History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 53

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885

USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 53
USA > Wisconsin > Pepin County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 53

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Digitized by Google_

899

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

Rust, Dunn county ; Iva Belle, residing at home, Etta Altha, who is attend- ing a training school at Eau Claire, and Stella Marie, Gladys Amelia and Kenneth Frederick, residing at home.

David Martin, a respected citizen of Waterville township, owning land in section 20, was born in New York State, March 8, 1859, son of David and Elenora (Paquett) Martin. The father, a native of Lower Canada, came to Wisconsin in 1865, and locating on wild land in this township, began pioneer farming, living in a small log shanty with a half roof. Later he built a larger log house and resided on his farm until his death in 1902. His wife had passed away ten years before. Their family numbered 13 children. David Martin was educated in the school district in which he now lives. When only 15 years old he began working on the river during the summers, also doing other work at intervals, and continued to be thus employed until his marriage at the age of 23 years, when he engaged in farming in this vicinity. In 1901 he bought a farm in the Big Cooley, section 20, where he still resides, and which contains 46 acres of valuable land. This farm he now rents out, not being able to operate it himself on account of an injury to his eyes. This misfortune happened to him several years ago, when he accidentally stuck an awl into the left side of his face near the eye, which has resulted in considerable impairment of his eye- sight. Although he has had expert treatment at Rochester, Minneapolis and other cities, no material benefit has been derived. Mr. Martin was married in 1879 to Orie Bazelle, who was born in Georgia, daughter of Kenneth and Sarah (Jones) Bazelle, she being the third born in a family of six children. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin are: George, residing in Motley, Minn .; Nell, wife of William Paul, an electrician of Durand, Pepin county ; Earl, who is employed in a nursery at Lake City, Minn., and Ray, who lives at home but works out at intervals. Mrs. Mar- tin, the mother of these children, is an invalid, so that she and her hus- band have had more than an ordinary share of misfortune. She was edu- cated in a log school house in the district in which she now lives. Kenneth Bazelle, father of Mrs. David Martin, was born in Wisconsin and was an early settler in Pepin county. He was a carpenter by trade and worked for a number of years in the old furniture factory, also at one time in a machine shop. Later he moved to Lake City, Minn., where he died. His wife, Mrs. Sarah (Jones) Bazelle then returned to Durand where her death occurred later. Mr. Bazelle was a man who had traveled much and was well informed and broad minded. He and his wife were the parents of six children.

Olof Mattson, who is successfully engaged in general farming in sec- tion 25, Pepin township, Pepin county, was born in the northern part of Sweden, Oct. 22, 1871, son of Olof and Karin (Halsted) Mattson. The father was a wood worker by occupation. Both he and his wife are now deceased, his death occurring in 1904, when he was 58 years old. Both were born in the year 1846. Olof Mattson, Jr., the direct subject of this sketch, attended school in Helsingland, Sweden, but obtained only a lim- ited education, as he began industrial life when he was only nine years old, working on neighboring farms. He then learned the carpenter's trade

