Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Birkett, Miles 1843 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 18, 2006, 9:38 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

  MILES BIRKETT. On the 18th day of May, 1871, Miles Birkett, James Walker, now

postmaster of Ellsworth; and George Barnes, now deceased, filed on homesteads in

Grand Prairie township. They have the honor of being the first to take claims in

that township as well as in the western part of Nobles county. Miles Birkett

still resides on the claim he took in that early day.



  Ontario, Canada, is the birthplace of Mr. Birkett. He was born Aug. 2, 1843,

and is the son of parents still living, their home being at Belmont, Iowa.

William Birkett, his father, was born in England in 1820, and came to Canada

when a young man. Our subject's mother is Margaret (Coleman) Birkett. She was

born in England in 1822, and came to Canada when eleven years of age.



  When Miles was eleven years of age the family moved to Rock Island county,

Ill., which was the home of our subject for seven years. He then went to

Franklin county, Iowa, and resided there until he enlisted in the army. In July,

1862, he enlisted, and served until August, 1865, in company H, of the 32nd Iowa

volunteer infantry. His regiment was assigned to the western army, and most of

his service was in the west.



  After his discharge from the army Mr. Birkett returned to Franklin county and

engaged in farming, which he followed there until 1871. Arriving in the new

country, he took as his claim the northeast quarter of section 18. Moving onto

it the same fall, he has ever since made his home there. He has added to his

original land by the purchase of an eighty acre tract on section 17. During the

pioneer days Mr. Birkett suffered, all the hardships common to the times.



  Mr. Birkett was married in Geneva, Franklin county, Iowa, May 7, 1867, to Miss

Martha J. Boots, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Martin and Rebecca

Boots, both deceased. Mrs. Birkett was born Jan. 6, 1848. To Mr. and Mrs.

Birkett have been born twelve children, of whom the following eight are living:

Myrtle (Mrs. Ed. Hallis), of Salem, S. D.; Lulu (Mrs. M. R. Myers), of Beaver

Creek, Minn.; Pearl, of Expansion, N. D.; Gertie (Mrs. Mart Chatfield), of

Minot, N. D.; Mabel, a stenographer with the Northwestern Life at Sheldon, Iowa;

Lillian, a stenographer of Luverne; Artie, at home, and Jenevieve, at home.



  Mr. Birkett is a member of the Congregational church and of the G. A. R. and

K. P. lodges. He has held the office of chairman of the township board and has

served on the school board. He was elected county commissioner from the old

third district in 1880 on the republican ticket and served a two year term.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908



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