USA > South Dakota > Minnehaha County > History of Minnehaha county, South Dakota. Containing an account of its settlements, growth, development and resources Synopsis of public records, biographical sketches > Part 83
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ANDERSON, LARS P., was born in the province of Halland. Sweden, June 23, 1856. He emigrated to the United States and set- tled in this county in 1885, where he has since resided. He bought the southeast quarter of section 35, and the southwest quarter of sec-
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
tion 36 in Grand Meadow township, and engaged in farming. He has a good farm, well improved, and is a good citizen.
ANDERSON, OLAF R., was born in the city of Christianstad, Sweden. August 9, 1837. He emigrated to Illinois and lived there and in Iowa prior to his coming to Dakota in the fall of 1877. He then filed upon 320 acres of land in this county, comprising the southwest quarter of section 1, as a tree claim, and the northwest quarter of section 12. as a homestead, in the town of Grand Meadow, and has been engaged in farming ever since. He has a good farm and is liv- ing on his homestead. He is a respected citizen.
AUSTIN, AUSTIN T., is a native of Norway, and was born in 1848. He emigrated to this country and lived in Iowa and Minnesota until March, 1884, when he removed to Dakota and located in this county. He has a very fine farm of 480 acres on the east half of section 2 in Grand Meadow, and in section 36 in Taopi, well improved, with good buildings and a large live stock. He resides on the northeast quar- ter of section 2. He has been a member of the town board of super- visors, is a good farmer, and a respected citizen.
BENTLEY, GRANT U., was born in Wisconsin, July 2, 1864, and lived there and in Illinois until the spring of 1876, when he located in Minnehaha county and engaged in farming. He resides on his homestead on the southeast quarter of section 15, in Grand Meadow township, and has a good farm.
BRALEY, WINSLOW, was born at Baraboo, Sauk county, Wis- consin, October 3, 1854. He came to Dakota from Iowa, February 12, 1876, and took up a homestead and tree claim comprising the southeast quarter of section 8, and the southwest quarter of section 9, in Grand Meadow township, and engaged in farming. The only office he has held so far is that of poundmaster, but he adds in his statement that if he has good luck he might be president yet.
BUNDE, GUNDER O., a son of Ole T. Bunde, was born in Nor- way, February 11, 1867, and came to the United States with his par- ents in 1871, and to this county in 1875. A few years ago he bought the southeast quarter of section 12, in Grand Meadow, of his father and has settled down to farming. He is enterprising and indus- trious.
BUNDE, OLE T., was born in Norway, in 1836, and emigrated to the United States in 1871 and settled in Iowa. He resided there un- til 1875, at which time he removed to this county. He took up as a homestead the north half of the northeast quarter of section 13, in Grand Meadow, and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 18, in Lyons, and has since then resided on his homestead in Grand Meadow. He also took up the southwest quarter of section 18, in Lyons as a tree claim, and has purchased the south half of the north- east quarter of section 13, in Grand Meadow. Mr. Bunde is a good farmer, and has enough of this world's goods to justify him in feel- ing contented on that point, even when the times are hard. He is a good neighbor and a good citizen.
JOHN J. FOSTER.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
CARSON, OLE J., is a native of Norway, and was born July 15, 1838. He emigrated to the United States with his father in 1843, and located in Wisconsin. After having lived there thirteen years they removed to Minnesota, where Mr. Carson bought a farm and engaged in farming twenty-eight years. He then came to this county and located in Grand Meadow in 1884, buying the northeast quarter of section 1, where he still resides and has a good farm. He recently bought the southeast quarter of school section 36, in Taopi, and is an industrious farmer, taking cheerfully the adversities which have be- fallen him during his lifetime. During his youth he accidentally lost three fingers, "otherwise," he says, "I should have been in the military service in the sixties." A few years ago he was so badly injured in a runaway that the amputation of one leg became neces- sary, but he manages to get about with a wooden substitute. He takes an active interest in public affairs, and is a good citizen.
EVANS, E. H., was born in Canada West, in 1842. He emigrated to the United States and lived in Michigan and Iowa until in 1874, when he settled in the county of Minnehaha, upon the northeast quarter of section 26, in the town of Grand Meadow, which he proved up as a homestead. Mr. Evans resided on his homestead until the fall of 1896, when he sold his farm and removed with his family to Tracy, Minnesota. He was assessor of Grand Meadow township, a good neighbor and a good citizen.
