"History of Freeborn County", 1882
Moscow Twp. Biographies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WILLIAM L. BLISS was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on the 19th of September, 1818. He learned the shoemaker trade and when twenty-two years old moved to Lowell. Massachusetts, where he bought an interest in a restaurant and conducted the same two years. He then went to New York City and engaged in the wholesale and retail liquor traffic. In 1848, he was married to Miss Almina O. Spaulding. They have four children: Gilbert R.. Almina O.. George S., and Ida May. Previous to his marriage he traveled through New York, Vermont and Canada, selling jewelry and dry goods and afterwards settled in Clinton county, New York; but in 1856. went to California, and engaged in mining, remaining sixteen months. On his return he traveled along the Pacific slope selling honey-bees and introduced the first ones in Oregon and Washington territories. After an absence of two and a half years he returned to New York, and in 1859, again started for California, but upon reaching this county stopped at Moscow and concluded to settle, taking a claim in section thirteen where he still lives.
JAMES BUSH, one of the earliest settlers of this place, was born in New York on the 5th of September, 1828. When young he worked for a time at the shoemaker's trade and before leaving his native State married, in 1844, Miss Harriet Gates. In 1855, they came to Dodge county, Wisconsin, and the following year to Moscow, taking a claim in section twentv-seven. In February 1857, his wife died at the age of thirty-two years. She bore him four children, two of whom are living. In 1859, he married his second wife, a sister of the former, and she died on the 30th of August, 1881, leaving a family of nine children. In 1874, Mr. Bush built a fine frame residence in which he now lives.
GEORGE W. DEARMIN. one of the pioneers of this place, was born in North Carolina, on the 30th of October, 1828. When he was a small child his parents became pioneers of Indiana, where George resided until 1847, when he enlisted in the Fifth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Company E, participating in the Mexican war. and serving till its close. After his discharge he came to Indiana, and in 1855 came to Iowa; resided in Mitchell county until the spring of 1856. when he cauie to this township and took a claim in section eight, but soon after sold and bought in section twenty-eight. In March, 1865. he enlisted in Company F, of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; was sent to Washington and remained in service until the following July. He was united in marriage in May, 1859, with Miss Lucia Campbell. Of eight children born to this union, only three are living: Jessie F., Orra A., and Mary E.
STEPHEN N. FRISBIE, one of the pioneers of this place, was born in Guilford, New Haven county, Connecticut. His mother, Miss Amada Scranton, was a descendant of John Scranton, who came with twenty-five other families from England, and settled in the latter town in 1639. His father was a sea faring man; and when Stephen was ten years of age he went to live with his uncle on a farm, with whom he remained until twenty-one, then removed to Genesee, Waukesha county, Wisconsin. On the 30th of August, 1848, he was married to Miss Theresa M. Castle, formerly of Colesville, New York, and the issue of the union was five children—three sons and two daughters. In 1850, they moved to Beaver Dam, Dodge county, and resided there until 1853, thence to Leeds, Columbia county. In June, 1856, he and his family started with ox teams, and on the 23d of July, arrived in this township and staked out the claim upon which he now lives. Mr. Frisbie enjoys the esteem and confidence of his townsmen in a large degree, having been repeatedly elected to fill offices of trust and honor. In 1857, he was appointed one of the commissioners to organize Freeborn county, and that fall, at the first general election, was made one of the County Commissioners, and again in 1877 elected to the same office. He has been Chairman of the board of Supervisors, Assessor, Town Treasurer, and Justice of the Peace, in which latter capacity he now officiates. In 1878. he was honored with a seat in the House of Representatives. Although his business has been farming, he has engaged to some extent in other occapations; from the fall of 1869 till 1875 he handled grain, first for Bassett, Hunting & Co., and afterwards for other parties; subsequently kept a lumber yard on his own account. In religious views he is a Congregationalist, and when the Union Sabbath School was organized in this place he was appointed its Superintendent. A Congregational church was organized here in 1859. of which he was a member; but meetings in it have since been discontinued, and he joined the church at Austin. He is a staunch Republican, and has always been a zealous advocate of its principles. He was appointed Postmaster in 1858, the office being kept at his house until August, 1877, when it was removed to the railroad station, and its name changed to Oakland. Mr. Frisbie's first wife died on the 25th of June, 1875, after a long and painful illness, and he married his present wife on the 9th of August, 1877. She was formerly Miss Sophie A. Little, of Oberlin, Ohio.
JOHN GUY, a native of Ireland, was born in Donegal in 1845. In 1869, he left his birth place and emigrated to America, landed in New York, and came directly to Minnesota. He resided for a year and a half with his uncle in Oakland, and in 1871 bought land in this place in company with his brother. Mrs. Guy was formerly Miss Mary Taylor. Mr. Guy has been a member of the Presbyterian church since quite young; is a Republican and takes an active interest in politics.
NATHAN S. HARDY. one of the old settlers of Moscow, was born in Essex county, New York, on the 10th of January, 1833. After teaching school for a time in his native State in the spring of
1854. he moved to Illinois, engaged in farming during the summer and in the fall clerked in the store of L. S. Felt, in Galena. In the autumn of
1855. he returned to New York, and in the spring of '56, again started west, locating in this township the 1st of July. He was married on the 10th of August, 1859, to Annette, a daughter of William Pace, and the union has resulted in four children; Lovina S., Adda F., Louis E., and Milton J.
