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Dickey County, ND
Biographies

EDWIN G. BARNES.  As a representative citizen, a man of executive ability, a prominent position is accorded this gentleman.  He has managed the vast stock interests and farms of his father for many years, and the results have been successful in an unlimited degree.  He resides on section 21, township 129, range 60, in Port Emma township, and his farm is complete in every appointment, and furnishes a handsome income and all the comforts of rural life.
Mr. Barnes was born in Walpole, New Hampshire, July 1, 1873.  His father, Harrison G. Barnes, was a native of Jamaica, Vermont, and was born in 1826.  When a young man he went to sea, and served three years in the United States navy, and was a seaman on the old frigate Constitution.  After leaving the sea he engaged in the roofing business for some time in New York, and then, on account of failing health, removed to New Hampshire and purchased the Prospect Hill farm, near Walpole, in 1870, on which place he still resides.  His estate is one of the most beautiful country estates in the vicinity, and Mr. Barnes is regarded as one of the most prominent men of his community.  He was married, in 1832, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Miss Eliza L. Hall, a native of that city.  Six children were born to this worthy couple, four of whom are now living, as follows: Jennie L., Charles H., Alidia M. and Edwin G., our subject.
Edwin G. Barnes completed his education in his native place, graduation from the high school in the class of 1890.  He went to Dickey county, North Dakota, in 1892, to assume the management of his father's vast holdings, amounting in all to twenty-five quarter-sections of land.  To the portion on which he resides he is constantly adding modern improvements, and the balance of the land is given to grain and stock raising.  He raises sheep extensively, and in addition the annual yield of wheat is many thousand bushels.
Our subject was married, December 8, 1897, to Louisa Eaton, a native of Norridgewock, Maine, who was born February 14, 1877.  Mrs. Barnes is a daughter of Hamlin F. and Lizzie S. Eaton, one of the leading families of Dickey county, a sketch of whose lives appear elsewhere in this volume.  Mr. Barnes is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America.  He is interested in the welfare of his community, and keeps pace with the times in all matters of a public nature, but does not seek public preferment, choosing to serve his community otherwise.  Politically he is a Republican, and is strong in his convictions.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]

IRA M. BARNES, a proprietor of a fine estate in Yorktown township, Dickey county, has devoted his entire career to that line of work, and has met with eminent success. He is constantly increasing his farming interests, and adding more improvements to his property, enhancing its value, and making for himself a home of comfort, to enjoy when retired from active labors. He resides on section 32, township 131, range 61, and is one of the early settlers of that locality.
Mr. Barnes was born on a farm near the village of Martville, Cayuga county, New York, April 6, 1855, and was a son of Hiram and Laura (Bishop) Barnes, both of whom were natives of New York. His father was of French descent, and died in 1891, aged fifty-seven years, and the mother was of English descent. She is still living on the old homestead.
Our subject lived at home until twenty-four years of age, when he secured a position on pier work for the government near his home, and continued thus employed until he went to Dickey county, North Dakota, in March, 1881. He filed claim to the northeast quarter of section 30, in Yorktown township, and is now the fortunate possessor of one section of fine land. He has over fifty head of cattle, nine work horses, and about seventeen head of sheep.
Our subject was married near his old home in the Empire state, March 23, 1886, to Miss Agnes McFadden, a native of that county, who was born December 27, 1859, and was a daughter of Benjamin and Elenor McFadden, farmers of that locality. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, as follows: Laura, Basil, Maud, Howard, Barbara, Bertha and Belva. Mr. Barnes devotes most of his time and attention to his farm work, and does not take an active part in public affairs, but is deeply interested in the welfare of his community, and is a man who keeps pace with current events, and lends his influence for the up building of the enterprises which tend to the up building of that section. Politically he is an independent voter.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]

IRA A. BARNES, (Ellendale), of the twenty-fifth legislative district, was born in Sterling, Cayuga county, New York, April 6, 1855, and received his education in the public schools. Came to North Dakota in March, 1883. Served for eight years on the board of supervisors, for nine years president of the school board, and two years on the city council of Ellendale. Was elected to his present position as a democrat in 1912. He is married and has seven children, two sons and five daughters. He has engaged in the occupation of farming for the past thirty years.
[Source: North Dakota Blue Book, 1913 Legislative Manual, Published under the direction of Thomas Hall, Secretary of State, 1913. Submitted by Linda R.]

ABRAM L. BEGGS, register of deeds of Dickey county, is deservedly popular throughout that region. He was one of the pioneers of that county, and his career in Dakota has been a successful one and marked with persistent efforts to advance the civilization of that locality. Until recently he was actively engaged in farming, and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land, comprising one of the finest farms of the county.
Mr. Beggs was born on a farm in Dundas county, Ontario, Canada, July 10, 1861, and was the eighth in a family of ten children, born to Hugh and Mary (Robinson) Beggs. His father was born in Ireland and came to Canada when a young man. He followed the pursuit of agriculture and is now enjoying a retired life in Canada.
Our subject attended the schools near his home until sixteen years of age, when he went to California and worked on a dairy farm for a short time, after which he returned home and remained until the fall of 1882, when he went to Ellendale, North Dakota. He at once filed claim to land in the eastern part of the county on the James river, where he lived fourteen years, and which comprises his present farm land. He was one of the first men to settle in that part of the county, and his estate is now a valuable one. He was elected to fill the office of register of deeds of Dickey county in the fall of 1896, when he removed to Ellendale. His popularity is best evidenced by the fact that he was re-elected in the fall of 1898 by the largest majority given a candidate on the ticket, excepting one instance where there was no opposition, a testimonial of his worth as a citizen and public-spirited man.
Our subject was married near his home in Canada, in 1881, to Miss Manda Bush, a native of Canada. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beggs, four of whom are now living, as follows: Oscar C., Ethel, Mabel and Ruth. Mr. Beggs is a member of the Baptist church and the Masonic and Eastern Star lodges. He is a Republican in political sentiment and strong in his convictions. Since taking up his residence in Dakota he has rapidly risen in prominence, and is one of the trusted men of Dickey county, and merits his high name.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Syndi Phillips]

