THOMAS HESKETH, is an honored resident of St. John's, Rolette county, where he lives retired from active pursuits and enjoys the reward of a well spent career. He was born in Cheshire, England, January 4, 1840.

To the parents of our subject, Richard and Hannah (Wilkinson) Hesketh, seven children were born, of whom Thomas was the eldest. The father was a carpenter and joiner by trade and during the latter years of ms life was in the employ of the Duke of Southerland in Staffordshire, where our subject was reared.

Our subject was apprenticed to the trade of his father when fourteen years of age, but his tastes inclined toward agricultural pursuits and through friends he went to Canada. He arrived at New York and went direct to county Oxford, Ontario, Canada, in 1856. He began farming there and finally possessed a small farm, but desired to extend his farming interests, especially along the line of stock raising and in the spring of 1883 went to the Turtle mountain district in North Dakota. He "squatted" on land in Mt. Pleasant township, Rolette county, and held his land there, but his family did not join him until 1886, when he disposed of his interests in Canada. He introduced some thoroughbred Southdown sheep and Shorthorn cattle, and the flocks and herds of today bear evidence of his efforts to introduce better stock. He now owns four hundred and eighty acres of land, but owing to ill health has retired from active pursuits and re sides in St. John's.

Our subject was married, in 1860, to Miss Mary E. Harris, daughter of Walter and Mary (Quartermass) Harris. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hesketh, who are named as follows: Hannah E., now Mrs. William Mountford, of Rolla; George Thomas, who is married and conducts a livery barn in St. John's, and Mary J., now Mrs. Charles Partridge, of Rolla. Mr. Hesketh was elected county treasurer at the first general election in 1884, and he had previously been an appointee of that office and served in all five years. About 1890 he served on the state board of equalization, resigning the position to become deputy collector and inspector of customs at the sub port of Turtle Mountain during Cleveland 's administration. He is. a gentleman of exemplary character and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and established the first Protestant Sunday school in Rolette county. He has mixed freely in public life and is held in the highest esteem by his fellowmen regardless of party affiliations. He was prominently identified with the organization of the Democratic forces.

JOHN C. HUNT. Among the leading citizens and early pioneers of northern North Dakota, no one is more deserving a place in history than John C. Hunt, a well-to-do farmer living on his home farm on section 17, .Mount Pleasant township, near the city of Rolla.

Mr. Hunt was born in Ontario, Canada, March 19, 1861. He was the second child and oldest son of the Rev. David and Agnes (Fury) Hunt. At the age of seventeen years-John C. Hunt began working at cheese making, and followed that occupation till he was twenty-one years of age. In the spring of 1882 he started with a company for Manitoba, and then down to the Turtle mountains, and there settled in what is now known as Fairview township. He and his party of ten were the first to settle in that region. The Indians, claiming that they were on reserve land, refused to allow them to cut wood in the mountains, and in the month of July a band of twenty Indians called upon them, and through an interpreter, gave them two days notice to leave the country, threatening to shoot their stock and hinting at more serious results if they did not move. The seven settlers then at home, held a consultation and decided it was best to cross over to the Canadian side, where they camped until the arrival of troops. As soon as the affair was settled they returned to their lands. Our subject began the development of his farm, the post office being twenty-five miles distant, and the nearest market was Churchs Ferry. His main source of income the first few year's was the sale of vegetables and seed grain to the arriving settlers. In 1887 he removed to the farm he now occupies, which he took as a homestead. Rolla was soon afterward built, and in the fall of 1892 Mr. Hunt was elected county judge, in this capacity he served three terms.

Much valuable work has been done by Mr. Hunt toward the development of the resources of the county. He erected a cheese factory in 1894, with a capacity of five thousand pounds of milk per day, and in this movement he has enlisted the interest of the farming community, to the great benefit and profit of the individuals, and the enterprise is increasing in favor.

