Barnesville Archives

Biography of Gustav B. Wollan of Barnesville Minnesota

Clay County / History of the Red River Valley

Gustav B. Wollan, born in Glenwood, Minnesota on September 21, 1877, had a diverse career, ranging from teaching to journalism and banking. He graduated from Luther College and worked as an editor and advertising manager. Additionally, he served in various positions in state legislature committees and associations. In 1908, he became the managing editor of the Barnesville Record-Review. He married Minnie S. Bergh, a talented pianist from St. Paul. Both shared the Lutheran faith and were active members of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod.

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Biography of Dennis F. McGrath of Barnesville Minnesota

Dennis F. McGrath, the esteemed postmaster of Barnesville, Minnesota, has been an active participant in the town’s growth and development. Originally from Appleton, Wisconsin, McGrath moved to Clay County, Minnesota, in 1879 and worked on his own claim. He later partnered with Peter E. Thompson in the lumber trade and achieved considerable success. McGrath transitioned to the hardware business, shipping produce and handling fire insurance. He has served in various civic roles, including president of the village board and a member of the state legislature. Married to Anna McGuire, McGrath is a proud parent to their surviving children: Dennis Jr., Margaret, Arthur, Maud, Ethel, Paul, and Elizabeth.

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Biography of Christopher E. Nelson of Barnesville Minnesota

Clay County / History of the Red River Valley

Christopher E. Nelson, a respected real estate dealer, currently resides in Barnesville, Minnesota. Originally from Denmark, he immigrated to the United States in 1887 and settled in Iowa before establishing his real estate business in Barnesville. Nelson is known for his competence and professionalism, and he and his wife have five children.

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Biography of Charles S. Marden of Barnesville MN

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

Charles S. Marden, a lawyer based in Barnesville, Minnesota, has an impressive background. Born in Vermont, he relocated to Fergus Falls before settling in Barnesville. Marden served as the county attorney of Clay County and is a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Masonic Order and the Society of Sons of the American Revolution.

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Biography of Ben F. Holt of Barnesville Minnesota

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

Ben F. Holt, a promising young businessman in Barnesville, Minnesota, manages the shoe and clothing departments at Norby & Solum store. Dedicated and enterprising, Holt attended school in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and has worked at Norby & Solum, except for a brief period at Y. Gunness & Company. Highly regarded for his integrity, Holt is also involved in the Masonic Order and the Modern Brotherhood of America.

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Biography of Arthur Augustus McCartan of Barnesville Minnesota

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

Arthur Augustus McCartan, a prominent real estate dealer and landowner in Barnesville, Minnesota, has made a significant mark in the industry. Born in 1868 in Dubuque County, Iowa, to Irish immigrants Bernard and Mary McCartan, Arthur grew up on his father’s farm, receiving a solid education in Fonda, Iowa. In 1900, he relocated to Barnesville and ventured into the real estate business, eventually acquiring substantial land holdings across Wilkin, Norman, and Clay counties. With his efficient business methods and expertise in managing lands for non-resident owners, McCartan has become highly regarded as one of the most capable real estate professionals in the region.

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Biography of Alphonse Cyr, M. D. of Barnesville, Minnesota

Clay County / History of the Red River Valley

Alphonse Cyr, M. D., one of the popular physicians of Barnesville, Minnesota, came from Montreal, where he was born on July 5, 1872, the son of Joan B. and Rosalie (Demers) Cyr. He was educated in the public schools there, and in the St. Lawrence College, in Quebec, from which he graduated with the class of 1892. He then entered the Laval University and graduated from the medical department of that institution four years later with the degree of M. D.; went to Barnesville, Minnesota, in 1906, where he immediately opened an office for the practice of his profession, and

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Biography of Charles E. Colby of Barnesville, Minnesota

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

Charles E. Colby, ex-editor of the Barnesville Record, was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, at Plainview, and is the son of George H. Colby, a retired veteran of the Civil War, and a native of New York state. Charles was reared and educated in the local and high schools of Glencoe, Minnesota, and later took a course in the Archibald Business College, in Minneapolis. He has been interested in the printing business from childhood, and was always on the alert to obtain all the information possible along those lines. In 1884 he came to Groton, South Dakota, and worked for

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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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