NELS H. BJOMSTAD, the enterprising and progressive hardware merchant of Ellendale, was on the of the first settlers of that region and during the pioneer days assisted many in locating claims and settlements. He now enjoys an extensive patronage and is among the leading merchants of Dickey county.
Mr. Bjomstad was born near the village of Gjovik, on Lake Mjosser, Norway, September 7, 1857, and was the fifth in a family of eleven children born to Hans P. and Bertha O. (Evenrud) Bjomstad, both of whom were natives of Norway. His father was a painter by trade, but farmed in his native land and after coming to America he engaged in painting, which occupation he followed many years. He died in Lanesboro, Minnesota, in 1892, aged seventy-eight years and the mother died in the same place in 1872.
Our subject attended school in his native land until fifteen years of age, when the mother and children, in 1872, came to America to join the father, who had preceded them one year. They located at Lanesboro, Minnesota, where our subject worked on a farm until the spring of 1875, when he accepted a position as clerk in the store of O. Knudson, Jr., in Albert Lea, where he worked during the summer, and the following winter attended school, after which he clerked in the store of Skinner & Hazeltine on year and in the fall of 1878 went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he secured a position in a drug store. He pre-empted land near the city and after two and a half years returned to his Minnesota home and after a short time went to Racine, Wisconsin, where he worked in a drug store and later in a lumber yard and in the spring of 1882 went again to Dakota, intending to locate on the Mouse river. His stay there was of two weeks duration only, when he proceeded on foot to Bismarck, then to Jamestown, over one hundred and fifty miles, and thence to Ellendale. He at once engaged in the meat business and also acted as guide to homeseekers and in the fall of 1882 returned to Sioux Falls and sold his pre-emption claim, after which he established himself in the furniture business in Ellendale and in 1888 purchased an interest in the stock of goods owned by W.G. Lockhart and one year later bought his partner’s interest, becoming sole owner, which business he has since conducted.
Our subject was married, near Ellendale, North Dakota, at the home of the bride, October 17, 1886, to Miss Anna Peterson, a native of Wisconsin, who was born June 1, 1871. Mrs. Bjomstad is a daughter of P.A. Peterson, now a resident of Marshall county, South Dakota. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bjomstad, as follows: Harold N., Blanche J., Clarence E. and Mildred V. Our subject is prominent in secret society circles and is keeper of records and seal of the Knights of Pythias and has been clerk of the Modern Woodmen of America for two years, and is now district deputy head consul for the state. He is a communicant and secretary for the Norwegian Evangelical church and is also a member of the city school board and an earnest worker for educational advancement. Politically, he is a Populist and advocates reform principles. In 1898 he was candidate for the office of railroad commissioner. He is a man of sterling character and well merits his success.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Kim Mohler

PETER BJOMSTAD, the leading harness dealer of Ellendale, North Dakota, has been a resident of that locality since the early settlement and is well known as a successful business man and worthy citizen.
Our subject was born in Norway, November 6, 1853, and was a son of Hans P. and Bertha O. (Evensud) Bjomstad. His father was a native of Norway and came to America in 1871, locating in Minnesota, where he worked at painting. He died in Lanesboro, in 1892, aged seventy-eight years and the mother died in Minnesota, in 1872.
Our subject came to America in 1872 and located in Lanesboro, Minnesota, and later learned his trade at Rushford, that state, which he followed at different points in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in 1884 went to Ellendale, North Dakota, where he established his present business.
Mr. Bjomstad was married, in Montevideo, Minnesota, in 1885, to Miss Julia Thorson, a native of that state, who was born in 1859. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bjomstad, as follows: Hannah B., Hans T., Emma M., Clara J. and Edwin. Mr. Bjomstad is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically, he is a Republican and is a man who keeps pace with current events and is strong in his convictions.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Kim Mohler

EDWARD S. BLY, editor of the “Oakes Independent,” is a man of broad mind and one of the rising young men of Dickey county.  He was born on a farm in Grundy county, Illinois, March 28, 1870, and was a son of Louis and Malinda (Carey) Bly.
The father of our subject was born in the Empire state and was a farmer by occupation.  He died in 1899, aged sixty-eight years.  The mother of our subject was also a native of New York, and is now living in Oakes.  Four sons were born to them, our subject being the third in order of birth.
Mr. Bly assisted his father on the farm and attended school until he reached his manhood, and in 1893, entered the office of the “Oakes Independent,” and learned the printer’s trade in that office, and in July. 1899, became editor of the paper.  Mr. Bly is now recognized as one of the leading newspaper men of that region, and is a man of broad mind and excellent characteristics.
Our subject is sergeant major of the Salvation Army corps of Oakes, and is a representative citizen and faithful worker.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Maggie Saggio]

WILLIAM A. CALDWELL, one of the most enterprising and prominent business men of Monango, is one of the early pioneers of Dickey county, and has become closely linked with the history of that part of the state. He was born in the village of Honesttown, Blair county, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1853, and was the youngest in a family of thirteen children, nine sons and four daughters, born to William and Martha (Lloyd) Caldwell.
The father of our subject was a tanner by occupation and was a man of practical business judgment, and led a busy life, taking an active part in the affairs of his community.  He was highly esteemed for his upright character, and the town of Honesttown was named in his honor.  He was of Scotch extraction and the mother of our subject was of Welsh descent.  She died when he was but a young boy.
Our subject attended school in his native village until twelve years of age, when he entered the Academy at Belle Mills, now Bellwood, and at the age of seventeen completed his schooling.  He then accepted a position in the bank of Tyrone, and from that institution went into the employ of R. B. Caldwell & Company, of Renova, Pennsylvania, where he was cashier and bookkeeper until the bank became insolvent, when he was appointed assignee, and after closing the affairs of the bank took a position with the Pennsylvania Railroad as stenographer in the car department of the Altoona shops.  After a short service in that department he was assigned as a correspondent in the engine department and was clerk of the principal assistant of the department.  He next entered the civil engineer’s office, remaining there until he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, in the fall of 1881.  He there entered the land office of the Graves & Vinton Company, and remained in their employ six months, during which time he formed a colony and accompanied them to Keystone, Dickey county, located two and a half miles east of Monango.  He platted the village, purchasing the land from the government prior to it being put on the market.  He was the first postmaster, merchant and banker of Keystone, and continued in business there until 1888, and was also engaged extensively in the real estate business.  He sold his mercantile business to D. P. Kuhn, and in 1888, when the St. Paul Railroad surveyed their line through Monango, and the village was laid out, he moved his interests to Monango and continued the banking business, organizing under the state laws as the State Bank of Monango.  He opened up a mercantile business in 1896, having purchased a store and stock of D. J. McDonald; he has since increased the building extensively, and has steadily increased his stock, and now carries a complete line of general merchandise and enjoys an extensive patronage.  He is president of the State Bank of Monango, and, together with other enterprises, is engaged in the grain trade.  He is a man who possesses more than ordinary business ability, and every enterprise in which he has embarked has met with unbounded success.
Our subject was married in Monango, North Dakota, June 15, 1885, to Miss Ida M. Ingersoll, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, who was born March 20, 1864.  Mrs. Caldwell was a daughter of Henry D. and Harriet Ingersoll.  Her father was engaged in the lumber business in Cleveland, and was successful business man.  He died in Cleveland when Mrs. Caldwell was a child, and his widow survives him and makes her home in Monango.  Mrs. Caldwell’s grandfather, Gould Ingersoll, was one of the founders of the city of Cleveland, Ohio.  Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell, as follows:  William L., born November 7, 1890; and Harriet M., born August 6, 1894.  A portrait of Mr. Caldwell appears in connection with this sketch.
[History Biography of North Dakota. Transcribed by Rhonda Hill

