Clay County Archives – Page 5 of 5

Biography of Anton Christiansen of Goose Prairie township, Minnesota

Anton Christiansen, is the son of Christian Christiansen and is one of the highly respected citizens of Goose Prairie township, Clay county, his home being in section 2, while his farm reaches in both sections 1 and 2. Mr. Christiansen was born in Tronhjem, Norway, in 1884, and while a young man, he set sail for America, and found himself located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here he worked for the railroad company for a time, but decided that a better field for young men to make a livelihood, was in Minnesota, and in 1868 he settled in Filmore county, and […]

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Biography of Frank A. Catlin of Barnesville, Minnesota

Clay County, Douglas County / History of the Red River Valley

Frank A. Catlin, associated with Irving S. in the business of Catlin Brothers, was born August 1, 1857. He lived on the family homestead in Wisconsin, until twenty-three years old, and in 1881 went to Fergus Falls, and began railroading, and worked his way up, and in 1883 was put in charge of a passenger engine. His run was first from Fergus Falls to Grand Forks, North Dakota and Crookston, Minnesota, but now from Barnesville to Devils Lake, a distance of 210 miles. He has been locomotive engineer on his division twenty-five years and is the third oldest engineer in

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Biography of Irving S. Catlin of Barnesville, Minnesota

Clay County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County / History of the Red River Valley

Irving S. Catlin, of the firm of Catlin Brothers, dealers in drugs, jewelry and notions, at Barnesville, Minnesota, is a native of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and was born April 23, 1871, the youngest son of Nelson and Elizabeth (Keyes) Catlin. The father, born in Litchfield, Herkimer county, New York, was of English lineage. He was a school teacher in early life, and in the early days purchased and settled on a partially improved farm in Walworth county, Wisconsin. He was a man of influence in his community and served as justice of the peace, town supervisor, township superintendent of schools, and

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Biography of Torkle Austinson of Ulen, Minnesota

Clay County, Freeborn County / History of the Red River Valley

Torkle Austinson, father of Mr. A. T. Austinson, a prominent politician of Ulen township, was born in Hallingdohl, Norway, July 6, 1826, and is now living with his son, in Ambrose, North Dakota. He married Miss Gure Oleson, in Norway, in 1854. She was born, October 7, 1819, and died in the village of Ulen, in 1904, at the age of eighty-three. They emigrated to the United States, in the spring of 1868, in a sailing vessel called “Nordna;” it was a three months’ voyage, provisions ran out, almost causing starvation among the passengers. They first settled in Primrose township,

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Biography of A. T. Austinson of Ulen, Minnesota

Clay County, Freeborn County / History of the Red River Valley

A. T. Austinson, one of the founders and builders of the village of Ulen, Minnesota, was born in Norway, May 5, 1857. His parents were Torkle and Guri (Descud) Austinson. Mr. Austinson came to the United States in 1868, and settled first in the town of Primrose, Dane county, Wisconsin, and the following year moved to Twin Lake, Freeborn county, Minnesota, where he remained for about two years, and then went to Goose Prairie township, Clay county, Minnesota, three miles east of Hitterdal, where he proved up a claim and assisted materially to organize the town of Goose Prairie. He

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Biography of Hans H. Aaker of Moorhead, Minnesota

Clay County / History of the Red River Valley

Hans H. Aaker, proprietor of Aaker’s Business College, was born on a farm near Ridgeway, Iowa, on the 16th day of April, 1862. His father, Hans O. Aaker, was born in Sauland, Telemarken, Norway, in 1825. He emigrated to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he was one of the early settlers and for fifty years a prominent and well to do farmer. Ragnild Aaker (nee Gutehus), the mother of H. H. Aaker, was born in Hjertdal, Telemarken, Norway, and was married to Hans O. Aaker just before his emigration to this country. Young Aaker received a good primary education and entered

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Clay County