A History of Wellington, 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. WELLINGTON This town was set apart for organization June 4,1873, and an election held June 17, at William Carson's house; the details cannot be given as the early records of the town are missing. William Carson was elected chairman and Henry J. Barton, clerk. The first settler was William Chalk, who came in May, 1870, and was soon followed by Dennis Crady and John Garrahy. The German Methodists held service in private houses in 1874 and in 1880 built a frame church near the center of the town, where services are held semi-monthly. The first school was taught in 1877 by Solomon Demmings: there are now two frame school buildings. The first birth was that of John Chalk, July 3, 1870. The first death was that of Mrs. Margaret Murphy, July 3, 1870. A daughter of John Pahey was killed by the cyclone of July 15, 1881. BLACK Charles Black was born in 1843 in Prussia. Immigrated to Wisconsin in 1868: after passing one year in that state and Minnesota he located in 1869 in Cairo, which town was his home five years and he then came to Wellington. Mr. Black and Miss Charlotte Kruger were married in 1870. Robert, Fred, Amil and Henry are their children. BORTH August Borth was born in 1837 in Germany. For fourteen years he followed the life of a sailor; he visited all the principal ports of the world. In 1865, went to Washington county, Wisconsin, but shortly after began farming in Winona county, Minnesota; remained four years, then spent one year in Winona and in the spring of 1872 came to Wellington. Married in 1865 Louisa Bade; their living children are Fritz, Minnie, Emma, Frank and Albert. FRITZ August Fritz, native of Germany, was born in 1843. His home was in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, from 1863 until 1871, when he removed to Nicollet county, Minnesota, and about two years after came to his farm in Wellington. Wilhemina Podoll was married to him in 1865, in Wisconsin, and died there about three years after. Henrietta Heise became his wife in 1868; the children are Frank, Theresa, Otto, William, Albert, and Adolph. Minnie is deceased. GRAMS Gustav Grams, who was born in 1840, is a native of Germany, but has been, since 1867, a resident of the United States. After living one year in Dodge county, Wisconsin, he removed to Minnesota; worked in Olmsted county, three years, and in 1872 came to Wellington. Mr. Grams married in 1872, Amelia Schimer. Emma, John, Matilda, Lena and Amanda are their children. HILLMANN Karl Hillmann was born in 1832 in Hanover, where also he was married in 1856, to Wilhemina Fenza, who bore him two children: Minnie and Charles. In 1865 they immigrated to Milwaukee, where Mrs. Hillmann died; he remained there two years doing carpenter work. Removed to Minnesota and continued in that employment eleven years at Winona; since the spring of 1878, his home has been in Wellington. In 1865 he married Mary Pulka, who died in 1869 leaving two children, Henry and Emma. HINZMAN Ferdinand Hinzman, a native of Prussia, was born in 1838. In 1867 moved to New York; afterward passed three years in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, one year in Nicollet county, Minnesota, and then located in Wellington. Married in 1861, Sophia Giesa, who died January 28, 1877; her children are William, Annie, Herman, Louis and Minnie. In October, 1879, he married Mrs. Kieker, who had one child, Annie, and has borne Mr. Hinzman one daughter, Eda. LEHMANN August Lehmann was born in 1844, and reared on a farm in Germany, the land of his birth. He came in 1871 to the United States and worked at farming five years in Wabasha county, Minnesota, In 1875 he removed to Wellington. Mr. Lehmann married in 1876, Caroline Witt; they have three children: Matilda, Alvina and Amelia. MAHLKE Gustav Mahlke, native of Germany, was born in 1850. When fourteen years old he came to Minnesota with his parents and settled in Winona. In 1877 he removed to his present home in Wellington; has filled the office of justice of the peace, several terms. April 24, 1877, he married Mrs. Wilhemina Splettstear, who had five children: Lena, Emma, Johanna, Herman and Otillia; she has borne Mr. Mahlke one child, Adelia. PASCHKE Rudolph Paschke, born in 1837 in Germany, came in 1867 to Minnesota, and after living in Olmsted county three years he removed to Cairo and took a homestead. Since 1877 he has lived in Wellington. Married in 1866 Paulina Sell. Reinhart, Amil and Emma are their children Mr. Paschke was away from home at the time of the tornado in July, 1881; the lives of his wife and family were saved by their taking refuge in the cellar; the buildings and crops were destroyed. SCHOENFELDER Robert Schoenfelder, Sr., deceased, was born in 1820 in Germany, and in 1848 came to America; located in Buffalo, New York, where he was employed in carpentering thirty-two years. In 1878 he settled in Wellington. Miss Mary Adam, born in 1824 in Germany, was married to him in 1850. Of their seven children, four are living: William, who for a number of years held the offices of justice and town clerk, Robert, Mary and Frederick. Mr. Schoenfelder died October 30, 1879. SCHULTZ Albert Shultz. who is a native of Prussia, was born in 1852. When thirteen years old he accompanied his parents to this country and settled in Winona, Minnesota, where he was employed in a planing mill. In 1876 he took eighty acres in Wellington. Mr. Shultz was united in marriage with Miss Frehlich in 1873: their children are Elizabeth, Amanda, William and an infant. Clara is deceased.