Fifty Years In The Northwest. William H. C. Folsom
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He came to St. Croix in 1847 and worked at the Osceola mills some time. He was a partner in logging with O. H. Blair and afterward with Wm. Kent. He was a brother-in-law to Hon. Cyrus Aldrich, representative in Congress from Minnesota. In after years he removed to Idaho.
John McKinzie.—Mr. McKinzie was born at Inverness, Scotland, in 1818, and came to America in 1841. He located in Stillwater in 1846, and followed lumbering until 1856, when he removed to a farm in the Lyman settlement. He married Rose Carlton in 1872 and removed to Miles City, Montana, in 1879.
George McKinzie, a younger brother of John, came to Stillwater in 1851, and engaged in lumbering and exploring. In 1885 he was adjudged insane and sent to the St. Peter's hospital, from which he was soon released. He afterward visited California, where he was drowned in San Francisco bay. He was unmarried.
Henry Kattenberg.—Mr. Kattenberg was born in Prussia in 1821, and married to Arnebia C. Silova, at Kemper, on the banks of the Rhine, in 1844. He came to America in June, 1847, and to Stillwater in 1848. Mr. Kattenberg opened a shop and engaged in the tailoring business. By industry and close application to business, he prospered and secured a pleasant home. By liberality and kindness in extending credits, and an unfortunate venture in lumbering, he lost $14,000, which effectually closed his business operations. With characteristic honesty, he turned over to his creditors his homestead and all he had to meet his liabilities. In 1880 he removed to Taylor's Falls and commenced keeping hotel at the Falls House, on Bench street. In October, 1886, he purchased the Dalles House of Mrs. C. B. Whiting.
Julius F. Brunswick.—Mr. Brunswick was born in Switzerland in 1826; came to this country in 1846, remained a year in Illinois, and came to Stillwater in 1848, where he engaged in lumbering, farming, merchandising, and dealing in pine lands. Mr. Brunswick applied himself closely to business and was successful. Feb. 29, 1859, he married Margaret Darms, of Stillwater. He died at his home in Stillwater in 1874, leaving a widow and seven children.
Henry McLean.—Mr. McLean was born in Washington county, Maine, in 1828, and in 1848 came to Stillwater, which has since been his home. He is engaged in lumbering. In 1851 he married Caroline Cover.
Hugh Burns.—Hugh Burns came from Ireland to America in 1830, when he was but eight years of age, lived in the province of New Brunswick until 1848, when he came to Stillwater, where he has since been engaged in lumbering and farming. In 1850 he removed to St. Anthony, in 1855 to St. Paul, and in 1856 to Stillwater.
Sylvanus Trask.—Mr. Trask was born in Otsego county, New York, Nov. 16, 1811. He secured a liberal education, and taught school several years in the state of New York. He came to Stillwater in 1848, and in 1852 was married to Euphenia Turner, of St. Paul. He represented the Stillwater district in the first and second territorial legislatures, 1849-51. For many years he has been a surveyor and scaler of logs.
Ariel Eldridge.—Mr. Eldridge was born in Hartford, Vermont, June 10, 1815. He was reared during his minority by an uncle, at Cambridge, New York. In 1844 he came to the Wisconsin lead mines, at Platteville, and in 1848 to Stillwater, where he worked afterward at his trade of house carpenter until 1862, when he opened a book and stationery store. He has held several city and county offices. In 1849 he was married to Sarah L. Judd. Mrs. Eldridge died in Stillwater, Oct. 12, 1886, aged eighty-four years. Mrs. Eldridge taught the first school in Stillwater.
Edward White Durant.—Mr. Durant is of Huguenot descent. During the eighteenth century his ancestors lived in Massachusetts and were active participants in the agitation against English oppression. Edward Durant, Jr., an ancestor five generations from the present, was a delegate to the Provincial Congress of 1774 and 1775, and chairman of the committee on commercial correspondence. He died in 1782. Others of the family filled prominent places, and were noted for their whole-souled patriotism.