FARRELL, CHARLES F., was born in Erie county, New York, February 28, 1844. He removed to Wisconsin with his parents in 1849. During the civil war he enlisted in Co. B, 1st Minnesota Cav- alry, and was in the military service for about two years and a half. After his discharge he resided in Iowa until May, 1872, at which time he removed to this county and took up 220 acres of land in Lyons township and pre-empted a quarter section in Benton, which he after- wards sold. In 1880 he secured the southwest quarter of section 2 in Grand Meadow, where he has since resided, engaged in farming. He has held the offices of assessor and treasurer for several years in Grand Meadow, and has taken an active part in town affairs. His farm is a good one, and he is a good farmer and one of the most reli- able citizens in the county.
FOSTER, JOHN J., was born September 3, 1842, at Oswego. Tioga county, New York. He removed with his parents to Wisconsin in 1847, and obtained his education in the common and high schools in that state. In 1861 he enlisted for three months in Co. E. 1st Wisconsin regiment, but served four months before being dis- charged. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. F, 23d Wisconsin, and served until the close of the war. On the 21st day of May, 1876, he came to this county, and took up as a homestead the northwest quarter of section 17 in Grand Meadow, where he has since resided. He has added to his homestead the southwest quarter of the same sec- tion, and has a good farm. He is not only a capable farmer, but also a good neighbor and highly respected citizen. In 1880, he was appointed postmaster of Grand Meadow post office which position he held until he resigned in the fall of 1890. He has been chairman
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
of the board of supervisors of Grand Meadow for several years, and has otherwise been honored officially by his townsmen.
GINSBACH, HENRY, was born in Jackson county, Iowa, Novem- ber 25, 1842. He lived there until he was twenty-seven years of age, at which time he went to Kansas, thence to Nebraska, and in 1875 to the Black Hills. From there he returned to his native state, where he remained until 1883, when he came to this county and took up a homestead of 160 acres in section 32, Grand Meadow, where he re- sided until recently when he removed to Sioux Falls. He was justice of the peace and a member of the town and school board sev- eral years.
HAUGEN, ANDREW N., was born in Norway in 1855, and emigrated to Dakota in May, 1878. He settled in this county and secured the southwest quarter of section 3, in the town of Grand Meadow, which he proved up as a homestead, and has lived there ever since, and has a good farm. He was supervisor of the town board in 1889, and is a respected citizen.
HAUGSE, KNUT, a native of Norway, was born in 1855. He emi- grated to America and came to Dakota in April, 1880, when he set- tled in this county. He bought and now owns the northeast quarter of section 11, in the town of Grand Meadow, where he resides. He has a good farm and is a good citizen.
HISEY, WILLIAM, was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, Febru- ary 17, 1830. He lived there and in Minnesota and Iowa before he settled in Minnehaha county in the spring of 1878, where he resided until his death which occurred May 27, 1897. He owned consider- able real estate in section 30 in Grand Meadow, and section 25 in Clear Lake; was an industrious, honest, upright citizen, and well liked by his neighbors.
KADINGER, JOHN, was born in Dodge county, Wisconsin, on the 28th day of October, 1854. He lived there and in Illinois before he came to Dakota on the 17th day of March, 1879. He located in Clear Lake township, taking up a homestead and a tree claim. The home- stead he afterwards traded off for five lots in the city of Sioux Falls, where he also owns a house. The tree claim he still retains, which is a good farm and has a living spring, furnishing a large supply of good water; this place he leases, and resides in Grand Meadow township with his family, wife, six boys and a girl, where he is en- gaged in farming about 800 acres of land in sections 34, 35, 26 and 27. He is a good farmer and an enterprising citizen.
KARSRUD, MARTIN, was born in Norway in 1853, and emigrated to the United States and settled in Iowa in 1869. In 1878 he came to this county and took up a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 10, in Grand Meadow, and the southwest quarter of section 11 in the same township as a tree claim. He resided on his home- stead until his decease, which occurred on the 25th day of Septem- ber, 1895, having been kicked by a colt the day preceding, which caused his death. He was a very active, enterprising citizen; was a member of the town board of supervisors in 1888-9, and was chair- man of the board in 1890.
LEWIS MEYER.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
KARSRUD, JACOB A., was born in Norway April 17, 1855, and emigrated to the United States in 1875, and settled in Iowa. In 1878 he removed to this county and took up the northwest quarter of sec- tion 10 as a homestead, and the northeast quarter of the same sec- tion as a tree claim. The tree claim he since sold to his brother Anton, and resides on his homestead. He has quite a good farm, is in comfortable circumstances and is an honest upright citizen and well liked by his neighbors.
