Meeker County MN Archives Biographies.....Heard, Samuel A. 1831 - ************************************************ 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 December 30, 2019, 8:17 pm Source: Alden, Ogle & Co. Author: See Below SAMUEL A. HEARD. Among the prominent figures in the history of Litchfield, of which he is a resident, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, who was the pioneer merchant of the place. He was born in Newport, Canada, September 6, 1831, and is the son of Samuel and Sophronia M. (Williams) Heard, both of whom were natives of the same province. He was reared upon a farm and remained with his parents until his twenty-third year, when he came to the United States, and, after a short time spent in Illinois and Wisconsin, in the spring of 1856 came to Minnesota, and settled in Wright county, where he located on a farm of 160 acres, which he took up on government land, a few miles south of Clearwater. The first summer was employed in looking after the interests of the Clearwater Town Site Company, and the following winter in teaching school a short distance from the village. Next spring, in company with a Mr. Chase, he bought out the mercantile establishment of Gibbs & Whitney, of Clearwater, and remained in that business for over a year, when, the firm being dissolved, Mr. Heard built another store, and again entered into trade, and followed it until 1861. He had been appointed deputy postmaster in 1857, and had charge of the mails until 1861, when, his health failing, he gave up his business altogether, and spent the following year in Maine and Canada, returning to Clearwater in the spring of 1862, where he passed some time, and later went to Cold Springs, where he rebuilt the flour-mill, which had been destroyed by fire. After gravitating between this State and his native home for some years, in 1869 he came to Litchfield, and, in company with C. D. Ward, opened the first store in the embryo village. After continuing in the mercantile trade, both with his partner and alone, until 1880, Mr. Heard then sold out and retired from trade. He has large real-estate interests in the village still, and stock in the woolen-mills and other enterprises in Litchfield, and finds in their conservation and improvement sufficient employment. In 1878 he was1 elected a member of the village council, and in 1879 as mayor of the place, and served with great credit to himself. He has always been deeply imbued with religious ideas, and has always lent a helping hand in all church matters. He had charge of the erection of the first church edifice in the village, the Presbyterian, and was chairman of the building committee. Mr. Heard was united in marriage, October 1, 1871, with Miss N„ H. Bowen, a native of Chenango county, N. Y., and daughter of Luther and Martha (Hatch) Bowen, both of whom are natives of Connecticut, and both of whom were among the first settlors of that region, settling there in 1785. Mr. Heard is a prominent member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is one of the Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of this State. During the civil war Mr. Heard was appointed ensign of Company A, Nineteenth Regiment, M. V. M. He assisted in raising a company for service in 1861, and was to have gone with them, but poor health induced the doctor to order his remaining at home, much to his regret. Mr. Heard has always been prominently identified with the best interests of the village. He was a charter member and is the master workman of the Litchfield Lodge of Ancient Order of United Workmen. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated Album of Biography Meeker and McLeod Counties, Minnesota 1888 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/meeker/bios/heard113nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mnfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb