Fillmore County, Minnesota - Biographical sketches (5 of 11 so headed), 1882

Samuel Aaberg was born in Norway in 1847, and came to America in 1869. He resided for a time in Stoughton, Dane county, Wisconsin, then went to Howard county, Iowa, and engaged in farming. While there he married Miss Emily Nelson, a daughter of Sondry Nelson, an early settler of that county. The union is blessed with five children, four sons and one daughter. In 1880, they came to Harmony and Mr. Aaberg took charge of the lumber yard of Day Brothers, continuing in their employ until the 26th of July, 1881, when the yard was purchased by Edwards & Osborne, for whom he fills the same position.

of whom was born in Dutchess county, New York, on the 3d of October, 1803. His native State claimed him as a resident until 1855, when he came west, spent the winter in Chicago, and in the spring of 1856, came to Fllmore county, settling in the town of Preston, where he has since resided, until his death, which occiirred'the 27th of March, 1866. His widow still lives on the homestead. She has had eleven children, eight of whom are living; Pheobe, now Mrs. Purdy Hart; Aaron, who lives in Missouri; Martin in Dakota; Sarah Ann, now Mrs. John Mills; Emily, now Mrs. Wm. Duxbury ; Howard V., Willard, and Clayton. Howard V. was bom in Herkimer county. New York, in 1845. He came to this county with his parents and remained with them until 1862, when he enlisted in the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Campany E; and was placed on frontier duty in this State to protect the settlers from Indians. In April of the same year he was severely wounded, on account of which he was disabled from further service in the field, but remained in hospitals at different places till March, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Miln, a daughter of Henry Miln. She was born in Scotland, on the 25th, of December, 1849. The fruits of the marriage are three children ; Jessie, Gertie, and Lynn. Mr. Boice's farm is located in section five, Harmony township, and contains 200 acres.

Chablbs W. Beach is a son of Ashley Beach, who was bom in Canada, where he lived until the spring of 1865, when he came to Fillmore county and settled in the town of Harmony. His wife was Miss Lucy Vail. They had three children ; Almy, bom in 1837, is the wife of Moses Vail; Miles, bora in 1843, resides at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Charles, the subject of this sketch, was bom in Canada on the 3d of June, 1845. The maiden name of his wife was Wealthy Capron, a native of Canada. They have two children; Ines and George.

AiiONZo Danibls is a native of Wayne county. New York, where he was born on the 13th of July, 1832. He removed with his parents to Onondago county, when thirteen years old. In the fall of 1855, he came to Spring Prairie, Walworth county, Wisconsin, and the following spring to Fillmore county, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm, but did not settle permanently till the spring of 1858. Mrs. Daniels was for-

I merly Miss Flavia Merrick, daughter of Rhoderick I Merrick, one of the earliest settlers of Spring Prairie. They have four children, Albert H. Rhoderick W., Herbert Alonzo, and Nora S. Mr. I Daniels was a mechanic in early life, and followed i the business of carpenter for many years. As a farmer he has been very successful; like most of the early settlers he had but little on his arrival here, but now has three farms in the township, I aggregating six hundred and eighty acres. He has been prominently identified with the progress and development of the town, "has held most of the town offices, been Chairman of the board of Supervisors, and Town Clerk three years.

Daniel Dayton, one of the prominent old settlers of Harmony, who has been as intimately I connected with its history as any other citizen, is a native of Bennington county, Vermont, born on the 29th of August, 1800. He went to Canada when a young man, and there married Miss Meribah Dunham, who was bora in Canada, of American parentage. In 1839, they removed to Genesee county, Michigan, where Mr. Dayton filled the office of County Judge, and resided until November, 1854, when he removed to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The following spring they came to Fillmore county, and settled in section six, in this town and soon after opened a hotel in a log building, which was known as the **Ravine," and to which he made a stone addition in 1857. Mrs. Dayton died in 1858, after bearing him seven children, only two of whom are now living. Those deceased are, James, who was accidentally killed when eight years old; Jerusha, afterward Mrs. William B. Allen, who died in 1880; Emily, who married R. S. Blake, died in 1865; Clarissa and Maria. Zara, the oldest living son, was bom in Canada in 1832, came here with his parents, and now owns the old homestead. He is a prominent citizen, and has held a number of local offices. His wife was Miss Carrie A. Brown, a native of New York. They have two chilren, Daniel and D. Orra C. Aaron H. H., the other son, was bom in Canada in 1837. He served in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Jnfantry, first as private, then as Second and afterward as First Lietenant. He married Ann T. Stork, who died in 1866. His present wife was Rasatee, a sister of his first wife. This union has been blessed with two children, John S. and Emily. Mr. Daniel Dayton, the subject of this sketch, was a member of the State Legislature in 1859 and 1860, has been Chairman of the board of Sudervisors and Town Clerk several terms; was the first Justice of the Peace and held the position twenty -five years, besides filling many other town and county offices.

Richard Duxbury was bom in Lancaster, England, in 1833. His father, William Duxbury, oame to America in 1848, lived in Massachusetts one year, and then oame to Eock county, Wisconsin, where he bought a farm, and removed several years later. He had ten children, seven sons and three daughters. All of the boys, at difi'erent times, came to Fillmore county. The oldesfc son, John, and his brother James, came in December, 1853, and settled in the town of Preston. Thomas and his brother-in-law, Thomas Reese, made claims in Preston in the fall of 1855. George came in 1856, made a claim in Preston, but sold soon after to his brother William, who came in the spring of

1859. Richard came with his brother William, and made a claim on his present farm in June, 1858. John died in January, 1861, and James is now living in Hamilton county, Texas. Edward came to Preston township in 1865. William and Greorge removed to Dakota in the spring of 1882. The father came to this county, but made no settlement. He died in Edgerton, Rock county, Wisconsin. Richard was married in 1859, to M. Mirandi Barnes, daughter of Moses Barnes who was bom in Brookfield, Massachusetts, on the 20th of June, 1803. He moved to Perry county, Ohio, when nineteen years old, where he married Polly Bingham. They were early settlers in Dane county, Wisconsin, where they lived ten years, then removed to Howard county, Iowa, and remained six months. He wandered up into Minnesota, and located at Big Spring, this county, in February, 1854. In April of the same year he built a double log house, keeping a hotel for several years and doing a good business. He was appointed Postmaster of the Big Spring Post-office in 1856, which was name i after the spring on his farm. He sold his farm here in 1873, and moved with his youngest son, R. D. B., to Lyon bounty, where he still lives. He has seven children, Alvira T., now Mrs. Samuel R. Ayer; Augustus M.. Alvah E., Russel D., Mrs. M. M. Duxbury, Sarah L., now Mrs. Nelson Brightman. Mrs. Duxbury was born in Rock county, Wisconsin, and removed with her parents to Minnesota when eleven years of age. They have nine children; Lorinda J., Francis Adelbert, Lewis Newton, Roseltha, William R. C, Lodena P., Phebe Ann, Emma A^ and Frank R. They lost one daughter, Emma. Mr. Duxbury enlisted in September, 1864, in Hotchkiss' Battery, Light Artillery, and served till the close of the war. William Bingham came with Moses Barnes and located in section five. He is a brother of Mrs. Barnes.

Thomas Erickson was bom in Norway in 1833. His father, Erick Erickson, was also a native of Norway, bora in 1798, and married Julia Oleson. They emigrated to America in 1845, and settled in Racine county, Wisconsin, where they lived nine years, coming to Fillmore county in July, 1854, and locating in section twenty. Harmony township. Mr. Erickson died on the 13th of September, 1874, leaving a wife and four children. Erick, the eldest, now lives in Stevens county, Minnesota; Thomas and Rachel reside on the homestead; and Ole is a clergyman in Chippewa county. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, married Miss Julia Riste, whose father was an early settler in Spring Grove, Houston county, and died in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Erickson have ten children, seven sons and three daughters.