KARSRUD, P. ANTON, a resident of Grand Meadow, was a brother of Jacob, and of Otto Karsrud, residing in Taopi, and also of the late Martin Karsrud. There were seven brothers in all who emigrated to this country, three of whom now reside in Colorado, and a sister who resides in Iowa. Notwithstanding this large emi- gration from one family there are others who still reside in Norway. Since writing the foregoing, Anton died at the hospital in Sioux Falls, February 17, 1897.
LOVE, J. DWIGHT, was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, September 11, 1860. He was reared on a farm, and obtained a good education before starting out for himself. During the spring of 1891, he came to Grand Meadow in this county, and purchased the southeast quar- ter of section 20, and the northeast quarter of section 29. His resi- dence is located on the southeast corner of section 20. In the fall of 1891, he was appointed town clerk, and was elected to that office at the four successive township elections. Before removing from Wiscon- sin he taught school several terms, and since coming to Grand Mead- ow has taught the school in his own district five terms. He is a good neighbor and a highly esteemed citizen.
MEYER, LEWIS, was born in Hanover, Germany, February 15, 1845. He emigrated to this country and lived in Wisconsin and Iowa until May 18, 1881, when he removed to Dakota and settled in this county. He is at the present time the owner of several hundred acres of land in Grand Meadow, and has one of the largest and best improved farms in the county, with substantial and commodious buildings. He resides on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 22. He has held several town offices, is an enter- prising farmer and a good citizen. During the war of the rebellion he enlisted in the army for one year, and served until the close of the war.
PEARSON, NELS E., is a native of Sweden, and was born June 9. 1861. After his coming to the United states he lived in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa until in the spring of 1889, when he settled in this county. He owns a good farm of 240 acres on the south half of the northwest quarter of section 36, and the northwest quarter of sec- tion 31, in the town of Grand Meadow, where he resides at this writing.
RADSPINNER, CHARLES H., was born in Germany in 1836. He emigrated to the United States, lived in Indiana and Iowa, and set- tled in Dakota in 1879. He then secured as a homestead the south half of the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY
quarter of section 7, in the town of Grand Meadow, and has lived there ever since. He is a good farmer and a respected citizen.
STEINFURTH, CONSTANTINE, is a native of Germany, and was born July 15, 1869. He came to Dakota in the fall of 1883, and engaged in farming in this county, where he now has a fine farm of 320 acres, comprising the south half of section 33 in Grand Meadow, the build- ings on which cost about $3,000. He resides on his farm, is an enterprising farmer, and a good citizen.
THOMPSON, CHARLES F., was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, April 4, 1841, and was raised on a farm. When twenty years of age he enlisted in the 60th New York Infantry, and was in the military service three years, nine months and eleven days. After the war he settled down in Hardin county, Iowa, and engaged in farming for ten years. In February, 1876, he removed to Lincoln county, Dakota, but the next May took up as a homestead the north- west quarter of section 12 in Clear Lake township, and in the fall made a tree claim filing on the southwest quarter of section 7 in Grand Meadow township, where he has since resided. Mr. Thomp- son is a good farmer and an esteemed.citizen.
THOMPSON, MRS. ULBA, wife of Charles F. Thompson, was born in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Her maiden name was Ulba Knowles. In 1876 she came to this county with her parents, who took up a homestead in Clear Lake township. In 1877 she married Mr. Thompson. In 1881 she was licensed to preach, by the Free Meth- odist denomination, but not until eleven years later did she avail herself of the privilege, except occasionally. In 1992 she commenced devoting a portion of her time to building up the interests of the Free Methodists in Minnehaha and Lake counties. At Franklin, in Lake county, she organized a society with twenty-seven members. She also preached in the Vincent neighborhood in Wayne, and at other places as opportunity offered .. During the last three years she has preached at Wall Lake, and now holds two services there every Sunday, and also one every Thursday at the same place. In addition to this work she preaches at stated times in the Vincent neighborhood, and also at the Goldenrod school house in Lincoln county. During the winter of 1897-8, while holding revival services at a school house in Wall Lake, the school district authorities de- cided that it was not expedient that the school house should be occu- pied for such purpose. Upon receiving notice to this effect she came to the conclusion that the society she had organized was strong enough to build a small church at Wall Lake, and she obtained a subscription of $325 for that purpose during the same evening that she received the notice. In connection with other members of the society the subscription was increased, and a church was built, twenty-three by forty-two feet in size, which was dedicated Sep- tember 18, 1898. S. A. Hoyt gave the society one acre and a half of land on the west corner of section 21 in Wall Lake, where the church building is erected. When it is known that Mrs. Thompson has to drive eighteen miles every Sunday to preach to her congregation at Wall Lake, and that after her morning service there, she goes either
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
to her Lincoln county or Wayne charge and preaches during the afternoon, and then returns to Wall Lake and holds evening ser- vices, it is unnecessary to add that she has her heart in the work, and is a woman of more than ordinary energy and ability.
