Lyon County Biographies
"An Illustrated History of Lyon County"
Below are biographies from the 1912 "An Illustrated History of Lyon County".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*The date in parentheses following the name of each subject is the year of arrival to Lyon county.
SPURGEON ODELL (1889), president of the Marshall State Bank and a former clerk of the district court of Lyon county, is one of the substantial citizens of the county seat—a man who has taken an active part in the business and political life of his community.
Mr. Odell is a native Minnesotan, having been born at Oronoco, Olmsted county, July 6, 1860. At the age of twelve years he moved to Faribault county, and there he grew to manhood. He was one of the first graduates of the Wells High School and he completed his education with a two years' course in a college at Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1884 Mr. Odell moved to Granite Falls, where he taught school and worked at the painter's trade until 1889.
In the month of August, 1889, Mr. Odell became a resident of Lyon county. For five years he was associated with the Northwestern Elevator Company at Green Valley station. He was elected clerk of the district court in November, 1894, moved to Marshall, and during the next eight years held the county office, having been re-elected in 1898. From the first of 1902 until November 1, 1905, Mr. Odell was traveling agent for the Burchard Hulburt Investment Company, of St. Paul. On the date last mentioned he purchased a half interest in the firm of D. D. Forbes & Company, real estate, loans, collections and insurance, and for several years he engaged in that business with James A. McNiven, the firm being styled Odell & McNiven. On June 15, 1909, Messrs. Odell and McNiven and S. J. Forbes organized the Marshall State Bank and have since been associated in its management. Mr. Odell is president; Mr. McNiven, vice president; and Mr. Forbes, cashier.
For three years, 1907-09, Mr. Odell was mayor of Marshall. In 1902 he was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, on the ticket headed by the late Leonard A. Rosing, but was defeated with the rest of the state ticket. Mr. Odell holds membership in the Chapter, Blue Lodge and Commandery of Marshall, in Osmun Shrine of St. Paul, and in the Knights of Pythias and Elks lodges.
Mr. Odell was married June 27, 1894, to Effie M. Bomeroy, of Sparta, Wisconsin. They have three children. Lottie M., Althea B. and Spurgeon E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HERMAN P. MEYER (1881) is the owner of a fine quarter section, the northwest quarter of section 1, Rock Lake township, and 120 acres on sections 35 and 36, Lyons, and he farms both places. Mr. Meyer makes his home on the Rock Lake quarter.
Michael and Julia (Peters) Meyers, parents of our subject, were natives of Germany. Herman was born in the Fatherland August 10, 1879, and the family moved to America when Herman was a baby two years old, settling in Rock Lake township in the spring of 1881. The father died in 1885; the mother is a resident of Balaton. Herman grew up on the Rock Lake farm and attended country school in the district until twenty years of age. He then worked out at farm labor in the county until the fall of 1902, which year he rented the Julius Meyers farm in Rock Lake and farmed it five years, in addition to farming his own quarter on section 1.
In the spring of 1907 Mr. Meyer greatly improved the buildings on his farm. In the summer of 1910 he purchased the 120 acres in Lyons and now has 280 acres of fine land to look after.
The wedding of Herman Meyer and Anna Stankey occurred January 9, 1903, at Balaton. Mrs. Meyer is a native of Wisconsin and was born October 18, 1886. She is
a daughter of Charles and Albertina (Leliman) Stankey, pioneer settlers near Ripon, Wisconsin, and now residing in Lyons township, Lyon county. Mr. and Mrs. Herman Meyer- are the parents of five children, Elsie, Alma (deceased), Myra, Esther and Viola. The Meyers are members of the German Lutheran church of Balaton.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DR. EDWARD T. SANDERSON (1881) is a physician of Minneota and has resided in Lyon county for the past, thirty-one years. He is a native of Iowa and was born at Xenia on April 20, 1875. When a young boy he moved to Nebraska and in 1881 to Lyon county. He received his early education in the schools of Lyon county and St. Olaf's College.