BENJAMIN R. CRABTREE is one of the best known business men of Dickey county. He is yet in the prime of vigorous manhood, but has attained a position of prominence and is a man of excellent education and capacity. He is the popular cashier of the State Bank of Ellendale and is also a director and secretary of the Ellendale Milling Company.
Mr. Crabtree was born near the village of Centerville, in Rush River township, St. Croix county, Wisconsin, August 13, 1863. His father, Richard Crabtree, was born in Yorkshire, England, and was a weaver in his early life. He came to the United States in the late '40s and at once engaged in farming, continuing in that line until his retirement from active pursuits. He is now vice president of the State Bank of Ellendale, and resides in that city. He served in the Thirteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry about one year, at the end of which time he was taken sick and subsequently discharged. He was born January 12, 1827, and the mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Mary Ann Ramsden, was born January 9, of the same year. To this worthy couple four children were born, as follows: John W., now engaged in the hardware business at Herman, Minnesota; Mrs. Christiana Newton, of Dickey county, North Dakota; Mrs. C. A. Morrison, of Ellendale, and Benjamin R., our subject.
Benjamin R. Crabtree attended the district school and assisted his father on the farm until fourteen years of age, when, in May, 1883, he went to La Moure county, North Dakota, where the family settled on a farm. In the fall of 1884 he returned to Wisconsin and entered the River Falls State Normal, where he studied one year, after which he spent three years in Dakota at his home, later entering the Groton (South Dakota) Institute. He then assisted his father two years and in the fall of 1887 he hired out at threshing to obtain money with which to continue his studies. He entered the high school at Ellendale, acting as janitor of the school for two years and also keeping a set of books for the city. He graduated with high honors in 1889 and immediately accepted a position with C. A. Morrison, of Ellendale, as bookkeeper, and soon became deputy county treasurer under T. W. Millham, which position he efficiently filled four and a half years. He studied shorthand in the meantime and after resigning the deputyship went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a course in shorthand in Bower's Institute, preparatory to entering upon the duties of bookkeeper and assistant cashier of the State Bank of Ellendale. He was appointed cashier of the bank in 1894, since which time he has held that position.
Our subject was married, at Eaton Rapids, Michigan, in May, 1894, to Miss Anna M. Long, a daughter of Dr. D. H. Long. Mrs. Crabtree was born in Michigan, August 17, 1872, and had resided in North Dakota for a number of years, where her father was a man of much prominence. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree, as follows: Lillian L., born in Ellendale, North Dakota, October 14, 1895, and William H., born in Ellendale, North Dakota, May 19, 1897. Mr. Crabtree is one of the trustees of the State Industrial School of Ellendale, and has also been clerk of the city school board for five years. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W. and is a Scottish Rite Mason.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]

N. E. DAVIS, Monango, of the twenty-fifth legislative district, was born in Bentic township, Gray county, Ontario, April 12. 1859, and came to the United .States with his parents in 1861. Came to North Dakota in 1882 and engaged in the business of farming and stock breeding. Has held several minor local offices. He is married and has seven children. Was elected representative as a republican.
[Source: North Dakota Blue Book, 1913 Legislative Manual, Published under the direction of Thomas Hall, Secretary of State, 1913. Submitted by Linda R.]

JACOB H. DENNING, the first settler of Norway township, Dickey county, is one of the representative agriculturists of that region, and has one of the finest estates in his township. He resides on the homestead farm, on section 35, township 131, range 60, to which he entered claim in the early days and which bears no semblance to the wild country as he first beheld it. He has gained his comfortable circumstances by persistent efforts and is a worthy and highly esteemed citizen.
Mr. Denning was born on a farm in Holmes county, Ohio, October 29, 1850, and was a son of Jacob and Mary Ann (Wiley) Denning. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and was a boot and shoe manufacturer. He died when our subject was but six years of age and the mother survived him many years and died in Bloomington, Illinois.
Our subject moved with his parents to Stark county, Ohio, when he was one year of age and resided twelve miles from Canton, until he reached the age of nine years, when they removed to McLean county, Illinois, locating near Bloomington. Here our subject grew to manhood and received his schooling and in 1874 rented land on which he engaged in farming until 1879, and then purchased land and resided thereon until he went to Dickey county, North Dakota, in March, 1883. He filed claim to make his home there. He has added to his possessions from time to time and is now the fortunate possessor of four hundred and eighty acres of land, on which he has placed improvements of the best character and is surrounded by modern conveniences and enjoys rural life.
Our subject was married in McLean county, Illinois, December 2, 1874, to Miss Mary Etta Price, a native of that place, who was born October 2, 1853. Mrs. Denning is a daughter of Burwell R. and Elizabeth (Bishop) Price, who were early settlers of Illinois. Mr. Price was a successful farmer and sheep grower. He died in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Denning are the parents of seven children, as follows: Lillie May, Warren W., Annie B., Roy A., Ira P., Ina E. and Addison H. The oldest three children were born in Illinois and the four younger were born in Dickey county, North Dakota. Mr. Denning is a member of the Masonic fraternity and Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is active in matters of a public nature and casts his influence for good local government. He is the present justice of the peace and has held numerous township offices of trust and enjoys the confidence of the people among whom he has resided for so many years.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]

HAMLIN F. EATON, residing on section 27, in Port Emma township, Dickey county, is one of the successful and prominent stock raisers of that region. His farm is equipped with every arrangement for lessening labor and the economical conduct of the place, and is the best improved estate in that part of the state. Mr. Eaton is a gentleman of intelligence and is an influential citizen, working for the better interests of his community, and enjoys an enviable reputation. Our subject was born in Trenton, Maine, August 12, 1838, and was a son of Herrick M. and J. L. (Hopkins) Eaton. His father was born in Sedgwick, Maine, and followed the sea until he attained his majority, when he entered the Theological Institute at Bangor, Maine, from which he graduated, and entered the Methodist ministry. He was an eminent divine and preached in several of the New England states, his ministry extending over more than half a century. Three sons were born to Rev. and Mrs. Eaton, as follows : Amos H., Russell W. and Hamlin F., (our subject). His father being stationed at various places in the state, our subject moved to several places until fourteen years of age, when he entered the Maine Wesleyan Seminary at Kents Hills, and pursued his studies there four years. After leaving the institution he established a family hoarding school for boys at Kents Hills, and conducted it until he was forty-five years of age. During the time he removed the institution to Norridgewock. in 1866, and the school constantly increased under his management until six to seven teachers were engaged in the work. Our subject left the school in charge of of his brother, Amos H., in October, 1861, and answered the call for troops, and enlisted as lieutenant in the Fourth Maine Battery, and served with distinction in the Army of the Potomac. He was mustered out in Washington, D. C., in 1863, and returned to Maine to again take charge of his school, which he conducted until 1882. he then sold his interests and removed to Dickey county. North Dakota, spending the fall of that year in traveling throughout the territory. He settled on the farm on which he now lives in the spring of 1883, and first conducted a wheat farm, but finding the soil and climate undesirable for that line of farming became interested in the raising of stock. He invested in cattle, and now has a fine herd of Herefords on his ranch, and also keeps a large flock of fine sheep. His buildings are of the most substantial and convenient design, and excellent water is bountiful from artesian wells. Our subject was married in Kents Hill, Maine, in 1861, to Elizabeth Goodwin. One daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Eaton, who bore the name of Fannie. Both mother and daughter passed away in 1866. Mr. Eaton married Lizzie S. Wheeler, a native of Norridgewock, in that city in 1867. Mrs. Eaton was born in 1840. Five children have been been born to bless this union, as follows: Mrs. Charles S. Brown, of Oakes; Mrs. E. G. Barnes, residing about two miles from her parents; H. W., a graduate of the Fargo Agricultural College, who is now reading law at the University of Minnesota; Jane H., attending school at Oakes ; and Ruth A., also a student at Oakes. Mr. Eaton is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Masonic fraternity.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Susan Ripley]

