BIOGRAPHIES: Gabriel LUDVIGSON, Elk Mound, Dunn County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Abood 3 August 2003 ==================================================================== Gabriel Ludvigson, a well known resident of the village of Elk Mound, who has a long and creditable record as farmer, public official, and a member of the postal service, was born at Waupun, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, June 3, 1859. His parents, Hans and Helle (Johnson) Ludvigson, were both born in Norway, the father in Christiania, in June, 1819, and the mother at Frogner, March 10, 1817. After their marriage in their native land they came to the United States in 1853, and for eight years resided in Waupun, Wisconsin. Then in 1861 they came to Dunn County, settling in the town of Elk Mound, and being accompanied by Louis Johnson, a brother of Mrs. Ludvigson. Mr. Ludvigson and Mr. Johnson each pre-empted 160 acres of land in section 28, and together they bought 40 acres more, thus owning jointly 360 acres. Mr. Johnson, however, soon after enlisting for service in the Civil War and being killed in battle, Mr. Ludvigson took over the 160 acres that Mr. Johnson had pre-empted and turned over his own pre-emption claim to his son John, and also took over Mr. Johnson's 40 acre tract, which proceedings gave him a farm of 200 acres, or, rather, a tract of land that size, as it was all wild. In time he made a very fine farm of it, however, commencing with log buildings and gradually making improvements. Thus the rest of his life was occupied, a period of some 19 years, as he died March 20, 1880. His wife Helle survived him until Nov. 13, 1887. They had been the parents of eight children: John, of Chetek, Barron County, where he is well known as a fisherman and guide; Louise, who married O. G. Tilleson but is now a widow residing in Menomonie; Christian, deceased; Mary, wife of A. O. Strand of Menomonie; Ludvig, deceased; and Gabriel and Martin, both of Elk Mound village. Gabriel Ludvigson as a boy attended public school in Elk Mound and later in Menomonie. For the most part his youth was spent on the home farm assisting his father, except for six years, during which he was in the employ of the A. H. Johnson Mercantile Co. of Menomonie. After the father's death in 1880 he took up the management of the farm for his mother and was thus engaged until her death in 1887. In the spring of the following year he purchased the farm and set to work on a series of improvements calculated to make it a model of its kind. He erected a fine farm residence, a large dairy barn of 36 by 70 feet in ground plan, a cement-block silo of 16 x 30 feet, and all other necessary and desirable out-buildings, including a granary, corn crib, hog house, chicken house and garage. He also developed many more acres of land, the total result showing in what is now widely known and admires as " Oakland Farm, Registered," a piece of property in which he took a justifiable pride as being to a large extent due to his own plans and labor. He also achieved some triumphs as a stock breeder. One of his heifer calves, known and registered as "Annie Moore's Pride of Oakland, No. 165,131," took several different prizes, including firsts, seconds and sweepstakes. She is still on the farm. In 1910 Mr. Ludvigson sold 80 acres of the farm to his son Charles and moved to the village of Elk Mound, where he has since made his home. On June 17, 1907, he had been appointed rural mail carrier on Route No. 4 and had driven this route while living on the farm and he has since continued to do so-a period of 18 years counting to June, 1925, during which he covered a total distance of 112,950 miles. For 43,316 miles of that distance he drove his white mare, Dolly, whose picture, with his own, was shown in November, 1917 in local print. With reference to her it was stated that up to September, that year, she had been on the job nine years and three months without any vacation, and was still nimble though 18 years old. She was then retired from service for a well earned rest. Mr. Ludvigson's route is 28 miles long. In 1919 Mr. Ludvigson bought back the farm from his son and moved back on to it, he and his wife residing there until the spring of 1924, when they again took up their residence in Elk Mound village, where they have a nice bungalow home. Mr. Ludvigson helped to organize the creamery in Elk Mound, and his service in public office includes ten years as town treasurer and ten years as chairman of the town board, he during the latter period being also a member of the county board. His own home life was begun 45 years ago, when he was married in 1880, to Mary L. Whitney, who was born in the town of Spring Brook, this county, June 16, 1859, daughter of James R. and Charlotte (Curtis) Whitney. Of this marriage 11 children have been born, namely: Charles, Nov. 20, 1880; Emma, Oct. 17, 1882; Johanna, Jan. 15, 1885; Lottie, May 10, 1886; James, June 22, 1888; Louis, Sept. 29, 1890; Grace, Jan. 31, 1893; Earl, Dec. 11, 1895; Laura, Oct. 6, 1897; George, Sept. 21, 1900, and John, Oct. 10, 1906. Of these Johanna died in her twelfth year, on Oct. 31, 1896, and James died in his fifteenth year on Sept. 13, 1902. The record of the others is briefly as follows: Charles, who lives in Barron County, married Bernice Stahlman and has eight children, James, Guy, La Rue, Gwendolin, Howard, Helen, Dean and Mary. Emma, who became the wife of Thomas Benson, died Sept. 9, 1923, leaving five children, Leone, Morris, Clara, Donald and Doris. Lottie is Mrs. Louis Stahlbusch of the town of Elk Mound and has five children, Marion, James, Harold, Jeanette and Eleanor. Louis, now conducting the home farm, married Julia Erickson and has three children, Arthur, Geraldine and Roger. Grace, who is the wife of Leslie Hanson of Amherst, Wis., is the mother of four children, June, Genevieve, Eva Rae and Robert J. Earl enlisted, May 10, 1917, at Eau Claire in the Trubell Calvary. He trained at Camp Douglas, Wis., and Camp Waco, Texas. On March 14, 1918, he was honorably discharged on account of heart trouble and returned home. He died Dec. 27, 1918. Laura is now Mrs. Harry Dahlstrom of Elk Mound. George was graduated from the Elk Mound High School and from the Eau Claire State Normal School in the class of 1923. He is now principal of schools at Deerbrook, Wis. On Jan. 3, 1918, he enlisted for service in the U. S. navy. He trained on the steamer Utah, being landed at Brest, France. The vessel on which he was did service on the coasts of France, England and Ireland. He returned to the United States on Dec. 25, 1918, and was discharged in January, 1919. John is now a senior in the Elk Mound High School. Mr. and Mrs. Ludvigson attend the Evangelical church in Elk Mound village, the former being also a member of the Modern Woodmen camp and the latter of that of the Royal Neighbors. They are popular socially, having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. -Transcribed from the "History of Dunn County Wisconsin, 1925," page 604