Bio of AMES, Aaron F. (b.1827), Wright Co., MN ======================================================================== 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: Diane Hanson Submitted: April 2004 ========================================================================= 299 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Aaron F. Ames, who, after a life filled with varied experiences, is now living in retirement in Buffalo, was born in Chittenden county, Vermont, December 30, 1827, son of William and Polly (Brownell) Ames. William Ames was born and reared in Vermont and there spent a number of years in farming. After coming west he located in Boone county, Illinois, and kept a stage- line tavern at Amesville, now known as Garden Prairie. At one time General Winfield Scott was a guest at the hotel, and the two men became fast friends. William Ames had twelve children, as follows: Eliza, Caroline, Adaline, Harriett, Adelia, Emily, Sereno, George, Alson, William, Aaron F. and Eben. Of this family, George was the first to come to Minnesota. He first secured twenty acres near the present site of the Hennepin county courthouse in Minneapolis. He considered the tract of little value and abandoned it to locate in Rockford township, in Wright county. Aaron F. Ames received his early education in Illinois. In May, 1852, before the gold craze of 1849 had subsided, he started out in an ox team for California, accompanied by his brothers, Alson and Eben, and by another man named J. R. Ames, but not a relative. It was the intention of the party to reach Sacramento, but in September it was decided to stop at the Yaba river, ninety miles east of that city. Aaron F. at first secured work at $5.00 a day, but soon discovered that it took more than that to live, so he went prospecting. For three years he followed mining in various places, and then started home, making the trip by way of New Mexico, on the line of the pony express from Sacramento to St. Cloud. He farmed for a while in Garden Prairie, Ill., and then went to McGregor, Iowa. At the outbreak of the Civil war, he recruited Co. L, Sixth Iowa Cavalry, and was mustered in as its captain, at Davenport. He served two years and nine months, and saw much active service on the Northwestern frontier against the Indians. In one engagement he was thrown from his horse, causing a rupture from which he has never fully recovered. He was mustered out at Sioux City, and returned to his home in Illinois, but shortly afterward he again came to McGregor and again engaged in the mercantile business. From McGregor he went to Cresco, Iowa. From there, in 1872, he came to Wright county and located on a place of 130 acres, one half mile north of the village of Rockford. This was wild land, and no improvements had been made thereon. Mr. Ames 300 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY broke the land, erected modern buildings and successfully farmed until 1901, when he retired and moved to Buffalo. He is a member of the G.A.R. Post, and while in the township served as town clerk and town assessor. The family faith is that of the Episcopal church. Mr. Ames was married at McGregor, Iowa, in 1866, to Sarah Forsythe, born in Waddington, N.Y., May 29, 1843, daughter of John and Mary (Mathews) Forsythe. Mr. and Mrs. Ames have four children. Rose and Frank were born in Iowa, and Polly and Edith in Minnesota. Rose lives in Buffalo. Frank died in 1876. Polly is now Mrs. Charles W. Lynd, of Medicine Lake, Mont. They have seven children, Edith, Ames, Milo, Lloyd, Roy, Vernon and Cleon. Edith is now Mrs. Irvin L. O'Meara, of Hennepin county, Minnesota. They have three children, Irvin, Edna and Lois. John Forsythe was a tailor by trade. He was born in Scotland, came to New York at the age of sixteen, and married Mary Mathews, who was born in Montreal, Canada, of Scottish parents. From New York they went to Wisconsin, and lived for a time near Watertown. Later they went to McGregor, Iowa, where they spent the remainder of their lives. John Forsythe enlisted at the first call for three months' men, and served throughout the Civil war. His son, William, served in the Sixth Wisconsin Cavalry, his son Robert in the First Wisconsin Cavalry, and his son George in the Sixth Wisconsin Infantry. The other children were: Samuel, James, Eben, Margaret, Jane, Sarah and Emma.