WARREN E. HICKS, superintendent of schools of Dickey county, is a young man who has rapidly risen in educational work to a position of prominence. He is an efficient officer, and one with whom all who come in contact are influenced for the up building of the educational system of the state. He has devoted his life to the work, and his personality is pleasing, which together with the capacity and excellent training entitle him to his present position. He was one of the promoters of the State Industrial Training School at Ellendale, and was appointed president of the institution, which office he is ably filling.
Our subject was born on a farm near River Junction, Jackson county, Michigan, October 8, 1867, and was the third in a family of four children, two sons and two daughters, born to W. B. and Charlotte M. (Shaw) Hicks. The father was born in New York in 1834, and was a farmer by occupation until the past year, when he engaged in the farm machinery business at Frederick, South Dakota. The mother of our subject was a native of New Hampshire.
When but a child Mr. Hicks accompanied his parents to Cass county, Missouri, where he attended school, and when ten years of age returned to Michigan with his parents and settled near Mason, in Ingham county. At the age of seventeen years he began teaching in that county and taught two years, and then entered the Ypsilanti State Normal, from which school he graduated in the class of '86. He then went to Frederick, South Dakota, where he was appointed principal of the village school, and acted in that capacity six years, five years of which time he also edited and published the "Frederick Free Press." He became principal of the Ellendale, North Dakota, high school in 1892, and filled that position until 1896, when he was appointed to serve an unexpired term as county superintendent of schools, and in the fall of 1898 was elected to that office on the Republican ticket.
Our subject was married, at Frederick, South Dakota, in 1892, to Miss Jennie Schraudenbach. Mrs. Hicks was born in Wisconsin, in 1870, and is a daughter of Edward and Advina Schrauderbach. Her father was formerly manager of the Frederick, South Dakota, Milling Company, and is now a flour broker, exporting that commodity to all parts of the world. Mr. and Mrs. Hicks are the parents of two children, as follows: Clarence and Marian. Mr. Hicks is a thirty-second-degree Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the auxiliaries of these orders. Politically he is a Republican and is a man of broad mind and keeps pace with matters of a public nature.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Renae Capitanio]

JOHN W. HIGGS, proprietor of one of the finest estates of Dickey county, has acquired his property by faithful and persistent efforts, and is well known as a man of honest principles and industrious and practical habits.  He was one of the early settlers of that locality, and has been closely identified with the development of the farming interests.  He is a resident of section 33, in Kent township, township 130, range 61, and every appointment of his home farm bespeaks the good taste of its owner.
Mr. Higgs was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1843, and was a son of John and Mary (Billings) Higgs, the former a native of England and the latter of Wales.  His father was a captain in the English merchant marine for many years, and was also employed in the custom house at Liverpool.  He died in Iowa, at the home of our subject.
John W. Higgs removed with his parents to England when a young child, and lived there until nine years of age, when the family returned to the United States and settled on a farm in Franklin county, Indiana, where he remained until sixteen years of age, when the father purchased land in Louisa county, Iowa, and they lived in that county until 1883, during which time his occupation was that of a farmer.  After his marriage he resided for some time on the homestead farm, and conducted the same successfully, He located in Dickey county, North Dakota, in 1882, and the following year removed to Dakota, and has been a resident of that county continuously since. He has fully improved his farm and enjoys prosperity. He follows diversified farming, and has seventy head of well-graded short horn cattle. His farm consists of twelve hundred acres of land.
Our subject was married, in 1871, to Miss Blanche Tracy, a native of Muscatine, Iowa. Mrs. Higgs was born September 17, 1853, and was a daughter of Vernot and Mary Ann (Dilly) Tracy. Her father was a coach-maker by trade, which he followed in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1803, and Mrs. Higgs' mother was born in 1809. Mr. and Mrs. Higgs have been the parents of ten children, as follows : Austin W., Bessie M., Blanche E., Anna H., Ferdinand J., Ada D., Mary J., Archibald, Vera, and one child who died in infancy. Blanche E. is now Mrs. James Meade, and resides about five miles southwest of the home farm. A family group portrait will be found on another page. Mr. Higgs is an active worker in public affairs, and has held numerous township offices. Politically, he is a Republican.
Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900 Transcribed by Dena Whitesell.

WALTER D. HUFFMAN, the popular proprietor of the Commercial Hotel and one of the leading liverymen of Ludden, is a young man of excellent business tact and has made a place for himself as a worthy citizen among his associates.
Our subject was born in Sandusky county, Ohio, February 25, 1869, and was a son of Daniel W. and Josephine (Hathaway) Huffman.  His father was captain of the Seventy-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was a member of Company C, serving four years in the Civil war.  He was severely wounded in the leg and was a prisoner at Mobile for nine months.  Our subject had the sword which his father carried through many of the hotly contested battles.  The mother of our subject died in Ohio in 1893 and the father is now a resident of Upper Sandusky, that state.  His mother was a descendant of the Mayflower pilgrims.
In a family of four children, three sons and one daughter, our subject was the third in order of birth.  He removed with his parents to Martin, Ohio, when he was one year of age, residing there until he was fourteen years of age, and there received his early schooling.  The family then moved to Dickey county, North Dakota, where our subject worked on his father’s farm until 1892, in which year he went to Ludden, Dickey county, since which time he has conducted the hotel and livery business.  He has met with success, and his patronage is steadily increasing.
Our subject was married in Ludden, Dickey county, North Dakota, March 15, 1892, to Miss Agnes B. Bennett, a native of Erie county, New York.  Mrs. Huffman was born April 27, 1867, and was a daughter of Hiram and Esther Bennett.  She went to Iona county, Michigan, when a child, and there grew to womanhood.  Her mother died in Ludden, and her father survives and makes his home in the village.  Mr. and Mrs. Huffman are the parents of two children, named as follows:  Joseph and Emery B.  Mr. Huffman is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America.  He is prominent in public affairs of his township and has held various offices of trust.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Brenda Shaffer]

CHARLES E. KNOX, Oakes, of the twenty-fifth district was born at Hudson, Wis., October 14, 1853, and was educated at Lake Park, Ia. He was married November 25. 1897, and has three daughters. Mr. Knox came to North Dakota in April 1903, and engaged in farming and stock raising. He was elected to the house as a republican in 1908, in 1910, and in 1912.
[Source: North Dakota Blue Book, 1913 Legislative Manual, Published under the direction of Thomas Hall, Secretary of State, 1913. Submitted by Linda R.]