Mr. Hunt was married, in 1887, to Miss Martha Maloney, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Eva A., Harris. Wilfred and Ethel. They have a pleasant home surrounded by all the conveniences of modern farm life. Mr. Hunt can be classed as one of the actual pioneers of the region, and he recounts many of the early experiences with which he met. He recalls with a mixed degree of pleasure his "batching" days, the frying of "bannocks," and preparing of other dainty bachelor dishes. In February, 1887, he and one companion were coming from the mountains with wood, when they lost their way and wandered many hours before they again found the home trail.

CHARLES R. LYMAN, residing on his farm adjoining the village of St. John, Rolette county, devotes himself to farming interests, conducting a tract of two thousand one hundred and sixty acres, of which eight hundred and eighty acres is owned by him. He also follows a general real estate and loan business, and in his genial manner makes a success of the business and many friends in his community.

Our subject was born in Hartland, Waukesha county, Wisconsin, November 19, 1855, and was a son of Waldo F. and Ann L. (Bartlett) Lyman. His parents are of old Colonial stock and of English extraction. Our subject resided in Fillmore county, Minnesota, from 1856 to 1876, and completed his education at Bishop Whipple's school in Faribault, Minnesota. He then devoted his attention to teaching, and was employed in Fillmore and Olmsted counties about eight years, and was principal of the Pleasant Grove schools. He entered the employ of the Goodrich Transportation Company in 1881, and was employed as wheelman on the lake steamers and later as billing clerk. His brother, Arthur Lyman, was appointed deputy collector of customs at St. Vincent, and later at St. John, and owing to the ill-health of our subject he was induced to join his brother in Dakota. He drove overland and arrived at St. John November 14, 1884, where he took government land, and still owns the same. He was appointed postmaster of St. John during the first winter of his stay there, but continued his farming, and in 1885 he was appointed deputy United States marshal. The same year he was appointed county register of deeds to fill the vacancy caused by his brother's resignation, and at the next general election he was returned to the office. He was appointed deputy collector of customs at St. John in 1889, and held the position until 1894. Few men have been so closely identified with the history of the country in such different capacities. As a practical farmer, county officer and government employee he has become prominent in his locality. He became a member of Troop A, in the Cavalry Battalion, when it was organized in 1887, and at the first election he received the office of second lieutenant with command of the St. John contingent, and after several years of service he resigned as adjutant. The most exciting experience during the service was the "breed war" caused by an attempt to collect taxes from the half-breeds. The St. John contingent joined Troop A at Dunseith, but the governor's orders quelled the disturbance, fortunately for the troops, as the "breeds" were well entrenched in the foothills and outnumbered the militia ten to one.

Our subject was married, in 1886, to Miss Ella S. Rolfe, of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Lyman are the parents of two children, named Edith M. and Ethel M. They are accomplished young ladies, and remained at home where every advantage for education and musical training is afforded, and the appointments of the home bespeak the culture and refinement of its occupants. Mr. Lyman is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and politically he is a Republican, and is a member of the county central committee, and has served as delegate to county and state conventions of his party.

CHARLES J. PARTRIDGE, clerk of the district courts of Rolette county, is one of the prominent men of his community and has acquired a sound financial position in his neighborhood. He is a native of London, England, and was born December 12, 1857. Our subject was the oldest in a family of nine children born to James and Elizabeth (Bruin) Partridge. His father was engaged in the manufacturing business and our subject was employed in keeping books for the establishment, but being naturally inclined to see the world, he decided to journey to America and in 1882 arrived at Toronto, Canada. He made his home in Canada until 1886, and in the spring of that year went to St. John's and worked in the saw-mills of that place. He was soon afterward appointed deputy treasurer of Rolette county, and in 1887 was elected county auditor and served five years. At the expiration of his term of office he established in the real estate and loan business in Rolla, and in 1897 was elected county clerk of the courts.

Our subject was married, in 1889. to Miss Elizabeth Hesketh. Mr. and Mrs. Partridge are the parents of six children, named as follows: Arthur T., Harold, one child deceased. Roderick, Sylvia and Cecil. Mr. Partridge served three months in the North Dakota National Guards. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and Knights of the Maccabees. He has always taken a most hearty interest in public matters of local importance and framed the petition for the organization of Rolette county. Politically Mr. Partridge is a Democrat and favors prohibition and is a gentleman who keeps pace with the times and casts his influence  for good government and supports any enterprise which tends to strengthen the social or financial life of Rolette county.