When thirteen years of age young Sanderson started out in life for himself. Ten years were spent in the lumber business, working at various places in South Dakota for the Laird-Norton Lumber Company, in North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa for the Smith & Rogers Company, and in Wisconsin for the Ellefson Lumber Company. He also spent three years as assistant cashier in a bank at Lake Preston, South Dakota. In 1901 he went to Chicago and took up the study of medicine at the Bennett Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1905. Dr. Sanderson was secretary of and professor of anatomy during 1906 and 1907. He then returned to Minneota and has since been engaged in practice.
The subject of this review is a son of the late Dr. Samuel E. Sanderson of Minneota, one of the pioneer physicians of Lyon county and one of the best known practitioners in this section of the state. He was married to Eliza Ellefson. Both were natives of Dane county, Wisconsin, where their parents settled in an early day, having emigrated there from Norway. They made settlement in SpkaskKonong township, which was the original settlement place of the Norwegian colony in that state. The mother of our subject died in 1902 and the father in 1910. They were the parents of the following children: Edward T., of this sketch; Frederick W., a lumber dealer of Madison, Wisconsin; Theresa, a trained nurse of Madison; Doctor Anton Sanderson, who is practising at Minneota; Melville, a student.
Our subject is a member of Masonic.. Elks and Modern Woodmen lodges and the Tau Alpha Ipsalon fraternity. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Minnesota State Society and the Lyon-Lincoln Medical Society, of which he is censor and a delegate to the State Society. He is county physician.
Dr. Edward Sanderson was married at Eastman, Wisconsin, on December 31, 1906, to Miss Harriett Wallin, a native of that state. They have one child, Elsie Theresa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REV. WILLIAM JOSEPH STEWART (1905), pastor of St. Edward's Catholic Church of Minneota since September 10, 1905, is a native of Ireland. He was born in Cashel, county of Tipperary, July 14, 1875, and is the eldest son of Jamieson and Mary (Moloughney) Stewart, the former of whom is deceased, and the latter still residing at the old home in Ireland.
Until fifteen years of age the boy William attended the Convent and Christian Brothers' Schools in his home town. In 1890 he entered Rockwell College, Cashel, where he began his classical studies. After three years at that college he continued his preparatory course for the seminary under the private tutorship of the Very Rev. Daniel Canon Ryan, P. P., Clonoulty, county Tipperary. Our subject entered St. Patrick's College, Thurles, Ireland, as a student in 1896, and having completed his two years' course of philosophy and four years' course of theology, was ordained priest for the Archdioceses of Cashel and Emly by His Grace the Most Reverend Thomas Fennelly, D. D., on June 21, 1903.
After his ordination Rev. Father Stewart came on the mission to America and received appointment from Archbishop Ireland as assistant pastor to St. Joseph's Church, St. Paul. There he labored until he was sent as pastor to St. Edward's Parish, Minneota, in 1905.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRANK W. WEBB (1886), deceased, was among the first business men in Amiret and was a resident of the village twenty-six years. He was, perhaps, the town's most
prominent and best known business man. Mr. Webb was a stockholder and the vice president of the Amiret State Bank, and for many years he directed the management of his 480 acre farm in Amiret township.
William W. and Mary Ann Webb, parents of Frank WTebb, were natives of England, and alter cumiiig to America both located in Buffalo, where they were married. They then moved to Jackson county, Wisconsin, where they made their home until their deaths. They left three children, Thomas H. Webb, of Tracy, A. J. Webb, of Melrose: Wisconsin, and Frank W'ebb, of this sketch.
Frank Webb was born in Jackson county. Wisconsin, January 5, 1859, and he grew to manhood in that state. After the death of the parents Frank and Thomas Webb came to Minnesota and found work on farms in the southern part of the state. In 1886 they began their business career in Amiret. The brothers established a small store and were identified with the town's development in no small degree. In addition to his mercantile business Frank conducted the Van Dusen elevator, the first in the town, thirteen years, and held the office of postmaster fifteen years. In the late eighties the brothers divided their interests, and Frank remained in control of the store at Amiret.
