The Edwards Families of Lyon County, Minnesota

EDWARD EDWARDS (1872), proprietor of the Pacific Hotel at Garvin and owner of 320 acres of good farming land in Sodus and Custer townships, was born in Utica, New York, November 17, 1860. His parents, Thomas and Ellen (Williams) Edwards, came West, resided in Blue Earth county for a short time, and in 1872 took as a homestead the northwest quarter of section 34, Sodus township. The father and mother lived on the homestead farm until 1900, when they moved to Garvin, where Mrs. Edwards still resides. Mr. Edwards died in 1904. y

Edward received his education in Blue Earth and Lyon counties, attending the common schools. He engaged in farming at home until 18S3, in which year he purchased eighty acres on section 33, Sodus township, and began farming for himself, a few years afterwards adding 160 acres to his holdings. In 1887 Mr. Edwards moved to Montana, where he lived two and one-half years, engaging in railroading. Returning to Lyon county in 1890, our subject resumed farming and during the next eight years increased his holdings to 320 acres. In 1898 he moved to Garvin and built the Pacific Hotel, which he has since conducted. He still owns his land and gives considerable attention to the farms in busy seasons, leaving the hotel in the care of Mrs. Edwards.

June 8, 1884, Edward Edwards was married to Louanna Masters, a Rice county girl. She was born December 13, 1866, and is a daughter of Henry C. and Anna (Randall) Masters, the former of whom is dead and the latter living in Garvin. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards are the parents of three children: Maud (Mrs. John Holden), of Garvin: Thomas Henry, born June 24, 1890; and Maxson, born March 2, 1896. Mrs. Edwards is a member of the Congregational church of Garvin. Her husband is a member of the Elks lodge of Mankato. Mr. Edwards has held the office of constable and justice of the peace in Garvin most of the time since his residence in the town.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM R. EDWARDS (1887). For a quarter of a century W. R. Edwards has resided in Tracy and during all of that time was the publisher of a newspaper. His newspaper career covers a period of thirty-two years, and for fifteen years before that he engaged in teaching. He has served as postmaster of Tracy and has held many offices of trust within the gift of his neighbors.

Mr. Edwards was born at Ravenna, the county seat of Portage county, Ohio, September 4, 184 0, of Welsh descent. In 1849 he accompanied his parents to Oshkosh; Wisconsin, and there grew to young manhood. He was educated in a normal school at St. Louis and in the Bloomington, Illinois, Normal. After securing his education Mr. Edwards entered the teaching profession, with which he was identified fifteen years. He was superintendent of the Faribault, Minnesota, public schools in 18 7 0 and 18 71, and for four years was principal of the Osage, Iowa, schools.

In 1878 Mr. Edwards gave up teaching and became a journalist, which pursuit he followed until his retirement from active labors in 1910. He published the New Hampton Courier from 1878 to 1882, edited the Warren, Minnesota, Sheaf four years, was connected with a Minneapolis religious paper several years, and published the Hutchinson Leader for a time. He located in Tracy in 1887 and bought the Tracy Republican, added the Tracy Trumpet in 1900, and published the Republican-Trumpet until his retirement in

Mr. Edwards has always been an ardent Republican and has been active in the councils of his party. He has never sought office but on numerous occasions has been called to serve in offices of trust. He was a delegate to the St. Louis convention that nominated President McKinley, and when

Knute Nelson was governor of Minnesota he \v;is a member of the state central committee. In 1888 he was appointed county superintendent of schools to fill a vacancy and at the next election was chosen to a full term. For ten years Mr. Edwards was secretary of the Tracy District Fair Association, was at one time president of the Tracy Board of Trade, and for ten years was secretary of the Tracy Board of Education.

Mr. Edwards is a Presbyterian in religious faith and is an elder of the Tracy church. Fraternally he is associated with the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen lodges.

Richard and Anne (Jones) Edwards, the parents of our subject, were born and married in Wales. Upon their arrival to America they settled in Ohio and in 1849 made settlement in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where both died.' There were nine children in the family, of whom the only ones living are William R. Edwards and Mrs. Margaret Gittings, of Oshkosh. One child of the family, Richard Edwards, LL. D., D. D., born in 1822, had a national reputation as an educator and lecturer. The deceased children of the family were Richard, David.. Elizabeth, Isaac, Mary, John and Hugh.

William R. Edwards and Josie Bigelow were married at Charles City, Iowa, July 19, 1870. Mrs. Edwards is the daughter of Chauncey and Laura (Curtis) Bigelow, old New York State settlers, and she was born in Cattaraugus county of the Empire State. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Edwards, of whom the following named four are living: Josephine, the wife of George A. Pearce, Duluth; Vera L., the wife of Dr. Don Casselman, Tracy; Hazel, who resides at home; and Maurine, a graduate of the Mankato Normal School and a school teacher.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM H. EDWARDS (1894) owns and operates 240 acres of land on section 2 9, Sodus township. He was born in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, December 6, 1867. His parents are William and Margaret (Davis) Edwards, both natives of Wales. They came to the United States in an early day and settled in Blue Earth county, where our subject was born and grew to manhood. He assisted his father on the farm until 1894.

In the year last named our subject came to Lyon county and purchased eighty acres on section 29, Sodus township. Later he purchased the northeast quarter of the same section. He operates the entire 240 acres. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Township Board of Supervisors.

On June 27, 1897, Mr. Edwards was married to Jane Scott, a native of Lyon county. She is a daughter of John and Mary Ann (Lewis) Scott, of Sodus township. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have three children: Edwin, Mary and Irene.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HUGH L. EDWARDS (1899) is a farmer of Sodus township who has resided in Lyon county for the past thirteen years. He is the owner of 120 acres of land on section 23. Hugh is a native of the Gopher State and was born in Blue Earth county January 29, 1875, a son of William and Elizabeth (Morgan) Edwards.

The subject of this sketch received his early education in the county in which he was born and later attended the Tracy High School two years. He assisted his father on the farm until 1899, when he came to Lyon county, where his father bought land. With his father Hugh made his home until 1905, when he bought the farm which he still owns and operates, 120 acres on section 23, Sodus township. In addition to farming, Mr. Edwards raises stock, including Duroc-Jersey hogs and Buff Wyandotte chickens. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge and a stockholder of the Current Lake Telephone Company.

Lillie B. Williamson became the wife of our subject in Tracy on June 16, 1902. Mrs. Edwards is a native of Wisconsin and was born in Trempealeau county December 23, 1871. They have one child, Clifford L., born May 19, 1903.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.