Trails-to-the-Past-Minnesota-Polk-Biographies-Progressive-Men

Minneapolis Journal 1897

LOUIS EDWARD GOSSMAN is descended from a line of patriots who served their country with fidelity in the War of the Revolution. He was born in Burr Oak township, Winnesheik County, Iowa, December 3, 1864. His father was Anthony Gossman, a native of Morgan County, Ohio, where he resided until 1859. He then removed to Iowa and lived there on a farm till 1894, when he retired from farming and took up his residence in Canton, Minnesota. He is in comfortable financial circumstances, having made a success at farming. His wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth Snyder who was born in Perry County, Ohio. Louis Edward’s grandparents on his father’s side came to this country from Baden, Germany, when quite young, locating first in Pennsylvania, then in Morgan County, Ohio. On his mother’s side, his grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania. Nicholas Snyder, his mother’s paternal grandfather, came from Mayence, Germany, about 1778, at the age of fourteen years. He was brought to America by other Germans, who came over to assist in the cause of the Colonies. He joined Washington’s army in Pennsylvania as a drummer boy and served to the end of the war. After the war he returned to his native country, but came over again in a few years and settled in Pennsylvania.

Louis Edward, the third in a family of eight, was brought up on a farm, and attended the country school in the winter as other farmers’ boys do. During the winter of 1880 and 1881 he attended school at St. Joseph’s College, Dubuque, Iowa, and during the winters of 1881-82, 1882-83 and 1884-85 attended school at the Decorah Institute, Decorah, Iowa. In the winter of 1883-84 he was engaged as a teacher at Harmony, Minnesota. In the fall of 1885 Mr. Gossman entered the law department of the University of Michigan, where he graduated with the degree of LL. B. in June, 1887. Having made up his mind to take the literary course in the university, he entered this department in the fall of 1887, from which he graduated in June, 1890, with the degree of B. L.

In August, 1890 Mr. Gossman started for Crookston, Minnesota, with the purpose of locating there to practice law. He was admitted to the bar in October, 1890. While for the first two years clients and money were not abundant, Mr. Gossman having no personal acquaintances at Crookston or influence to assist him by perseverance and industry has built up a fair practice and gained the confidence of the people. In the spring of 1893 he was elected to the office of city justice an office which he held for two years. In the fall of 1894 he was elected to the office of county attorney on the People’s party ticket, which office he now holds. Mr. Gossman is a member of the Catholic church, and was married in April, 1892, at Canton, Minnesota, to Martha A. Glenn, of Decorah, Iowa. They have two children, Doritt and Anthony Byron.

FRANCIS IVES The subject of this sketch while an occupant of the district bench in the Fourteenth Judicial district brought upon himself considerable opposition by his vigorous enforcement of the law against violators of the statutes relating to gambling and the liquor traffic. This opposition undertook to secure his impeachment in the legislature of 1895, but without success. Francis Ives was born in Orange County, Vermont, July 16, 1831, the son of Warren and Louisa B. Ladd (Ives.) His father was a lumber manufacturer in comfortable financial circumstances.

Francis was educated in the common schools and academies. He began the study of law in New York in 1852 and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He came to Minnesota in June, 1856, and settled in Red Wing, where he practiced law until the spring of 1859. He then made a tour of Texas, Arizona and Mexico, and was absent as a newspaper correspondent until the spring of 1861. At the outbreak of the war he was on his way home from the South. In June, 1861, he married Miss Helen M. Many, a native of Vermont, and again located at Red Wing for the practice of his profession. His wife died in 1868, and in the year 1878 he removed to Crookston, the change being made largely on account of his failing health. The years between 1870 and 1878 spent mostly out of doors to regain health.

In his new location he formed a partnership with John McLain, which partnership continued until August, 1881. The firm of Ives & McLain was, at the beginning of the last decade, one of the best known legal firms in Northern Minnesota. After the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Ives continued alone in the practice of law until 1888, when, for a short period, he was associated with the late D. E. Hottlestad.