FRANK LETSON, one of the most successful farmers of Elden Township, makes his home on section 12, and is well known throughout that locality, as he was one of the early settlers of that region. He has followed farming for the past seventeen years and has acquired a wide knowledge of his calling, which enables him to economically conduct his farm and provide for his declining years.
Our subject was born in Erie County, New York, December 19, 1855, and was the eldest in a family of four children born to Albert H. and Matilda E. (Finch) Letson. His father was a native of the Empire state and was a farmer by occupation. He died in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, and the mother of our subject is also deceased. Mr. Letson, when a child of two years, moved with his parents to St. Croix County, Wisconsin, where he attended the district schools and assisted his father with the farm work until he attained his majority, when he secured a position in Hudson, Wisconsin, and worked there three years, going from thence to River Falls, Wisconsin, where he engaged in clerking until 1882, when he went to Dickey County, North Dakota. He looked over the country in a general way and returned to Wisconsin until the spring of 1883, when he moved to Elden township, where he has since resided. He has a fine estate on which he has added valuable improvements, and ranks among the foremost men of his county. He has about thirty head of cattle, three hundred sheep and fifteen horses on his farm.
Our subject was married in Zumbrota, Minnesota, in 1880, to Miss Ida Falson, a native of Minnesota. Four children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Letson, as follows: Maud, Mamie, Mabel and Howard. Mr. Letson takes an active interest in affairs of a public nature and is an earnest worker for the up building of his community. He has served in various offices of trust in his township and is a man who commands the esteem of his associates.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Laurel Durham]
THOMAS LOVELL, one of the most extensive stock raisers of North Dakota, is an early settler of Dickey county, and makes his home in Ludden. He has been identified with the advancement and development of that region, and is a man of honest purpose and business tact. Mr. Lovell was born on a farm in Courtland county, New York, February 7, 1839, and was one of a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters, born to Adamson and Hepsey (Leech) Lovell, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York. The father was a farmer by occupation and a worthy citizen, and the township of Lovell, Dickey county, was named in his honor. Our subject went to Kane county, Illinois, with his parents, when he was sixteen years of age. And they located in Kanesville, where he completed his education, and then began work on a farm in that vicinity. He went to Fairfax Court House, Virginia, in the spring of 1865, to enlist in a regiment raised in Kane county, Illinois, and became a member of Company I, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. At the close of the war he was mustered out at Benton Barracks, Missouri, July 4, 1865, after which he returned to his home and worked on a farm two years. He then went to Jackson county, Missouri, and engaged in the livery business in Summit, that state, for three and a half years, going from there to Kansas City, where he engaged in the transfer  and bus business in the firm of Short & Company. He remained in Kansas City one year, and then returned to his Illinois home and engaged in farming until 1885, when, in May, he went to Dickey county, Dakota. He at once entered a claim to land in Lovell township, and continued to cultivate his farm until 1894, when he engaged in the cattle business, giving his entire attention to the breeding of the Hereford strain. His herd is now among the best in the state, and he has twenty registered and one hundred graded head, together with hundreds of others. He has gained a comfortable competence and is among the leading stock raisers of the state. Our subject was married, in Aurora, Illinois, in 1865, to Rachel Cornwell, who died in Ludden, Dickey county, April 8, 1894. Mr. Lovell married Mrs. Jennie VanMetor, October 12, 1897. Mr. Lovell is a member of the G. A. R., and is prominent in public affairs. He has been called upon to serve his community in various township offices and labors earnestly for the better interests of his fellow men.  
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Susan Ripley]

