History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, Part 48

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1318

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Lars K. Underheim, who was the second born of his parents' children, attended school in Franklin Township, Jackson County, after which, under his father's direction, he acquired a knowledge of the carpenter's trade, and at the age of 16 or 17 was working with his father as a journeyman in Jackson County. After this association had lasted eight years he came to his present location at Hegg, in Ettrick Township, as manager of the store of A. Anderson, who resided at Blair. He continued with Mr. Ander- son for four years, at the end of which time the business was sold to A. B. Pederson, and for two years subsequently Mr. Underheim conducted the store for the new owner. At the end of that time he bought out the busi- ness, with the stock and buildings and has since conducted it on a profitable basis, keeping a complete line of general merchandise, including groceries and country produce, and is drawing patronage from a wide extent of rich

LARS K. UNDERHEIM AND FAMILY

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surrounding territory. He has also other financial interests, being a stock- holder in the Bank of Ettrick, the Home Bank of Blair, the Blair Farmers' Exchange, the Ettrick Telephone Company, the Ettrick Creamery Company and the Ettrick Lumber Company, besides being half owner of a valuable farm, known as the K. S. Knutson farm. Mr. Underheim has shown good business foresight in the conduct of his business, being careful to give first- class service and make his prices as low as can be found in any of the sur- rounding towns, and as his store is conveniently situated, it is patronized by many farmers to save making longer trips to other places.

June 27, 1906, Mr. Underheim was united in marriage with Josephine Olson, who was born on the Olson homestead at Beaver Creek, this county, daughter of Anve and Kari (Gunderson) Olson, who were natives of Norway. Anve Olson was one of the early settlers of Trempealeau County, breaking land and spending many years in developing a good farm. During the last 10 months of the Civil War he served as a private in Company E, Thirty- second Wisconsin Infantry, and while in the service received a gunshot wound. He survived that great struggle for half a century, however, dying in the fall of 1915, having lived retired for some 12 years previous to his death. His wife is still living and is a resident of Ettrick. Their daughter, Josephine (Mrs. Underheim) was among the younger members of a family of nine children and was educated in Trempealeau County. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Underheim: Margaret Cornelia, who died in infancy; Caspar Arnold, born January 21, 1912, and Margaret Louise, born Oct. 1, 1914. The family are members of the United Lutheran church. Mr. Underheim, who is in politics a Republican, has served one year as treasurer of the school district and has held the same office in his church for three years. He is a director in the Bank of Ettrick and for five years has been a notary public.

Clif Ford, who in company with his brother-in-law, George G. Gibbs, is engaged in the implement business in Trempealeau Village, was born in this village Sept. 9, 1868, son of Alfred P. and Lizzie D. (Heald) Ford. His education was acquired in the graded school of Trempealeau, which he left at the age of 16 years, after passing the grades, in order to learn the printer's trade in a local office. After working at that trade for five years in the village, he went to La Crosse, Wis., where he was employed for two years on the Daily Chronicle. At the age of 23 he entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad as bridge builder and was thus occupied until the spring of 1900. In the meanwhile, April 5, 1891, he had married Jessie J. Gibbs, daughter of O. E. and Louise (Grant) Gibbs, at Trempealeau Village. In the year 1900 he went to South Dakota, to the farm of his father-in-law, O. E. Gibbs, near Arlington, on which he resided four seasons. He had already homesteaded a tract of 160 acres of land near Pierre, S. D., on which he lived eight months to meet the requirements of the law. This land he subsequently sold without improving it. In the fall of 1904 Mr. Ford went to Sioux Falls, S. D., and worked for Sherman & Bratager, a transfer house handling farm machinery. Here he did general work, both as clerk and in the shipping department, remaining until the following year. He then returned to Trempealeau Village and was unem-

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ployed until the spring of 1906, when he again entered the service of the Burlington Railroad as bridge builder, remaining with them until October, 1913. He then engaged in his present business in Trempealeau Village, in which he is meeting with good success. Aside from this he is a stockholder in the Trempealeau Lime Products Company, and has also subscribed for stock in the proposed creamery. In politics he is a Republican, but has held no political office. His fraternal affiliations are with Lodge No. 2813, Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is clerk at the present time. Reared a Baptist in religion, he supports church work, but is not a member of any religious body. He and his wife have had five children: Arthur Neil, born May 25, 1892, at Trempealeau, who is unmarried, and is engaged in the auto repair business at Omaha, Neb .; Harold George, born in Novem- ber, 1894, also at Trempealeau Village, who is unmarried, and a civil engi- neer by profession ; Edith, born at Arlington, S. D., in 1901, who is attending the Trempealeau Village school ; a child that died in infancy, and Jessie, born July 10, 1909, at Trempealeau, who is attending school in the village.

