Fifty Years In The Northwest
register of deeds 8 years, register of the land office 5 years, and
county treasurer 8 years. He is engaged in exchange, loaning money,
etc., and has a branch office in Centre City. He was married to Hannah
Swanstrom in 1870.
SAMUEL THOMSON, a Pennsylvanian by birth, came to Taylor's Falls in
1851, and in company with Ansel Smith built the Chisago House, a
notable enterprise at that time, as neither the resources of the
village or surrounding country had been developed in such a way as to
give any assurance of success. Mr. Thomson removed in 1854 to Polk
county; and settled on a farm in Osceola, where he made himself an
attractive and pleasant home. His farm has long been celebrated for
its trout pond. Mr. Thomson has given much attention and been quite
successful in fish culture. The farm was sold in 1885, and Mr.
Thompson removed to Arkansas, where he died Nov. 5, 1886.
SUSAN THOMSON, sister of Samuel Thomson, taught the first school in
Taylor's Falls, in 1852. She had just come from Pennsylvania, and had
traveled on horseback from Stillwater, there being no carriage roads
above Marine. She was married to Daniel Mears, of Osceola, in 1852.
GEORGE DE ATTLY, a native of Virginia, came to St. Croix Falls with
his family in 1847, and removed to Taylor's Falls in 1851, locating in
section 25, and making a pre-emption. He was a carpenter. He raised a
large and respected family. One son is in the Black Hills, Dakota
Territory. His oldest daughter is the wife of Wm. F. Colby, of
Taylor's Falls. His second daughter was the widow of Jacob Markley.
His third daughter is the wife of Alvah Brown. One son, George,
resides in Taylor's Falls. Mr. De Attly died in Nebraska.
JACOB MARKLEY came from Virginia to the St. Croix valley in 1847,
settling first at St. Croix Falls, and in 1851 locating at Taylor's
Falls, where he pre-empted the northeast quarter of the northeast
quarter of section 24. He went to Montana in 1869, where he died a
tragic death. His widow and two children reside in the Black Hills,
Dakota.
JOHN DOBNEY was born in England in 1820; came to America when a child,
to Stillwater in 1845, and to Taylor's Falls in 1852. He followed
logging for many years, and made himself a permanent home on a farm in
Amador, on the banks of the St. Croix river, in 1858. He was married
to Eveline Page, in Michigan, in 1859.
WILLIAM DOBNEY, younger brother of John, came to Taylor's Falls from
Michigan in 1852, and engaged, with characteristic energy, in
lumbering and selling goods until his death, which was the result of
an accident, he having been thrown violently from a wagon which he was
driving, in the spring of 1871. He was married in 1855 to Fanny M.
Gray, who with two children survives him. The oldest, a son, is
married and resides in Minneapolis. The daughter is the wife of Dr.
Greely Murdock, of Taylor's Falls.
HENRY H. NEWBURY came to St. Croix Falls in 1849, and to Taylor's
Falls in 1852. Mr. Newbury is a practical surveyor and explorer. He
served as county surveyor and commissioner many years. He was married
first to Sarah Ayers, widow of E. R. St. Clair, who died in 1874. In
1880 he was married to Fanny M. Gray, widow of Wm. Dobney.
EMIL MUNCH was born in Prussia in 1831; came to America in 1849, and
to Taylor's Falls in 1852, where, until 1857, he worked at the
carpenter's trade, when he removed to Chengwatana, Pine county, and
engaged in lumbering and dealing in pine lands. He served as register
of deeds in Pine county, and represented Washington, Chisago, Pine and
Kanabec counties in the house of the third legislature in 1861. He
enlisted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, Oct. 16, 1861, as a private in
the First Minnesota Battery, and was chosen captain on the following
month; was wounded at Shiloh, April 5, 1862; returned to his battery
in September of the same year, took part in the battle of Corinth,
October 4th and 5th, and in the after campaign was appointed chief of
artillery, in October, 1862, and from effects of exposure on the march
was forced to resign in the December following, but again entered the
service to fight the Sioux Indians on the Minnesota frontier in May,
June and July, 1863. He entered the Veteran Reserve Corps in August,
1863. At the close of the war, in 1865, he settled in St. Paul and
acted as deputy state treasurer. In 1868 he was elected state
treasurer and held the office until 1872. Mr. Munch lost most of his
property in a long litigation, in consequence of some unfortunate
ventures in buying pine lands. Subsequent to his term of office as
state treasurer he removed to Lakeland and engaged in the lumber
business. In 1875 he removed to Afton where he took charge of a
flouring mill. He was married in 1865 to Bertha Segar. He died Aug.
30, 1887.
ALVIN MASON WILMARTH.--Mr. Wilmarth came from Massachusetts to the
valley of the St. Croix in 1849, and to Taylor's Falls in 1852. He has
followed lumbering and farming. Mr. Wilmarth is a steady, temperate
man.
LUCIUS KINGSBURY STANNARD was born in Franklin county, Vermont, July
6, 1825. He had good educational advantages and improved them. He
completed his literary course at Barkersfield Academic Institute,
Vermont, afterward studied law at St. Albans, and was admitted to the
bar in 1850. In 1852 he came West and located at Taylor's Falls, where
for some years he had charge of the business of Taylor & Fox. In 1857
he was a member of the territorial legislature, representing in the
house the counties of Washington, Itasca, Chisago, Superior, and Doty.
