Fifty Years In The Northwest / With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes

by William H. C. Folsom

James Hale was born in 1822, in Putnam county, Indiana; lived five years in Illinois, and came to Marine Mills in 1844, where he engaged in farming. He was married to Mary Finnegan in 1855. Mr. Hale died Feb. 9, 1888.

John Holt was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, in 1818. He came to Marine in 1846. In 1852 he was married to Mary Jane Ward, and removed to Stillwater, where for two years he kept the Minnesota House, at the southwest corner of Main and Chestnut streets. Returning to Marine in 1853 he followed lumbering and farming many years. During the latter portion of his life he was afflicted with partial blindness. He died Jan. 12, 1874, leaving two children.

George Holt, brother to John Holt, was born in Kentucky in 1822, where he spent his early life. After spending a year at Prairie du Chien, in 1846 he came to Marine and obtained employment with the Marine Company. In 1850 he removed to Stillwater, and engaged in the livery stable and hotel business until 1853, when he returned with his brother to Marine. He claims to have carried, in 1851, the first leathern mail pouch from Stillwater to Taylor's Falls. During the Rebellion he served one year in Company G, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. While residing in Marine he has been engaged chiefly in farming, rafting and lumbering. In 1851 he was married to Melinda Ward. They have five children.

William Town was born in Rome, N. Y., 1814. In 1836 he removed to Warren county, Illinois, and in 1838 he was married to Louisa Robinson. He came to Marine in 1846; removed to St. Croix Falls in 1847; to Osceola Prairie in 1852, and to Taylor's Falls in 1860, where he died in 1870. His first wife died at Osceola in 1855, leaving three daughters, one the wife of W. J. Seavey, of Taylor's Falls, one the first wife of Henry Mallen, of Farmington, Wisconsin, and one the wife of E. Hines Bates, of Taylor's Falls. Mr. Town was married in 1857 to Mrs. Mary Collins, formerly Mary Talboys. A daughter of Mrs. Town, by her first husband, is the wife of N. P. Bailey, of Taylor's Falls. Mr. Town's aged mother came to Osceola Prairie in 1856, and died in June, 1886, aged ninety-seven years. Mrs. Abbott, of Moorhead, and Mrs. Richmond, of Farmington, are her daughters.

Matthias Welshance was born in 1818, in Pennsylvania, where he lived during his minority and learned the carpenter's trade. In 1843 he removed to Galena, Illinois, in 1847 to St. Croix Falls and in 1848 to Marine Mills, where he worked at his trade until 1856. From that time until his death, May 19, 1886, he was engaged in hotel keeping. He was for nine years keeper of the Marine Hotel and has since been proprietor of the St. Croix House. He was married Nov. 12, 1848, to Mary J. Hooper. They have five children living. One daughter, Mrs. Tolan, met a tragic death at the hands of an insane husband, in 1881. Mr. Welshance died in 1886.

Benjamin T. Otis was born in Fairfield, Maine, in 1816. He came to St. Croix Falls in 1841, and engaged in lumbering. In 1846 he located on what is known as Colby Flat, on the site of Taylor's Falls, and improved a farm. In 1849 he removed to Marine. His first wife died suddenly at Marine. He was married to Mrs. Church, of Stillwater, in 1859. Henry F., a son by his first wife, enlisted in 1862, in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteers, was wounded in 1864, and honorably discharged.

William Clark was born in New Brunswick, July, 1815. He came to Marine Mills in 1848, and since has followed lumbering. He married Elisa Jane Nelson in 1861. Mrs. Clark died in 1879, leaving two daughters.

James R. Meredith was born Aug. 22, 1812, in White county, Illinois, where he lived until eighteen years of age, when he removed to Galena, where he spent five years in mining. He went thence to Burlington, Iowa, and in 1849 located in Marine, and was employed by the Marine Company several years. In 1860 he located upon his present farm. In 1847 he was married to Eleanor Freeman. They have three children living.

John D. and Thomas E. Ward. The Ward brothers are natives of Massachusetts. They came to the St. Croix valley with their brothers-in-law, John and George Holt. They have engaged chiefly in steamboating and river business.

Samuel Judd, son of Lewis Judd, was born in Illinois in 1840. He graduated at McKendrie College, Lebanon, Illinois, and came to Marine in 1863, and became a member of the firm of Walker, Judd & Veazie. In 1874 he was married to Amelia D. Flaherty, at St. Louis. Their children are Orange W. and Lucille M. In 1886 he changed his residence to St. Paul.