Bio of Samuel B. HOWARD (b.1833 d.1881), 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. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson ========================================================================= This Bio is from the HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY, Volumes I and II, Published in 1915 by Franklin Curtiss - Wedge. Surname Index for The HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY can be found at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/wright/wright.html Under HISTORY. NOTE: This file was scanned and changed to text so there may be some typos. 271 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Samuel B. Howard, an influential resident of Albion township, was born near Brewer, Me., November 2, 1833, of English ancestry. His father, Jesse P. Howard, was born in Maine, June 11, 1804, and devoted his early life to lumbering. In 1863 he came to section 2, Albion township, and took a homestead. He died in 1881. His wife was Martha Robishaw. Samuel B. Howard was reared in Maine, and from his earliest childhood was interested in the lumber business. As early as when he was twelve years old he started work in a shingle mill, and from then until 1856 he was in the lumber business in Maine continuously, in the mills, in the woods and on the rivers. In 1856 he went to Forest, Mich., where he followed the same line of industry until 1865. In that year to came to Minnesota and bought fifty-seven acres in section 2, Albion township, from his father, who had previously located here. Samuel B. Howard was a true pioneer, and was intimately acquainted with many of the prominent characters of the early days. At one time he was in the employ of Major Morrill, at the Crow Wing Agency, and frequently met 272 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Hole-in-the-Day and other famous Chippewas. He had an understanding of Indian character and never had any trouble with them. He cleared up his place in Albion township, using an ox team for seven years. His first home was a log house, 18 by 28 feet, with a board floor and a roof of oak shakes. He still lives on his original claim. He has developed and improved it, erected good buildings and brought it to a high stage of cultivation. Mr. Howard is known far and wide as a hunter. In the early days he used a Smith & Wesson carbine. Now he uses a Henry rifle, a sixteen shot pump gun, and the young men eagerly come to him to learn the fine points of deer hunting. In the early days he usually killed from eighty to ninety-five deer each fall. The customary price he received from the saddles of venison was ten cents a pound. In recent years he has killed as many as the law allows. In the fall of 1913, at the age of eighty, he brought down a splendid buck which was the envy and admiration of the younger hunters. He has also taken a deep interest in township matters, and for twelve years served as road overseer. Mr. Howard was married February 13, 1862, to Christina Lansear, daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann Lansear, who came from New York state and located in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Howard have had ten children. Alice is the wife of William Perkins, who lives in South Side township, about three miles from South Haven. Jarvis lives at Lewis, Wis. William lives about three miles northwest from Annandale. Rolie lives on the home farm. Arthur also lives on the home farm. Dora married Milton Smith, and died in 1895 at the age of twenty- six, leaving two children. The other four died in infancy.