Fifty Years In The Northwest. Folsom William Henry Carman

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СКАЧАТЬ in 1847. He acted as J. R. Brown's deputy clerk of court, June term, 1847. He was appointed clerk of the first Minnesota territorial term of court, Aug. 13, 1849, in which office he continued until his death, Nov. 3, 1876. Mr. Wilson was married in 1851 to widow Mary Stanchfield.

      Andrew Jackson Short. – Mr. Short was born in St. Clair county, Illinois, in 1818. He came thence to the St. Croix valley and located at Marine in 1843, and commenced running rafts with W. B. Dibble. In 1857 and 1858 he gathered logs as agent in Lake St. Croix, rafted and run them below, but lost heavily and was in fact financially wrecked. He afterward engaged in the logging and hardware business in Stillwater. In 1868 he built the famous Dudley mills at Point Douglas, at a cost of $35,000. Mr. Short made Stillwater his home until 1862, when he removed to Hastings. Much credit is due him for what he has accomplished. When he came to the St. Croix valley he could neither read nor write, but by energy, industry and native force of character, notwithstanding a few reverses, he has done far more than many other men in his position could have done. As a man he is genial and social.

      James D. McComb. – Mr. McComb was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13, 1827, came to Stillwater June 10, 1846, and engaged in mercantile business with John H. Brewster three years, when he entered the firm of Anderson, McComb & Co., Robert Simpson being the third member. They did an extensive business for years. They built the large stone store on the corner of Main and Myrtle streets. Mr. McComb in 1860 became clerk in the surveyor general's office, which position he held ten years. He was surveyor general of logs and lumber four years, his accurate knowledge of the various marks used admirably fitting him for the position. He served as deputy sheriff in 1846 under James Fisher, of Prairie du Chien, and in 1847 under W. H. C. Folsom, of Stillwater. Mr. McComb has passed all the degrees in Odd Fellowship. He was married to Eliza T. McKusick in Stillwater, March 4, 1851. Mrs. McComb died in Stillwater Sept. 17, 1885.

      William Rutherford. – Mr. Rutherford was born in 1823, in Stanton county, New York, and came to Stillwater in 1844. He married Christina J. Holcombe, at Jackson, Mississippi, in 1849. In 1848 he removed to his farm near Stillwater, where he has since lived. He has been quite successful as a farmer. Mr. Rutherford died March 15, 1888. His name will be remembered with honor.

      Albion Masterson. – Mr. Masterman has also prospered as a farmer. He was born in Franklin county, Maine, in 1823; received a common school education; was married to Eliza Middleton in 1848; came to Stillwater in 1844, and in 1850 removed thence to his farm, where he died, Aug. 8, 1886. Mr. Masterman's life has been an industrious and exemplary one.

      Joseph N. Masterman. – Mr. Masterman came to Stillwater, September, 1848. He engaged in lumbering and scaling continuously. He was born in Franklin county, Maine, in 1814, and spent his youth at home, but his education was somewhat limited. At the age of sixteen years he moved to Schoodic, lived there fourteen years, when he married Alice M. Prescott, and four years later came to Stillwater. His two sons, Wellington and Joseph P., reside in Stillwater. Wellington is auditor of Washington county.

      Mahlon Black. – Mr. Black is of Scotch descent. His grandfather was a naval officer during the war of the Revolution, and a soldier in the war of 1812. Mahlon Black was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, Oct. 4, 1820. He spent his youth on his father's farm, and received a common school and academic education. When seventeen years of age he began the study of medicine in Cincinnati Medical College, but did not complete the course. In 1842 he came to Menomonie Mills, Wisconsin, and engaged in lumbering until 1846. In 1847 he was connected with government surveys, and the same year located in Stillwater. He was a representative in the first, third, and last territorial legislature, also a member of the extra session in 1857. He was mayor of Stillwater in 1860-61. In 1862 he enlisted in a company of sharpshooters, which was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. He was promoted to be captain, and provost marshal in the second division of the Second Army Corps, and one of Gen. Gibbon's staff officers. He was in fifty-four battles and skirmishes, in some of which over 100,000 men were engaged on each side. He was wounded four times, once severely, by a bayonet thrust received in a charge at the battle of Petersburgh. He served until the close of the war, and received a special and honorable discharge from his commander, Gen. Smyth, on the face of which are recorded the names of the battles in which he participated. In 1867 he removed from Stillwater to Minneapolis, where he has held the positions of land examiner and auditor of Hennepin county. He has the distinction of being the first Odd Fellow initiated in Minnesota. Sept. 21, 1850, he was married to Jane M. Stough, of Pennsylvania.

