Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Ives, Luther C. 1840 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 27, 2014, 1:28 pm Source: See Below Author: L. A. Fritsche LUTHER C. IVES. Luther C. Ives, now living retired in his pleasant home at Tracy, in Lyon county, this state, who is one of the few active survivors of that rugged band of pioneers who brought about an orderly government in this part of the state in pioneer days and who helped to bring to its present high state of development the then wilderness, is a native of the great Empire state, having been born in the town of Java, in Wyoming county, New York, December 4, 1840, son of Russell and Lucretia (Kilbourn) Ives, natives of Connecticut, who later became prosperous and influential pioneers of this section of Minnesota, for many years having been prominent residents of Brown county. Russell Ives was born in the state of Connecticut, son of Seth and Lois (Holcomb) Ives, natives of that same state, she of Dutch descent, and he was of English and Norwegian ancestry. Seth Ives died in New York state in middle age. His widow joined the family of her son, Russell, in this county in the summer of 1861 and some time later was killed in a runaway accident on the highway between Northfield and Hastings, in Dakota county. She and her husband were the parents of nine children, Riley, Albert, Jarvis, Ambrose, Calvin, Russell, Nelson, Loann and Harriet. Russell Ives was reared on a farm and later became a miller in New York state. In the fall of 1860 he and his family emigrated to Minnesota, his eldest son, Luther C., the subject of this sketch, having made a prospecting trip to this country a couple of years before, sending back a flattering report of the promising conditions here, and took both a pre-emption and homestead claim, the former of one hundred and sixty acres and the latter of forty acres, two hundred acres in all, in what is now the township of Stark, in Brown county, and there established his home, the family early becoming one of the most substantial and influential hereabout. Russell Ives had married in New York state Lucretia Kilbourn who was a valuable and competent helpmeet in all the difficult labors of their pioneering in this county. She was the third in order of birth of the five children born to Freeman and Almira (Tryon) Kilbourn, the others having been Jeremiah, Ruth Ann, Freeman and Almira. Freeman Kilbourn was of English descent and his wife was of Scottish descent. They were well-to-do farming people and their last days were spent in the town of Sheldon, in Wyoming county, New York, where both lived to advanced ages. Russell Ives was active in local civic affairs from the very beginning of his residence in this county and held at one time and another most all of the township offices in Stark township, having been one of the organizers of that township. His wife was a member of the Baptist church while he was a free thinker and both were active in good works, no family in Stark township being held in higher esteem than was theirs. In 1890 Russell Ives and his wife and daughter moved to the state of Washington and located in King county, where their last days were spent, her death occurring in the spring of 1897, she then being about seventy-five years of age, and his death occurring in 1907, he then being past ninety years of age. They were the parents of six children, namely: Luther C., the immediate subject cf this biographical sketch; Electa, who died unmarried; Claracy, wife of Frank Miner, of Vashon Island, King county, Washington, and three who died in early youth. Luther C. Ives was reared in Erie county, New York, receiving his education in the common schools of that county, and grew up assisting his father in the work of the latter's saw- and grist-mill. When he was eighteen years old he decided to put in his lot with those hardy souls who then were beginning to settle the great Northwest and in 1859 came to Minnesota, settling at Northfield, in Rice county, where he remained about a year, at the end of which time he pushed over into Brown county and began trapping among the Indians. So favorably impressed was he from the very first with the possibilities of this section of the state that he sent back word for his father and the other members of the family to join him here, which they did, as recounted in a preceding paragraph. By the time of the Indian outbreak in 1862 Luther C. Ives had become a well-known trapper and pioneer in this section of the state and had acquired not only a thorough acquaintance with the country hereabout, but bad established relations with the Indians that gave him an insight into their character and habits which rendered his services invaluable in behalf of the brave defenders of the New Ulm settlement, during the memorable siege of that village, and fought valiantly with the plucky volunteers until the bloody uprising in this section of the state had been put down. On February 22, 1864, Luther C. Ives enlisted in Company G, Second Minnesota Cavalry, volunteers, and in June of that year joined General Sully on the Missouri river, in Dakota Territory, participating in the battle of Takakota on July 28. On the 8th of August Mr. Ives was wounded in the left leg, an Indian arrow piercing clear through the leg above the knee. He had the satisfaction, however, of bringing down the redskin who shot him and the painful wound in his leg presently was healed, without creating any permanent disability. Mr. Ives was with General Sully until the latter part of September, at which time he was transferred to the hospital at Ft. Wadsworth, suffering a severe attack of typhoid fever. Upon his recovery he was brought down to Ft. Ridgely, where he was promoted to the rank of corporal. Here he was joined by his wife and child, who remained with him for nearly a year. Mr. Ives remained in the service until he was mustered out in December, 1865, the Indians by that time having learned that the white men were indeed the rulers of the Northwest. Mr. Ives's long experience in fighting the Indians was attended by many narrow escapes, but the arrow wound be received during the Dakota campaign was the only serious wound he sustained during his service. In one of his earlier skirmishes around New Ulm he was one of the six survivors of a company of seventeen men that went out against a maurading band of redskins and there were many just such thrilling engagements against the savage foe during that troublous time. In the spring of 1863 Luther C. Ives had