TINKHAM, MERRITT J., was born at Baraboo, Wisconsin, Sep- tember 23, 1852. He removed to this county and located a home- stead and tree claim on the northwest quarter of section 7 and the southwest quarter of section 6 in Grand Meadow on the 21st day of May, 1876, which was the same day that J. J. Foster located his land in section 17. Since then he has purchased the southeast quarter of section 12 in Clear Lake, adjoining his homestead, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 18 in Split Rock, and now owns 560 acres of good farm land in this county. He lived on his home- stead the first seven years, and then moved on to his tree claim where he has a fine, large house, surrounded by a grove of twenty acres. He has a large number of horses and cattle, and has never had a mortgage on either homestead or tree claim since taken. He moved into the city of Sioux Falls in the fall of 1895, where he now resides. Mr. Tinkham's record shows what a man with grit and energy can do with only an old team and fifty dollars in money to start with, which was all he possessed when he first settled in Grand Meadow. He has been a member of the town and school boards and town assessor two years, and has always taken a prominent part in town affairs.
TRIPP, EGBERT, is a native of Ohio, and was born November 14, 1851. He resided in Wisconsin and Iowa a few years, and came to this county May 5, 1879. He located a homestead on the northeast quarter of section 20, in the town of Grand Meadow, where he still resides, and has a good farm. He has held several offices, has been town treasurer five years, chairman of the town board one vear and school district treasurer five years. He is a good farmer, and highly esteemed as a neighbor and citizen.
WILLIG, PHILLIP, is a native of Germany, and was born March 7, 1864. He became a resident of this county in 1883, and owns about 200 acres of land in sections 28 and 33, in Grand Meadow, where he resides engaged in farming, and has a very fine farm. He is an enterprising and good citizen.
WILDER, REUBEN J., is a native of Indiana and born December 22, 1849. He resided in Wisconsin for some time before he settled in Minnehaha county in May, 1876, when he secured the south half of the southeast quarter of section 7, and the north half of the north- east quarter of section 18, in the town of Grand Meadow, which he proved up as a homestead, and where he still resides. He has held several school and town offices and was town clerk for two years. He is well liked as a neighbor and is a good citizen.
WINTER, IRA P., was born in New York, January 25, 1850, and removed with his parents to Clayton county, Iowa, where he resided until 1874, at which time he came to this county and settled in Grand Meadow. He took up a homestead, tree claim and pre-emption in
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY
sections 23 and 25, but disposed of his homestead and made his home on the tree claim, the northeast quarter of section 23. He has been chairman of the town board several years; has always been quite active in political affairs, and consulted by a great number of candi- dates for office since his residence in Grand Meadow about the time of holding county conventions. He is energetic and persistent in whatever he undertakes, and is a respected citizen.
WINTER, SR., MILO W., was born in New York, in 1824. Be- fore coming to this county in 1874, he had resided in Clayton county, Iowa. He has always been a farmer, and when he decided to make his home in Minnehaha county, he took up a homestead in section 25, in Grand Meadow, and located there. He has held the office of town treasurer and assessor and has been a justice of the peace in Grand Meadow for about fifteen years. He is well liked as a neighbor, and is a good citizen.
WINTER, JR., MILO W., was born in Clayton county, Iowa, in September, 1856, and was reared on a farm and educated in the pub- lic schools. He came to this county in the fall of 1874 and settled in Grand Meadow on the southeast quarter of section 26, and resided there until he sold his farm in the fall of 1895. He is a good neigh- bor and a respected citizen.
CLEAR LAKE.
