A History of Norfolk, 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 LXXXIII. NORFOLK This town was set apart for organization as Benton. September 6, 1870; the first election was ordered held on the 22d of the month. The records of the town for the first meetings are missing. January 4, 1871, the name of the town was changed to Marschner and a few years later, to Norfolk. The first settlers were S. D. Childs and Charles Sherwood, who came in the fall of 1868: early in 1869. James Murphy, Patrick Williams, and James Brown made claims. Rev. N. Tainter, Methodist, held services in 1869: meetings are held at private houses and school-houses. The first birth in the town was that of Thedea, daughter of S. D. Childs, born in March. 1869; she died the following September. Norfolk post-office was established in 187D, with James Brown as postmaster, but was discontinued the same year. BROOKS S. Brooks, native of New York, born in 1843, moved to Wisconsin when a boy, with his parents, and was brought up on a farm in that state. He enlisted in 1862 in the 32d Wisconsin infantry and served through the war. Mr. Brooks removed to Steele county, Minnesota, in 1865 and was married there the next year, to Jenet Carvey. Since 1871 their home has been in Norfolk. Of the six children born to them, five are living. EDERER Franz Ederer was born in 1836. While living in Germany, his birthplace, he was engaged in the brewing business. Previous to coming to America in 1864, he visited Austria and France; stayed in New York three months, then in St. Louis until 1868, and in Wisconsin from that time until 1870, the date of his coming to Minnesota. From 1871 until 1877 he was in California and Oregon, then returned to this state: he owns a. large farm on sections 6 and 8 of Norfolk. Married in 1868, Annie Koch: six children. HOGAN J. H. Hogan, native of Canada, was born in 1847. In 1864 he removed to Chicago, where he remained two years: he has worked at his trade, that of blacksmith, in sixteen different states, but in 1880 settled in Norfolk, building a good shop and residence. Mr. Hogan's marriage occurred in this county in July, 1881; his wife Sarah Jones, was born in 1855 in Canada. MCLAUGHLIN J. L. McLaughlin was born in 1814, in Toronto, Canada. From 1834 to 1887 he worked at the carpenter trade in St. Clair, Michigan, but then returned to Canada; in 1846 he removed to Franklin county, New York; worked at farming there until 1868, at which date he came to Minnesota: his farm is on section 35. Norfolk. Mr. McLaughlin has been justice of this town since 1870. Married Isabell Lynch in 1838. They are the parents of ten children. POSELEY Frank Poseley was born in 1855 in Wisconsin. Came in the spring of 1873 to Minnesota; located first in Nicollet county but removed to Norfolk, and his home has since been un section 12, where he has a fine place. In 1875 he married Maggie Keltgel. Henry and Willie are their children. The spring of 1881 Mr. Poseley was elected chairman of the town board. RICHTER William Richter, native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1837 in Cambria county. In the autumn of 1875 he located in Scott county, Minnesota, but three years later removed to Norfolk, which is still his home; his farm is situated on section 11. Mary Ann Luther became his wife in 1869. The names of their children are Jacob, Josephine, Simon, Matilda, Mary, Margaret and Peorus. THOMPSON L. M. Thompson was born in 1826. He learned the trade of carpenter in New York, his native state. Removed to Wisconsin in 1856: the next year came to Minnesota and has since lived in Rice county. Mr. Thompson married in 1847. Locina Sanfrancisco. Of their four children three are living: T. J., George A. and Eudora. The sons own 350 acres of land in Norfolk. VAN ORUM Elbert Van Orum, whose native state is New York, was born in 1846. In 1863 he went to Vermont where he enlisted; he was honorably discharged and in the fall of 1865 he removed to Dodge county, Minnesota, where in 1869, he married Laura Calhoun. Their farm is located on section 30 of the town of Norfolk. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Van Orum; two are deceased.