In 1908 our subject suffered a severe loss in the burning of his store and much of its contents. The business had grown and Mr. Webb had erected a large building, and at the time of the fire he was carrying a $10,000 stock of general merchandise, dry goods, groceries, shoes, hardware, etc. The owner was fairly well insured and immediately began the construction of a fine new brick building and soon had replaced his stock and was actively continuing business. There is no doubt, however, that the loss of his building and stock by fire \vas a serious blow to Mr. Webb, and while he was able to rise to the situation financially his health refused to stand the strain, and his physical breakdown dated from that time. He sought medical aid at St. Paul and Rochester but his case seemed to be not within the range of medical help. Mr. Webb's death, from anemia, occurred at Amiret August 13, 1911. Until about three weeks before he died he was able to be around and in a measure to attend to his duties in the store.
In 1889 Frank W. Webb was married to Inez Marshall, a native of Jackson county, Wisconsin, and a daughter of William H. Marshall. To this union were born four children, Lester, Hobart, Marshall and Howard, all of whom are living.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KNUTE SWENNES (1875). A pioneer settler and one of the prominent citizens of Eidsvold township is Knute Swennes, who owns and farms the northeast quarter of section 2. He has lived on the farm he now owns since he was eleven years of age and he has seen northwestern Lyon county develop from a trackless prairie to one of the best farming communities of the state.
Knute Swennes was born at Valders, Norway, January 2, 1863. He came to the United States with his parents in 1870, and after living in Walworth county, Wisconsin, five years came with the family to Lyon county in 1875. The trip was made in wagons and the father selected as his homestead claim the land now owned by the son. At that time there was not a house within sight of the claim, and the nearest neighbor was E. K. Kjorness, three miles southeast. Ten miles to the east lived Ole Brusven, there were a few settlers ten miles to the west, and there was practically nothing nearer than thirty miles to the north.
The Swennes family erected on their claim one of the best homestead cabins of the county. The lower story was built in a side hill and sheeted with lumber; the second story was built of lumber; and it was quite a comfortable home at that time. Five years later the pioneer home was replaced by a more pretentious building, and later still the present two-story, ten-room house was erected. The grasshoppers brought destruction to several crops, but the family succeeded each year in harvesting enough wheat to carry them through the succeeding winter. They were obliged to burn hay during the memorable winter of 1880-81.
Ever since coming to the county as a boy thirty-eight years ago Knute Swennes has lived on the old homestead. During boyhood days he attended the district school and helped with the work on the farm; later he remained to manage the
farm for his father. He came into possession of the farm in 1900 and has since operated it to his own account. Mr. Swennes was assessor of Eidsvold township a number of years. He is a member .of the Modern Woodmen lodge.
Knute Swennes is a son of the late Ole A. and Ingrid (Ulvestad) Swennes, who lived on the Eidsvold farm many years. The father died in 1906, the mother two years later. Ole A. Swennes took an active part in the business and political life of his township and was an influential citizen. He was one of the organizers of school district No. 39 and held school office many years. With O. L. Orsen and E. K. Kjorness he organized the Norwegian Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and he wrote the by-laws of the original company.
Three sons and two daughters comprise the Swennes family. They are Arne, who resides on the southeast quarter of section 2, Eidsvold; Knute, of this biography; Inger (Mrs. Ole E. Rye), of Eidsvold township; Ola, Jr., a hardware merchant of Flaxton, North Dakota; and Anna, the wife of J. O. Hovland, a retired merchant of Flaxton.
The subject of this review is a man of family, having been married to Marie Johnson December 16, 1903. -She is a native of Eidsvold township and was born February 25, 1881. Her father, L. P. Johnson, was born in Sweden, and her mother, Marit (Nyhagen) Johnson, was born in Norway. They settled in Eidsvold township in 1877. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Swennes: Knute B., on December 5, 1904, and Ola Odin, on February 28, 1907.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ED. GITS (1883), dealer in general merchandise at Ghent, first came to that village when a child six years of age, when the town was not much larger than he was. Although a young man, he has built up a prosperous business and is meeting with deserved success.
