Bio of William H. EDDY (b.1869), Wright Co., MN Pages 1056, 1057, 1058 (Includes partial bios of John JOHNSON and Lemuel FERRELL) ========================================================================= 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. FileFormatted by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson ========================================================================= 1056 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY ginia Home Guards. John Johnson was the son of Andrew and Rebecca (Esther) Johnson, who came to the United States from the north of Ireland and settled in North Carolina. Alefara Copley was the daughter of James and Rebecca Copley, of English descent. William H. Johnson was reared in Virginia, and received such education as the neighborhood afforded. Early in 1861 he served three months as first lieutenant in the Virginia National Guard. August 1, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, 5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, was mustered in August 10, was assigned to the Eighth Army Corps, and served three years, one month and twenty-three days, going in as a private and coming out as sergeant. Among the battles in which he participated may be mentioned Cross Keyes, Second Bull Run, Manassas Gap, Manassas Junction, Winchester, Harper's Ferry, Morefield, Strawsburg, Antietam and others, besides many minor engagements, campaigns, marches, sieges and skirmishes. He had many holes shot through his clothes, and blood was several times drawn on his body, but he was not seriously injured. He was mustered out at Wheeling, W. Va. In the spring of 1865 he brought his wife and son, Ira, to McLeod county, Minnesota, secured forty- eight acres of wild land, erected a log cabin, cleared up the land and developed a good farm. On that farm there were born four children, Tennessee, Florence, Sanford and Elga. In May, 1883, Mr. Johnson came to Howard Lake and purchased fourteen acres adjoining the village. While in Hale and Winstead townships, McLeod county, he served as supervisor and constable. In Howard Lake he was constable and village marshal for twenty-three years. Fraternally he is associated with the Goodsell Post, No. 86, G. A. R., and Howard Lake Lodge, 82, A. F. and A. M. Mr. Johnson was married in 1860 to Mrs. Jane (Damon) Polly, a native of Virginia, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Damon. Mrs. Johnson is one of the best beloved women in Howard Lake. On July 7, 1914, she celebrated her seventy-eighth birthday. Mrs. Johnson, by her first husband, James E. Polly, has four sons: Silas, Hiram Wayne, Moses D and James Edward. William H. Eddy, horticulturist, proprietor of the Victor and Howard Lake Nurseries, at Howard Lake, was born in Hollowood township, Carver county, this state, June 26, 1869, son of Erastus A. and Henrietta (Althoff) Eddy, the pioneers. He received a good education in the district schools and early took up the study of plant life. A sincere lover of nature, he has been interested in tree and shrub propagation since young boyhood, and his aspirations have borne abundant fruit. After leaving home he worked seven years for E. J. Cutts, the nurseryman, at Howard Lake. In 1895 he bought a tract of eighty acres three miles southwest of Howard Lake, in Victor township, where he started the propagation of nursery stock. In 1900 he added 120 more to this 1057 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY tract, and materially increased his operations. In 1906 he bought a tract of forty acres constituting the Howard Lake Nursery. This has since been enlarged to eighty-three acres. He also owns a twenty-acre tract west of the village, which is used as a place to raise young fruit trees. Aside from propagating the usual trees and shrubs, both fruit- bearing and ornamental, Mr. Eddy has brought out a new apple known as the "Eddy." It is light red in color, has a firm flesh, matures early in the fall, is easily grown, has a delicious flavor, and is crisp and juicy. Added to this it is very hard and admirably adapted to the climate of central Minnesota. Mr. Eddy's office is a sightly building that adds much to the appearance of the village. He also has cornmodious sheds and barns. With all of his busy life he is ever ready to give his time to the assistance to progressive movements. He is secretary of the Howard Lake Telephone Company, and has been one of the officers of the school board for several years. A recent publication has said: "William H. Eddy has done much to advertise Howard Lake and Wright county, and is deserving of special mention of any review of the industries of the county. The raising