Digitized by Google

900

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

and afterwards worked in a lumber yard. At the age of 18 he became watchman in a large forest, and was thus occupied until he came to the United States in 1902, locating in Minneapolis, where he remained for two years. Then going to North Dakota, he worked in the Lake-Knight coal mines, near Sims, that state. Later he took up farming at Spirit- wood, N. D., and followed that occupation there for ten years. At the end of that time, or in October, 1914, he came to Pepin township, this county, and commenced agricultural operations on his present farm of 80 acres, which he purchased. The land is fertile and Mr. Mattson has a good set of buildings and all the appliances for successful farming under modern conditions. He has advanced steadily on the road to prosperity and is realizing good financial returns on his investment through persist- ent industry. He is also a shareholder in the Farmers Telephone Com- pany. His religious affiliations are with the Lutheran church, of which he is a member, and he is independent in politics. On Oct. 23, 1893, Mr. Mattson was married to Anna Christina Hedlund, daughter of Per and Britla (Lindberg) Hedlund, her parents being natives of Helsingland, Sweden, the father a woodworker and carpenter by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Mattson are among the substantial farmers and respected residents of Pepin township, in which they have many friends and acquaintances. William Koller, a well known farmer of section 23, Durand township, Pepin county, was born in the township of Lima, this county, April 9, 1889, son of Engelbert and Mary (Dallemahls) Koller. The parents were natives of Austria, the father born Oct. 26, 1851, and the mother Sept. 5, 1851. They came to America, in 1880, and locating in Lima township, Pepin county, Wis., bought land and engaged in farming. There Engle- bert Koller continued until his death July 5, 1908. He was one of the prominent citizens of the township and served on its board, and was treas- urer for a number of years, being also a member of the district school board. He also helped to found the Bear Creek creamery, now abandoned. His widow now resides with a son in Durand township. Their family con- sisted of eight children: Joseph, born May 16, 1882, now residing on the old homestead; Lena, born Jan. 25, 1877, now wife of Carl Schuch, a farmer of Rock creek, Dunn county; Mary, born Jan. 28, 1880, wife of Anton M. Bauer, a farmer of Albany township, Pepin county ; William, of Durand township; Ignatz, born July 25, 1891, a farmer of Durand town- ship; Frank Koller, born Feb. 23, 1884, who died April 28, 1895; Wilibert, born Aug. 4, 1887, who died Aug. 11, 1887; and John, born Feb. 6, 1878, who died Feb. 26, 1909. William Koller attended district school No. 2 in Lima township and resided at home until 3 years after the death of his father. He then bought from his brother John a farm in Albany town- ship, which he operated for two years. Then selling that place, he came to his present farm, which contains 182 acres of valuable land which he operates in a general way, raising both crops and stock. He has improved the place, which is now modern and up to date in every respect. In politics he is independent and in religion a member of the Catholic church at Lima. He was married June 27, 1911, to Laura Kraeft, who was born in Durand, April 1, 1890, daughter of Robert and Mary (Brenner) Kraeft. She was a

Digitized by Google -

901

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

graduate of the Durand High School belonging to the class of 1909 and taught several years in the rural districts. Mr. and Mrs. Koller have two children : Wilma Anna, born June 3, 1912, and Katherine Marie, born April 3, 1914. Robert Kraeft, father of Mrs. Koller, was born in Germany, Feb. 17, 1857, and in early life was a stone mason. After coming to this country in 1881 he engaged in the liquor business in Durand, where he died May 22, 1914. His wife, Mary Brenner Kraeft, was born in Canton township, Buffalo county, Wis., March 5, 1863. She is still living, being a resident of Durand. They were the parents of four children: Louisa, now deceased; Laura, wife of William Koller; Edward, who resides in St. Paul, Minn., and Theresa, who is single and lives with her mother, being employed as a telephone operator at Durand, Wis.

Walter L. Hunter, a well known and prominent citizen of Pepin, was born at Pine Island, Minn., Dec. 12, 1867, son of Arnold and Caroline (Ster- ling) Hunter. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, the father born Oct. 29, 1827, the mother in 1832. Arnold Hunter when a young man learned the trade of wagon maker. Coming to Minnesota in 1849, he lo- cated at Oronoco, where he became a land owner and farmer, remaining in that locality until 1881. He went out from Rochester with the first steam thresher that was ever seen in that part of the state. In the year last mentioned he went to Devil's Lake, N. D., where he bought land and farmed for five years. At the end of that time he started a wagon shop in Menominee, in company with George Cook, and they continued in the business together until 1896, when Mr. Hunter retired. He now resides in St. Paul, Minn. At various times he held local office, and was a prominent citizen in his community. His wife died in 1871. They had nine children, of whom Walter L. was the youngest. Walter L. Hunter attended school at Menominee, Wis. At the age of 13 years he came to Pepin, and secured a job on board a steamboat as roustabout. He had set his heart on be- coming a pilot and after serving for some seven years on the river in va- rious capacities he obtained a pilot's license. The first boat of which he had charge as pilot and captain was the Isaac Staples, which he oper- ated for nine years. For a number of years he worked as pilot for ex-Gov- ernor Van Sant and afterwards for the S. & J. C. Atley Lumber Company of Ft. Madison, Ia. He had the distinction of running the last raft of lumber down the river through Pepin, the raft passing Pepin Aug. 6, 1915, at which time a photograph was made of it, of which Capt. Hunter has a print. For two years Capt. Hunter ran the Morning Star between Daven- port, Ia., and St. Paul. Aside from his river work he is a stockholder in the Pepin Pickling Company, the Theis Lumber Company, of Pepin, and the Pepin Creamery. He also owns 160 acres of farm land in Pepin township, but makes his home in Pepin village. He is still occupied in river work, for which he has always had a liking. At the time he started in this work there were 127 boats on the river carrying lumber. Capt. Hunter was married Nov. 11, 1891, to Minnie Belle Tuttle, who was born in Pepin, daughter of P. N. and Sarah Jane (Howard) Tuttle. Her father was a native of Canada, born near Toronto, while her mother was a Pennsyl- vanian. Mr. Tuttle was engaged in the livery business in Pepin for many