married one of the pioneer girls of New Ulm and upon the conclusion of the military service he settled on a homestead claim on a quarter of a section of land in what is now Stark township, in this county, and proceeded to develop the same, presently becoming one of the most substantial and influential farmers in that neighborhood. He bought an adjoining "forty" and on this two-hundred-acre farm made his home until 1890, in which year he sold out and he and his family went to Oregon, where he pre-empted a tract of land in the Cascade mountains and there they lived for about seven years. In June, 1897, he returned to Brown county and bought back one hundred and twenty acres of his old homestead and resumed his residence there. His wife died there in 1905 and in 1908 Mr. Ives sold, or traded, that land and went to South Dakota, later retiring and locating in Tracy, Lyon county, this state, where he is now living, very comfortably situated in his declining years, hut still retaining the liveliest interest in Brown county affairs and is a frequent visitor back to the scenes of other days, ever certain of a warm welcome on the part of his countless friends here. On March 15, 1863, Luther C. Ives was united in marriage at New Ulm to Ursula C. Tuttle, who was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Albert and Delight (Horton) Tuttle, natives of that same state, who were among the very earliest settlers in Brown county, they having arrived in the New Ulm settlement with their family on July 3, 1855. Albert Tuttle became a prominent pioneer farmer of this county. He was county commissioner and a member of the Legislature. Both he and his wife spent their last days here and are buried in the cemetery at New Ulm. They were the parents of seven children who grew to maturity, William, Esther, Lucilia, Ursula C., George, Frank and Florence. William married Prudence Bond in 1861 and was killed by the Indians at New Ulm on August 19, 1862, leaving his wife and one child, Etta, who now resides in Illinois. Esther married Henry Behnke in 1857 and to this union were born eight children, Frank, Edith, William (deceased), Albert, Oscar, Henry, and two who died in infancy. Henry Behnke, Sr., died in 1878. Lucilia married Almond Loomis in 1857 and her husband was killed by the Indians at New Ulm on August 19, 1862, leaving his wife and two children, Mittie and Albert. Lucilia was married, secondly, to Capt. S. A. George and they were the parents of one child, Helen. Captain and Mrs. George both died in 1912. George died in 1873. Frank married Etta Rice and to this union were born two children, Porter (deceased), and May. Florence died in 1892. Albert Tuttle was the second in order of birth of the ten children born to his parents, Josiah and Jerusha (Bingham) Tuttle, both of whom died in Pennsylvania, the others having been Chester, Calvin, William, Durinda, Edwin, Joseph B., Eliza, Ethan and Sally A. Delight (Horton) Tuttle was the daughter of William and Esther (Cowell) Horton, also natives of Pennsylvania, who spent all their lives in that state. They were the parents of eleven children, Delight, William, Esther, Eliza, Richard, Lucinda, Rachel, Isaac, Lucy Ann, and two who died in infancy. To Luther C. and Ursula C. (Tuttle) Ives six children were born, as follow: William, who died when six years of age; Emma J., who died on October 8, 1890, at Loveland, Colorado, who was the wife of George Fox, to which union three children were born; William L., Leroy and one who died in infancy, the former of whom married Ida Wilson and has three children, George, Alton and Burmah, great grandchildren of the subject of this sketch; Minnie, who died when six years old; Albert T., who lives near the town of Veblen, in Marshall county, South Dakota, married Carrie Banker and has six children. Laurel, Lena, Lottie, Leona, Vera and Ray; George R., now deceased, who married Pearl Hutchings and had one child, Glade, and Freeman K., of Tracy, this state, who married Helen Ladd and has two children, Marian Ursula and Hollis G. Mrs. Luther C. Ives died at the old homestead in this county on February 14, 1905, she then being past fifty-nine years of age, and is buried in the cemetery at Iberia. Although now past seventy-five years of age, Mr. Ives has the appearance of a man years younger than that, still retaining much of his old-time force and vigor. His mind is clear and his memory is remarkable for the accuracy with which it recalls incidents of pioneer days, he long having been regarded as perhaps the best authority now living on subjects relating to the early history of Brown county. For some time past Mr. Ives has been employed by the Minnesota and North Dakota State Historical Societies in the important task of collating and rectifying data relating to the history of several counties and in eliminating the errors of statement that have crept into former histories. He also spent a part of two seasons in western North Dakota searching for the graves of fallen comrades. Mr. Ives is a most engaging conversationalist on topics relating to the past and his reminiscences of pioneer days are not only exceedingly interesting, but highly informative and instructive, many of his newspaper articles covering incidents of a day now long gone, possessing a high value to the student of local history. Mr. Ives is independent in his political views and liberal in his conception of the religious duties of mankind, being naturally inclined to that school of thought usually referred to as "free-thinkers." He is a cheerful optimist and believes in doing all the good one can in all the ways possible, being also firmly convinced that he shall be spared for years yet to contribute his part in the work of bettering the conditions of mankind generally. During his residence in this county, Mr. Ives took an active part in civic affairs and held all the various offices in Stark township, and was assessor and justice of the peace for about twenty-five years. He is a member of Wesley Green Post No. 71, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Minnesota, and is a prominent and ardent Odd Fellow, a member of Sleepy Eye Lake Lodge No. 83, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the lodge of the Daughters of Rebekah at Tracy, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D. Editor With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families VOLUME II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/brown/bios/ives499gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 13.6 Kb