Ed. Gits was born in Belgium January 19, 1876. When six years old, in 1883, he came with his parents to America and his first home in the New World was Ghent. He lived with his parents until sixteen years of age and then went to Faribault, Minnesota, and clerked in a store for several years. In 1898 he enlisted in Company B, Twelfth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, for service during the war with Spain. He was stationed with his regiment at Chickamauga and Lexington and was mustered out of the service in 1899 Then he became a member of the Home Guards of Duluth and went to Kootchechink and assisted in suppressing an Indian outbreak on the international boundary line.
After that service Mr. Gits returned to Ghent and for five years he was manager of the C. M. Youmans lumber yard. In 1907 he bought a store building of Joseph Pierard and stock of general merchandise of Aime Vanhee and has since been engaged in that business. He handles dry goods, groceries, shoes, furnishing goods, notions, crockery, etc.
Mr. Gits was married in Ghent on November 8, 1904, to Louise Schreiber, they being the first couple married in the new Catholic church. Mrs. Gits was born on her father's homestead in Westerheim township. She is the daughter of Mathews J. and Johanna (Brewers) Schreiber, who settled in the county in 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Gits have two daughters, Juliet and Prudence, and a son, Wilfred Edward, born November 14, 1911.
For several years Mr. Gits served as recorder and treasurer of Ghent. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the Catholic Order of Foresters lodge, of which he has been chief ranger since its organization.
Francis and Louise Gits, the parents of Ed. Gits, also reside in Ghent and have done so since they came from Belgium in 1883. Francis Gits was one of the early business men of Ghent and one who has done much to bring it to its present standing. .At one time and another he conducted a blacksmith shop, general store, hardware store, hotel and livery barn and erected six or seven of the buildings in the village. He has also engaged quite extensively in farming and burned the first and only brick ever manufactured in the town.
In the Gits family are seven children, as follows: Paul, Julius, Joe, Victor, Clemence (Mrs. Charles Foulon), Edmund and Arthur, Prudence, who became the wife of Gustave Vergote, is deceased.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SNORRI HOGNASON (1877), of Minneota, was born in Iceland May 13, 1846, a son of Hogni Gunlaugson and Kristin Snorradottir, both now deceased. Snorri received in his youth such education as was common in Iceland at that time. He was brought up and worked on a farm until 1873, when he came to America ana worked on farms in Iowa and Green counties, Wisconsin, three years. In 1876 he located in Goodhue county, Minnesota, and a year later took a homestead on the northwest quarter of section 4, Westerheim township, Lyon county, where he farmed until 1885.
That year Mr. Hognason located in Clarkfield, Minnesota, where he built the first hotel and conducted it until 1890. He sold out and returned to Lyon county, locating in Minneota, where he has since been engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business. He has a nice residence property in the town, is one of the progressive citizens, and is an active member of the Icelandic Lutheran church. Mr. Hognason has been justice of the peace in Minneota and Westerheim and was one of the organizers of, and for three years a trustee of, the school district in which he resided in Westerheim township, also serving on the Board of Supervisors. While a resident of Clarkfield he was a member of the Board of Education three years and justice of the peace.
Mr. Hognason was married May 18, 1879, to Wilborg Peterson, a native of Iceland, born January 26, 1846. They are the parents of the following children: William (deceased), Johanna, teacher in the Minneota High School; Kristine Lillie (Mrs. Steven Peterson). of Yellow Medicine county; Martha (Mrs. H. G. Johnson), of Minneota; and Guy Byron, a graduate of the Mining Engineering Department of the State University. The children have all been excellent students in school, the three girls having taken first or second honors in their graduating classes at high school and college.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAURITZ E. BLEGEN (1879), farmer of Shelburne township, has lived in Lyon county all except the first two years of his life and is a native Minnesotan. He owns and farms the southwest quarter of section 21, known as the Calumet Farm.
Mr. Blegen was born in Olmsted county, Minnesota, July 9, 1877, the son of Iver and Christina (Haugen) Blegen. The parents came from Norway in the early seventies, lived in Olmsted county a number of years,, and since 1879 have lived in Shelburne township. They have only one child, the subject of this biography.
