"History of Freeborn County", 1882
Bancroft Twp. Biographies
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ANDREW BOTTELSON, one of the first settlers in this place, was born in Norway on the 22d of May, 1833. At the age of twenty he emigrated to America, residing in Illinois for one year, and in November, 1855, came to Bancroft, pre-empting one hundred and sixty acres in section twenty-nine. He devotes his entire time to the cultiva¬tion of his farm; has been a member of the board of Supervisors four years, and is a member of the Freeborn church. He was united in marriage on the 22d of March, 1860, to Miss Irene Iverson, and they have four children.
EUGENE CHAMBERLAIN is a native of New York, born on the 25th of December, 1857. He came west with his parents when seven years old, and they located in Manchester, where Eugene run a ditching machine for some time after reaching maturity. He was married in 1880, to Miss Fannie Reynolds, and the following spring came to Bancroft, having since devoted his time to agricultural pursuits.
JACOB C. FROST was born in Ohio on the 9th of April, 1841. He removed with his parents to Walworth county, Wisconsin, when six years old. and in 1856, came to Itasca, in this township. Jacob resided with his parents until 1861, when he enlisted in the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry under Captain White; was with Sherman in his march to the sea, and participated in twenty battles, receiving his discharge after a service of three years and ten months. After his return to this place he purchased a farm in section nine, which contains two hundred and eighteen acres; built a residence, and has since made it his home. He was married on the 17th of March, 1864, to Miss Jennie Gibson, and the issue of the union is five children.
MAHLAN L. FROST, one of the early settlers of this place, is a native of Ohio, born on the 20th of September, 1838. He came with his parents to Bancroft in 1856, and took a claim in section thirty, but resided with his parents until enlisting on the 9th of October, 1861, in Company F, of the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was in the army three years and three months, coming home on furlough in 1862, and then married Miss Naocy E. Ward, daughter of J. Ward, one of the pioneers of the place, and formerly from Pennsylvania. After Mr. Frost's return from the army he bought land in section eight, and now has a well improved farm of three hundred acres, with good house, barn, etc. He has three children.
PETER FINTON is a native of Ohio, born on the 23d of March, 1830. When young he learned the carpenter trade, and at the age of sixteen, years moved with his parents to Indiana, where he was employed at his trade. He was united in marriage to Miss Mary B. Shaul in 1856. She was formerly from Logan county, Ohio. They moved to Olmsted county, Minnesota, in 1861, and in 1874, sold their farm there and went to Nebraska, but after a residence of nine months returned to Minnesota. He is the father of seven children. Mr. Finton was elected to the Legislature from Olmsted county in 1871 and '72; was Justice of the Peace fourteen years, and also a member of the board of Supervisors.
EKICK JOHNSRUD was born in Norway on the 27th of March, 1850, and emigrated with his father to America, locating in Green county, Wisconsin, in 1857. They resided in New Albany township three years and then came to this county, being pioneers of Hay ward, where they lived three years and then removed to this township, locating in section thirteen. Erick bought the old homestead in 1879, and his parents live with him. He has held the office of Town Clerk since 1876. His brother, G. Johnsrud, was born on the 31st of March, 1841, and lived with his parents until enlisting in Company H, of the Sixteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served until receiving his discharge on the 3rd of March, 1865, after which he located a farm near his fathers. He was married in 1866, to Miss Anna Johnson, who has borne him five children. He was appointed Postmaster at Albert Lea in 1877, and held the office until 1880, since which time he has given his time to agricultural pursuits.
H. P. JENSEN was born in Denmark on the 3lst of December, 1828. His father died when H. P. was six years old. and at an earlv age he assisted in the support of the family. He was converted, and in 1840 joined the Baptist Church. He was married in the fall of 1852, to Miss Christina Olson, who had joined the church in 1847. They have a family of five children. In the autumn of 1862. they came to America, located in Wisconsin and remained until the spring of 1864, when they removed to Freeborn county. Mr. Jensen owns a farm of four hundred and twenty acres, all of which is improved, containing a grove of ornamental trees, and he also owns some very fine cattle and sheep. When the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company was organized, in 1878, Mr. Jensen was appointed President, and still fills the office.
H. E. LOOMIS, one of the first settlers in the northern part of the township, is a native of Erie county, Pennsylvania, born on the 12th of October. 1828. He attended the district school, after which he was engaged in chopping wood in the Southern States for eight winters, returning home and assisting on the farm summers. In 1854, he visited California and worked in the mines two years with moderate success. In 1856, he came to Bancroft and took a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, which has since been his home, having now a good frame residence and well improved ground. He was married on the 4th of April, 1860, to Miss Mary Prescott. In 1861, he enlisted in the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Com¬pany F, and at the expiration of his term, three years, re-enlisted in the same regiment and served till the close of the war, being promoted to the rank of brevet Second Lieutenant. He participated in nineteen engagements, although in the siege of Vicksburg, on the 22d of May, 1863, he was shot, a ball passing through his body. He is the father of five children.