Mr. Durant was born at Roxbury, Massachusetts, April 8, 1829. He received a common school education, and a year in the academy. He came to Cincinnati in 1838, and in 1844 we find him with his parents in Albany, Illinois. In 1848 he left his parents and came to Stillwater, where he worked three seasons on the river, running logs. He then became a pilot on the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers and continued in this business about sixteen years. He acted as salesman for Hersey, Staples & Co. some years. He has been since then engaged in lumbering and a portion of the time as a member of the firm of Durant, Wheeler & Co. The annual sales of this firm amount to over half a million dollars. In 1874 he was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for lieutenant governor and in 1876 was president of the state Democratic convention. He represented his district in the fifteenth, seventeenth and twenty-fourth state legislatures. He was several years grand master of the Masons of Minnesota. He has served as mayor of Stillwater, and often as a member of the council. Mr. Durant, as his record shows him, is one of the most industrious men of the time, and possessed of good executive and business abilities. Mr. Durant was married Dec. 29, 1853, to Henrietta Pease, of Albany, Illinois.
Oliver Parsons.—Mr. Parsons was born in South Paris, Maine, and is also descended from Revolutionary stock. He came to Stillwater in 1848, where he engaged in merchandising and farming. He removed to Minneapolis in 1876, where he is at present engaged in selling goods. He was married to C. Jewell, April, 1855. Mr. Parsons has ever been an exemplary man.
Albert Stimson.—A native of York county, Maine, Mr. Stimson spent there his early life, and, after a few years in New Brunswick, came to Stillwater in 1849. He followed lumbering in his native state and on the St. Croix. He served as surveyor general of the First district, Minnesota, three years. He was a member of the Minnesota territorial councils of 1854 and 1855 and a member of the house in 1853. He was mayor of Stillwater one year, alderman two years, and was also a supervisor of Washington county. From 1870 to 1872 Mr. Stimson was a citizen of Kanabec county, which county he helped organize, and of which he was one of the first commissioners. His present residence is Anoka.
Abraham van Voorhees.—Mr. Van Voorhees' ancestors were patriots during the Revolution, and lived in New York and New Jersey. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Dec. 2, 1793. He was reared as a farmer. His school privileges were limited. "The Major," as he was familiarly styled, once told me that the educational advantages he had received in youth were very few, and that his desires and ambitions were far beyond his means to satisfy and fulfill, and he remarked with justifiable pride: "And what I am now, if I amount to anything, I owe to strong nerves and will power; God has always sustained me, and I have always acknowledged allegiance to Him." The major had an ingenious and inventive mind. Being studious and industrious, he accomplished much without scholastic training, and became well versed in the sciences, and an acute reasoner. In 1832 he removed to Athens county, Ohio, where for five years he devoted himself to mechanical pursuits and the study of the sciences. In 1837 he removed to Athens, and became editor and proprietor of the Hocking Valley Gazette, and retained the editorship six years. While living in Ohio, he served as county treasurer, county surveyor, member of the legislature, and state senator. In the latter position he served four years. In 1849 he was appointed by President Taylor register of the United States land office at Stillwater, which place he held until 1853. In 1852 Gov. Ramsey appointed him territorial auditor. He was a representative in the territorial legislature of 1856 and of the state legislature of 1859-60. He was one of the commissioners for locating the capitol and university lands. He was postmaster in Stillwater many years, and when he was eighty years of age acted as surveyor of Washington county. Such is a brief record of an unusually active and useful life. Maj. Van Voorhees was a thoroughly good citizen and christian gentleman. In politics he was Whig and Republican. His church membership was in the Presbyterian church, of which he became a member in 1832. In 1817 he was married to Mary Workman Voorhees. He died at his home in Stillwater, Jan. 24, 1879, aged eighty-six years, and was buried with christian and masonic honors.
Michael E. Ames, an attorney from Boston, came to Stillwater in 1849, and became one of the leading lawyers of the Territory. He was urbane and dignified, both in society and at the bar. He was a charming conversationalist, and such a ready and fluent