Lars E. Larson

Lars E. Larson has served as chairman of the town of Minnepla three years, as supervisor six years, as school director of District No. 92 twelve years, and as clerk of the school board twelve years. He has been treasurer of the Minneola Norwegian Lutheran Church and Parochial School twenty-five years and is a member of the building committee of the church. He is also a director in the elevator and creamery companies. Mr. Larson was born in Norway August 8, 1846, son of Filing and Solva (Peterson) Larson, who came to America in 1856, located in Dane county, Wisconsin, until 1860. In that year they came to this county and located in Belle Creek township, where the father purchased 160 acres of land, which he broke and improved, erecting several buildings and establishing a home. Father and mother are both deceased. Lars E. was trained in the schools of Norway and for a short time after his arrival in America attended the schools in the neighborhood of his parents’ farm. He remained on the home farm until 1868, when he purchased 80 acres in Minneola township, to which he later added 120 acres, making in all 200 acres. He built a house and barn (personally superintending the building, doing considerable of the work himself), improved the land and carried on general farming for many years. In late years he has rented his farm. He was married, December 30, 1868, to B. Furan, daughter of-John and Ingerburg Furan, natives of Norway who came to America in 1865, located in Belle Creek, took up 160 acres and there remained until 1870, when they sold out and moved to Murray county, this state, where they purchased 170 acres. They then moved to Tracy Lyon county, and still later to Canby, Yrellow Medicine county, where the father died in 1899. The mother is still living. Mrs. Larson died March 28, 1909.

Michael Doyle is one of the grand old men of Goodhue county, his name and that of his father and brothers being inseparably connected with the early history of Belle Creek. A thorough Prohibitionist in politics, he has been county commissioner six years, representative two different times, town clerk fourteen years, chairman of supervisors one term, constable two years, clerk of school district No. 41 eight years, and internal revenue collector at St. Paul four years, having also served on many important Democratic and Prohibitionist county and state committees. Since 1890 he has been secretary of the County Alliance; he is a prominent member of the Old Settlers’ Associations of the county and state, and for many years was master of the Grange. He also belongs to McKinley Post, G. A. R., at Cannon Falls. Mr. Doyle was born in Troy, N. Y., April 29, 1837, and after moving with his family to LaSalle, Ill., in 1852, came to Belle Creek in 1854 with his father and mother and four brothers, and preempted 160 acres of land, which he cleared and broke. Later he purchased 160 acres more, and now carries on general farming, raising the usual crops and breeding horses and stock. In 1865 he enlisted in the 53rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and served until the fall of that year under Captain A. A. Wood, holding the position of corporal. For several years previous to this he was captain of the Home Guards. Mr. Doyle was married, October, 1859, to Sarah E. Gilbert, also a native of Troy, N. Y., daughter of Lyman and Caroline (Gregg) Gilbert, the former of whom was a railroad contractor who helped build one of the first railroads in America, called then the Camden & Amboy. He also had a contract on the Croton aqueduct in New York City. They came west in 1850 and to Belle Creek in 1855, taking up a farm of 160 acres, on which they conducted general farming until the father’s death in 1876. The mother died two years later. To Mr. and Mrs. Doyle have been born fourteen children: Lillian is the wife of Henry O’Neill of Belle Creek township; Helen is the wife of Thomas B. Edward, of Idaho; Gilbert W. also lives in Idaho; Carrie L. is the wife of J. E. Ford, of Idaho; Charles is now a farmer, living in Belle Creek township; he was formerly employed as a railway mail clerk on the Northern Pacific; Edmund died in 1884; Henry lives in North Dakota; Josephine E. is the wife of J. P. Pearson, of Goodhue; John V. lives in Washington; Vincent C. lives in Idaho; Ambrose A. lives in St. Paul; Frederick It. lives at home; Ebba E. is the wife of Daniel O’Reilly, of Goodhue; Virginia R. is the wife of Jesse Herrick, of Minneapolis. The family faith is that of the Catholic Church.

Walter Doyle and his wife, Johanna, were natives of Ireland. The former came to America in 1829, landing at Montreal, Canada, where he remained three years. He next moved to Troy, N. Y., and engaged in teaming and drawing until from there he moved to Montgomery county, and then took his family to LaSalle, Ill. He later came up the river and, July 18, 1854, landed in Red Wing with his wife, five sturdy sons and one daughter, Mary Ann, who died in February, 1874. He at once came to Belle Creek and preempted 160 acres of land, upon which he carried on general farming until his death in 1888. His wife died in 1877. Of the five sons of this union, four served in the Civil War and one, Richard, furnished a substitute. Henry M. and John are now dead, Henry Mathias dying in 1893 and the latter being killed by lightning September 6, 1872; Richard died May 13, 1900; Michael and Walter, Jr., are still alive. The part taken by the Doyles in the upbuilding of the township and the names of some of the famous men whom they entertained at their home in the early days is related in the general history of Belle Creek which appears in this volume.