In June, 1883, he was married to Miss Cornelia E. Brigham, of Boston. Mr. Ives had always been a republican in his early years, but in 1890 believing that the republican party was no longer in sympathy with the political principles upon which it was founded, he transferred his connections to what was then known as the Alliance. In February 1891, when the People’s party was formed, he joined that organization, and in 1892 was nominated by it for the office of judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District, and was elected. He took his seat in January, 1893. He soon found several towns in his district under the control of gamblers and keepers of houses of ill-fame, and soon afterwards inaugurated a movement which subsequently resulted in the eradication of these forms of vice and crime to a very considerable extent. This was not accomplished, however, without vigorous opposition. The grand jury, which met in December, 1894, having failed to indict violators of the law, although urged to take such actions Judge Ives denounced their course as in violation of plain duty, and discharged them with a reprimand. He then directed the clerk to call another jury for the term beginning January 15, 1895, which found fifty-six indictments and four presentments on practically the same evidence that was presented to the previous jury. This vigorous action on Judge Ives part led to the presentation of charges before the grand jury and proceedings of impeachment, but the legislature declined to sustain the charges. As the result of his vindication, much more wholesome respect for law and the better observance of its requirements has been the rule in that district ever since. Judge Ives has one child living, the son of his first wife, Harry E. Ives, who now resides at St., Hilaire.

ALEXANDER McKINNON is a resident of Crookston, Minnesota, and engaged in the real estate and insurance business. He is the son of Archibald and Jennette McGillis Mckinnon, both of whom were born in Scotland. They moved to America and settled on a farm in Ontario, Canada.

Alexander McKinnon was born March 5, 1854, at Lancaster, Glengary County, Ontario, Canada. He only received a common school education, leaving school in his fourteenth year. He learned the trade of a blacksmith and the first money he ever earned was as head blacksmith in the shop of Wilson, Van Mite & Co., a branch of Napp, Stout & Co., in Wilson, Wisconsin. He remained in this position from 1875 to 1877, working at a salary of seventy-five dollars per month and board. He then removed to Minnesota in 1878, residing in St. Paul for a time, but finally locating permanently in Crookston in the fall of 1878. He had seven hundred dollars in cash, which he had accumulated by his own industry and economical habits, and opened a small blacksmith shop on the site now occupied by the McKinnon block. He shortly afterwards associated with himself a younger brother, Allan J. McKinnon, and continued doing a very successful business. In May, 1880, Mr. McKinnon associated with himself another brother, J. R. McKinnon, in the business of manufacturing and the handling of farm implements.

J. R. Mckinnon is his present partner in business, the firm being known as McKinnon Bros. They are engaged in the real estate and insurance business. Mr. McKinnon’s business career has been a very successful one, considering that he has had to look out for himself since he was fourteen years of age. He is part owner of the property known as the McKinnon Block, in Crookston, a fine brick building, one hundred and twenty-five by one hundred and forty feet, built in 1887, and costing seventy-five thousand dollars. He also built and owns what is known as the I O. O. F. Block, at a cost of forty thousand dollars in 1890. Mr. McKinnon also owns several hundred acres of land in Polk County, Minnesota.

In politics Mr. McKinnon is a Democrat, and an active supporter of his party. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster at Crookston by President Cleveland, but resigned February 14, 1890. He was elected mayor of Crookston in April. 1890 and re-elected without opposition in April, 1891. He was also elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1892, and then chosen on the committee of permanent organization, representing the State of Minnesota. He was also nominated by the Democratic party for state senator from his district in 1890, but was not elected. He is a member of the Commercial Union of Crookston, and was president of the Northern Minnesota Agricultural Driving Association for two years. Mr. McKinnon was married April 23, 1883, to Miss Catharine Macdonald, in Glengary County, Ontario. They have one child.

JOHN R. McKINNON The mayor of the city of Crookston, Minnesota, is the man whose name stands at the head of this sketch. He was born in Inverness Shire, Scotland, September 13, 1851, the son of Archibald McKinnon and Jennette McGillis (McKinnon), who a year or two later emigrated to Canada, settling on a farm at Lancaster, Glengarry County, Ontario, where they died in moderate financial circumstances.