Mrs. Lizzie D. Ford, now living retired in the village of Trempealeau, Wis., of which she is a highly respected resident, was born in Norridgwock, Maine, Nov. 13, 1841, daughter of William and Esther (Cutler) Heald. The parents were married, Dec. 29, 1840, at Farmington, Maine, where they resided for some years subsequently, the house in which they lived being still standing. William Heald was born Sept. 24, 1816. He was of a roving disposition and finally came west to Trempealeau County, Wis., settling in Trempealeau Village, where he died Oct. 6, 1896, at the age of 80 years and 12 days. For the last 18 years of his life he was blind. His wife Esther was born Nov. 24, 1814, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ford, in Trempealeau Village, Dec. 6, 1890. She was a charter member of the Trempealeau Congregational church. To William and Esther Heald were born two children: William E., Oct. 15, 1846, and Lizzie D., the date of whose nativity has been given above. William E. Heald was a farmer all his active life and died Jan. 4, 1916, at Mendota, Wis., leaving a wife and one daughter, Gertrude, who is now living in Trempealeau Village. Lizzie D. Heald acquired a good education and in early womanhood taught seven terms of school in Trempealeau County. She was married, April 4, 1866, to Alfred P. Ford, of Trempealeau, the marriage taking place at Galesville, Wis. Mr. Ford was a native of New Hampshire, born at Haverhill, that State, Aug. 27, 1829. At the age of 26 years, in 1855, he came West, settling in Trempealeau Village, this county. For many years he served as county surveyor of Trempealeau County. In 1857 he built the residence to which after marriage he took his bride. From 1876 to 1883, the year of his death, he was engaged in the furniture business in Trempealeau, after which Mrs. Ford carried it on for several years, but finding the care of her family and the management of the business together too much for her powers, she sold the business to her son Clif and has since lived retired. She has four children: Clif, Fred C., Nora and William, all of whom are living but William, who died at Arlington, S. D. Fred, Mrs. Ford's second son, mar- ried Mabel Graves, of Trempealeau Village, and has six children: Lester, Ruth, Lynn and Lytle (twins), Fred, Jr., and Charles H., all of whom are

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living. Nora, Mrs. Ford's only daughter, married Thomas Growt, of Trem- pealeau Village, and has one child, William, who is now a student. Mrs. Ford, though not a member of any church, is greatly interested in church work, in which she gives active aid and assistance, her closest affiliations being with the Methodist Episcopal church.

George A. Trim, who is engaged in farming in section 35, Trempealeau Township, was born in this township, in section 34, Aug. 2, 1866, son of William and Martha R. (Robinson) Trim. He remained with his parents until his marriage, and as a boy acquired his education in the common school of District No. 3. Dec. 3, 1891, he was married at the home of his wife's parents, by the Rev. E. Trimm, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, of Necedah, Wis., to Alta, daughter of Nephi and Elma Nichols, of Trempea- leau Township. Immediately after his marriage he moved with his bride to his present home in section 35, which was his father's old homestead, and began farming on his own account. April 2, 1900, Mr. Trim's first wife died. She had been the mother of five children: Lulu, born Nov. 7, 1892, who is unmarried and is living with her sister, Mrs. Nichols, in section 34; Willard, born Jan. 6, 1894, who is married and is a traveling salesman, resid- ing in Chicago; Harry, born Feb. 29, 1896, who is unmarried and is living at Galesville, Wis., where he is occupied as a grocery clerk; Edward, born March 5, 1898, who is a carpenter residing at home, and Albert, born March 22, 1890, who died in infancy. Oct. 23, 1901, Mr. Trim married his second wife, Marie Baumgardt, of Fountain City, Buffalo County, Wis., their wedding taking place in the German Lutheran church of Winona, Minn., presided over by the Rev. Mr. Von Rohr. The children of this marriage are: Grace, born Dec. 31, 1902 ; Earle, born July 3, 1905; and Archie, born March 7, 1909, all residing at home. Mr. Trim is engaged in general farming and dairying, keeping 20 grade Shorthorn cows and about 50 head of Poland- China hogs. His farm contains 302 acres, of which 170 acres are plowed land and the balance in pasture and timber. He has also a large apple orchard of well-selected varieties. In 1915 he remodeled the house, which is now a two-story, 12-room frame residence, with bath, laundry, hot and cold water, and general modern equipment. His father's original residence is still standing on the farm, a one and a half story upright, with wing -a frame building-built over 50 years ago, and now occupied by his family of hired help. The outbuildings include a barn, 40 by 120 feet, with a poultry house attached ; a buggy shed, and cattle shed, 24 by 100 feet. The barn was built in 1885 and in 1906 was remodeled and enlarged. There is a sheep shed with barn attached, on stone basement; a hay barn attached, a horse barn, built in 1887, a granary with hay loft overhead, a milk and ice house combined and a concrete silo, all the buildings being well painted and in good shape. Mr. Trim's farm is known as Hillhurst Dairy and is an excellent example of the up-to-date dairy farm of this region. Mr. Trim is a stockholder in the Exchange Elevator at Galesville, and in the Farmers' Co-Operative Packing Company, of La Crosse, Wis. Since 1898 he has been a member of Lodge No. 2977, M. W. A., of Galesville, and since 1902 of the Mystic Workers' Lodge at Trempealeau. He has been treasurer of School District No. 3 for the past 15 years, but in politics is independent.