HENRY N. OSTRANDER, one of the early settlers of this county, is a native of New York, born in Plattsburg on the 15th of October, 1824. When he was an infant his parents moved to Upper Canada, and in 1828, his mother died. His father soon after returned to New York, and Henry resided with him until the age of twenty-one years. He then went to Beekmantown and engaged in the coal and lumber business for three years. On the 22d of November, 1846. he was joined in matrimony with Miss Sarah A. Smith, also a native of New York. In June. 1849, they moved to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin; resided in town about four months and then moved on a farm in the western part of the county. On the 12th of June, 1859. Mr. Ostrander staked out a claim in section twenty-six. Bancroft, and has since made it his home. He came here with four yoke of oxen, meeting with many difficulties. He has been a member of the school board most of the time since his residence here, and was Chairman of the board of Supervisors five years, also was County Commissioner five years. He has had a family of eight children, six of whom are living; Hannah B., the eldest, was born on the 6th of June, 1852, and died on the 3rd of May, 1856; and the second, Eva E., was born on the 9th of May, 1854, and died on the 20th of March, 1878.
TOM OLESON was born in Norway in 1859, and resided in his native country until the age of eighteen years. He then emigrated to America, and came directly to Minnesota; made his home in Houston county two years, and in the spring of 1879, found employment on the railroad in this county. He afterward lived in Albert Lea until the spring of 1882, when he came to this township and has since been engaged in farming.
E. K. PICKETT, one of the respected and old settlers of this place, was born in Alexander, Genesee county, New York, on the 27th of September, 1828. When he was four years old his parents moved to Cattaraugus county, where he was brought up on a farm and received his education, He was married on the 4th of March, 1849, to Miss Philena A. Skiff. In 1850, he came to Wisconsin and settled in Sheboygan county, two years later moved to Waukesha county, where our subject worked at the carpenter trade three years. In 1855, he moved to Walworth county and in 1860, came to this township, settling in section thirty-two, having driven the entire distance, bringing two span of horses and two wagons. In 1862, he enlisted in the Tenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company E: was soon after promoted Second Lieutenant and assigned to Company C, of the Tenth Regiment and served three years, until the close of the war, being with the company in every march and battle. Since coming here Mr. Pickett has worked at his trade a portion of the time. Of five children born to him, three are living.
GEORGE H. PRESCOTT was born in Maine on the 20th of January, 1829. He resided with his par¬ents until the age of twenty-one years, then engaged in the milling business on the Ohio river, owning a saw and grist mill which he conducted five years. In 1851, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Poor, of Utopia, Clermont county, Ohio.
In 1856, they came to this township and was one of the first to open a farm in the place. After a residence of one year here he returned to Hastings, and two years later moved to Stearns county where he took a homestead and engaged in farming seven years. In October 1864. his wife died leaving four children, two daughters and two sons. He then returned to Bancroft end bought the farm his father pre-empted. Mr. Prescott was again married, on the 25th of December, 1870, to Mrs. Fannie Ward Frost, widow of the late G. M. Frost, and the mother of two children, Emma and Edward. This latter union has been blessed with one son, Gerald, born in April, 1875. Their farm is well improved, having a good orchard, and Mr. Prescott is also interested in a sorghum factory at Albert Lea. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1871, and held the office two terms.
B. F. ROSS is a native of Pennsylvania, born on 27th of June, 1835. When he was three years old his parents moved to New York where he grew to manhood and at the age of twenty married Miss Jane Starks. Immediately after their marriage they came west, resided one year in Iowa, and then, in 1856, moved to Riceland, where they were the third family to locate, and made it their home several years. They have a family of five children. In 1862, Mr. Ross enlisted in Company C, of the Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and remained in service till the 29th of August, 1865. After his discharge he returned to his farm and in 1870 came to Albert Lea, remaining six years. In 1877, he rented the county poor farm which has since been his home.
AI RICE was born in New York on the 18th of March, 1840. When he was but six years old his father died and he has since maintained himself, working at different occupations. When he was nineteen years old he enlisted in the Eleventh Wisconsin Regiment, Company K, was under Gen. Grant and participated in fifteen battles, receiving an honorable discharge on the 4th of September, 1865. He returned to Wisconsin and engaged in the lumber business four years, then came to Rochester. Minnesota, and in 1877, married Margaret Knapp. The same year he came to Bancroft and has since devoted his time to farming.
ASA WARD was born in Plainsville, Ashtabula county, Ohio, on the 4th of November, 1844. In 1855, the family moved to Iowa, and two years after to Bancroft, his father taking a claim in section seventeen. Asa enlisted in the Tenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company I, in 1862. and served three years. After his discharge he returned to his home and remained one year, then spent three years traveling. He returned to this place and on the 9th of April, 1868, married Miss Helen Dills. The same year he purchased his present farm in section four and has it well improved.
REV. JOHAN T. YLVISAKER, a native of Norway, was born on the 10th of November, 1858. His father was a minister and came to America, locating at Red Wing, Minnesota, in 1868. He died in 1877, at the age of forty-four years, Johan attended the Norwegian College in Decorah, Iowa, for six and a half years, graduating in the summer of 1877, and then entered the Concordia Theological Seminary at St. Louis, from which he graduated three years later. He returned to his home and in March,1881, came to Bancroft; was ordained on the last day of the same month, Rev. Bishop Koren performing the ceremony. He assists the Rev. E. Hulfsbury, having charge of the Norwegian Lutheran Congregation in this place.
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