John R. McKinnon only had the advantages of a common school education, and resided on the farm until his removal to Michigan in 1867. He located at Crookston on May 15, 1880, two younger brothers having preceded him to this place, and entered into partnership with one of them, Alexander, in the manufacture of carriages and the handling of farm implements, under the firm name of McKinnon Bros., which partnership still continues. Mr. McKinnon has been quite successful in his business ventures. He is independent in his political convictions, but has been active in local affairs.

For six years he served as a member of the school board, and in 1895 was elected mayor of Crookston for a term of one year. His church connections are with the Catholic Church. He was married June 24, 1874, to Hattie McDonald. They have had eight children, of whom only two are living, Margaret, fourteen years of age, and Hattie, six years of age.

HALVOR STEENERSON, the people of Thelemarken, Norway, are mountaineers, and are noted for their great stature and physical strength. Halvor Steenerson, of Crookston, Minnesota, is a descendant of that sturdy people. His father, Steener Knudson, was a schoolmaster in Hvidseid, Thelemarken, who afterwards became a farmer. He bought the estate in Silgord commonly called “Meaas,” and was usually known among his countrymen as Steener Meaas. He came to the United States with his family in 1851 and settled in Dane County, Wisconsin. Two years later he moved to Houston County, Minnesota, and was one of the earliest pioneers in that section. When the war broke out he enlisted in Company K, Eleventh Minnesota infantry, and offered his services to his adopted country. In 1875 he removed to Polk County, where he died in 1881. He was active in public affairs and held many positions of trust. He was an active member of the Lutheran Church, and helped to organize the firs! congregations in Houston and Fillmore counties. His wife’s maiden name was Bergith Roholt, a daughter of Leif Roholt, in Hvidseid, Thelemarken, Norway. Roholt is a large estate and has been held in the same family for generations.

The subject of this sketch was born on a farm in the town of Pleasant Springs, Dane County, Wisconsin, June 30, 1852. He attended the country schools of Sheldon, Houston County, after the family came to this state, and the high school at Rushford. While teaching school, which profession he followed for the most part in 1871, 72, 73, and 74, he began the study of law. After he quit teaching he entered a law office in Austin, Minnesota, and read law there for two years. He then went to the Union College of Law at Chicago and took the course there until June, 1878, when he was admitted to the bar in the supreme court of Illinois. He returned to Austin late in September, 1878, was admitted to the bar of Minnesota, and opened a law office on his own account in October, 1878, at Lanesboro. He practiced successfully there until 1880, at which time he moved to Crookston, Minnesota, his parents and five of his brothers having settled there several years before.

Mr. Steenerson speedily built up a lucrative practice and was elected county attorney, which office he filled for two years. He was elected to the state senate and served in the sessions of 1883 and 1885. Mr. Steenerson’s position in the state, especially among his own countrymen, has become an influential one. He has been very successful as a lawyer. Perhaps the most important litigation which Mr. Steenerson has conducted was the application made before the railroad and warehouse commission, in behalf of his brother Elias, for a reduction in grain rates from the Red River Valley to Minneapolis and other markets. The application was granted by the railroad commissioners, but was appealed to the supreme court by the railroad company and is still unsettled. It is a case of great importance to the farmers and business men of the Red River Valley, and the effort to secure a reduction in rates attracted wide attention. The case involves the question of the power of the state through a commission to regulate and fix charges for railroad transportation.

Mr. Steenerson is a Republican, but besides the offices already indicated, has never held any political position except that of delegate to state and national conventions. He sat in the Republican national conventions of 1884 and 1888. He was one of the farmers and active promoters of the railroad legislation of the state at the session of 1885, and aided in drafting the law which created the railroad and warehouse commission and which has formed the basis of all Legislation of that kind since. Mr. Steenerson is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod church, and was married in 1878 to Miss Mary Christofferson. They have two children living, Clara N. and Benjamin G.

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