Fifty Years In The Northwest
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 speaker that it was a
pleasure to listen to him. Many of his witty sayings will long be
remembered. He was twice married, but his domestic life was by no
means a happy one. He died in St. Paul in 1861, his life, no doubt,
shortened by intemperate habits, but he was polite and genial and
witty to the last.
JOSEPH BONIN is of French descent. He was born in Montreal, Canada,
Aug. 26, 1820. He was married to Margaret Bruce in 1851. The writer
first met Mr. Bonin in Stillwater in 1845. He was then in the employ
of John McKusick. He had spent much of his life on the frontier as an
employe of the fur companies, and could relate many stirring incidents
and perilous adventures. Mr. Bonin located at Baytown at an early day.
During the Rebellion he was a member of Company B, First Minnesota
Heavy Artillery.
MARCEL GAGNON.--Mr. Gagnon was born in Lower Canada, Aug. 17, 1825. On
arriving at manhood he came to the United States, and was an employe
of the American Fur Company several years. He removed to Stillwater in
1845, engaging in lumbering. In 1863 he enlisted in the Minnesota
Volunteer Independent Battalion, and served three years. Mr. Gagnon is
a polite, pleasant, hard working and independent man.
SEBASTIAN MARTY was born in Switzerland in 1809, came to America in
1836, to Stillwater in 1845, and located on a farm in section 32, town
of Stillwater, now known as the Jackman homestead. In 1850 he made his
home in section 30, town of Lakeland, where he resided until his
death, Nov. 3, 1885. His widow was formerly Christine Mamsche. He was
a quiet, unobtrusive, thoroughly honest and reliable man.
JOHN MARTY was born in Switzerland in 1823. He learned the art of
manufacturing straw goods in France. He came to America in 1846, to
Stillwater in 1848 and not long after settled on his farm in Baytown.
He was married to Anna M. Henry, in St. Paul, 1852.
ADAM MARTY.--Mr. Marty was born in Switzerland in 1839. In 1846 he
came with his grandparents to America and located at St. Louis. In
1849 he came to Stillwater and learned the printer's trade. He was
employed one year by John McKusick. He enlisted April 29, 1861, in
Company B, First Minnesota Volunteers, was severely wounded at the
battle of Gettysburg, and honorably discharged. He resides in
Stillwater, where he has held responsible positions, and has taken a
deep interest in the Grand Army of the Republic, of which he has been
post commander.
MICHAEL MCHALE.--Mr. McHale came from Ireland in 1836; located first
in Quincy, Illinois; then, 1840, in Galena; in 1842 in Potosi,
Wisconsin, and in 1849 at Stillwater. He was interested in a saw mill
(McHale & Johnson's), and operated also as a contractor in prison
work. He was married to Rosanna McDermott in Wisconsin, 1847. She died
in 1856.
GEORGE WATSON.--Mr. Watson is, in common parlance, a self-made man.
Left alone in the world and dependent entirely on his own exertions
for a livelihood, he learned the carpenter's trade, learned it well,
and followed it industriously through life. Mr. Watson was born in
Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, Sept. 13, 1823, and came to the St.
Croix valley in 1849. He lived a few years in Hudson, and then removed
to Stillwater, where he has the credit of building many fine
structures. He was married in 1860 to Frances Lyman, of Stillwater.
REV. ELEAZER A. GREENLEAF was educated at Bangor Theological Seminary.
He came to Stillwater in 1846, and became pastor of the first
Protestant Episcopal church organized north of Prairie du Chien,
excepting at Fort Snelling and some Indian mission charges. Mr.
Greenleaf was married to Susan P. Greely, of Williamsburg, Maine, in
1838. He became a great sufferer in the later years of his life. He
died in Stillwater in 1878. Mrs. Greenleaf died in Minneapolis in
1881.
J. B. COVEY.--Dr. J. B. Covey came to Stillwater in 1844. He was born
in Duchess county, New York, in 1784. He practiced medicine many years
in Missouri. He died in Stillwater in 1851.
JOHN SHAESBY was born in Warwick, England, in 1811; came to America in
1836, to Stillwater in 1848; removed to St. Croix county in 1850,
thence to St. Joseph, to Rush River and to Baldwin in 1874, where he
died in 1880, leaving two children and his widow in comfortable
circumstances. His eldest daughter was the wife of Capt. Isaac Gray.
JOHN S. PROCTOR.--Mr. Proctor is of English descent, and was born in
Cavendish, Windsor county, Vermont, Feb. 26, 1826. He was favored with
a common school education. In 1846 he came to St. Louis, Missouri, and
served as mercantile clerk until 1849, when he came to Stillwater and
engaged in lumbering and mercantile pursuits. He was a member of the
firm of Short, Proctor & Co., hardware merchants. In 1860 he was
appointed warden of the Minnesota state prison, which office he held
until 1868. In 1860 he was also appointed secretary and treasurer of
the St. Croix Boom Company. He performed the duties of both positions,
but continued to serve the boom company twenty years. His experience
and reliability made him almost the umpire of this company. He was
appointed surveyor general for the years 1881 to 1884, inclusive. Mr.
Proctor was married to Caroline Lockwood, daughter of John Lockwood,
of Prairie du Chien, in 1854. They have one son, Levi.
BARRON PROCTOR, brother of John S. Proctor, came to Stillwater when a
young man, but after a few years removed to New Orleans, whence he
returned to Stillwater, and in 1873 engaged in flour manufacturing as
one of the firm of Cahill, Townshend & Co. He disposed of his interest
in 1880. Mr. Proctor was married to Hettie Carson, adopted daughter of
Socrates Nelson and widow of John A. Hanford. He lives in St. Paul.
HENRY WESTING is a native of Hanover. He emigrated to America in 1840
and came to Stillwater in 1848. He commenced his business career as a