Mrs. Julia Bidlard Nelson, of Red AVing, educator, author, lecturer and a prominent worker in the cause of women and temperance, has taught in Texas, Minnesota, Tennessee and Connecticut, and lectured in almost every state in the union in the interest of the AY. C. T. U. and woman’s suffrage. She was born at High Ridge, Conn., May 13, 1842, daughter of Edward and Angeline Raymond Bullard, who came to this country from England in 1836 and settled in High Ridge, her father later being one of Minnesota’s pioneers. She was educated in the public schools of Iowa and in an academy at Denmark, Iowa, later completing her studies at the ITamline University, when that institution was located at Red AVing. From 1861 to 1866 she was engaged in teaching in Connecticut and Minnesota, being the first woman to hold a first grade certificate in Goodhue county. September 25, 1866, she was married to Ole Nelson, a soldier of the Civil AYar, who enlisted in Company F, Sixth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry August 1, 1862, and served until June 27, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He was born in Norway and his parents came to America in 1848, his father having chartered a ship and brought a ship load of emigrants over to settle in the new country. Mr. Nelson died January 9, 1869, and after the death of her husband and child, Mrs. Nelson, who was then achieving note as one of the early advocates of woman’s suffrage, decided to consecrate her life to work among the lowly and downtrodden. She was sent by the American Alissionary Association, in 1869, to teach the freedmen in Texas, where she labored until 1873. During the years 1875-77 she taught a school for colored children at Athens, Tenn., and for the next four years was principal of the AVarner Institute at Jonesboro, Tenn. Mrs. Nelson preached from 1883-88 and organized the Congregational Church at Jonesboro during that time, after which she engaged in Prohibition work in eastern Tennessee. From 1889 to 1890 she was the vice president of the Alinnesota AY. C. T. U., and lecturer, and from 1890 to 1896 was president of the Alinnesota AVoman’s Suffrage Association and lectured for the National Association of AVoman’s Suffrage. For four years she edited the “AAThite Ribbon,” a AY. C. T. U. paper, and during all this time has written both prose and poetry for the press. She lectured on temperance before there was a union, and led in a debate on the question of woman’s suffrage in Red AYing, in Good Templars’ hall, in 1869. Mrs. Nelson has financially assisted in obtaining education for many young people who have since attained prominence in educational and religious endeavor. Although noAV retired, she takes an active interest in everything that tends to the betterment of city, county or nation, and her newspaper communications, in which she champions the cause of righteousness, a square deal and the working people, have now, as in the past, an important influence on local affairs.

Ralph Waldo Holmes, the talented editor of the Pine Island “Record,” has made an excellent reputation for himself during his period of service at the head of that paper. He combines business with literary ability, and is well suited by nature for the post he occupies. His paper exerts considerable influence on the affairs of the community and his opinions on all questions of the day are listened to with respect. Born in Roscoe township, November 1, 1870, he was educated in the common schools of Big Stone county, later studied for three years at the Upper Iowa University at Fayette, Iowa, completing his education with a year at Hamline University. After finishing his studies he returned home and assisted his father on the farm in the summer and taught school in the winter. In 1895 he leased a large farm in Big Stone county, which he conducted for a time. After selling out he moved to Pine Island and in March, 1901, bought the Pine Island “Record,” which he still publishes. He has been a member of Company D, Third Regiment M. N. G., since March, 1905, and holds the office of sergeant. During his residence in Big Stone county he held the office of constable and was justice of the peace and clerk of the school board at different times, and is now clerk of Pine Island village, having served three years. Fraternally, he affiliates with the I. 0. O. F., the M. W. A., U. O. F. and E. F. U. Mr. Holmes has been twice married. October 23, 1895, he was married to Emma B. Hartkopf, who died August 20, 1900 leaving him two children, Estelle, bom November 10, 1896, and Alice, born April 2, 1898. On December 28, 1902, he was again married to Myrta B. Jewell, by whom he has one child, George Henry, born August 29, 1901.

As printed in History of Dakota and Goodhue counties, Minnesota / (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.