THOMAS T. SHELL, county treasurer of Rolette county. North Dakota, is one of the best known men of the county and has an extensive general merchandise business in Rolla. He is a citizen of foreign birth, but has the interests of his adopted country at heart and has become a thorough American citizen of true worth.

Mr. Shell was born in Lomen Valders, Norway, January 27, 1857. He was the third child and oldest son in a family of six children born to Thorstein and Anne A. (Ellestad) Skjel. He was reared to farm work and purchased a small farm from his father, which he conducted about four years. Many of his relatives were in America and he decided to try his fortunes here, and disposing of his farming interests in his native country he came to America in June, 1883. He went to Decorah, Iowa, and worked there two years at farm labor and then went to Minnesota and worked for others there about two years. Early in 1888 lie went to Grand Forks, Dakota, and soon afterward went to Montana, where he worked on the railroad. About that time he heard from his cousin, Ole O. Skalet, with whom he had-crossed the ocean, who proposed they together locate in business at the present site of Rolla, near the old post office of Boydton. Here they arrived as the railroad was built there and erected a 22x50-foot building, stocking it with general merchandise, and this was one of the first three business establishments of Rolla. In 1895 our subject bought his cousin's interest in the business and later formed a partnership with R. E. Rognes, the firm name now being Shell & Rognes. They carry the most complete line of goods of any merchandise store of the village.

Our subject was married, in 1893, to Miss Julia Rognes. Mr. and Mrs. Shell are the parents of three children, named as follows: Anna E., Stanley and Bessie G. Mr. Shell has not sought public office, attending strictly to his business affairs, but was induced by his friends to place his name before the people as a candidate for county treasurer and was easily elected to the office and is now serving as such, and is popular with all regardless of party affiliations, but has refused re-nomination owing to the extensive business which he conducts and devotes his attention to. He is a Democrat and a member of the .Modern Woodmen of America.

ST. ANTHONY'S MISSION, which is conducted by Rev. Dupont, is located about three miles west of Laureat, Rolette county. It was established in April, 1887, by Rev. Father Schollen, and during the first summer a log building was erected for the services. Sister Catherine donated about twelve hundred dollars for that purpose. The building as then erected is now in use. It is on the southern edge of the Turtle Mountain reservation, and the original church membership consisted of about twenty white families and twenty families of Indians and half breeds. Father Barette assumed charge of the parish in 1889 and he was followed by Father Delage in 1891, and Father Malo was in charge shortly afterwards. The present pastor, Father Dupont, took charge of the work in July, 1898.

Father Dupont was born near Montreal. Canada, October 23, 1852, and was the oldest in a family of sixteen children born to Elie and Mary (Gadbois) Dupont, both of whom are living in the state of Minnesota. At the age of thirteen years our subject entered the College of St. Teresa and completed a five-years course, which was followed by a theological course at Ottawa University, and he was ordained a priest in 1880. He was sent at once to western Manitoba, to Pine Creek, three hundred miles west of Winnipeg, and there among the Chippewa and Creek Indians established churches and taught his religion. Once each year he visited Winnipeg for provisions, and for fifteen years lived among the Indians with no white people within miles. He established five churches, and also established two English schools and did a noble work there. He was placed in charge of the work at Belcourt Mission in 1895, and from there assumed his present duties at St. Anthony's Mission, and the charge includes also the parish of Belcourt and the parish of Maryville. The last named parish was established by Rev. Dupont in 1897, and a church was erected and forty families are in attendance. Our subject reports a remarkable change since 1895. morally, among the reservation Indians, and a true adoption of the faith.

DR. CALVIN M. WAGNER. A position of prominence as a physician and business man of Dunseith, Rolette county, is accorded this gentleman. He is intelligent and progressive and well merits his high standing and success. Aside from the practice of his profession he is engaged in the general merchandise business and is also editor and publisher of the "'Dunseith Herald."