ISAAC E. MEMORY, a pioneer settler of Dickey county, is now accounted one of the most successful farmers of his community. He resides on section 29, township 131, range 62, in Porter township, and engages in general farming. He is the owner of one half-section of land, and on his home place has erected a complete set of farm buildings, and enjoys prosperity.
Our subject was born in Timsbury, England, January 13, 1842, and was the fourth in a family of twelve children born to James and Martha (Evans) Memory, both of whom were natives of England. His father was a gentleman servant and died in his native land at an advanced age.
Isaac E. Memory lived in his native land until sixteen years ago, attending the schools and working on the farms in that vicinity. He then went to Arbertillery, South Wales, where he secured a position as clerk in a general merchandise store, which he held twelve years. He came to America in 1871, and located in Ohio on a farm in the western reserve, where he lived until the spring of 1883, at which time he went to Dickey county, North Dakota. He entered claim to a quarter-section of land, and is now the owner of one half-section. He has about twenty head of cattle, twenty horses and a few hogs. He has met with success in his adopted land, and is one of the substantial men of his locality.
Our subject was married at Brynmawr, Wales, in 1860, to Miss Ann James, a native of the village, who was born in 1841, and was a daughter of William James, a farmer of that community. Twelve children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Memory, as follows: Caroline, deceased; William, deceased; James, John, Thomas, Samuel, Martha, George, Elizabeth, May, Harry and Kate. Mr. Memory is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Order of Foresters, the Methodist Episcopal church. He was actively engaged in church work for many years in that denomination, and is a well-known minister in the localities in which he lived. Mr. Memory has served his community in various township offices, and is held in the highest esteem throughout his county.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]
HENRY J. OBERMAN, who is filling the office of county auditor of Dickey county, North Dakota, in an efficient and public spirited manner, is one of the rising young men of that region. He is possessor of one of the most valuable tracts of land in the northern part of the county, consisting of one section, on which he conducted farming for many years, and from a limited start has acquired a comfortable competence, mainly by his own efforts and honest dealings.
Mr. Oberman was born in Joliet, Illinois, June 1, 1864, and was the ninth in a family of ten children born to John F. and Wilhelmina (Brinkman) Oberman. Both parents were natives of Germany, and the father was a quarryman by occupation. The mother of our subject died when he was but five years of age.
Our subject finished his education in the schools of Joliet and in 1882 went to Ellendale, Dickey county, Dakota, and filed claim to land thirteen miles north of the county seat, but at present owns one section of land in Porter township.
Our subject was married in Monango, Dickey county, North Dakota, in 1891, to Miss Francis E. Scott, a native of Iowa, who was born in 1872. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Oberman, whom they have named Frederick S. Mr. Oberman is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America. He has served his township in many of the offices of importance, and his present position is gaining for him the confidence of the people among whom he has resided for so many yeas. Personal matters are at times cast aside for the more important issues of his community and county, and he labors for the general welfare of the people with a oneness of purpose which places him foremost in the rank of esteemed citizens.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Sally Masteller]
OLE A. OLSON, the leading merchant of Glover, Dickey county, is a man of sterling business qualifications and is well known throughout that locality. He carries a complete stock of general merchandise and enjoys an extensive patronage. He is also interested in buying grain during the season and is a correct judge and is held in the highest esteem by all with whom he comes in contact.
Mr. Olson was born on a farm near the village of Little Hammar, Norway, November 15, 1846, and was a son of Ole and Randene (Peterson) Olson. His father was a farmer and carpenter and both parents lived and died in Norway, their native land.
Our subject remained at home until after he attained his majority, attending school and working at farm labor in the vicinity of his home. He turned his face toward the New World in 1867 and came to America to seek his fortune. He located in Chaseburg, Wisconsin, in Vernon county, and there worked in a saw mill and at carpenter work until 1870, when he removed to Trempeleau county and engaged in the mercantile business at Pigeon Falls, of which place he was the first postmaster. He purchased a farm in 1876, which he conducted in connection with his business until 1888, in which year he went to Dickey county, North Dakota, and settled in Glover, where he has since conducted a general merchandise business. He also buys grain for the Monarch Elevator Company. He has built up an extensive trade in that locality, and has met with success.
Our subject was married in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin, in 1877, to Miss Ingeborg Olson, a native of Norway. Mrs. Olson was born in 1850, and came to the United States the same year as Mr. Olson. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Olson, as follows: Clara R., who is now a teacher in the public schools of Glover; John O., who is associated with his father in the mercantile business; Carl E.; .Anna L., who died August 20, 1890; Julia L.; Arthur H. and Odin L. Mr. Olson is prominent in public affairs, and has held the office of township treasurer, and has been chairman of the township board. Politically, he is a Republican, and firm in his convictions.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]
HON. EBENEZER P. PERRY, one of the best known attorneys of Dickey county, North Dakota, makes his home in Ellendale, where he has enjoyed an extensive practice. He is also connected with various enterprises in that thriving city, and is one of the potent factors in the prosperity enjoyed in that locality. Our subject was born in Rushford township, Allegany county, New York, February 20, 1825, and was a son of Ebenezer P. and Hannah (Speer) Perry, the former a native of ^Massachusetts and the latter of New Hampshire. His father was a farmer by occupation, and moved into western New York during its early settlement. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Our subject was the youngest of ten children, and completed his schooling in the district schools of his native place and Rushford high school. He left New York when sixteen years of age and went to Whitmanville, Michigan, where he taught school two years, and began reading law under Redfield, a prominent attorney of Cassopolis, Michigan. He then returned to New York and made Rushford his home until about 1848, when he moved to a farm in Linden township, Cattaraugus county, New York, where he resided five years, and then went to New London, Wisconsin, and engaged in the mercantile business with his brother Robert, the brother conducting a hotel while our subject had charge of the other business, their interests being in common. They also, in company with Mr. Swift, operated a flouring and saw-mill and general store at Whitmanville, Michigan, which was destroyed by fire. Afterward our subject began the practice of law in New London, having been admitted to the bar in Waupaca county, Wisconsin, in 1857 at the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in Company E, Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered into the service at Madison, June 11, 1861. They went at once to Washington, thence to Arlington Heights, where they joined the Thirteenth, Sixty-ninth and Seventyninth New York Volunteers, and became a part of the Army of the Potomac. Our subject was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg on the first day of that bloody fight, and also participated in the battle of Bull Run and many of the important engagements of the war. He was transferred to Company D, of his regiment, in March, 1862, and commissioned second lieutenant, and rapidly rose to the rank of captain. He commanded Company D from the battle of Antietam until the regiment was mustered out, and he was finally discharged at Madison, Wisconsin, July 29, 1864. He then returned to Wisconsin and began the practice of law at New London, where he continued until 1882, when he went to Ellendale, North Dakota. He has built for himself a lucrative practice, and is also proprietor and editor of the North Dakota Record (in partnership with his son, H. H.), which was established in August, 1894. Our subject was married, in 1848, to Miss Sophia White, a native of Rushford, New York. Mrs. Perry died in Waupaca county, Wisconsin, leaving two children : Florence, now deceased ; and Charles, residing in Clintonville, Wisconsin. Mr. Perry married Caroline Krause in New London, Wisconsin, in 1866. Mrs. Perry is a native of Germany.  Four children were born to this union, a follows: Ella, Oscar, Laura and Hector H. The last named is now associated with his father in the newspaper work of the "North Dakota Record," and is clerk of court of Dickey county. The paper is a Populist sheet, and the official paper of the county and city. Mr. Perry takes an active interest in public affairs wherever he makes his home, and while a resident of Wisconsin was chosen a member of the legislature of that state in 1867, during which term of office he did very efficient work. He cast his vote for the Republican ticket from 1856 to 1872, since which time he has voted the Democratic ticket. He is a man of deep thought and advocates reform principles. 
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Susan Ripley]
HECTOR H. PERRY, associate editor and joint owner with his father, Ebenezer P. Perry, of the "North Dakota Record," is one of the prosperous and enterprising young men of Dickey county. He is also clerk of the court of Dickey county. Our subject was born in New London, Wisconsin, August 20, 1876. He completed his education in his native place, after which he went to Michigan, and there learned the art of type-setting and printing. He then returned to New London and followed his trade there until 1894, when he went to Ellendale, North Dakota, soon after which he and his father commenced the publication of the "North Dakota Record," which paper they have since edited and published. Mr. Perry was married, in 1897, in Ellendale, North Dakota, to Miss Jennie Montey, a native of New York. Mr. Perry is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was elected clerk of the court of Dickey county in the fall of 1898 on the Populist ticket. He is popular with the people throughout the county, and deservedly so. 