of fruit in the state of Minnesota is no longer a theory or a conjecture, but an absolute fact, as is attested by the beautiful orchards that are seen on every side. Another proof is in the exhibitions that Wright county has made at the Minnesota State Fair, being in every respect, in their own line, equal to the showing made by the great fruit producing sections of the far West, where lands are high, and fertility secured only at the expense of much irrigation. Mr. Eddy located here several years ago, and in connection with farming, commenced the propagation of such fruit trees as experience has demonstrated were best adapted to this climate. Being thoroughly familiar with the fruit tree business, and having given to the nursery his personal attention and superior knowledge, it is natural that he should be the owner of one of the hardiest stocks in the state. Mr. Eddy knows no such thing as failure. He is ever up and doing, and having combined the high ideals of a nature lover with the sagacity of a clever business man, he well deserved the success with which he has met." Mr. Eddy was married December 23, 1896, to Ida C. Little, born in Rochester, N. Y., January 18, 1870, daughter of Rev. David Little, a clergyman of the Brethren church. He lived at Howard Lake for several years, then moved to Walla Walla, and now resides in Mabton, Wash. Mr. and Mrs. Eddy have had eight children: Eva Almedia and Edwin David, twins, were born October 1, 1897. Paul L. was born August 27, 1899; Lydia P. March 4, 1901, and Ella E. March 8, 1904. William Henry, Howard Willard and Ida Iris, triplets, were born September 22, 1907. The Eddy family in America is descended from William Eddy, who came over from England in the Mayflower. 1058 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Descended from this William Eddy was Phineas W. Eddy, born May 13, 1790, and died August 2, 1878. Phineas W. Eddy was the father of eight boys, among whom was Erastus A. Erastus A. was the only one who came to Minnesota. He was a carpenter by trade. At the age of twenty-one he reached Minnesota and located in Carver county. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in Company H, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. At the end of three years and one month he came out a first lieutenant. On his return from the war he took a homestead two miles east of Watertown in Carver county, on the banks of 0. K. lake. It was he that inscribed these initials on a shingle near the shores of this lake and thus gave it the name that it has since retained. Erastus A. Eddy did not prove up on this farm, but later took a homestead in Hollowood township, in the same county. He erected log buildings, cleared the land, and started farming with an ox team. From that place he moved to Helvetia village, in the same county. In 1885 he retired and took up his home on a place in Victor township, three miles south of the, village of Howard Lake. He served as assessor both in Hollowood, in Carver county, and Victor township, in Wright county. Erastus A. Eddy was born June 12, 1832, and died May 28, 1911. He was married March 15, 1866, to Henrietta W. Althonn, who was born December 12, 1850. In their family there were eleven children: Emma was born April 20, 1867; Ella L. was born March 22, 1868; William H. was born June 26, 1869; Henrietta was born November 8, 1870; Susan Caroline was born December 18, 1871; Sidney Albert was born March 16, 1873; Lyman was born April 6, 1874; Phineas was born November 17, 1876; Sidney was born August 2, 1875; Julia was born April 4, 1881; Beula was born July 6, 1886. Emma died May 28, 1867; Henrietta April 25, 1873, and Sidney, February 2, 1876. Lemuel Ferrell, one of the leading citizens of Wright county, now living in retirement in Howard Lake village, was born in Ontario,. Canadai June 6, 1855, son of Lemuel and Mary (Watt) Ferrell, the pioneers. He received a good education in Ontario, and came to the United States in 1873. He bought eighty-four acres of wild land in section 31, Middleville township, erected a log cabin, cleared off the timber, grubbed and cleared the land, broke the ground and developed a splendid farm. In time he erected a sightly dwelling and suitable barns and other outbuildings, and as he prospered he added eighty acres adjoining in section 5, Victor township. For many years times were hard, but with undaunted courage, Mr. Ferrell went his way, working hard early and late, and putting his best efforts to the task of developing his farm and rearing his children. He became a prominent and successful man, one whose views and opinions and advice were often sought and always heeded. In 1911 he retired and