Biography of Andrew H. Wije of Moorehead Minnesota

Red River Valley title page vol 2

…real estate business, which he has since conducted successfully. Mr. Wije is an active Republican in politics, is a member of the Commercial Club of Moorhead, the Royal Arcanum, and the Modern Woodmen of America. In 1891 he was married to Miss Helen Kjorstad, of Eau Claire, Wis., who died in 1895, leaving one child, Reuel. Source C.F. Cooper & Company, History of the Red River Valley, Past And Present: Including an Account of the Counties, Cities, Towns And Villages of the Valley From the Time of Their First Settlement And Formation, volumes 1-2; Grand Forks: Herald printing company, 1909….

Biography of Andrew O. Houglum of Moorehead Minnesota

Red River Valley title page vol 2

…business qualifications and a strong ambition for an active career, he shows great promise as one of the prominent citizens of his community. His first public office was as the deputy county auditor for Clay County, where he served for approximately eight years, consistently displaying honorable and principled business practices, which earned him his current position. Source C.F. Cooper & Company, History of the Red River Valley, Past And Present: Including an Account of the Counties, Cities, Towns And Villages of the Valley From the Time of Their First Settlement And Formation, volumes 1-2; Grand Forks: Herald printing company, 1909….

Meeker County Minnesota History

A random historical sketch of Meeker County, Minnesota title page

Our history will be but a shadow, and the names of Ripley, Hall, Whitney, DeCoster, Campbell, Fitzgerald, Weymer, Salisbury, Dougherty, Atkinson, VanNess, Mitchell, Dorman, Taylor, Evans, Skinner, Jewett, Kennedy, Stevens, Harvey, Piper, Caswell, Angier, Willis, Dart, Whitcomb, King, Greenleaf, Branham. Fitch, Ball, Hoyt, Griswold, Grayson, Stanton, Robson, Richards, Gorton, Wakefield, Heath, Warren, Willie, Kruger, Ralston, Schultz and a score of others will soon be enveloped in doubt and fiction, like those of “Romulus and Remus of Charlemagne.” Prior to 1855 the country now embraced within the boundaries of Meeker and Kandiyohi counties, in the State of Minnesota, was occupied by…

Hinckley, Pine County, Minnesota,  Forest Fire Deaths, 1894

The exact origin of the fire is somewhat indefinite; the one that visited Hinckley must have started in the region south of Mission Creek. Around this little village much of the pine had been cut. There was in the hamlet twenty-six houses, a schoolhouse, a small sawmill a general store, hotel and blacksmith shop. At the time of the fire there were seventy-three people living in, and adjacent to, this village; a great number of the population were away from home, having gone to Dakota for the harvest. The people had been fighting local fires for a month. At noon,…

Firsts of Meeker County

…August, 1857, by the Rev. John Robson. They still live.” The first sermon preached was by Rev. John Robson, (Methodist) Nov. 1856. He was from Boston, and in 1859 he returned to that city, and died at Melrose, March 5th, 1867. He erected, and operated the first saw mill at Forest City it was run by steam. On the 22nd of March, 1858, A. C. Smith, Register of the U. S. Land Office, and John D. Evans, Receiver, arrived, with the archives of said office, at Forest City, and with others to the number of a baker’s dozen, were feasted…

Harvey, Swede Grove, and Forest Prairie, Minnesota

…named Forest Prairie for the same reason that the boy named his pony ” Snow Ball” because he was black as jet. It was called Forest Prairie because there was not a bit of prairie in the town. First settled in the spring of 1866, by Merrit B. Case, C. T. Groot, J. S. Reynolds, George Scrivner, George Smith, Mr. Polk and by Stevens and Roach, mostly with families. Next year the town was pretty well settled by the arrival of new-comers. This town was duly organized June 10th, 1867. Mr, Stoors was the first Post-master, in 1867. Meeker County…

First District Court, Meeker County, Minnesota

…attendance on the Court, with the judge’s thanks. When the court convened at 9 A. M. the verdict was opened, and read as follows: “Jury find for plaintiff, three cents damages. (“Signed) GEO. S. SHOLES, Foreman.” Atkinson affirms that those supplies have not yet been paid for. The following is a list of the jurors in this case. Geo. S. Sholes Sen, A, B. Hoyt, John C. Scribner Alexander Lee. T. R. Webb, Thos. Dough erty A. C. Maddox, Sam’l L. Getchell, Geo. W Baird Edward Brown John Blackwell Charles Duffy. At this term of court Wm. Richards Esq. county…

Origin of the Indian Massacre

…there were but thirteen men and three women on the townsite of Forest City, and nobody west of us. Their names are worth recording, for it was the decision of the little band at this point on the morning, of August 23d that saved all there was worth saving west of the Mississippi River. Their names are A. C. Smith, J. B. Atkinson, T. C. Jewett, Milton Gorton, Geo. S. Sholes, sen, Thos. H. Skinner, James M. Harvey, Wm. Towler, Henry L. Smith, Thomas Grayson, Judson A Stanton, Hamlet Stevens, Sylvester Stevens, Mrs. Jewett, Mrs. Whitcomb and Mrs. Brown. During…

Irregulars

…to serve as Quarter Master for “Meeker County Volunteers,” and he is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise the duties of the office. On Wednesday the 27th of August, the following named persons, residents of Manannah, left Forest City to obtain stoves bedding, provisions, stock, etc., to-wit: Linus Howe, David Hoar, Chauncy Wilson, Moody Caswell, Thomas Ryckman, James Nelson, Phillip H. Deck, Wil mot Maybee, N. C. Caswell, Joseph Page and R. D.. C. Cressy. Arriving at the house of Maybee the party took dinner, thence went to Manannah to the house of Carlos Caswell-saw no Indians-left; a yoke of…

Litchfield, Meeker County, Minnesota

…school house, costing three or four thousand dollars, and a Town and Masonic Hall,26×72 feet, costing, when finished, about four thousand dollars. Present population, twelve hundred. Lawyers A. C. Smith, F. Belfoy, Chas. H. Strobeck, S. A. Plumley, E. A. Campbell, N. C. Martin and L., C. Spooner. Physicians Drs. V. P. Kennedy, F. E. Bissell, and L. P. Foster. Clergy Rev. Messrs. T. G. Crump, Episcopal; J. S. Sherill, Presbyterian; I. H. Riddick, Methodist and F. A. Grant, Christian. Litchfield boasts a steam flour mill of 7 run of buhrs, owned by R. S. Hershey & Co. Meeker County…