The Lee Families of Jackson County, Minnesota

BROWNELL H. LEE (1865), of Jackson, has lived in the county ever since he was five years of age and during his long residence here has been engaged in many difTerent business enterprises. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, January 29, 1860, the son of llalvor and martha (Hansen) Lee.

When Brownell was one year old the family mov'ed to Primrose, Wisconsin, and after a residence of four years left there on May 2(1, 1805, by ox teams for Jackson county, arriving June 17, 1865. During the fir.st four months of the residence here the family lived in old Fort Belmont, and in the spring of 1866 the head of the family took a. homestead claim on section 2, Des Moines township. Brownell lived at home until he was twenty-two years of age, receiving his education in Belmont and Des Moines townships. His parents both died on the old homestead, aged CO and 58 years, respectively.

In 1883 Mr. Lee set out in life for himself and moved to Charles Mix county, South Dakota, where he took a homestead claim and where he remained about one and one-half years. Returning to Jackson county in 1881, he spent two years on the old homestead. In

188ti he moved to Jackson and was employed as < ream buyer for the Wilson & Avery creamery, and two years later bought the creamery, conducting it one year. He then sold an interest in the creamery and started a brewery, which he managed a year, and then sold out. In 189U Mr. Lee purchased a building on Main street, one door north of Bergc's store, and for the next twelve years was in the restaurant business. In 1895 he purchased the old brick yard and a little later in the same year took in John Stroble and William Finnern as partners, was interested in the business two years, and then sold out to his partners. After disposing of the restaurant business in 1002, Mr. Lee was not engaged in active business for a couple of years, but in 1904 he leased the West hotel and was its landlord three years. He then took charge of the hotel at the north end of Main street and conducted it one year. Leaving the hotel iio started a feed barn, in which business he has since been cgnaged and in breeding Percheron horses. Mr. Lee is a member of the ]?episcopal church and of the M. W. A. lodge.

Mr. Lee was married in Jackson to Misa Kva Simpson. As a result of this union three children have been born, named as follows: Margie M., Huth S. and Hubert B.

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

HENRY H. LEE (186.5), Des Moines township farmer, is one of the oldest settlers of that precinct, having resided in Jackson county since he was four years of age. He is the son of Halvor B. and Martha (Hansen) Lee and was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, June 4, 1861. He is next to the eldest of a family of eleven children, of whom the five named are living: Brownell H., Henry H., Martin II., Martinus and Emma (Mrs. Ed. Olson).

Henry accompanied the family to Jackson county when they made the trip by ox. team from Wisconsin in 1865, the date of his arrival to the county being June 18, 1865. On account of Indian alarms the family spent the first four months of their residence in Jackson county in "Fort Belmont." Halvor Lee took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 2, Des Moines township, and upon that farm Henry grew to manhood, residing there continuously until he was twenty-seven years of age. At that age he bought a farm in Belmont township, which he conducted a short time. He sold out in 1899 and moved to Jackson, where for the next two years he engaged in the grain and stock business. Then he bought the old homestead, and with the exception of a short time spent in Jackson, he has resided on the place ever since. During the past ten or eleven years he has been engaged in the stock and grain business as well as farming. Mr. Lee owns a residence in the village of.Jackson. He has held the office of director of school district No. 13 and he and his family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

Mr. Lee was married in Jackson county September 6, 1891, to Lena Anderson Rod, who was born in Norway May 20, 1875. She is the daughter of Hans Anderson Rod, now a resident of Enterprise township, and Andrena Anderson Rod, deceased. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lee. as follows: Mabel A., born July 26, 1892; Emily H., born.January 13, 1894; Agnes.J., born December 1, 1895; Henry O., born February 6, 1898; Hilda:M., born April 26, 1900; Edward J., born June 1, 1903: Eve- Ivn O., born August 28. 1909.

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

MARTIN H. LEE (1865) owns and farms the northeast quarter of section 13, Des Moines township, which lies only a short distance to the north of the Jackson depot. He has been a resident of Jackson county ever since he was a baby two years old. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, February 8, 1863, the son of Halvor B. and Martha (Hanseti) Lee, pioneer residents of the county.

Martin has grown to manhood in Jackson county. Until he was twenty-one years of age he resided on his father's old homestead in Des Moines township. For several years thereafter he worked out part of the time and farmer rented land part of the time. He bought his present farm in 1802, and has made all the improvements on the place. He is a breeder and raiser of sheep and horses and for the last eleven years has been engaged in buying grain and stock. Since buying his present farm he has resided alternately on it, in Jackson, and on the old homestead. He is the third child in a family of five living. He has never married.

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

FRANCIS O. LEE (1892) resides in the village of Jackson, from which place he farms his Middletown township land, four miles southwest of town. He has been a resident of the county seventeen years.

The parents of our subject are John and Hannah (Spink) Lee. John Lee was born in Haslet, Yorkshire, England, October 18, 1829; Hannah Spink, in Hook) Yorkshire, England, January 28, 1834. They were married November 30, 1852, and in July, 1853, came to the United States. From the time he was sixteen years of age until his marriage John Lee was a sailor. Upon their arrival to the new world Mr. and Mrs. Lee located at East Haven, New York, and eighteen months later moved to Morgan county, Illinois. In January, 1868, they moved to Logan county, Illinois, and the next year to Sangamon county of the same state, where they bought a farm and resided until 1891. They then moved to the town of Buffalo, in Sangamon county, and there they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. John Lee brought up a family of twelve children, of whom eight are living. The children are: George R., born April 21, 1855, died February 18, 1904; William, born September 28, 1856, died May 27, 1908; Mariam, born April 7, 1858; Francis Oliver, born February 12, 1860; Joseph, bom August 18, 1861, died April 15, 1863; John Albert, bom May 14, 1863; Morris Parker, bom January 28, 1865; Minnie Ann, bom July 15, 1867; Nora Bell, born June 18, 1869; Anna Adelia, born August 25, 1873; Aldie May, born April 11, 1875; Sarah Elizabeth, born January 10, 1878, died December 20, 1884.

It was while his parents were living in Morgan county, Illinois, on the twelfth day of February, 1860, that Francis Oliver Lee was born. Until he was of age he worked on his father's farm; then he farmer rented land ami made his home with his parents until he was twenty-five years old. Then he rented a farm near Curran, Sangamon county, farmer the place two years, and then located in Logan county, where he engaged in farming until

1891. The next year he spent farming near Illiopolis, Sangamon county, and in March,

1892, came to Jackson county, Minnesota. He farmer in Des Moines township one year, and then located in Middletown township, where he resided ten years. While still a resident of IllinoiSj Mr. Lee had come to Jackson county and bought the northeast quarter of section 4, Middletown township, which he still owns, but upon which he never lived. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Lee moved to Jackson, bought town property, and has since made his home there, engaged in conducting his farm. During his residence in Middletown Mr. Lee served one term as a member of the township board. He holds membership in the A. F. & A. M., the M. W. A. and the Eastern Star lodges. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors lodges.

Francis Oliver Lee was married at Mount Pulaski, Logan county, Hlinois, on the first day of the year 1885, to Miss June Alexander, who was born in Waynesville, Dewitt county, Illinois, May 28, 1862, the daughter of Orrin A. and Lockey M. (Parker) Alexander. Her mother died September 2, 1887, aged 56 years, 4 months and 8 days. Her father died October 23, 1908, aged 84 years.

Orrin A. Alexander was a noted photographer of war times and before, and he took several pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas when they were on their memorable debating trip. These pictures are in the possession of Mrs. F. 0. Lee. From these original all the pictures of Lincoln of that time have been copied. Of Mr.

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