Polk County

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of William C. Nash of East Grand Forks Minnesota

Polk County /

William C. Nash, born on June 1, 1833, in Newcastle, Pennsylvania, was a pioneer of East Grand Forks, settling there in 1870. He was the first settler in the region and served as postmaster for four years. Nash’s early ventures included carrying mail by sled from Fort Abercrombie to Pembina and acting as a government agent, capturing Native American chiefs. In 1869, he married Ida V. Slaughter and had seven children. Nash, a respected Masonic Order member, was known for his liberal views and influence in the Red River Valley.

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Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of Harvey Chase Misner of Crookston Minnesota

Polk County /

Harvey Chase Misner, born on January 9, 1854, in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, became a notable business figure in Crookston, Minnesota. The son of Ira P. Misner and Irvilla Chapin, he moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1867. After gaining experience in the general merchandising business, Misner established a grocery store in 1879 and later moved his business to Euclid, Minnesota. In 1881, he co-founded E. Taylor & Company and later formed H. C. Misner & Co. By 1904, he joined the Wheeler-Misner Loan Company as secretary-treasurer. A dedicated public servant, Misner served as Euclid Township’s first clerk for seventeen years. Married to Ida M. Taylor in 1881, they had three children, with one surviving, Harvey W. Misner. Misner was active in the Crookston Commercial Club and various fraternal organizations.

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Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of John D. McPhee of Crookston Minnesota

Polk County /

John D. McPhee, born May 14, 1856, in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, was of Scottish descent. His parents, John and Esther McPhee, emigrated from Scotland in 1847 and farmed in Ontario. In 1879, McPhee relocated to Crookston, Minnesota, briefly lived in Winnipeg, and later homesteaded in Walsh County, North Dakota. He managed Keystone and Lockhart Farms before moving to Crookston in 1902 to enter real estate. McPhee co-founded the Red River Valley Land Company and served as Crookston’s mayor from 1906 to 1909. A Republican, he was active in the Commercial Club, Masonic Order, and Elks. He married Susan Cheeney in 1888.

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Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of Jerome W. Wheeler of Crookston Minnesota

Polk County /

Jerome W. Wheeler, born January 15, 1863, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, served as president of the First National Bank of Crookston, Minnesota. The son of Jerome B. and Katherine (Deming) Wheeler, his ancestry includes Israel Putnam. Educated by his mother, he graduated from McMynn Academy in 1880. Wheeler’s banking career began in Kenosha and continued at the First National Bank of Crookston, where he became president in 1895. A leader in financial and social circles, Wheeler was active in the State Bankers’ Association and various fraternal organizations. He married Eva Hill in 1887, and they had three children: Katherine, Marion, and Jerome W., Jr.

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Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of John F. Brandt of East Grand Forks, Minnesota

Polk County /

East Grand Forks was successful in materializing their political ideas of municipal ownership in the campaign from 1901 to 1903, by the election of Captain John F. Brandt as their mayor. Municipal ownership had always been advocated by Captain Brandt, and his advancement to the mayoralty of the city at that time is what gave them the municipal ownership of the city light plant. In 1897, and again in 1898, Captain Brandt was elected city treasurer of East Grand Forks. In 1899, he was elected mayor of the city, and this election was followed by two others, one in 1901,

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