When Lauritz was two years old the family came to Lyon county. The father took as a homestead claim the southeast quarter of section 32, Shelburne, lived on the place until after proving up, and then purchased land on section 8, where he has since lived. Lauritz grew to manhood on that farm and secured his education in the nearby district school. After growing up he took the management of the home farm, and in 1909 he bought his present property and moved thereon.
Mr. Blegen was chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Shelburne township one year and is the present township assessor. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge and is clerk of Camp No. 3871, Florence. He is a member of and one of the trustees of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Florence.
The marriage of our subject to Lizzie Alsaker occurred at Benson, Minnesota, on the last day of the year 1903. She is a native of Swift county. Three sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Blegen, named Nestor, Lloyd and Howard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MRS. JAMES A. HARRIS (1880) is the widow of James A. Harris, who was one of the most highly respected citizens of Lyon county. Mrs. Harris's maiden name was Mary A. Foster.
She is a daughter of the late Charles S. and Sarah J. (Roberts) Foster, natives of Pennsylvania. In 1854 her parents moved from their native state to DeKalb county, Illinois, where they resided until 1865. At that early date they moved to Minnesota and settled in Wabasha county. The family became residents of Lyon county in 1879, residing in Lynd township until 1896, when they took up their residence in Marshall. Mrs. Foster died October 3, 1900, and Mr. Foster on May 7. 1909.
To these parents Mary A. Foster was bom in DeKalb county, Illinois, May 25, 1857. When eight years of age, in 1865, she accompanied her parents to Minnesota and attended the public schools of Elgin, Wabasha county, until fifteen years of age. Miss Foster continued to reside with her parents in Wabasha county until her marriage to Mr. Harris on June 4, 1875.
James A. Harris was of Pennsylvania stock, the son of John and Cynthia Harris. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, January 15, 1849. In 1873 he, too, became a resident of Wabasha county, Minnesota, where he resided until March, 1880. At that time he and his family moved to Lyon county, in which he spent the rest of his life. He took a homestead in Island Lake township, which he sold two years later. He resided one year in Lynd township and seven years near the little village of Ghent. Then he bought a farm on section 8, Lynd township, later added to his real estate holdings, and resided on that farm until his death on June 28, 1911, after an illness of eight years.
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harris, named as follows: William, born September 26, 1876, died April 4, 1880; Frances V., born August 23, 1878; Albert Lee, born September 30, 1880; Charles E., born March 12, 1883; Harry R., born September 6, 1885; George E., born December 12, 1887.
All the children except Frank and Lee reside at home and assist their mother with the management of the home farm. The Harris family are large holders of Lyon county real estate. Mrs. Harris owns 400 acres of land on section 8, Lynd township. Frank and Lee, who are independent farmers, own 520 acres in Island Lake township. Charles, Harry and George are the possessors of 480 acres on section 5, Lynd township. In addition to grain farming, the Harris family engage extensively in stock raising. Charles Harris is a director of school district No. 17, an office which his father held continuously from 1891 until his death. James Harris also served as chairman of the Lynd Township Board of Supervisors for ten years.
Mrs. Harris has four brothers and one sister, as follows: Elmer Foster, of Marshall; L. F. and Ulysses Foster, of Lynd township; James Foster, of Raymond, South Dakota; Oceana (Mrs. Henry Wilson), of Cottonwood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RICHARD R. BUMFORD (1878), who conducts a loan and real estate office in the city of Marshall, has been a resident of Lyon county thirty-four years. He is a native of Racine county, Wisconsin, and was born October 26, 1856. He was educated in the district school and in the grammar school at Racine.
In 1876 Mr. Bumford moved to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where he engaged in teaching district schools two years. He came to Lyon county in the spring of 1878, took a homestead claim in Monroe township, and for a few years was engaged in teaching school. He was elected register of deeds in 1882 and held the office three terms, until the first of the year 1889. That year he engaged in his present business. Mr. Bumford makes a specialty of real estate loans and has built up a very large business along that line.
