Fifty Years In The Northwest by William H. C. Folsom
1863. At the close of the war, in 1865, he settled in St. Paul and
2163 words | Chapter 121
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
Falls branch of the St. Paul & Duluth railroad since its organization.
He was married in 1859 to Abbie Shaw, in St. Paul.
EDDINGTON KNOWLES was born in Kentucky in 1821; came to St. Croix
Falls in 1844, and followed lumbering. He was married to Ann Carroll
at Taylor's Falls in 1854, and made his residence at Taylor's Falls.
He enlisted for service during the Rebellion in the Third Minnesota
Volunteers, but was discharged for disability before the close of the
war. He died at Hayward, Wisconsin, in 1883, leaving a widow and three
children. His oldest daughter is the wife of Douglas Greely, of
Stillwater. His body was brought to the Taylor's Falls cemetery for
interment.
DR. LUCIUS B. SMITH.--Dr. Smith was the first regular physician in
Taylor's Falls, having located here in 1854. He was born in Berlin,
Erie county, Ohio, in the year 1824. He was married in 1849, and after
some years' practice of medicine in his native town he came West and
located in Taylor's Falls, where he resided until 1862, when he was
appointed surgeon of the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, in
which regiment were many of his friends and associates. He performed
well his duties in that position, but was killed on the day preceding
the battle of Tupelo, the division to which he belonged having been
ambuscaded by Forrest's troops. His remains were carried to the field
of Tupelo and there buried, but have since been removed to Kahbakong
cemetery, at Taylor's Falls. Dr. Smith was a tall man, of fine
presence, with the air of an officer, for which reason, doubtless,
some sharpshooter singled him out for destruction. Dr. Smith left a
widow, one son, Charles, and one daughter, Mary, the wife of J. W.
Passmore. His widow was married to E. D. Whiting. Both are deceased.
WILLIAM COMER was born in Cheshire county, England, in 1812; was
married to Elisabeth Davis; came to America in 1846 and located in St.
Louis, where he remained until 1852, when he removed to Pike county,
Illinois. In 1854 he removed to St. Croix Falls and in 1855 to
Taylor's Falls, where he has since resided. He has been treasurer of
Chisago county two terms, and four years register of the United States
land office. For a number of years he has held the position of town
and bridge treasurer. He and his two sons, George and William, are
engaged in the mercantile business. His daughter, Eleanor, is the wife
of Benj. Thaxter, of Minneapolis.
DR. ERASTUS D. WHITING.--The Whiting family, consisting of three
brothers, Erastus D., Selah and Charles B., came to Taylor's Falls in
1855, and for many years were prominent merchants and business men in
the village. Erastus D. Whiting was born in Vernon Centre,
Massachusetts, in 1811. He was educated in the common schools and at
Westfield Academy. At the age of sixteen he commenced reading medicine
and graduated at the Ohio Medical College in 1832. He practiced three
years in Ashtabula, Ohio, and twenty years in Pike county, Illinois.
When he came to Taylor's Falls he retired from practice and engaged in
the mercantile and lumbering business until 1867. During this time he
served in two sessions of the Minnesota legislature as representative,
1860-61. In 1869 he visited Europe. He died in Taylor's Falls in 1880.
He was twice married; first in 1837, to Emily Bradley, who died in
1866; and second in ----, to Mrs. Smith (widow of Dr. L. B. Smith),
who died in 1872.
SELAH WHITING was born in Connecticut; came West to Pike county,
Illinois, in 1836, and to Taylor's Falls in 1855. He engaged in the
mercantile business. His wife died in 1867. He died in 1868.
CHARLES B. WHITING was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut; came to
Pike county, Illinois, in 1836, and to Taylor's Falls in 1855. He was
associated with his brothers in the mercantile business. He was
register of the land office four years and served as United States
marshal during the war. His first wife died in Taylor's Falls. He was
married to Flavilla Blanding in 18--. Mr. Whiting died in 1873.
FREDERIC TANG was born in Prussia in 1819. He learned the trade of
house carpenter and served in the Prussian Army one year. He was
married in Germany, in 1850; came to America in 1852 and to Taylor's
Falls in 1856. He served three years in Company C, Seventh Minnesota,
during the Rebellion. One son, Frederic, resides at Taylor's Falls,
engaged in lumbering. His oldest daughter, Pena, is the wife of Ernest
Leske, of Taylor's Falls. His second daughter, Bertha, is the wife of
David Bowsher, of Dakota. Mr. Tang died in November, 1887.
WARD W. FOLSOM was born in 1822, in Tamworth, New Hampshire; was
married to Matilda Stedman in 1844; came to Taylor's Falls in 1856,
where he kept a boarding house for several years. He died at his home,
Sept. 28, 1884. His eldest son, Charles W., was editor of the Taylor's
Falls _Reporter_ for several years. He was married to Luella Gray in
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