103-52
This township is bounded on the west by MeCook county, on the north by Buffalo, on the east by Grand Meadow, and on the south by Humboldt townships. The boundary lines of this township were surveyed by Wm. J. Neeley in August, 1859, and the sublivi- sion was made by H. T. Austin in June, 1867. It contains 22,566.82 acres of land. The name was suggested by a lake partly in section 1 called Clear Lake. This lake at the time of the survey, covered 550.80 acres in the townships of Buffalo, Taopi, Grand Meadow, and Clear Lake, where it covered 226.10 acres of section 1. There was also a lake in section 34. which covered 159 acres, called Lost Lake, and also a body of water in sections 6 and 7 covering 50.20 acres, in which one of the tributaries of Skunk creek had its source and flowed in a southeasterly direction. Edward Packard, who settled near Clear Lake in Buffalo township, in 1879, said to the writer: "When I went to Buffalo in 1879, Clear Lake was nearly dry, and in 1880 there was only about one acre covered with water. During the spring of 1881, known as the spring of the high water, the lake filled up, and remained quite full of water for several years, during which time perch, pike, bullheads, pickerel and a few suckers came into the lake, and became quite plentiful, but were finally destroyed by the freezing of the lake."
Luther S. Gage and Charles F. Thompson settled in this town- ship in May, 1876, taking up land in sections 1, 2, and 12. In 1878, James Gilmore, Albert Larson, W. A. H. Gage, Patrick McAvary, John Studenmeier and Xavier Zimmer settled there, and became prosperous farmers.
The first school house was built in 1879, on the northwest quar- ter of section 12, and is known as the Clear Lake school house. Miss Clara Williams taught the first school.
The nearest shipping points are on the Chicago, St. Paul, Min- neapolis & Omaha railroad at Humboldt and Montrose. Itis a strict- ly farming community, and its citizens are industrious and pros- perous.
ZION BAPTIST CHURCH. This church was organized October 20, 1891, with nine members. In 1892 a church building was erected on the northeast corner of section 11. at a cost of $1,500. Its first pastor was the Rev. J. T. Gallagher, and he was succeeded by the Reverends L. D. Worth and J. M. Hupp. There is a prosperous Sunday school with about fifty scholars, connected with the church, also a B. Y. P. U. and a Woman's Missionary Circle. Services are held every Sunday, and the membership at the present writing is fifty-four.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
CLEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
The records of the board commence with June 1, 1881, at which time it was ordered to post notices for holding a special election for the purpose of deciding whether the town was in favor of bonding the county in the sum of $20,000 for the building of bridges. The meet- ing was held and the proposition voted down. The first town war- rant was issued at this date in the sum of $7.40 to W. J. Hunt. L. S. Gage was chairman of the board, and the other members were John Lott and L. C. Summers, W. J. Hunt clerk.
1882. Supervisors, L. S. Gage chairman, John Lott, L. C. Sum- mers; clerk, W. J. Hunt; assessor, E. S. Gage; treasurer, Daniel Kimball; justice, W. J. Hunt; constable, Oscar P. Coats. The town was divided into three road districts.
1883. Supervisors, L. S. Gage chairman, John Lott, L. C. Summers; clerk, W. J. Hunt; assessor, E. S. Gage; treasurer, David Kimball. The treasurer reported he had received $231.22 during the year, and that there was a balance on hand of $13.95.
1884. Supervisors, L. S. Gage chairman, J. R. Williams, John Stone; clerk, W. J. Hunt; treasurer, M. W. Boulette; assessor, E. S. Gage; justices, W. J. Hunt, L. E. Gage; constables, Bentley Sparks, John Stone. The town was divided into four road districts.
1885. There is no record of the annual meeting, but from the proceedings of the board during the year it appears that W. J. Hunt was chairman, J. R. Williams and John Ebersviller the other two supervisors, and G. H. Finney clerk.
1886. Supervisors, L. S. Gage chairman, A. Larson, John Ebersviller; clerk, G. H. Finney; treasurer, George Boulette; asses- sor, O. P. Coats.
1887. Supervisors, Albert Larson chairman, E. S. Gage, James Gilmore; clerk, G. H. Finney; assessor, L. S. Gage.
1888. Supervisors, Albert Larson chairman, James Gilmore, Xavier Zimmer; clerk, G. H. Finney; treasurer, G. A. Boulette; as- sessor, O. P. Coats; justice, L. S. Gage. August 30, the board met in joint session with the board of Montrose township, McCook county, for the purpose of dividing the road work on the line between the two towns.
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