The subject of this review was married at Marshall in June, 1886, to Lucy Lewis, a native of New York State. Mr. and Mrs. Bumford have two children: Gladys E., a graduate of the Marshall High School and who for two years attended the Conservatory of Music of Oberlin, Ohio, and Truman Lewis, who was graduated from the Marshall High School in 1911 and who is now attending Carleton College. The family are members of the Congregational church of Marshall, Mr. Bumford being one of the trustees of the church.
Richard R. Bumford is a son of the late David and Ellen (Roberts) Bumford. The parents were born in Wales, came to America when young, and were married in Racine, Wisconsin. David Bumford was a veteran of the Civil War, having served as a member of Company F, of the Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He died at the home of his son, Abner G. Bumford, in Custer township in December, 1889. The mother of our subject died in Wisconsin a number of years ago. There were only two children in the family—Abner G. and Richard R. Bumford.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHN B. CULSHAW (1880), farmer and land owner of Nordland township, has lived in that precinct since he was eight years of age. He was born in England August 20, 1872, a son of Robert and Helen (Parker) Culshaw, also residents of Nordland.
It was in 1880 that the Culshaw family came from England and made settlement in Nordland township, the father having purchased a quarter section of land on section 3 through Father Hanly the year before their arrival. John received his schooling and grew to manhood on the farm. After growing up he assisted his father in the management of the home farm and was so engaged until 1909. Then, having purchased the southwest quarter of section 2 from his father, he engaged in farming for himself.
Mr. Culshaw raises Guernsey cattle and Poland China hogs. He has served as treasurer of Nordland township and as clerk of school district No. 77. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the M. W. A. and K. C. lodges.
The marriage of Mr. Culshaw to Ann O'Brien occurred in Minneota November 8, 1905. She was born in Illinois December 6, 1879, a daughter of John and Margaret O'Brien. Her father was born in Ireland and died in Nordland township in 1896; her mother was born in Scotland and died in Nordland township in 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Culshaw have five children: Helen B., Margaret, Agnes, Mary J. and Ann T.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRANK E. STARR (1873), of Tracy, is the son of one of the first settlers of southeastern Lyon county and has lived in the county all except the first four years of his life. He engages extensively in the stock business with his brother, Charles Starr, the firm being Starr Brothers.
The brothers are sons of the late E. L. Starr, one of the pioneers of Tracy and a man who took a prominent part in the affairs of his community. The family .came to the county in 1873 and took as a homestead claim land adjoining the future city of Tracy on the east. There a small frame house was erected and a sod barn was put up to shelter the oxen. On the claim the Northwestern Railroad Company established the first station in the vicinity, the predecessor of that of Tracy.
E. L. Starr engaged in farming and stock buying and conducted a butcher shop in Tracy when the town was started. Before that time the household supplies were hauled from Currie. The elder Mr. Starr served as county commissioner in the early days. He died in 1908. The following named seven children are members of the family; Mary A., Frank E., Charles E., Lillian, Lucy, Eva and Mabel.
Frank E. Starr was born near Winona, Minnesota, March 19, 1869, and when four years old came with the family to Lyon county. Prior to his father's death he and his brother were associated in business with their parent. Frank bought his present place on the outskirts of Tracy about ten years ago. Besides his other business interests he engages in farming. He also owns an 110-acre farm near town. Our subject is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge.
Mr. Starr was married in Tracy to Cynthia Beeman, a native of Wisconsin. They have three children, Leroy L., Warner and Alice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARTINUS ANDERSON (1880) farms 280 acres of land in Lucas township, a short distance west of Cottonwood. The farm is the southeast quarter of section 6. He was born on the adjoining farm, the homestead of his father, October 14, 1880. With the exception of a few months spent in Colorado and Canada, Martinus has always lived in this vicinity. The farm on which he now resides he has farmed since 1905 and he has since made many improvements on it, including a large barn built in 1912.
Gabriel Anderson, the father of our subject, superintends the farming of the home place, although he resides in Cottonwood.