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James Irvine, for many years a prominent citizen of Trempealeau County, was born in Maryland, in 1853, and early determined to devote his life to farm pursuits. When a mere lad he accompanied his parents to this county, and here grew to manhood. As soon as he was able he acquired land and was soon nunibered in the ranks of the successful agriculturists of the county. At different times he owned and operated various farms here until the spring of 1911, when he moved to the vicinity of Bowman, S. D., and engaged in farming and stock raising there. While living in Gale Township he served a number of years as township treasurer and as a member of the school board. His wife, Agnes Dick, was the first white child born at Decorah Prairie. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine were the parents of five children: John Quinton, Nellie (deceased), William Walter, Myrtle Beatrice and Rose Irene.

John Quinton Irvine. The name of Irvine is familiar to those ac- quainted with the agricultural development of Trempealeau County, as for many years members of the family have been engaged here in the tilling of the soil, in stock raising, or kindred occupations. The subject of this sketch was born at Decorah Prairie, in Gale Township, Sept. 7, 1877, oldest of the five children of James and Agnes (Dick) Irvine. In his boyhood he attended the district school at Decorah Prairie, there acquiring the elements of knowledge before settling down to the more serious business of life. His first 25 years were spent on the parental homestead as his father's assistant, and he then came to his present farm in section 23, which contains 160 acres, and on which he has made practically all the improvements. His buildings are modern and well constructed and he has an ample supply of tools and implements for both general and dairy farming, to which he devotes all his time.

June 4, 1902, Mr. Irvine was united in marriage with Tillie Olson, who was born in Pickwick, Minn., fifth of the eleven children of Thomas and Sarah Olson. The other children were Mattie (deceased), Rena, Oluf, Ida, Tommy, Hannah, Helmer, Eddie, Hilda and an unnamed infant. The parents, who were born in Norway, came to Minnesota at an early date and are still residing in the vicinity of Pickwick. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine have had two children. The first born died in infancy. The other, Thomas James, born Dec. 16, 1904, is attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine are members of the Presbyterian church. In politics he is a Republican.

Almon Everett Cram, who is engaged in raising fruit and nursery stock on his farm of 72 acres in section 34, Gale Township, was born near Belfast, Maine, March 27, 1856. His parents, Nathan and Esther (Bucklin) Cram, were also natives of that State. The family came to Wisconsin in 1860, locating about three miles west of Galesville. While the Civil War was in progress Nathan Cram enlisted in Company J, Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Regiment, and was killed in the battle of Cold Harbor. He had followed the occupations of miner and farmer. His wife survived him nearly half a century, dying about 1910. They had four children, of whom Almon E. was the eldest.

