is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a member of the Mystic Shrine, and also belongs to the Forest- ers. Politically he is now a Republican, but formerly affiliated with the Democratic party until the cam- paign of 1896, when he withdrew from their ranks, not being a free silver advocate. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Agricultural College for the past five years, being first appointed by Governor Allen and re-appointed by Governor Foucher. He is also serving his second term in the city council and is now president of the same. He is quite prominent both in political and business circles and the high position which he occupies is due entirely to his own well-directed efforts. On landing in the United States, he had but seventeen dollars in gold, which he exchanged for twenty-two dollars in paper money, and with this capital he be- gan life in the new world. He has steadily pros- pered in his undertakings and is now one of the wealthiest men of Fargo.
GEORGE B. VALLANDIGHAM, a leading journalist of Barnes county and the present pub- lisher of the "North Dakota Patriot," was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, October 7, 1843, a son of Dr. George S. and Mary A. ( Hamilton ) Vallandigham, also natives of New Lisbon. The father died in 1873, but the mother is still living and now makes her home in Los Angeles, California.
Our subject attended the schools of his native village, and at the age of fifteen entered the office of the Ohio Patriot, at New Lisbon, now the third old- est paper in the state, having been established in 1808. He continued to follow the printer's trade until just before the Civil war. In the spring of 1861 he went to Gambier, Ohio, to take a pre- paratory course. intending to enter Kenyon College, but in October, 1862, he laid aside all personal in- terests and entered the service of his country as a member of the Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, which regiment had been captured at Har- per's Ferry and was paroled at the time he enlisted.
On the Ist of December, 1862, it was merged into the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, with which Mr. Vallandigham served until the spring of 1864. After the battle of Resaca he was taken ill and sent north, and in the fall of 1864 was placed on detached duty under General Noyes at Camp Dennison, Ohio, where he remained until the latter part of December. Going to Chicago he joined the Eighth Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps, and remained there during the winter. In the spring of 1865 he was placed on detached duty at the United States general hospital as clerk and remained there until honorably discharged, July 21. During his service in the south in 1863 he was detailed to take possession of a printing office in the town of Franklin, Tennessee, and assisted in publishing an army newspaper entitled the "Federal Knapsack," which he carried on for some months. He partici- pated in the battles of Franklin, Tennessee, Chicka- mauga, Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face and Resaca, and a number of skirmishes and was always found at his post of duty.
Returning to his home in New Lisbon, Ohio, at the close of the war, Mr. Vallandigham remained there until the fall of 1866, when he again entered college at Gambier. On the 25th of December, 1867, he married Miss Maria A. Patterson, a native of New York, and the following year they located in Albany, that state. He continued to work at his trade in different cities in New York until the fall of 1873, when he returned to New Lisbon and pur- chased a half interest in the Ohio Patriot. Two years later he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and se- cured a position with the Methodist Book Concern, with which he was connected until June, 1877. Three children had been born to them, two of whom are now living. His wife died on the first of July of that year. In June, 1878, he went west to Minnesota, where he followed his trade until 1879, and then came to Valley City, North Dakota, where he estab- lished the "Northern Pacific Times" for Dr. S. B. Coe. In 1884 he started the "North Dakota Demo- crat," then a Democratic paper, the name of which he changed to the "North Dakota Patriot" in 1891. This journal he still successfully carries on. In 1895 he changed his politics and that of his paper to Republican. . He has been an important factor in public affairs, and shortly after coming to this state was appointed deputy clerk of the court and probate judge in 1879, and in 1886 was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue. Socially, he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. the Knights of Honor and the Knights of the Macca- bees.
For his second wife Mr. Vallandigham wedded Miss Mary K. Gordon, of Humeston, Iowa, by whom he has two children.
ARTHUR M. MCLAUGHLIN. This gentle- man is the fortunate owner of one of the estates of Hope township, in Steele county, and is also identi-
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fied with the financial interests of the city of Hope, and deals in fuel. He was one of the early settlers of that region, and is well known and highly es- teemed.
Our subject was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, March 29. 1857, and was the fourth in a family of ten children born to Augustus and Amanda ( Steph- enson ) McLaughlin. He resided on the home farm in Illinois until after attaining his majority, when he went to Kansas, and later took land in Buffalo county, Nebraska, where he resided two and a half years. He then returned to LaSalle county, Illinois, and engaged in farming two years, and in Novem- ber. 1882, went to Casselton, Dakota. He went to Hope, North Dakota. in the spring of 1883, and filed claim to land in Hope township, Steele county. His wife soon joined him in the new home, and he fol- lowed farming on the land until 1888, but did not meet with success, and then established a draying business in Hope, and was thus employed until 1896, when he accepted the local agency for the C. N. Nelson Lumber Company at Hope. He continued thus until the spring of 1899 and then established his present business, in which line he has prospered. He owns two hundred and forty acres of land four miles west of the city of Hope, and he rents the land to others. He does an extensive business in the hand- ling of coal and wood, and has a six-horse-power gasoline engine attached to a circular saw for the preparing of the wood for fuel.