Dr. Wagner is a native of Dr. Wagner is a native of New York, and was born March 22, 1863. He was the youngest in a family of four children, and when he was about fourteen years of age began college work, attending different colleges five years with the idea of studying medicine. At the age of nineteen years he began work in a job printing shop and in February, 1882, came to Grand Harbor, North Dakota, and entered claim to land and in 1884 began newspaper work on the "Devils Lake Globe," in which paper his brother owned an interest. In 1886 he went to Dunseith and worked in his brother's newspaper office. His knowledge of medicine was often called into use but he did not follow the practice of medicine regularly, and in 1895 purchased the newspaper plant. He took a post-graduate course at the New York Post-Graduate Medical College in 1894 and in 1898 entered the Illinois Medical College and graduated as M. D. in 1899, since which time he has practiced his profession regularly. He established a drug business in 1895 and in 1897 added a stock of general merchandise. During the winter of 1885 and 1886 he drove the mails from Devils Lake to Dunseith, making the round trip semi-weekly. He took a memorable hunt in company with his brother and two companions in December, 1884. They went west from Grand Harbor and arrived at Broken Bone lake without incident and after about a month found themselves loaded down with pelts, including beaver, otter, wolves and muskrats, and started for home. They were overtaken by a blizzard through which they traveled two days, two of the party taking the lead to keep the trail, and they arrived home safely but thoroughly exhausted. Our subject has had much to do with the Indians and he has a fine trade in Indian curios and relics. He is a member of the land firm of Wagner & Crum, who handle lands in Rolette county. The "Dunseith Herald," of which our subject has charge, is a four page, six-column quarto paper, and has a circulation of six hundred copies and is the official organ of the county. The job department is a prominent feature of the establishment and Mr. Wagner gives this work his personal supervision and turns out some of the finest work in the state.

Our subject was married, in 1887, to Miss Mary Ormsbee. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wagner, who are as follows: John N., William F., deceased; Gilbert E. and Sarah A. Mr. Wagner is county coroner and notary public and takes a hearty interest in public affairs. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically he is a Republican and is a member of the county central committee.

CAPT. CONRAD I. F. WAGNER, county register of deeds of Rolette county. North Dakota, is a pioneer settler of that region, and is widely and most favorably known. He is a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was born December 3, 1862. Our subject was the second child and eldest son of four children born to Rev. John M. and Sarah (Voorhees) Wagner. The father was pastor of the Dutch Reform church in Brooklyn during the later years of his life. Mr. Wagner was reared in Brooklyn, and received a thorough business education in Wright's College, after which he entered a wholesale house in New York at eighteen years of age and remained thus employed two years. In the spring of 1882, with F. E. Farrell, he started for Dakota or Montana with the idea of sheep raising, and arrived at Jamestown, North Dakota, and drove overland to Fort Totten and north to Devils Lake and both staked out claims. He engaged in cattle raising about two years, and in the spring of 1883 purchased the "Devils Lake Globe" at Grand Harbor. He removed to the Turtle Mountain district in the spring of 1884, and established at Dunseith the first local paper of the Turtle Mountain Mouse River district. Mr. Wagner became sole proprietor in 1886. and operated the paper until 1896. when he sold the plant to his brother. He enlisted in 1889 in the North Dakota National Guard and rose to the rank of captain, and resigned from that position when elected to the office of register of deeds. Mr. Wagner dealt extensively in real estate, and also engaged in farming and stock raising, and was also in the early days engaged in stage driving and hunting, and endured the hardships of many severe storms. In 1899 the Rolette County Abstracting Company was formed and our subject was chosen abstractor. A complete set of abstract books is owned by the company. Rolette county in the early days was thoroughly Democratic, and our subject as a Republican became identified in opposing what was popularly known as "The Gang." He is now a popular and efficient officer, and performs the duties of his office in a most satisfactory manner.

Our subject was married, in 1888, to Miss Leonore De Esterre. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are the parents of six children, named as follows: Martin F., Norman L., Charles W., Leah Ann C, Frederick C. and James W. Mr. Wagner is a member of the Presbyterian church and the Modern Woodmen of America.

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