Digitized by Google

902

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

years, and also operated a steam ferry. He built the Belle of Pepin, which he ran for a number of years, finally giving up the river and devoting his whole attention to the livery business. His death occurred in 1905. His wife is still living and resides in Pepin. Capt. and Mrs. Hunter have one child, Caroline Blanche, who is now a student at Pepin high school. The Captain is a Republican in politics. He is a member of the Masonic order and of the Equitable Fraternity Union. .

William John Gordon, Jr., proprietor of the old Gordon Farms in Waterville and Waubeek townships, Pepin county, is one of the leading men of the vicinity, and is not only highly esteemed in his immediate neigh- borhood, but also in the city of Durand and the village of Arkansaw, where he has both business and social relations. He is an active, wideawake, progressive farmer, of excellent standing, and has made a success of his various endeavors. Born in Eau Galle township, Dunn county, this state, March 28, 1869, he is the son of William John and Ellen (Davidson) Gordon, who brought him to Pepin county when he was a baby of one year. He attended school in Waubeek township and in Waterville township, and was reared to agricultural pursuits, to which he has devoted his life. As a young man he assisted his parents in every phase of their active endeavors, and in their declining years gave them every care and attention, demon- strating as a son those qualities of mind and heart which have character- ized him in every walk of life. Upon his father's death he came into pos- session of the home farm of 400 acres, the residence, and forty acres lying in section 19, Waubeek township, and the remaining acres in sections 29 and 30, Waterville township. He has made many improvements, until he now has a well-developed place, with a comfortable home and other suitable farm buildings. On this place he successfully conducts general farming operations, raising diversified crops and breeding some good stock, his cattle being graded Holsteins and his horses graded Percherons. The farm is connected with the Arkansaw Telephone Company, in which Mr. Gordon is a stockholder. His fraternal relations are with the A. F. & A. M. at Durand.

E. Orlando Anderson, a prominent representative of the agricultural class in Stockholm township, Pepin county, having a fine farm of 200 acres in section 29, was born in this township, Aug. 16, 1868, son of Erik and Anna (Anderson) Anderson. He is of Scandinavian ancestry, his father having been born in Sweden in 1846 and his mother in Norway in 1848. They were married May 23, 1867. Erik Anderson came to the United States in 1854 with his parents, who first settled at Moline, Ill. From there the family came by steamboat up the Mississippi River to Stockholm, this county, and here Erik Anderson was reared and grew to manhood. He became a farmer, buying land and establishing the farm which his son, E. Orlando, is now operating. His death occurred in 1910. His wife, who survived him, is living at Stockholm, Wis. They were the parents of thirteen children. E. Orlando Anderson acquired the elements of knowledge in district school No. 2, Stockholm township, and also attended for a short time the Stockholm village school. He has always resided on the parental homestead, which he has operated on his own account since he was 22 years

Digitized by Google

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM J. GORDON, SR.

Digitized b Google

Google

Digitized by

903

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

old, and has been its owner since 1890. Many of the improvements on the place were made by him, and he has equipped the farm with good modern buildings. He is doing a successful business as a general agriculturist, and is a stockholder in the Farmers' Telephone Company and the Stockholm Co-operative Creamery. He is also numbered among the members of the Modern Woodmen Camp at Stockholm. He has served as clerk of the school board for a number of years, and is a member of the Lutheran church at Lund, Pepin township. In politics he is independent. On March 28, 1891, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage with Hilda Ahl, who was born in Pepin township, Feb. 3, 1869, daughter of John and Anna C. Ahl. Her parents, who were natives of Okna Jankoping, Sweden, came to the United States in 1865, settling in Pepin township, this county, where they engaged in farming. She was educated in the Olund district school in that township. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have a family of seven children: Harry, who resides on the home farm; Chester, a farmer in Pepin township, who married Luella Seifert, April 19, 1916, and has one child, Maurice; and Violet, Dorance, Wilford, Ethel and Melvin, who are residing at home. Harry Anderson married Olga Bjurquist, Nov. 27, 1917, and has one child, Howard. Violet Anderson married Edward Matson, Nov. 5, 1917.