Our subject was married in 1882, to Miss Mary Bigelow. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, as follows: Jesse M., Augustus R., Arthur B. and Margaret L. Mr. Mclaughlin is prominent in secret society circles, and holds mem- bership in the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and its auxiliary lodge, the Daughters of Rebekah. He is a member of the Grand Lodge in the Odd Fellows, and was one of the charter members of Hope Lodge No. 19. Politically he is a Republican.
REV. OLE L. TORVIK, pastor of Bethany Lutheran church of Abercrombie township, Rich- land county, is a gentleman of earnest, practical na- ture and much culture, and very popular with his people. His labors in his present pastorate have met with the most pleasing results, and he is a worthy citizen and conscientious worker.
Mr. Torvik was born in Hardanger, Norway, Oc- tober 31, 1863. He was reared in his native land and received a common-school education there, and after his confirmation he sailed along the coast of Norway and Russia as mate for six years. He came to America in the spring of 1885, and located in Adams county, Iowa, where he was engaged in farm labor by the month until the fall of 1887, when he went to Minneapolis and entered Augsburg Semi- nary to prepare for the ministry. He completed his studies in 1895, and in July of that year was called to the pastorate of Bethany Lutheran church in
Abercrombie township, Richland county, North Da- kota, where he has since resided.
Rev. Mr. Torvik is greatly beloved by his people, and under his fostering care the church is increasing in influence and widening its work. He is yet a young man, and his heart and soul are in his work and his reward is sure.
FRANKLIN HERRICK, an ex-soldier and prominent farmer of Richland county, enjoys the distinction of being the second white man to take up his residence in North Dakota. M. F. Rich, deceased, has preceded him but a short time. He is now the owner of a fine estate in Eagle township, and makes his home on section 20.
Our subject was born in fioga county, Penn- sylvania, April 16, 1843. When he was but one year of age he moved with his parents to New York, and when he was twelve years of age the family returned to Tioga county, Pennsylvania, where our subject remained until he enlisted, in August, 1861, in Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteeer Infantry, and served two years and eight months. He then re- enlisted in the Second New York Veteran Cavalry and served until the close of the war. After the service he returned to Tioga county and engaged chiefly in lumbering until 1867, when he went to Minnesota and engaged two years in farming in Faribault county, after which he removed to Da- kota territory and took a squatter's claim to the land which is now his home farm, where he has since continued to reside. He is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land in section 29 and section 20, of Eagle township, and has made a success of farming.
Our subject was married, in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1866, to Miss Eliza Knup- penburg, a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Herrick are the parents of two living children, as follows: John and Albert. Mr. Herrick is a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Sumner Post, No. 7, G. A. R. He has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his town- ship and county, and has served as supervisor of Eagle township eight years, and as school director. He is well known throughout the locality and is highly esteemed by his fellowmen.
WILLIAM A. CALDWELL, one of the most enterprising and prominent business men of Mon- ango, is one of the early pioneers of Dickey county, and has become closely linked with the history of that part of the state. He was born in the village of Honesttown, Blair county, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1853, and was the youngest in a family of thir- teen children, nine sons and four daughters, born to William and Martha (Lloyd) Caldwell.
The father of our subject was a tanner by occu- pation and was a man of practical business judg-
WILLIAM A. CALDWELL.
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ment, and led a busy life, taking an active part in the affairs of his community. He was highly es- teemed for his upright character, and the town of Honesttown was named in his honor. He was of Scotch extraction and the mother of our subject was of Welsh descent. She died when he was but a young boy.
Our subject attended school in his native vil- lage until twelve years of age, when he entered the Academy at Belle Mills, now Bellwood, and at the age of seventeen completed his schooling. He then accepted a position in the bank of Tyrone, and from that institution went into the employ of R. B. Cald- well & Company, of Renova, Pennsylvania, where he was cashier and bookkeeper until the bank be- came insolvent, when he was appointed assignee, and after closing the affairs of the bank took a posi- tion with the Pennsylvania Railroad as stenog- rapher in the car department of the Altoona shops. After a short service in that department he was as- signed as a correspondent in the engine department and was clerk of the principal assistant of the de- partment. He next entered the civil engineer's office, remaining there until he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, in the fall of 1881. He there entered the land office of the Graves & Vinton Company, and remained in their employ six months, during which time he formed a colony and accompanied them to Keystone, Dickey county, located two and a half miles east of Monango. He platted the vil- lage, purchasing the land from the government prior to it being put on the market. He was the first postmaster, merchant and banker of Keystone, and continued in business there until 1888, and was also engaged extensively in the real estate business. He sold his mercantile business to D. P. Kulın, and in 1888, when the St. Paul Railroad surveyed their line through Monango, and the village was laid out, he moved his interests to Monango and continued the banking business, organizing under the state laws as the State Bank of Monango. He opened up a mercantile business in 1896, having purchased a store and stock of D. J. McDonald ; he has since increased the building extensively, and has steadily increased his stock, and now carries a complete line of general merchandise and enjoys an extensive patronage. He is president of the State Bank of Monango, and, together with other enterprises, is engaged in the grain trade. He is a man who pos- sesses more than ordinary business ability, and every enterprise in which he has embarked has met with unbounded success.
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