Martinus Anderson was married at Granite Falls, Minnesota, October 18, 1905, to Annie Wangsness, a native of Fillmore county. Their only child, Gifford J., died at the age of five months.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JAY P. PETERSON (1886) is a member of the Home Land Company of Russell and is interested in other business enterprises in that village. He is an early settler of southwestern Lyon county and was the first station agent at Russell.
Mr. Peterson was born in Denmark May 4, 1874, the eldest of four children born to Hans and Ellen Peterson, who now reside in Russell. The other children of the family are Hans C., William C. and Carrie K., the wife of Peter Hanson, of Russell.
When Jay was nine years old the family came to America and made settlement at Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa. In 1886 they moved to Lyon county, bought the northeast quarter of section 36, Coon Creek township, and on that farm Jay lived with his parents a little over a year. While living there, during the memorable blizzard of January 12, 1888, Hans Peterson and our subject had an experience that will never be effaced from their memory. An account of their experience in the storm can be found in the historical part of this volume.
At the age of fourteen years Jay Peterson left the parental roof and set out in life for himself. His first work was on the grade of the Willmar & Sioux Falls road, which was then building through the county. In 1891 he went to Tyler and in the railroad station at that place learned the telegrapher's trade. On September 12, 1892, he located at the new station of Russell, opened the station, and had charge of the company's interests there until 1900.
He is one of the largest land owners of the county, having purchased about 1600 acres since taking up his residence here. He was born in Norway and came to America when one year old. He came to Lyon county in the early seventies and was one of the first settlers of Lucas township. The mother of our subject is Margaret (Olson) Anderson, a native of Fillmore county, Minnesota.
The oldest child of the Anderson family, Edward, was drowned when five years old. The other children are Martinus, Mrs. Bernard Pahl, Mrs. J. Yon Williams, Mabel, Joseph, Henrietta and Hartford.
During the next three years Mr. Peterson was agent, respectively, at Lester and Doon, Iowa; Yankton, South Dakota; and Pipestone, Minnesota. He was then promoted to traveling freight agent for the Great Northern, with headquarters at Sioux City, and held the position until 1909. That year he gave up railroading, returned to Russell, and opened a general store. He conducted that one year and has since been engaged in the real estate business. In 1910 he organized the Home Land Company in company with B. Leknes, cashier of the First State Bank. He is also engaged in the jewelry business and is a stockholder in the Russell Tile and Cement Manufacturing Company.
Upon the incorporation of Russell Mr. Peterson was chosen the first village recorder, and he was one of the first trustees of the Presbyterian church of Russell. He is a Blue Lodge and Chapter Mason and a member of the Woodmen and Workmen lodges. His wife is a member of the Eastern Star, Royal Neighbors and Degree of Honor orders.
The marriage of our subject occurred in Russell November 27, 1899, when he wedded May E. Patton, a native of Lodi, Wisconsin, and a former resident of Esmond, Kingsbury county, South Dakota. Her parents, James and Jane Patton, were born in Scotland and in the early seventies located in Kingsbury county.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHN H. HUGHES (1876), one of the early settlers of Custer township and a farmer who has prospered on his eighty-acre farm and been active in the affairs of the community, was born in New York State March 22, 1852. When a small child he accompanied his parents, Hugh R. and Ann (Pew) Hughes, to Wisconsin, where the family resided until John was ten years old; then the family moved to Blue Earth county, Minnesota.
Blue Earth county continued to be the home of the Hughes family until John was twenty-four years of age. He was brought up on a farm and attended school in the home district. He had been helping his father on the farm several years when, in 1876, the family came to Lyon county, the father and John each taking homesteads in Custer township. The parents made their homestead their home until their deaths, and John has been a continuous resident on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 14 ever since taking it as a homestead in 1876. He is a stockholder of the Garvin Creamery Company.
John Hughes and Margaret J. Owens were united in marriage January 1, 1877. Mrs. Hughes was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, March 25, 1856. To them have been born six children, named as follows: Hugh, Philip, Hannah, Mary, Margaret and Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are members of the Congregational church of Custer township.