Emil Leicht, president and manager of the Leicht Press and West- licher Herold Publishing Company, extensive publishers and commercial printers, is one of the leading citizens of Winona, Minn., where his activi- ties, interests and public service are varied. He was born at Fountain City, Wis., Jan. 3, 1873, son of Joseph and Henrietta (Schmid) Leicht. He was taken to Winona by his parents, and there completed his graded studies and passed through the high school. Since early boyhood he has been interested in printing and publishing. In addition to publishing the "Westlicher Herold," the "Sonntags Winona," the "Volksblatt des Westens" and the "National Farmer & Familien Journal," established by his father, he has gradually bought other papers, most of which he has con- solidated with his older publications, so that he is now the most extensive German-language newspaper proprietor in the Northwest. His commer- cial printing finds a market throughout the United States. A thoroughly patriotic American citizen, a leader among his fellow men, he wields a heavy influence both personally and through the medium of his news- papers. He has served in public positions such as member of the Winona school board, and has done efficient work on various committees. He is a prominent member of the B. P. O. E., and is also allied with the U. C. T. of A. and the Royal Arcanum. His three clubs are the Elks', the Arlington and the Social Red Men. Mr. Leicht was married at Winona, in 1894, to Helen Bollman, and has two daughters and a son: Gretchen, Dorothy and Frederick.

Joseph Leicht, a pioneer newspaper man of Buffalo county, was born in Bavaria, Germany, July 4, 1845, attended the public schools and gym- nasium of his native place, and then entered the University of Wuerzburg, from which he was graduated. In 1867 he came to America and secured employment with the "Abendzeitung and Neue Welt," at St. Louis, Mo., until 1869. In May of that year he came up the Mississippi River by boat,

Digitized by Google

904

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

landed at Fountain City, and entered the employ of the "Buffalo County Republikaner." In 1871 he purchased the sheet and changed its politics to Democratic. The business grew to such proportions that Mr. Leicht moved to Winona, where on Jan. 21, 1881, he issued the first number of the "Westlicher Herold." Gradually he added other papers to his list, and also built up a large job business. In 1904, in order to better handle his growing publishing interests, he incorporated the Westlicher Herold Publishing Company, with himself as president and manager. A man of jovial disposition and fraternal instincts, he became a popular member and officeholder in the B. P. O. E., the U. C. T., the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. E. and other organizations. Aug. 20, 1894, at Columbus, Ohio, he was elected Supreme Arch., the highest office of the Supreme Grove of the United Ancient Order of Druids, a position he filled with much credit. Socially he was a member of the Arlington and Philharmonic clubs. A prominent Democrat, he was in 1892 the unanimous choice of his party as a candidate for state treasurer. He served many years on the Winona school board and in other capacities. His whole life was one of notable achievement. He died May 8, 1908, on the German-Lloyd steamship Luetzow while en route for the old country. His remains were brought back to their final resting place in Woodlawn Cemetery, Winona. Mr. Leicht was married at Fountain City, April 8, 1870, to Henrietta Schmid, who died March 18, 1908, a few days prior to her husband's death.

Digitized by Google

CHAPTER XI AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (By E. F. Ganz)

From the log-cabin to the modernly equipped farm house, from the straw-shed to the up-to-date barn, from the scythe and cradle to the mower and selfbinder, from the flail to the steam thresher, from the ox-cart to the automobile, the tractor and the auto-truck, and from the message car- ried by the barefoot boy to the one transmitted from farm-house to farm- house by rural telephone, is a far cry, and yet all these changes have taken place within Buffalo County during the past sixty years and most of them during the last half century, or since the Civil war. It is true that al- though these changes came on gradually, the contrast to one who has lived through all of them is nevertheless so great as to seem almost marvelous, while those of the younger generation seem to take all these things which they enjoy, in a matter-of-fact way and seldom if ever stop to think how they were brought about and what were the strifes and struggles, the pri- vations and hardships endured by their ancestors to bring about the condi- tions that exist today.

