Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Dwyer, William ************************************************ 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 sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 18, 2006, 10:57 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) WlLLIAM DWYER. Among the few surviving pioneers of Nobles county whose date of arrival antedates the coming of the railroad is William Dwyer, who has made his home on his Lorain township farm since the summer of 1871. He is the oldest settler of that township, and has passed through the period of grasshopper visitation, Indian scares, blizzards, prairie fires and other experiences of pioneer life. Mr. Dwyer was born in county Limerick, Ireland, and was the son of Tom Dwyer and Mary (Plumen) Dwyer, both of whom died in their native country. When about 20 years of age young Dwyer came to America. He remained a few weeks in New York city looking for work, which he was unable to find. From the metropolis he went to Burlington, Vt., where he succeeded in finding work, and where he remained four months. We find him next in the vicinity of Buffalo, N. Y., working on the railroad. He remained there only a short time and then went to Chicago, when that place was a frontier village, and when there was not a mile of railroad west of there. He went to LaSalle, Ill., and for seven years was employed on a packet boat, working at railroading and other occupations. One winter was spent at Independence, Iowa, and one at Marshalltown, and a short time at Cedar Rapids. At the time of the outbreak of the civil war he went to Ottumwa, Iowa, making the trip afoot. He remained there part of one summer and then returned to Illinois, locating near Freeport. During the short time he was there he worked at teaming, owning a team at that time. He next went to Beloit, Wis., and worked near there one winter. The next year was spent at McGregor, Iowa, the next at Hokah, Minn., near LaCrosse, Wis., and in 1869 he moved to Albert Lea, where he remained two years. In June, 1871, he and his eldest son, Daniel, came to Nobles county and secured work on the St. Paul and Sioux. City railroad, then building through this part of the country. During all of his previous life he had never settled permanently; when he came to Nobles county and saw the possibilities of this new country he decided to take a home here, and as a result of that decision he has been a resident of the county thirty-seven years. He took as a homestead the southeast quarter of section 10, Lorain township, and in the fall of the year went back to Albert Lea, and brought his family to the new home. During the first year he broke out forty acres and commenced, farming, which he and his sons have continued ever since. Mr. Dwyer was married at LaSalle, Ill., in the summer of 1856 to Mary Ryan. She died at the family home in Nobles county in 1877. To them were born eight children, as follows: Daniel, unmarried, resides on the home farm; Thomas, a line repairer of Butte, Mont., where he has lived 25 years; William, who resides with his father on the home farm; John, at home; Bertha, at home; Annie (Mrs. Peter Williams), residing in California; Katie, (Mrs. Hugh Gallagher), Moscow, Idaho; Mary (Mrs. John Gallagher), Chattaroy, Wash., near Spokane. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/dwyer28gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb