A History of Martinsburg, Renville Co., MN Bios Included ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher Submitted: Janusry 2005 ========================================================================= Excerpted from: "HISTORY OF THE MINNESOTA VALLEY, INCLUDING THE EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS OF MINNESOTA" BY REV. EDWARD D. NEILL, -AND — "HISTORY OF THE SIOUX MASSACRE" BY CHARLES S. BRYANT. MINNEAPOLIS: NORTH STAR PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1882. RENVILLE COUNTY. CHAPTER LXXXV MARTINSBURG Set apart for organization September 3, 1878, and election ordered held at J. B. Mohan's house, section 22, September 24, 1878. Owing to insufficiency of notice the election was not held until November 5, 1878, with the following result: Luna Benson, chairman, Ferdinand Marquardt and Friedrich Schwarz, supervisors; Smith Dewees, clerk, and Swan Pearson, constable. W. T. Grummons being a county commissioner and a resident of this town at the time it was organized, named it after a son of his named Martin. The first settlers were James Tompkins and James Hannah, who settled on sections 30 and 32, in the spring of 1873. Friedrich Schwarz the same year took a claim on section 24. The first school was taught in the summer of 1880 by Miss Dewees in a building erected for that purpose on section 29. There are three schools in the town at present. ANDERSON John M. Anderson was born January 24, 1838, in Norway. Immigrated in 1853, to Wisconsin,and in May, 1861, enlisted in Company I, Second infantry of that state; he was in many severe battles; upon being discharged June 11, 1864, he returned to Wisconsin. Mr. Anderson removed in 1867 to McLeod county, Minnesota, and in 1875 to Renville county. Married in 1869, Anna Egbertson; three of their seven children are living: Otto M., Josephine A. and Oscar C. BENSON Luna W. Benson, native of Massachusetts was born July 10, 1822 in Brookfield. He learned the trade of shoemaker. In 1861 he went to Connecticut and the year following enlisted in Company I, 16th infantry of that state. Lost his right leg in the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, and was in the hospital until January 20, 1863. Since June, 1877 he has lived at his present farm. Mrs. Gibbs, whose maiden name was Ann Besse, was married to him in 1854; three children are living. DEWEES Smith Dewees born October 14, 1834, in Morgan county, Ohio, is a harnessmaker by trade. From 1873 until 1878 he lived at Howard Lake, Minnesota, then came to Martinsburg. Mr. Dewees married in 1862, Mrs. Worrall, who has one son, Orlando; her maiden name was Sarah Millner; their two daughters, Mary and Minnie, are teachers. HANNAH James Hannah, native of Vermont was born July 5, 1852, in Franklin county; went at the age of three years to Wisconsin with his parents. Lived in Wabasha county, Minnesota from 1864 until the autumn of 1872 at which time they came to Renville county. In 1877 his marriage took place with Sarah M. Maxwell; one child is deceased; the living are Mary and Sarah. GILTNER H. C. Giltner was born August 7, 1808, in Tompkins county, New York; learned the trade of mill-wright. From 1843 until 1860 he lived in Wisconsin then removed to McLeod county, Minnesota. He was admitted to practice law here and was elected county attorney. While residing in Wisconsin the president appointed him deputy United States marshal. Since April, 1880. he has lived at his farm in Martinsburg. In 1833 he married Adaline Taylor who bore him six children; only one is living; their son, Henry P., died in the army during the late civil war. GRUMMONS Lieutenant William F. Grummons was born February 25,1829, in Orleans county, New York. In 1844 he migrated to Iowa, but removed in 1856 to a farm in Mower county, Minnesota. October 11, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Third Minnesota; was promoted to lieutenant and served until September, 1864. Returned to Mower county where he held the office of sheriff. Came in 1868, to Renville county in 1878 to this town; has held numerous offices. He has been married twice and has five living children. SCHWARZ Friedrich Schwarz, native of Germany, was born March 1, 1830. Immigrated to America in 1852; lived in Philadelphia three years, then went to a farm near Henderson, Minnesota. Mr. Schwarz enlisted August 15, 1862 in Company G, 10th Minnesota and served on the frontier until the fall of 1863; after that he was in the south until the close of the war. In 1871 he came to the farm which is now his home. Married in 1854, Amelia Schumir; seven children are living. SMITH James Smith was born November 10, 1844, in Vermont. Accompanied his parents in 1849 to Wisconsin, thence in 1856, to Rochester, Minnesota, and the year following to Cottonwood county; in 1861 they came to Renville county. He enlisted June 16, 1861, in Company E, 2d Minnesota, re-enlisted and served during the entire war; was wounded, September 19, 1863; a brother of his and their father were also in the army. In 1875 he came to his present farm. Married in 1874, Ann L. Tompkins; they have four children. TOMPKINS James Tompkins, Sr., native of Ireland, was born in March, 1826. Lived in Dublin, working at shoe-making until the age of sixteen, when he moved to Canada. Mr. Tompkins emigrated in 1857 to Wabasha county, Minnesota, but in 1873 came to Renville county, where he has since carried on his trade in connection with farming. Elizabeth Stanton became his wife in 1849, and has borne him nine children; they have lost one; July 3, 1877, Mrs. Tompkins died. TOMPKINS James H. Tompkins was born December 7, 1856, in the village of Fulton, Oswego county. New York. He came to Minnesota with his parents in 1857. The family came to Martinsburg in 1872; he lived with his parents until locating, in 1879, on his farm of 160 acres. TOMPKINS John W. Tompkins, native of New York, was born July 4, 1852, in Fulton, Oswego county, but in 1857 the family moved to Wabasha county, Minnesota. They came to this town in 1872, and since 1874 his home has been at his farm on section 32. Elizabeth Maxwell became his wife December 15, 1881.