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

by William H. C. Folsom

Henry C. Waite was born in Albany county, New York, in 1830; graduated at Union College, Schenectady, New York; was admitted to practice law in 1852, and the same year came to Iowa. A year later he removed to Wisconsin, and located at Madison, where he practiced law two years. In May, 1855, he came to St. Cloud, where he has since continuously resided. The first ten years of his residence in St. Cloud he devoted to the practice of his profession, after which he devoted his time to farming and milling.

Mr. Waite was a member of the constitutional convention in 1857. He also served several terms in the senate and house. During President Lincoln's administration he served as register of the land office. He was married to Maria D. Clark in 1860. He has two sons.

Gen. S. B. Lowry was the son of the devoted and zealous missionary, Rev. David Lowry, who labored among the Winnebagoes in Northern Iowa in the '30s and '40s. He located first at Brockway, ten miles above St. Cloud, and established a trading post, but in 1853 removed to St. Cloud, where he surveyed and platted the village of Acadia, afterward known as "Lowry's addition." He made St. Cloud his home until his death, which occurred in 1861.

Anthony Edelbrock was the first resident of St. Cloud. His oldest son was the first child born there. This son died in infancy. His second son became the abbot of St. John's University. Mr. Edelbrock is now a resident of Missouri.

Joseph Edelbrock was born in Westphalia, Prussia, in 1826. He learned the trade of a carpenter, came to America in 1847, and lived in Chicago until 1855, when he came to St. Cloud and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He is the oldest merchant continuously in business in the city. He served as sheriff two years and as register of deeds four years. He was married in Chicago in 1852, and has six children living. A daughter, the second child born in St. Cloud, is the wife of Peter E. Kaiser.

John Rengel, made a claim here in 1855. He has been and still is a prosperous citizen. He has a family of ten children.

Louis A. Evans was born near Philadelphia, Nov. 2, 1822. His forefathers came to America with William Penn and bought of him a township of land, on which still reside many of his descendants. His father served as a soldier in the war of 1812. Louis was educated at the graded schools in Philadelphia; was apprenticed to a piano maker, and worked at his trade at Cincinnati, Ohio, Clinton, Mississippi, and New Orleans until 1856, when he came to St. Cloud, where he still resides. During his residence he has served as postmaster, judge of probate, clerk of the district court, editor of the St. Cloud Times, mayor of St. Cloud, and president of the council and member of the house and senate of the state legislature. He was married to Elisabeth W. Libby in 1871.

Ambrose Freeman.—We have no datum as to when Mr. Freeman came to St. Cloud, but it was probably prior to 1860. He was a stonemason, and while working on a cellar wall heard the report of the Sioux uprising and massacre (in 1862), and, dropping his tools, hurried off to satisfy himself as to the truth of the reports, called a meeting of citizens, and organized a company of twenty-five volunteers to assist in caring for the wounded and burying the dead. On his return he was commissioned captain of the Northern Rangers and marched with his command to the relief of Forest City and Fort Abercrombie. He was with Gen. Sibley's command in 1863, and while riding over the prairie was shot with an arrow by an Indian, and expired instantly.

Nathan F. Barnes has lived a somewhat eventful life. He was born at Portland, Maine, June 26, 1817; received an academic education; served as a midshipman in the navy from 1834 to 1839, visiting many parts of the globe. In 1840 he commenced the study of law, was admitted to practice in 1843 and practiced awhile at Conway, New Hampshire, where in 1844 he was married. In 1850 he was appointed mail agent on the Isthmus route to California, served six years, and then located in California. Two years later, in 1858, he removed to Alexandria, Minnesota. During the Sioux massacre he and Andreas Darling were the only persons remaining in the neighborhood who escaped being killed. In 1865 he came to St. Cloud, where he has been an active and prominent citizen. He served many years as city clerk and city justice and was elected to the house of the state legislature in 1875. He was influential in securing the location of the normal school in St. Cloud. One son, Percival S., died in the Saulsbury prison during the Civil War. He has one son and one daughter living.

Nehemiah P. Clark was born in Worcester county, Massachusetts, April 8, 1836. In his youth he attended school in Kentucky and at seventeen years of age was clerking in a store at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In 1856 he came to St. Cloud and engaged actively in business, selling goods, farming, staging, lumbering, and dealing in pine lands. He has a farm in Le Sauk of 2,000 acres, a creamery, a cheese factory, and one of the largest and best herds of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep in the State. For office and official honors he has no taste. He served, however, as president of the State Agricultural Society in 1886.