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GEORGE LUTZ, a capitalist of Jamestown and one of the foremost business men of the state, has also taken a prominent part in public affairs and for two terms served as a member of the state legislature. He was born in the Black Forest in Germany on the 19th of December 1853, and is a son of George and Wilhelmina (Klumpp) Lutz, both of whom died in Germany, the father when our subject was fifteen years old, and the mother when he was four years of age.
George Lutz attended school in his native land, receiving a good education, and on putting aside his textbooks entered a general store, where he learned the principles of successful merchandising. Later he engaged in banking for three years, but when twenty-one years of age entered the army, serving the required time and winning promotion to the rank of lieutenant. After leaving the army he again turned his attention to banking, but after a year went to Antwerp, Belgium, where he held a position as correspondent with a large importing firm. In 1879 he was sent by that firm to Chicago, where he remained until 1883, when the French embargo on American pork paralyzed business and he was forced to seek other employment. In that year he came to Dakota territory, taking up a homestead in Stutsman county, but residing at Jamestown. He began working in a lumberyard and his ability was so apparent that the following year he was promoted to the position of manager. In 1893 he engaged in the lumber business on his own account and under his own name, and later organized and incorporated the Lutz Lumber Company, which was an important factor in business circles in southern North Dakota until July 1914, when it was sold to the Thompson Lumber Company, Incorporated. Mr. Lutz was for a considerable period interested in the James River National Bank, of which he served as director for seventeen years, and he organized the Jamestown Implement Company, which he subsequently sold. He also erected the Lutz building, which he still owns, and likewise holds title to valuable tracts of land. His keen insight into business conditions, his sound judgment and his enterprise have been instrumental in the business and commercial development of Jamestown and Stutsman county and have placed him among the men of wealth of the county.
Mr. Lutz was married on the 7th of September 1887, to Miss Matilda Bauer, a daughter of Phillip and Helen Bauer, both natives of Germany. Mrs. Lutz, however, was born and reared in Burlington, Iowa, and was one of the early teachers in the Jamestown public schools. She passed away on the 10th of December, 1914, at the age of fifty-two years, leaving two children: Alma W., a graduate of Vassar College, who is at home; and Paul F., who was educated at the Tarrytown (N. Y.) Academy and in the State University of Wisconsin and is now connected with the Thompson Lumber Company.
Mr. Lutz is a stanch republican and is recognized as one of the leaders of the party in his section of the state. In 1889 and again in 1891 he served as a member of the state legislature and made an excellent record in that capacity, supporting measures that have proved beneficial. Although he was reared as a Lutheran, he is now a member of the Christian Science church. Fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His recreation consists chiefly of hunting and motoring, as he is very fond of outdoor life. The unusual measure of success which he has gained is due to his thorough business training, his unquestioned ability, his industry and his sterling integrity.
ALBERT C. MAXWELL, general manager of the Midland Continental Railroad and a resident of Jamestown, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 31, 1882, a son of Albert and Carrie (Langdon) Maxwell. The father was well known for a considerable period in hotel circles, being manager of the Gibson House of Cincinnati. He served with Pike’s Scouts during the period of the Civil war and was ever a loyal, progressive and public-spirited citizen. Both he and his wife have now passed away.
Entering the public schools at the usual age, Albert C. Maxwell passed through consecutive grades until graduated from the high school, while later he entered the University of Cincinnati, from which he was graduated with the class of 1901. He had joined the army as a member of the Fifteenth Regulars and was immediately placed in charge of the Puerto, Principe & Neuvitas Railroad. He did all the work as assistant to Major Thompson and saw thirty-one months’ active service in the south. He was honorably discharged following the return of his command to the United States, after which he again entered the university and completed his course there.
Turning to business life, Mr. Maxwell entered the Gibson House, acting as clerk of the hotel under his father. Still later he was connected with the Illinois Central and with other railroad lines, doing special work in the east and the west, the north and the south. He was for a time associated with the Atlantic Coast Line, with the Denver & Rio Grande at Denver and the Burlington at Chicago. He was also connected with the Cotton Belt road in Texas and then went to Chicago, where he got out the transcontinental rate tariff in the Spokane and cattle rate case. He became connected with the Midland Continental Railroad as general auditor in charge of traffic and accounts and was made general manager on the 1st of July 1913, which position of responsibility he is now filling. The business of the railroad under his direction is constantly increasing and the interests of the company are carefully systematized and wisely directed, his efforts being given to executive control. He manifests keen and discriminating judgment and his long connection with railroad interests has given him the experience upon which his success has been built.
On the 4th of October 1910, Mr. Maxwell was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Dunican, a daughter of James Dunican, of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have one son, James Albert. The religious faith of the family is that of the Episcopal church. In Masonic circles Mr. Maxwell is well known, belonging to the commandery and the Mystic Shrine and having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is likewise identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a member of the American Railroad Association and the General Managers’ Association. Mr. Maxwell turns to fishing and hunting for recreation. In fact he is fond of all outdoor sports and exercises and he belongs to the Sportsmen’s Club. Since his removal to this state he has become deeply interested in North Dakota and her welfare, is putting forth earnest and effective effort to advance the general good and cooperates in many plans and measures which are resulting beneficially to city and state.
ANDREW McKAY, the popular and capable cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Pingree, was born in Scotland on the 29th of December 1885, a son of Alexander and Barbara McKay, both of whom are now deceased. The father was for a number of years a railroad conductor.
