Bio of James F. LEE (b.1858), Wright Co., MN
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Clearwater, Silver Creek and Corinna Excerpts from :  
Curtiss-Wedge, Franklin.  History of Wright County Minnesota.  
Volume II.  Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. 1915.   
Call Number:977.6C94h

CHAPTER XXXV
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW.

Page 1020 - 1021
James F. Lee, educator and legislator, was born in Clearwater township, 
this county, September 11, 1858, son of James and Rebecca (Burcham) Lee, 
the pioneers.  The father was born in Delaware, and the mother in Ohio.  
They came to Wright county in 1855, settling in Clearwater township, 
when there were only eight or ten families living in the township outside 
of the village.  They erected a log cabin, cleared the land, under when the 
usual experiences of pioneer life, an din time developed a good farm.  
James F. Lee was reared on the home farm, received a good education in 
the district schools, and remained with his parents until 1879.  That 
year he entered the St. Cloud State Normal school, from which he was 
graduated with honors in 1882.   Thus prepared, he taught school a year 
in Fair Haven, this being his first school.  For nearly ten years, from 
1882 to 1891, he alternated teaching with farming, working on his 
homestead in Groton, S. D., in the summers, and teaching in various places 
in Minnesota in the winter.  In 1891, he bought a farm in section 24, 
Southside township, which he operated for three years.  It was in 1894 
that he was elected county superintendent of schools.  In this capacity 
he served for six years.  His ability, his wide experience, his scholarship, 
and his intimate knowledge of the affairs of the county, made him in this 
position a most admirable officer.  A hard worker, a believer in the 
progressive methods in education, and a follower of the highest ideals in 
the instruction of the young, he won wide popularity, with pupils, parents, 
and voters alike.  During his term in office he lived in Annandale.  At the 
close of 191 he moved back tot he farm. A year later he rented it, and 
then taught school in Fair Haven three years.  In 1904 he taught in 
district No. 130, the district in which his farm is located.  That was 
his last year of teaching.  Since then his occupation has been that of 
a farmer.  He has a good place, he brings to bear upon the problems of 
farming the same intelligence that he used in his career as an educator, 
and his operations have been unusually successful.  In 1910, Mr. Lee was 
elected to the lower house of Minnesota legislature on the county option 
issue.  He was especially active while in the legislature, in all matters 
pertaining to prohibition and education.  It was he who, in 1913, introduced 
the bill for county option, which was lost by a tie vote. In 1911 he 
introduced the law which is now in operation, providing special state 
aid for high schools that teach agriculture and domestic science.  He 
also took an active part in the passing of many other important bills.  
Mr. Lee was married in 1888 to Annie M. Getchell, daughter of Nathaniel 
and Alma (Wing) Getchell, who settled in Brockway , Stearns County, this 
state, in the early fifties.  Mr. and Mrs. Lee have two children: Alma G., 
who is attending Hamiline University, in this state,a nd Robert F., who is
at home.  The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church.