He was a member of the Republican wing of the constitutional
convention of 1857. He represented Chisago, Pine and Isanti counties
in the state senate of 1859-60. He was a member of the house of the
thirteenth legislature, 1871, representing Washington, Chisago, Pine
and Kanabec counties. He held the position of receiver in the United
States land office at Taylor's Falls from 1861 to 1870. He was the
first lawyer admitted to practice in the courts of Chisago county. He
was associated in his law practice for several years with H. N.
Setzer. He has served as prosecuting attorney and probate judge. He
served several years as county surveyor. He has, in later years, been
engaged in the lumbering and mercantile business, in the firm of
Ellison & Stannard. In October, 1884, he was appointed register in the
land office, which position he now holds. Mr. Stannard has a very
pleasant home within the village limits, but some distance beyond the
settled portion. He is a man of sound judgment, of grave and almost
severe demeanor, outspoken and positive in his views, but withal a
reliable citizen and kind neighbor. He was married in 1858 to Harriet
Stevenson, in St. Louis. They have one son, Luke.
JAMES W. MULLEN was born in Nova Scotia in 1830. He came to Davenport,
Iowa, in 1843. He commenced life on a steamboat at the age of fourteen
years. He was employed on the steamer Boreas, plying between St. Louis
and Keokuk, and followed river life most of the time until 1878. In
1885 he built the Vincent House, St. Croix. Taylor's Falls has been
his home at different times since his marriage in 1854. He was married
to Margaret Riley, of Davenport, Iowa. Their children are William,
Edward and Elsa.
DAVID CANEDAY was born in Vermont in 1830, and settled in Taylor's
Falls in 1853. Mr. Caneday has devoted much of his time to prospecting
as a mineralogist. During the years 1861-62 he edited the _St. Croix
Monitor_, and from 1881-84 the _St. Croix Dalles_. In 1862 he enlisted
in Company C., Seventh Minnesota Infantry, and served till the close
of the war. His record as a soldier was good. After the battle of
Tupelo he volunteered to remain with the wounded, of whom there were
about sixty, in the hands of the enemy. Two of these wounded were
comrades and friends in Company C., Andrew J. Colby and John S.
Swenson. The former died. Mr. Caneday remained at great personal risk,
and saw the inside of several prisons before being exchanged. After
his return Mr. Caneday engaged in mining and prospecting, except such
time as he edited the _St. Croix Dalles_. He is now mining on Kettle
river, in Pine county, Minnesota, and in Burnett county, Wisconsin. He
was married in 1865 to Laura, daughter of Judge N. M. Humphrey.
GEORGE B. FOLSOM was born in St. Johns, New Brunswick, April 9, 1815.
He was married to Deborah Sawyer, October, 1842, and came to Taylor's
Falls in 1853, where he engaged in lumbering. In 1855 he removed to
Rush Seba, locating in section 14. He was the first settler in the
town and raised the first crops; built the first log and the first
frame house, and was prominent in advancing the educational and other
interests of the town. He was appointed postmaster in 1856, and held
the office fourteen years. He held the office of county commissioner
ten years. In 1875 he was appointed receiver of the land office at
Taylor's Falls, which office he held for ten years, since which time
he has resided in the village.
AARON M. CHASE was born in Machias, Maine, April 7, 1813. He received
a home and common school education. In the fall of 1848 he came to St.
Anthony and engaged in lumbering. He and Sumner Farnham ran the first
logs down the Mississippi from Rabbit river to Fort Ripley and St.
Anthony, in 1849. In the spring of 1849, in company with Pat Morin, he
built a tow boat, clearing for that purpose a tow path on the eastern
side of the river a distance of eighty miles. He carried freight for
the American Fur Company, but the introduction of steamboats put an
end to this enterprise. In the fall of 1849 he went to St. Louis and
remained there till August, 1850, when he returned North, locating at
the outlet of Balsam lake, Polk county, Wisconsin, where he built a
saw mill. He built a dam and mill, bringing the materials together
without other team than himself and five men. After completing the
mill he engaged for some years in lumbering. He located at Taylor's
Falls in 1853. In 1869 he supervised the building of a series of dams
on streams tributary to the Upper St. Croix, the water collected by
them to be used at low stages to float logs to the St. Croix and down
that stream to Stillwater. These dams are operated under a charter
from the state of Wisconsin, and have proved a great benefit to the
lumbermen. Mr. Chase is president of the company. He is a man of
strong, clear mind, deliberate in action, positive in his opinions and
pointed in his expressions, and withal a kind hearted, generous and
true man. Mr. Chase is unmarried.
PETER ABEAR was born in Canada East in 1830; came to Stillwater in
1850, but subsequently removed to Taylor's Falls where, in 1855, he
was married to Kitty Wickland, who died in 1860, leaving a son,
Franklin E., merchant at Anoka. Mr. Abear married again. His second
wife died in 1868, leaving a daughter, Mary. Mr. Abear married a third
wife, who died in 1874, leaving no children. Mr. Abear is a machinist
but has given much of his attention to farming.
LEVI W. FOLSOM was born in Tamworth, Carroll county, New Hampshire,
Sept. 25, 1821. He was fitted for college at Gilmanton, entered Penn
College at Gettsyburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1848. Returning
to New England, he studied law at Cornish, Maine, with Caleb R. Ayer,
and was admitted to practice in the county of Carroll, New Hampshire.
He came to Taylor's Falls in 1854, and was admitted to practice in the
supreme court of Minnesota, and practiced law for a period of fifteen
years, when he engaged in real estate and other business. He is a
pleasant and agreeable speaker, stands high in the masonic fraternity,
is an ardent and uncompromising Democrat, a positive man with strong
home and social feelings. He has been vice president of the Taylor's