PuRDY Hart, one of the early settlers of this place, was bora in Westchester county. New York, on the 16th of August, 1812, which State claimed him as a resident untU 1856, when he came to Fillmore county and made a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm. As illustrative of the progress and growth of this section since Mr. Hart came here, it may be stated that his nearest markets were McGregor, Iowa, a distance of seventy miles, and Winona, fifty miles away; five or six days were required to make the trip. Mrs. Hart^s maiden name was Phoebe Jane Boioe, a daughter of William and Susan Boice. She was born in Putnam county, New York, in 1834. Their children are Sarah, now Mrs. Jolm Stewart; Purdy, Josephine, William, Frank, Susan, Albert, Marvin, and Jennie. Mr. Hart is the only member of his father's family in this State. He now owns a fine farm of seven hundred acres.

Charles R. Hills was bom in 1814, in Allegany county. New York, and moved to St. Joseph county, Michigan, in 1837. He married Miss Sarah Backins, a native of Batavia, Genesee county. New York, in 1837. In 1852,Mr. Hills went by the overland route to California, driving an ox team the whole distance across the plains. He returned to Michigan in 1855, and came to FiUmore county the same spring, settling on the farm which has since been his home. His wife died in 1878, leaving five children; Homer, Jane, now Mrs. Jay Hosford; Harriet, now Mrs. Arne Ameson; Webster, and Washington.

James Hoag is a son of After Hoag, who was bom in Grand Isle, Vermont, in 1810, moved to St. Lawrence coimty. New York, and afterward to Illinois. He married Miss Harriet Goodrich. They came from Illinois to this township in 1853, and settled on the farm where James now lives. Mr. Hoag was prominent among the early settlers of this place. He died on the 7th of April, 1875. His son Calvin, who died in the army, was the earliest settler of this township, comiug in 1852, and locating on the State line. There were four other sons, all of whom served in the army; Charles, the oldest, was a member of the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and died while in service; James was in the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery; Seth in the Eleventh Minnesota Infantry, and Ephraim, the youngest, was in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry, and died in St. Louis. James was bom in St. Lawrence county. New York, in 1838, and now owns and occupies the original homestead. He married Jane Damon, a daugliter of Jason Damon, an early settler of the town of Bristol. They have five children; Harriet, James, Alice, Bird, and Lester.

William Knox, one of the earliest settlers of this township, was born in the northern part of Ireland, on the 8th of August, 1811. He married Miss Mary Ann Glass, in 1840. She was bom in county Donegal, on the Ist of May, 1820. They emigrated to America in 1848, lived in Pennsylvania one year, then to Virginia, near Wheeling, where Mr. Knox was employed on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad and afterward engaged in farmmg. He came to the territory of Minnesota in 1853, and purchased his farm where he has since lived. Mr. and Mrs. Knox have eight children; Martha, Jane, Sarah E., Mary A., M. E., William L., Robert G., and James.

P. T. Labson is a native of Norway, born on the 1st of Febmary, 1850, on the farm Oxendnl, in the parish of Bakke. His father, Lars Pedersen, still resides on the old farm. His mother, Walborg, died when he was a year old. He was soon ofter handed over to the care of a stepmother, Antonette, who became interested in his education and kept him quite steadily at the parochial schools until fourteen jrears old. When eighteen years of ago he came to America with his uncle, T. A. Dahl, and located in Dunn county, Wisconsin. Here he was employed at farming during summer and att<?nding school in winter, residing with his uncle. In the fall of 1869, he came to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where his uncle had previously settled. He followed agricultural pursuits there until the fall of 1874, when he went to the Lutheran College at Decorah, Iowa, and took a three years' course. Sickness prevented the further continuance of his studies, and in 1878, he came to Fillmore county and taught school two terms. He was then again engaged in I farming for a short time. In the spring of 1880, he opened a grocery store in Harmony, to which he afterward added hardware. He is dk\m Postmaster. His wife, Sophie Larson, to whom he was married on the 20th of February, 1878, was born in Norway on the 20th i of September, 1853. She was reared in the same place as her husband, and came to America with her family in 1869. They have three children; Walborg Martine, Ludwig, and Marti Ide.