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Susan Ripley]
JAMES R. PIERSON, a representative citizen, and pioneer of Dickey county, resides on section 18, township 130, range 64, in Albion township. He has been closely identified with the development of that region, and his home is one of the pleasant farms of that locality.
Mr. Pierson was born on a farm in Hamlin township, Eaton county, Michigan, June 24, 1841, and was the seventh in a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters, born to Josiah and Lorilla Clark (Walton) Pierson. His father was reared in New York, and died in Eaton county, Michigan, in 1861, where also the mother died.
Our subject resided in his native county until he went to Dickey county, North Dakota, in the spring of 1883. He had purchased land in his native state in 1872. When he located in Dakota he filed claim to a quarter section of land, on which he has since made his home. He has added another quarter section to his possessions, and his entire farm of one half-section is fully improved. He has devoted his career to the pursuit of agriculture, and has met with success.
Our subject was married in Eaton county, Michigan, October 22, 1863, to Miss Angelina Walter, a native of Summit county, Ohio, who was born October 22, 1854, and was a daughter of Ely and Polly Walter. Mr. Walter has followed farming during his entire career, and is now living on the homestead farm in Eaton county, where Mrs. Pierson's mother died in 1891, aged sixty-two years. Mrs. Pierson was the eldest in a family of six children, two sons and four daughters. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pierson, a daughter, Inez, who was born on the farm in Eaton county, Michigan, April 6, 1868. She is a graduate of the Eaton Rapids High School, and is now Mrs. C. C. Bowsfield. Mr. Bowsfield is a native of Connecticut, and was formerly editor and proprietor of the "Ellendale Commercial," and is now on the editorial staff of the "Chicago Tribune.” He was chief of the senate at Bismarck in 1891, an enrolling and engraving clerk in the constitutional convention in 1859.
Mr. Pierson is active in matters of a public nature, and has held numerous township offices of trust. He is the postmaster at Pierson, which office is at his home, and he is held in the highest esteem by his associates, and has a host of friends in Dickey county.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]
MADS PETERSON,  who has devoted the greater part of his career to agricultural pursuits, has met with success in his chosen calling and is the owner of a fine estate in Ada township, Dickey county.  He resides on section 3, in township 129, range 61, and conducts stock and grain raising.
Our subject was born on a farm in Jutland, Denmark, July 21, 1856, and was the second in a family of fifteen children born to Peter and Veta (Bertlson) Peterson, both of whom were natives of Denmark.  The father was a farmer by occupation and the mother of our subject died in Denmark, when he was but a boy.
Mads Peterson attended the schools of his native land and assisted with the farm work until sixteen years of age, when he emigrated to America.  He located in Polk county, Wisconsin, and there worke at farming and in the woods until 1883, in which year he went to Dickey county, North Dakota.  He filed claim to the land on which he now resides and is now the owner of the quarter-section which he then took and one other, his farm comprising three hundred and twenty acres.  He has improved his property in a thorough manner and engages extensively in stock raising and to some extent in grain raising.
Mr. Peterson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and is popular with his associates.  He has acquired a thorough knowledge of his calling and applies the same in a practical manner, tending to the up building of that section of the country.  He is a man of sterling worth and is deservedly held in high esteem by his fellows.  Politically, he is a Republican.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]
EDWIN ALLEN SMITH, son of Allen and Ruth Smith, was born at Chatfield, Minnesota, October 5, 1857.  In 1873 he entered the office of the “Chatfield Democrat,” and served an apprenticeship of five years.  Came to Dakota in 1879 and settled at Flandrau.  In 1882 he came to Dickey county, settling in Ellendale, where he was engaged in the real estate and insurance business for four years.  He was married, in 1883, to Katie M. Clark at Ellendale, and has six children.  In 1887 he moved to St. Paul, where he was employed on the “Pioneer Press” for about four years.  In 1891 he returned to Ellendale and purchased a half interest in the “Dickey County Leader,” and in partnership with F. S. Goddard published that paper for four years.  In 1898 he purchased the “Oakes Republican,” and moved to the latter place with his family.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Maggie Saggio]
TRUMAN H. THATCHER, residing on section 31, township 130, in Hudson township, is one of the successful pioneer farmers of Dickey county.  He entered that region when it was a wild country, and has aided in transforming it into one of the thriving agricultural districts of the state.  His farm bespeaks careful management and persistent efforts and strict attention to business, and he enjoys a liberal reward, surrounded by the comforts of a model rural home.
Our subject was born in Sharon, Vermont, January 28, 1851.  His father, Norman Thatcher, was a native of Vermont and was a soldier in the Civil war.  He enlisted in Company C, Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, and was captain of his company.  He was wounded in action,  and died in Menasha, Wisconsin, from disease contracted in the army.  The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Mary Ann Robinson, was a native of Vermont, and is now living in Menasha.  Four children were born to this worthy couple, two sons and two daughters, our subject being the third child and first son.
Truman H. Thatcher resided in his native town until six years of age, when his parents removed to Menasha, Wisconsin, in 1857, and there he attended school and grew to manhood.  He then secured a team and was engaged in the transfer business until 1883, in which year he went to Dickey county, North Dakota, and entered a pre-emption claim to one quarter-section of land upon which the village of Ginelph is now located.  He subsequently sold this property, and has at present four hundred acres of choice land, which is well improved and fully stocked.
Our subject was married in Wisconsin, June 25, 1872, to Miss Phoebe Ann Smith, who was born in New York, November 12, 1850.  Mrs. Thatcher went to Wisconsin when a child with her parents and lived on a farm near Neenah.  Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher are the parents of one daughter, Maud, now Mrs. J. D. Root, of Enderlin, North Dakota.  Mr. Root is in the railway mail service, running between Enderlin and Portal.  Mr. Thatcher is a member of Masonic Lodge, No. 187, of Menasha, Wisconsin, and is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and Mrs. Thatcher is a member of the Eastern Star.  Our subject is the present chairman of the township board, and is a member of the board of school directors.  He is an ardent worker for the better interests of his community, and he merits his high standing in his community.  Politically he is a Republican.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]
ERWIN E. TOWN. Among the better class of agriculturists, whose farms evidence enterprise and painstaking care, this gentleman stands in a foremost rank. He has added valuable improvements to his estate and is one of the substantial men of Dickey County. He makes his home on section 11, township 129, range 65, of Spring Valley Township, and every appointment bespeaks the good taste of the family.
Our subject was born on a farm in Dane County, Wisconsin, January 4, 1863, and there attended school and resided until eighteen years of age. He was the third in order of birth in a family of eleven children born to Allen and Jane (Haggert) Town. His father was a farmer by occupation and died in Columbia County, Wisconsin, in 1898 and the mother died in the same county in 1892.
After completing his education our subject began railroad work between Winona, Minnesota, and Harvard, Illinois, and continued thus engaged four and a half years, when he returned home for a short time and in March, 1886, went to Dickey County, North Dakota, where he filed claim to land and began farming. He and Mrs. Town each own one quarter-section of land and their home farm is equipped with the most modern and improved machinery and buildings and every arrangement made to lessen the labor incident to farm life.
Our subject was married, in Ellendale, North Dakota, in December, 1893, to Miss Mary Stephens, a native of New Richmond, Wisconsin, who was born in 1870. Mrs. Town was a daughter of Michael and Ellen Stephens. Her father died when she was a small child and her mother was killed in the cyclone which destroyed the town of New Richmond, in the spring of 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Town are the parents of three children, as follows: Ellen, Allen and Marian. Mr. Town has served as assessor of Spring Valley Township for the past five years and is a man who takes an active interest in the welfare of his township and county. He is always found standing on the side of right and justice and is highly esteemed throughout the county where he has made his home for so many years. Politically, he is a Republican.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Laurel Durham]
JOHN H. VAN METER, the leading contractor and builder of Dickey county, resides on his homestead farm in Van Meter township. He is the possessor of one half-section of land in section 8, township 129, range 62, but his contracts take his attention so entirely that he rents his land annually and does not attempt farming. He is one of the early settlers and well known as a businessman of much ability and a citizen of true worth in his community.