      Morton S. Wilkinson. – The record of Mr. Wilkinson, though brief, is brilliant. He was born in Skaneateles, Onondaga county, New York, June 22, 1819; received an academic education in his native town; read law; was admitted to the bar at Syracuse, New York, in 1842; commenced practice in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, and in 1847 came to Stillwater. Mr. Wilkinson was the first practicing lawyer northwest of Prairie du Chien, was the prosecuting attorney at Judge Dunn's court in Stillwater, June, 1847, and was a member from Washington county of the first territorial legislature in 1849. He removed to St. Paul in 1850, to Mankato in 1857, and in 1859 was elected United States senator. In 1860 he was one of the commissioners to compile the state statutes. In 1868 he was elected representative to Congress and at the close of the term was re-elected. From 1874 to 1877, inclusive, he served as state senator from Blue Earth county. Mr. Wilkinson is an eloquent and forcible speaker, and a man of unusual ability, a sound and logical reasoner, and withal fluent. He has been twice married. His first wife was a daughter of Rev. Lemuel Nobles, of Michigan. Mrs. Wilkinson died in Michigan. He married a second wife before coming West. They reside in Wells, Minnesota.

      William Stanchfield. – Mr. Stanchfield was a native of Maine, born in the year 1820, was married to Mary Jackins, in Bangor, Maine, in 1840, and came to Stillwater in 1846, where he engaged in keeping a hotel on Main street, which was burned while he was in charge. Mr. Stanchfield died in 1850, leaving a widow who subsequently married Harvey Wilson, and an infant daughter, who became, years after, the wife of George Davis.

      Thomas Ramsdell. – Mr. Ramsdell was born at Falmouth, England, Dec. 28, 1820. He married in England and came to this country with his wife in 1843. He settled in Stillwater in 1844, and removed to his farm in 1846, where he has been successful in raising apples and smaller fruits. His wife died in 1851. His second wife was Jane Willey. Mr. Ramsdell has been a quiet, good citizen, reliable and trustworthy.

      Charles Macy. – An orphan at thirteen years of age, Mr. Macy's early life was full of changes, adventures and vicissitudes. He was born in Canada East in 1821. He lived a somewhat wandering life until 1845, when he came to Fort Snelling, and shortly after to Stillwater, where, in 1846, he made a claim which became his permanent home. He was married in 1854.

      Jonathan E. McKusick. – There was no more genial, pleasant, off-hand man than Jonathan E. McKusick. He was the life of public gatherings. His remarks, full of wit and sentiment, would keep his audience in a pleasant frame of mind. At old settlers' meetings his fund of anecdotes, historical incidents and reminiscences were in the highest degree interesting and entertaining. Mr. McKusick was born in Cornish, Maine, in 1812; was married to Minerva King in 1836, and came up the Mississippi on the ice, in December, 1845, to Stillwater, which he made his home until his death, which occurred Aug. 21, 1876. He took an active interest in the welfare of the city and held many offices of trust. He served his country during the war of the Rebellion, and in 1863 was appointed quartermaster with the rank of captain, which position he held until mustered out at the close of the war.

      John McKusick. – Prominent amongst the pioneers of the St. Croix valley, and deserving of special mention for his enterprise and public spirit, is the subject of this sketch. He was born in Cornish, Maine, in 1815; received a common school education; came to Illinois in 1839, and to St. Croix Falls in 1840, where he engaged in the lumbering business, getting logs to the Falls mill, and sawing them. Through industry and economy he saved enough to enable him to become part owner and builder of the first mill in Stillwater. He has held many positions of trust. He served as state senator in 1863-64-65 and 66. He was active in aiding to secure the land grant to build railroads into Stillwater, in the welfare of which city СКАЧАТЬ