REV. THEOPHUS LOWRY, deceased, the eldest son of Rev. Samuel G. Lowry. was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, on the 9th of September, 1821. His father, after preaching for some time in Lewis countv. Kentuckv. moved to New Richmond, Clermont county, Ohio, in 1823, thence, two years later, to Decatur county, Indiana, and afterward, in 1832, to Putnam county. In 1835. he went to Crawfordsvilie, the location of Wabash College, where Theophus graduated in 1843, and in 1846, graduated from Lane Seminery, in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the latter year he was married to Miss Nancy T. Elsey, of Parker county. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Crawfordsvilie.
After preaching two years at Danville and other points in Hendricks county, he was compelled to retire to a farm for a year. At the end of that time he took charge of the Bethany church, Owen county, but after a year, was obliged to give up the ministry and engaged in farming for some five or six years. In the spring of 1857, in company with his father and other friends, he came to Minnesota and located a claim in section twenty-nine, Moscow, where he died, on the 23d of April, 1874. For some eight years before his death, he was able to preach again, and supplied the churches of Sumner and Woodbury. His wife survives him and resides on the old homestead, with her adopted son, Eugene Lowry.
EDWARD LUGG, a native of England, was born in the parish of St. Martin, county of Cornwall, on the 14th of August, 1834. He was brought up as a farmer, attended school in his youth, and at the age of nineteen joined the Wesleyan Methodist church. On the 11th of April, 1858, he left his birth place and sailed for America, landed in Quebec, Canada, and came directly to Racine county, Wisconsin. He came to Freeborn county in 1859 and settled on a claim in Bath township, which was afterward jumped. In January, 1862, he married Miss Almira Williams. They soon after moved to Riceland and rented a farm for a year, thence to Brush Creek, Fairbault county. In August, 1864, Mr. Lugg enlisted in Company E, Tenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, went South and , joined the army of the Cumberland at Memphis and remained in service until the close of the war. Oh his return he settled on railroad land in Riceland. In 1874, he came to Moscow, and rented a farm for three years, then purchased his present in section twenty-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Lugg have had six children, four of whom are living ; Charles H., James E., Samuel E., and Laura Z. Maggie, born on the 8th of November, 1863. died on the 6th of October, 1870, and Zelda, born on the 15th of December 1867, died on the 11th of September, 1870.
MICHAEL McCourt, one of the early settlers of Mower county, was born in county Down, Ireland. in October, 1830. In 1847, he came to America and settled in Rochester, New York, where he was employed in agricultural pursuits eight years. He married, in 1855, Miss Ellen White, and they spent a short time in Canada, then came to Clinton county, Iowa, and the following spring to Minnesota, locating in Nevada, Mower county. He lived there until 1868, when he sold and came to this place which has since been his home. Mr. McCourt is the largest individual landholder in the place. In the spring of 1881, his stable was burned with six head of horses, a colt, all the harnesses, and considerable farm machinery. He has a family of six children: John, Michael, Thomas, Stephen, Mary, and Daniel.
EVAN MORGAN, one of the pioneers of this county, is a native of Wales, born on the 10th of March, 1805. He was married before leaving Wales to Miss Winifield Reese, and they emigrated to America in 1838. They located on a farm in Portage county, Ohio, and remained until 1848, when they moved to Rock county, Wisconsin. In 1855, they sold their interest in the latter place and came to this township. Mr. Morgan bought land in the town site and also some adjoining, all of which he still owns. His wife died leaving six children, three of whom are now living. His present wife was formerly Sarah L. Thomas and the marriage took place in 1862. Of seven children born to this union, five are living. Mr. Morgan has held offices of trust since his residence here; in 1866, was sent to the State Legislature and is at present Town Clerk.
WILLIAM PACE, deceased, one of the oldest settlers of this place, was born in Sussex county, England, on the 10th of March, 1803. He learned the miller trade in his native place; emigrated to America and for years worked at his trade in New York. He was married in 1831, to Miss Amelia Ridge and they had two children, one of whom is living, a son. Mrs. Pace died in 1834. and in 1836, Mr. Pace married Miss Lavina Castle. In 1842, they came to Waukesha county, Wisconsin, and after a residence of nine years moved to Dodge county. In 1856 Mr. Pace became a pioneer of this county, taking a claim in section thirty-four, Moscow, which was his home until his death which occurred on the 6th of September, 1882. He left a widow and five grown children. : He was a member of the Congregational church at Austin; was a good citizen and neighbor and respected by all who knew him.
PHILO PACE, a native of Genesee county, New York, was born on the 2d of August, 1843. When he was thirteen years old his parents moved to this place which Philo has ever since made his home. In 1863, he was engaged in selling farm machinery, afterward in carpentering and now divides his time between mercantile and farming pursuits. He was joined in marriage in 1874, with Miss Mary Scullin and they have four children; Clara Nellie, Hattie Lou, Genevieve, and Ivy B.
ROBERT G. SPEER, one of the pioneers of this county, was born in Seneca county, New York, on the 12th of April, 1826. When he was five years old his parents moved to Washtenaw county, Michigan, where Robert learned the blacksmith
trade when quite young. He was married in 1847, to Miss Mary E. Hutchinson. In 1850 they moved to a farm in Dane county, Wisconsin, and five years later settled in this place. Mr. Speer erected a blacksmith shop, the first in the place, and followed that occupation until 1862, when he enlisted in the Second Minnesota. Cavalry and served as blacksmith for the regiment eleven months when he was discharged for disability. Mr. and Mrs. Speer have had seven children, five of whom are living; Mary E., Dewitt C., George W., Generva, and Amanda.
© 2005 Freeborn County Minnesota AHGP
Return to Freeborn Co., AHGP
|