Anton Karpen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1097-1098 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				ANTON KARPEN. 

	Anton Karpen is secretary and manager of the Farmers Lumber 
Company of Webster and his progressive spirit and devotion to the 
general good is further indicated in the fact that he is president of 
the Commercial Club of the town. Minnesota claims him as a native son, 
his birth having occurred in Nicollet county, that state, on the 9th of 
October, 1877, his parents being Valentine and Magdalena (Dorn) Karpen, 
both of whom were natives of Germany. The former was born April 30, 
1846, and was a son of Peter Karpen, who passed away in Nicollet county 
at the age of eighty-six years. The mother of Anton Karpen was also 
born in 1846 and was a daughter of Mathias Dorn, who also passed away 
in Nicollet county when he had reached the venerable age of eighty-six. 
Both Valentine Karpen and Magdalena Dorn had come to the United States 
in childhood with their respective parents, who settled in Wisconsin. 
They were both educated in that state and there remained until after 
their marriage, removing to Minnesota in the early '70s. Mr. Karpen 
purchased a farm in Nicollet county and there engaged in general 
agricultural pursuits until his death. He was active in community 
affairs, was a stalwart supporter of the democratic party and held 
various township and school offices. His religious faith was that of 
the Catholic church. He was a self-made and self-educated man, became 
widely known throughout his county and was highly respected by all. He 
died in 1908, while his wife passed away in 1879. They were the parents 
of six children: Mathias, a well-to-do citizen now living at New Ulm, 
Minnesota; Mary, the wife of William Miller, a retired farmer, now 
proprietor of a restaurant and pool hall at Webster, South Dakota; 
Hubert, living on the old homestead in Minnesota; Anna Lucy, the wife 
of L. Giefer, a Minnesota farmer; Anton; and Peter, who is a general 
merchant and postmaster at Medina, North Dakota. 

	Anton Karpen was educated in the common schools of his county and 
the high school of Glencoe, Minnesota, and was graduated with the- 
class of 1898. He followed teaching for three years after which he 
entered the lumber business, accepting a position with the Lampert 
Lumber Company as manager of their Cleveland, Minnesota, yard. On the 
8th of January, 1906, he arrived in South Dakota, where he assumed the 
management of the business of the Lampert Lumber Company, in which 
connection he continued for three years, when he resigned and entered 
into partnership with Mr. Mohs in the conduct of a furniture business. 
Some time later, however, he sold his interest in that connection and 
bought out the lumber company in October, 1911, now conducting his 
interests under the name of the Farmers Lumber Company, of which he is 
the secretary and treasurer. He also owns another yard at :Eden, South 
Dakota, and is enjoying a liberal patronage, his business having now 
reached extensive and gratifying proportions. He is always reliable in 
his dealings and progressive in his methods and his unfailing 
enterprise has brought him growing success. 

	In 1898 Mr. Karpen was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Albers, 
who was born at Shakopee, Minnesota, and was educated in the schools of 
Glencoe, that state, to which place her parents removed when she was 
but a year old. Mr. and Mrs. Karpen have a family of five children: 
Esther, attending the high school; Genevieve Anna, Antonio and Helen 
Marie, all in school; and Alice. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Karpen are members of the Catholic church and he 
holds membership in the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of 
Foresters. He belongs also to the German Society of Minnesota. In 
politics he is a democrat and when a candidate for the office of county 
clerk in Nicollet county, Minnesota, he received every vote in his 
township save two but was defeated by a majority of forty-eight 
although the republicans usually polled a majority of about eight 
hundred. The vote which he received was certainly very flattering and 
indicated his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him. 
Mr. Karpen is greatly interested in the good roads movement and is the 
executive member for the state of the Yellowstone Trail, giving 
generously of his time and money to the project of building this road, 
which is a connecting highway between the Falls of St. Anthony and the 
Falls of the Yellowstone and which is now being extended from coast to 
coast. His interest in the welfare of his home city is indicated in the 
fact that he is president of the Commercial Club. He is a capable 
business man and above all a public-spirited citizen and is making his 
work and his influence count for good.