Our subject was born in Newark. Kendall county, Illinois, January 7, 1838. His father, Miles H. Van Meter, was born in Grayson county, Kentucky, March 6, 1810, and died in Hudson, Wisconsin, May 31, 1898. He was a pilot on the Ohio river when a young man, and went to Illinois in 1836, where he lived on a farm for some time, and in later years he followed the joiner's trade in Wisconsin. He was captain in the Illinois militia, and had command of a company that was sent to Ottawa, Illinois, to quell the riot there during the construction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Litsey, and was a native of Grayson, Kentucky. She died in Hudson, Wisconsin, in the late seventies, and was the mother of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, our subject being the fifth child. Of the other children two daughters and one son are at the old home in Hudson; two of the elder sons, D. K. and M. L., are living in Illinois, and are contractors and builders ; one son, E. W., resides at Aberdeen, South Dakota; Henry was killed at the battle of Chickamauga and Abe C. died in the early part of 1899. He was the founder, the editor and proprietor of the "St. Croix (Wisconsin) Republican."
Our subject at the age of fourteen years, went to Hudson, Wisconsin, with his parents, where he at once secured work on the river, and at nineteen years of age was a first-class pilot, plying between St. Paul and St. Louis. He continued to work on the river during the summers and in the lumber woods during the winters until 1861, when, in May of that year, he answered his country's call and enlisted in the City Guards, of Hudson, Wisconsin, later known as Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Infantry, and in 1863 the regiment was merged into the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry. In 1861 he was in Maryland and Newport News, and left the lower James the day before the Merrimac came out. They were then ordered to Ship Island, Gulf of Mexico, and from thence to the Mississippi river, and were there during the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Phillip, under Farragut. Our subject was a member of one of the four companies sent to the rear of Fort Phillips to cut off the retreat of the garrison at that place, and after capturing the garrison were put into gunboat No. 3 and sent to New Orleans, and our subject landed in that city April 29, among the first, and on the night of May 8, 1862, he was put into the pilot house of a Mississippi river steamer to pilot an expedition to Vicksburg, a distance of over four hundred miles, over an up familiar course, rendering the task a difficult one. He remained on the river until July, and in the latter part of that month left the canal which he was helping to construct opposite Vicksburg. He was in the hospital at Baton Rouge for a few days, and then participated in the battle of that place, after which they evacuated the city and fell back to New Orleans, and his company was then detached from the regiment and put into the artillery, where he served until the spring of 1863. He was with General Banks on his western Louisiana expedition to Red river, crossing the Mississippi at Bayou Sara, and then went to the rear of Port Hudson to besiege it, and was in the assault May28, 1863. They were sent to Clinton, Louisiana, June 3, to break up the rebel camp, after which hotly contested engagement they went into the rifle pits at Port Hudson, and there remained until June14, when the grand assault occurred, when his regiment lost one hundred and sixty men in fifteen minutes. They were compelled to retreat, and July 9 renewed the attack, when the enemy surrenderd. They then went to Baton Rouge and spent the fall and winter of 1863-64 scouting as cavalry, and in February, 1864, about four hundred men re-enlisted after the expiration of their term of service, and were recruited as a full cavalry regiment. Our subject visited his home on a thirty-days' furlough at this time, and during the summer of 1864, and until March, 1865, they were at Highland Stockade and at Baton Rouge, and from the latter place went to New Orleans, and were at the capture of Forts Spanish, Blakesley and Mobile, and were then put in the cavalry service under General Greerson, when they started to join Sherman, who was on his march to the sea. They crossed Alabama and the south end of Florida, and after crossing the Chattahoochee river at Eufala, they met some of General Johnston's men, who informed them that he had surrendered to General Sherman, and they then went into camp, and after receiving orders returned to Montgomery, Alabama, where they were divided, and that portion of the brigade to which his regiment belonged sent to Columbus, Mississippi, through the Yazoo country to Vicksburg, and thence to Shreveport, Louisiana, by transport, where they were joined by the Third Michigan and Twelfth New York, and were ordered to San Antonio, Texas, leaving Shreveport July 9, 1865. After their arrival they made two expeditions into the mountains against the Indians, after which the brigade was divided : the regiment to which our subject belonged, the Fourth Wisconsin, went across the lower plains of western Texas, striking the Rio Grande at Fort Mcintosh. They were the only cavalry regiment stationed on the river, and their work covered a river frontage of two hundred and fifty miles. Our subject assisted in taking prisoners to Brownsville, and he witnessed much of the warfare between General Maximilian and General Corteno at Matamoras, Mexico. He served his country five years, one month and a half, as a brave and loyal soldier, and was mustered out at Brownsville, Texas, May 19, 1866, and June 4 left for his home, where he arrived June 22.
During the summer after his return from the war, Mr. Van Meter resumed his profession as pilot on the river, and in the spring of 1867 began to learn the builder's art under Alexander Gamble, of Hudson, Wisconsin, for whom he worked five years. He has followed the work continuously since, and has constructed many mills and elevators in North Dakota. He resides on his farm, about two miles from the city of Ellendale, and rents his land. He came to Dickey county, North Dakota, April 15, 1882, and entered claim to his land, and returned to Wisconsin for a full set of tools with which to commence his work, and May 12, 1882, he took up the quarter-section where he now resides.
Our subject was married in Hudson Wisconsin, May 29, 1867, to Mary Kennedy, a native of Ireland. Mrs. Van Meter died in Dickey county, North Dakota, April 26, 1886, leaving two children, as follows: Warren W., now a conductor on the Mexican Central Railroad, out of the City of Mexico ; and Kate Mabel, now Mrs. P. J. Cruikshanks, of Bozeman, Montana. Mr. Van Meter married Mrs. May J. Sweezey Chapman, in Ellendale, North Dakota, October 20, 1887. Mrs. Van Meter is a native of New York City, and was born July 5, 1836. Her father was a captain in the American merchant marine service, and died in Jackson, Michigan, where also her mother, who bore the maiden name of Marian Hoar, passed away. Mrs. Van Meter is the mother of three children by her marriage to Mr. Chapman, as follows: William L., a farmer of Kent county, Michigan ; Frank D., a passenger conductor on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad : and Rose L., who died aged eight years. The family are attendants of the Baptist church, of which denomination Mrs. Van Meter is a member. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Van Meter appear on another page. Our subject is commander of John A. Spellman Post, No. 13, G. A. R., Department of North Dakota, and is a prominent citizen. He has held numerous township offices and labors for the better interests of his community. In political sentiment he is a Republican.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Renae Capitanio]
ELMER W. WESTON, proprietor of the “Oakes Independent,” is a man of much business ability, and is well known in newspaper circles.  He was born in Wyoming county, New York, May 10, 1860, and was a son of Edwin and Juliet (Durkee) Weston.  His father was a commission merchant and successful as a business man.
Our subject remained at home until he attained his majority, and in 1883 went to Dickey county with his mother and filed claim to land southwest of Oakes, on which he resided until 1886, at which time he went to Oakes and engaged in the newspaper work with R. H. Busteed.  They published the “Oakes Herald” for one year, and then our subject disposed of his interest and engaged in the insurance business, and in 1891 he and W. H. Ellis established the “Independent,” and two years later our subject purchased the entire plant, and has continued the sole owner since.  He has made a success of his work and displays marked business ability.  He is also agent for the McCormick Harvester Machinery Company at Oakes.  His brother, E. F. Weston, resides in Chicago, and is general agent for the McCormick Harvester Company, and is one of the trusted employes of that firm, having reached his prominent position by faithful service.
Our subject was married, near Oakes, in 1892, to Carrie M. Tyrrell.  Mr. Weston is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is prominent in local public affairs.  He has served as justice of the peace and as alderman of the city, and is a man who has the interests of his community at heart.  Politically he is a free-silver man and stands firmly for his convictions.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Maggie Saggio]
HARKER WHITFIELD, one of the pioneer settlers of Dickey county, has gained a comfortable competence and an enviable reputation by his honest efforts and excellent characteristics. He is proprietor of a well-improved estate in Norway township, and makes his home there in section 24, township 131, range 60.
Our subject was born on a farm in Wentworth county, Ontario, Canada, October 7, 1859, and was a son of William J. and Orphia (Lyons) Whitfield.
Mr. Whitfield remained at home on the farm until the fall of 1881, assisting on the farm and attending school. In the fall of that year he came to the United States and located at Duluth, Minnesota, and worked in the pineries in that state and Wisconsin for the following nine winters. He went to Fargo, North Dakota, in the spring of 1882, and worked as a laborer in Cass county, that summer, and in the fall went to Dickey county, North Dakota, where he located his present home. He continued to improve the land during the summers and going to the pineries during the winters until 1891, to secure means with which to conduct the farm. His farm is nicely located immediately west of the village of Oakes and he now enjoys a comfortable income.
Our subject was married, in Wentworth county, Canada, March 22, 1893, to Miss Amy L. Shaver, a native of that county, who was born October 31, 1871. Mrs. Whitfield is a daughter of Edgerton and Early A. (Sweazie) Shaver. Her father is a farmer and fruit grower. Her grandfather, Colonel D. Shaver, was a colonel in the English army during the Revolutionary War. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield, as follows: Ira W. and Harley H. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Whitfield is an influential citizen and an earnest worker for the advancement of his community.
[Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Publ. 1900. Transcribed by Janice Louie]

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