That they may be brought to more clearly realize all these things and better appreciate the many comforts and conveniences which they enjoy, the present generation may profitably spend a few minutes in reading about what their ancestors did, and therefore it seems not out of place in a work of this kind to devote some little space to conditions as the early settlers found them on coming here and the first attempts at developing the agri- cultural resources of this section. That they were necessarily crude and progressed slowly is due to many adverse circumstances, among them the scarcity of money and everything else necessary in carrying on the work.

The topography of Buffalo County, of course, had much to do in de- termining its adaptability to agriculture and although the broken nature of its surface, in some ways, detracted from the advantages offered along that line there were other compensating features which tended to bring to a realization the expectations of those who had faith in the agricultural possibilities of this region. The many streams which drain the surface, cut up the county into valleys which are separated by high hills, locally designated as bluffs, hence the tillable land is found in these valleys and on the ridges of these bluffs where they are not too narrow and rocky. Although there is some slight difference in climatic conditions between the valleys and uplands the products are practically the same.

Before the date of settlement "prairie fires," as they were commonly called, although they occurred in places that could not properly be desig- nated as prairie, were of frequent occurrence and left a large part of the county, especially the wider valleys, free from trees and brush, while the

905

Digitized by Google

906

HISTORY OF BUFFALO AND PEPIN COUNTIES

shaded slopes and uplands or ridges of the bluffs were generally heavily timbered. This, of course, tended largely to induce the first settlers to make their homes in the valleys or in the open country, since clearing a piece of land from heavy timber was by no means an easy undertaking. Other features that favored settlement in the valleys, were the proximity of water and the fact that the market places along the Mississippi were more easily reached by following the creeks and rivers to their mouths. We therefore find the earliest settlements close to the Mississippi or near the mouths of its tributaries, where the soil was perhaps neither so fertile nor the land as level as farther inland and the determining factor was evidently proximity to market and ability to communicate with the outside world.

Although the so-called prairie lands, above referred to, yielded readily to cultivation, those who settled upon them, nevertheless, were confronted by many difficulties and had obstacles to overcome that to the present day farmer would appear insurmountable. In the first place they had no roads, for although they followed the watercourses, there were swamps and marshes, steep banks, fallen trees and ledges of rock, besides boulders, etc., to obstruct their passage and oftentimes they were forced to unhitch their oxen, unload their loads and not unfrequently to take apart their wagons in order to cross some of these obstructions. Railroads there were none within a hundred miles and without roads or bridges transportation was a serious problem indeed. However, this was but one of the difficulties that the pioneers met with. There were houses to be built and fences to be put up and all the material had to be brought some distance, as timber was scarce in the valleys and what there was, was unft for building material.

As an illustration, a story which was related to me many years ago and some of the details of which I may have forgotten, may serve.

"A young man, who in Switzerland had followed the occupation of weaver, located near one of the principal streams in the county, consider- ing the place well adapted to a prospective millsite. He came there prac- tically empty-handed and without a cent of money. All he had was an axe and two augurs, one of them, I think, being a borrowed one. Thus equipped, he set about to build a house and manufacture his furniture. The walls of his cabin were of small logs, chinked and plastered with clay. The roof was of slabs and bark, thatched with pine boughs and grass, while the floor was of puncheons, hewn with the axe. The door had hinges made with the axe and the two augurs. Not a nail was used in making either the cabin nor any of its equipment. The table and chair were made by hewing a block on one side and by inserting stakes for legs on the under side, while the bed was a bunk of puncheons, built against the wall, covered with twigs of white pine, of which there was a grove surrounding the cabin. This, with a few wooden pegs driven into the wall, completed the equipment. Deer in large numbers disported themselves in the prairie across the creek and in the woods back of the cabin, prairie chickens and partridges were abundant, while wood pigeons by the million flew by, but all this tended only to make the young pioneer's mouth water, for he had neither gun nor ammunition, nor trap nor snare. In the waterfall below

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 53

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 885

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885