immediately entered the German Lutheran Concordia College at St. Louis, Missouri. He was I ordained at Norway Grove, Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1865, and soon after settled here as pastor parents, NathaDiel F. and Mary Moore, to Spring Prairie, Walworth county, Wisconsin, in the spring of 1850. His father died there on the Ist of August, ] 852, and his mother soon moved to Milwaukee. Tbey had six children, three sons and three daughters. T. G. is the only one residing in this State. He was married in Walworth county to Rose Merrick. They came to Fillmore county . in April, 1860, and purchased a portion of their present farm, which now contains over seven hundred acres. Mr. Moore is one of the successful farmers of the place, came here poor but by industry has amassed quite a fortune. He has been Chairman of the board of Supervisors and Assessor, each several times. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have two children ; Warren, bom in November. 1859, and Elbert O., bom in April, 1875. They lost two, a daughter Addie and an infant son.

Austin H. NEiiSON is a son of Harben Nelson who emigrated to America from Norway in 1842, and settled in Waukesha county, Wisconsin. He removed his family to Fillmore county in 1854, and settled in this township, section twenty-four, where he still lives. He has six children, two sons and four daughters. Austin was bora in Norway in 1833. He was married to Carrie Olson, who was bom in Wisconsin of Norwegian parents, they coming to America in 1841. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have five children, two boys and three girls. Tbeir farm was a part of the original homstead which Mr. H. Nelson took when coming here. Nels H. Nelson, a brother of Austin, was bom in Norway in 1840, and resides upon that part of the homestead which iiis father first settled.

Thomas Ryan is a native of Ireland, bom in Tipperary county on the Ist of August 1829. He moved to Canada in 1843, where he resided until 1856, when he came to Fillmore county and made a claim in this township. About a year later he sold his first purchase and located in section fourteen, his farm adjoining the village. He married Mary C. Craig, a native of New York. They have had thirteen children, nine of whom are living; Marry E., now Mrs. Terrenoe McCabe; Sybil, now Mrs. F. J. Hughes; John L., Cynthia M., William H., Luoinda J., now Mrs. John Pagan ; Thomas E., Emma C, and Eva H. Mr. Ryan enlisted in the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry on the 28th of August, 1864, and served till the close of the war. Mrs. Ryan's parents, John and Elizabeth Craig, moved from Canada to Fillmore county. Mrs. Ryan is the only one of her father's family now living.

Edwin Stork is a son of William Stork, one of the early and prominent settlers of this town, who was bom in Ot«ego county. New York, on the 27th of February, 1808. He married Angeliue Johnson in September, 1835. They moved to Qeneva, Walworth county, Wisconsin, in 1837, and remained until coming to Fillmore county in 1854. Mr. Stork was one of the best known of the early settlers and perhaps no man was more prominently connected with the early history than he. He now resides at Lime Springs, Iowa. He has had six children five of whom are living; Adeline, now Mrs. H. C. Marsh, living at Lime Springs, Iowa; Edwin, William E., Charles F., Rosolie, wife of Aaron H. H. Dayton; and Ann L., decased. Edwin, the subject of this sketch, was bom in Q^eva, Walworth county, Wisconsin, on the 5th of November, 1838. He enlisted in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry in 1862, and served about three years, participating in most of the campaigns and battles in which his regiment was engaged. Mrs. Stork was formerly Sarah M. Kimber, daughter of William Kimber, an early settler of Amherst. Mr. and Mrs. Stork have five children; Fred B., Benjamin F., Laura M., William H., and Mabel B.