Almon Everett Cram was a child of 4 years when he accompanied his parents to Trempealeau County, and his earliest boyhood recollections are

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associated with pioneer conditions. The Indians were numerous, but never gave them any trouble, and when he grew older he kept on good terms with them, avoiding them as much as possible without the appearance of doing so, but always treating them in a just and friendly manner when he had occasion to meet them. The woods in those days were full of game. Deer could be shot at almost any time on the bluffs, and bears were not uncom- mon. As for pigeons, they were so numerous as to be a serious pest to the farmers, eating the grain as fast as it could be sown. When 16 years old young Almon began to work out for others and continued to do so until he was 22, when he bought land and began farming for himself in Stearns Valley, Trempealeau County. About 1879 he took up his residence in Galesville, where he resided for 12 years, engaged in teaming. He then, in 1891, began operations on his present farm, which he had previously purchased, making a specialty of the fruit and nursery business, in which he has been successful. He was a charter member of the first fire company in Galesville and for three years has served as president of the Burns Curling Association. Mr. Cram was married in 1876 to Isabelle Gunderson, who was born in Norway, daughter of Michael and Betsy Gunderson. She came to America with her parents when a child of 7 or 8 years, they settling in Bear Creek Valley on a homestead five miles north of Ettrick. After residing there a number of years they moved across the river into Minne- sota, near Bear Park, where Mrs. Gunderson is now living, her husband being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Cram have had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Blanche, wife of Thomas Hunter, a hard- ware merchant of Galesville; Lela, wife of Harry Bennett, a farmer of Centerville, Wis .; Ray, who married Eunice Tucker, and resides in Gales- ville ; Mabel, wife of Milton Merwin, a farmer of Centerville; and John and Vilas, who reside at home and are assisting their father in operating the farm. Mr. Cram is a Democrat in politics, but has taken no active part in local government affairs. He is warmly interested, however, in the progress and development of the community in which he lives, and always ready to aid in advancing its interests.

M. N. Hammer, proprietor of Fair View Farm, in section 17, Gale Town- ship, was born in Hedemarken, Norway, son of Nels Burson and Thrine Hammer. His parents, who died in their native land, were born in the same province, the father Nov. 22, 1820, and the mother Jan. 12, 1817.

M. N. Hammer attended school in Norway until he was 17 years of age, when he began to learn the moulder's trade, which he followed for some four years or more, in Norway, and for seven years in the United States, to which country he came in 1881. He located first in Frenchville, Trempea- leau County, and then went to Clay County, Minn., where he took up land and resided three years, subsequently returning to this county and settling in Galesville. For some years thereafter, however, he worked in various places, and then bought his present farm, but in the same year, 1891, began working in the flour mill of Wilson Davis at Galesville. He continued to work in the mill for 16 years, at the end of which time he moved onto his farm of 40 acres, where he has since been engaged in breeding Jersey and Holstein cattle. He has made a number of improvements on the place,

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greatly increasing its value, and is doing a profitable business. He is also a stockholder in the Arctic Springs Creamery. For a number of years he has served as superintendent of roads. In politics he is a Republican.

Mr. Hammer was married May 28, 1882, to Marthea Larson, daughter of Lars Keos and Alice Sather, who was born March 24, 1853, in the same province in Norway that the Hammer family came from. Her parents died in their native land. He and his wife have had five children: Nels N., residing at home and engaged in the lightning rod business; he married Josephine Brenengen; John M., who is connected with the J. I. Chase Com- pany, of Racine, Wis .; Elmer and Alice, residing at home, and Thorval, who is deceased. Mr. Hammer is fraternally connected with the I. S. W. A., of Galesville. The family are members of the Lutheran church.

Thomas W. Bibby, who is engaged in agriculture in sections 22 and 26, Gale Township, was born on his present farm, Nov. 7, 1869, son of Joshua and Jane (Allan) Bibby, who were natives of Scotland. Joshua Bibby was born at Airdrie, Scotland, Aug. 5, 1838, and his wife in Lanarkshire, Jan. 22, 1840. After marrying in their native land, they came to America in 1859, settling in Gale Township, this county, and soon afterwards locating on the farm now owned by their son Thomas, which, however, then con- tained but 100 acres of land. Here Joshua Bibby died May 15, 1889, having made fair progress in the development and cultivation of his farm. His wife survived him nearly nine years, passing away Jan. 9, 1898. They had a family of 11 children, born in the following order: Janet (1), Janet (2), Margaret Allan, Jemima, Thomas W., Alexander, Mary Fauls, Agnes Janet, Ruth Ora, Joshua and Ross. All are now deceased except Thomas W., and his sister Jemima, who resides with him. Thomas W. Bibby attended school at Glasgow, Gale Township. When he was 20 years old his father died and he took charge of the estate and has since resided on it, carrying on general farming and dairying. The farm now contains 240 acres, and is well provided with good buildings and all necessary equipment, Mr. Bibby having made many improvements on it since his father's death. He is also a stockholder in the Arctic Springs Creamery and the Independent Harvester Company of Plano, Ill., also in a company operating a thresh- ing machine. In politics he is an independent Democrat, but has not par- ticipated in local government affairs. He and his sister Jemima attend North Bend Presbyterian Church. The latter was also educated in the Glasgow school, and afterwards attended Trempealeau high school and Gale University. She presides over the domestic arrangements of the farm and she and her brother are popular members of the community of Gale Township, and for ten years was a proficient teacher in the rural schools in Trempealeau County, teaching mostly in her own district, where she attended when a girl.

Thomas Bibby, a prosperous citizen of Galesville, who is engaged in market gardening and chicken raising, is a native son of this county, born at Glasgow, Oct. 10, 1858. His parents were John and Mary (McMillan) Bibby, both born in Scotland, the father Aug. 15, 1832, the mother a year or two previously. John Bibby came to the United States in 1853, settling in Maryland. Later he removed to Kentucky and from there to Ohio,

MR. AND MRS. JOSHUA BIBBY

JOHN M. BIBBY AND FAMILY

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subsequently returning to Maryland, and was there married. In 1856 they came to Trempealeau County, where Mr. Bibby was engaged in farm- ing until his death in February, 1912, his farm being located nine miles northeast of Galesville. He had been a widower for some 14 years, his wife having died in September, 1898. He was a man of prominence in the township, and at different times held local office. Thomas Bibby was the second born in a family of six children. His education was begun in the old Glasgow schoolhouse of his father's farm and he subsequently was a student for three terms in Gale University. He began assisting his father on the farm when 14 years of age, and the management came into his hands a few years later, on account of the father's health failing. When 30 years old he and his brother James rented the farm and operated it on their account for three years. He then purchased a farm adjoining the old home on the north, which he operated eight years. Then selling this farm, he moved to Galesville and two years later-1904-purchased the place where he now resides, although he did not move onto it until 1909. This is a tract consisting of 12 lots, all inside the city limits, and here Mr. Bibby devotes his time to truck farming, raising vegetables and similar produce, finding a ready market in Galesville. He also keeps about 60 White Leghorn chickens, to which he devotes most of his time in the winter. In politics Mr. Bibby is a Prohibitionist. He has served as village treasurer two years and in 1916 was a candidate for county treasurer. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and of the order of Beavers. Mr. Bibby was married June 16, 1893, to Anna Pryse, who was born in New London, Ohio, daughter of James M. and Mary (Morgan) Pryse, who were natives of Wales. Her father came to America when a child, his family settling near Palmyra, Ohio. He became a Presbyterian minister and came to Wisconsin about the time the Civil War broke out, or pre- viously. From this state he went to Lawrence, Kansas, where he was living at the time that place was attacked and raided by the notorious rebel guerrilla Quantrel. Later he returned to Wisconsin and made his home at North Bend, where his death occurred, he having been active in church work until the last. His wife, who subsequently made her home with her son-in-law, Thomas Bibby, died Nov. 7, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Bibby became the parents of two children: Gwynifred Jane and Mary Edna, both of whom are students at Carroll College, Waukesha, Wis. Mrs. Thomas Bibby died July 14, 1900.

John M. Bibby, who has a highly improved farm of 160 acres in sec- tion 20, Gale township, where he is successfully carrying on dairying and stock raising, was born in the locality now known as Glasgow, May 8, 1860, son of John and Mary (McMillan) Bibby. His parents were natives of Scotland, the father coming to the United States in 1853, when 21 years of age, and settling in Maryland, where he was married. Subsequently he and his wife removed to Kentucky and from there to Ohio, after returning to Maryland. They settled in Trempealeau County in 1856, locating nine miles northeast of Galesville. Here John Bibby died in February, 1912. His wife died in September, 1898. John M. Bibby in his boyhood attended the school at Glasgow, this county. He remained at home until he was 22

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History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, Part 48

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1318

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1318