Andrew McKay was educated in Burghead, Scotland, and after finishing his schooling was employed as train dispatcher for a time. In 1904, when nineteen years of age, he came to the United States and, making his way to North Dakota, turned his attention to farming, which he followed until 1910. In the spring of that year the Citizens State Bank of Pingree was organized and he was made assistant cashier, which office he held until 1911, when he was elected cashier, in which capacity he is still serving. In 1910 the deposits of the bank totaled seven thousand dollars and in the past six years it has grown so rapidly that they now amount to over ninety thousand dollars. The success of the bank is due in large measure to the ability and enterprise of Mr. McKay and he is recognized as one of the ablest young financiers of Stutsman county. He is a stockholder and director in the bank and also has other interests, owning valuable farm property.
Mr. McKay was married on the 10th of June 1913, to Miss Mary Flynn, a daughter of Daniel Flynn, a well known resident of Jamestown. To this union has been born a son, Donald R. Mrs. McKay is a communicant of the Catholic church. Mr. McKay is independent in politics, supporting the man whom he deems best fitted for the office in question regardless of his party allegiance. He is very fond of fishing, hunting and motoring and believes that outdoor recreation is far superior to any other kind of amusement. He is a third degree Mason and in his life exemplifies the spirit of the fraternity. He is characterized by progressiveness, by unswerving integrity and by loyalty in friendship and is highly esteemed and respected by all who know him.
M. P. MORRIS, is postmaster of Jamestown, Stutsman county, and is also the owner of the Stutsman County Democrat, an excellent and well patronized weekly paper. His birth occurred in Wisconsin on the 26th of August 1857, and his parents were Thomas and Sarah Morris.
After leaving the public schools he entered a printing office at Janesville, Wisconsin, where he remained until 1880. Subsequently he followed the printer’s trade for four years in the northern part of Wisconsin and for nine years in Minnesota but in 1893 he came to North Dakota and located at Grand Forks. Two years later he arrived in Jamestown and in 1903 he established a job office, while in 1904 he founded the Stutsman County Democrat, which is the official organ of the democratic party in that county. The paper has prospered from the beginning and its circulation and advertising are still growing. It strives to print all news of local interest and is known as both up-to-date and reliable. Through its editorial page Mr. Morris has accomplished much for the democratic party and personally he has been active in county and state politics for eighteen years. For a number of years he served as chairman of the county committee and he has also been connected with the state organization but since receiving his appointment as postmaster has ceased to be active politically. He was appointed to the office on the 19th of August 1914. and took charge on the 23d of September. He has proved capable and efficient in the discharge of his duties and the work of the office is done with accuracy and dispatch.
On the 12th of November 1879, Mr. Morris was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Hayes, who died on the 23d of December 1908. They became the parents of four sons and one daughter. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church, to the teachings of which they strive to conform their lives. Mr. Morris has thoroughly identified his interests with those of his county and state and cooperates heartily with all those who seek the advancement of North Dakota.
JAMES A. MURPHY, of Jamestown, who is one of the able attorneys of Stutsman county and is also engaged in the real estate and insurance business, was born in Clermont, Iowa, on the 21st of June 1863. His parents, Michael and Margaret (Houlihan) Murphy, were both natives of Ireland but emigrated to this country many years ago and became pioneer settlers of Iowa.
James A. Murphy was reared under the parental roof and divided his time during his boyhood and youth between attending the public schools and assisting in the work of the home farm. He entered Bayliss College at Dubuque, Iowa, and following his graduation therefrom in 1883 he removed to Fargo, Dakota territory, where he accepted a position as bookkeeper for a machinery company. Later in the same year he went to Foster county, taking up a homestead near Carrington. He also had charge of a machine company at that place and while living there served as postmaster of Carrington and as clerk of Foster county. In 1891-93 he served as county treasurer and in 1893 was appointed deputy state insurance commissioner. In the meantime he had taken up the study of law and, having been admitted to the bar, he located in Jamestown in 1895 and entered upon the active practice of law. He has gained a commendable reputation as an attorney and has also won gratifying success as a real estate and insurance agent. He owns valuable city and farm property and is one of the substantial citizens of his county.
On the 19th of December 1895, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss Minnie B. Jones, of Sturgis, South Dakota, by whom he has two children, Louise and Jerome J. Mr. Murphy is a republican and for many years has been a leader in state politics, serving as a delegate to state conventions on several occasions. For a number of years he served as city magistrate of Jamestown, discharging his duties with fairness and impartiality. Fraternally he is well known, belonging to the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of Columbus, his association with the last named indicating his membership in the Roman Catholic church. He belongs to the Jamestown Commercial Club and cooperates heartily with that organization in its efforts to advance the interests of Jamestown and Stutsman county. He not only has the respect of all with whom he has been associated but has also gained the warm friendship of many.
HUBERT V. NICHOLS, postmaster and a merchant of Ypsilanti, was born in Brandon, Minnesota, in 1871, a son of Valentine and Antoinette (Stephenson) Nichols, the former born in Lagrange county, Indiana, in 1845, and the latter in New York in 1846. They were married in 1868 and had a family of nine children, eight of whom are yet living. The mother passed away in 1877 and in 1878 the father wedded Catherine L. Bartos. He is living in California, where he engaged in fruit growing and farming, but is now living retired.
Hubert V. Nichols, who was the second of the nine children, was educated in Brandon, Minnesota, and remained upon his father’s farm until he attained his majority, being trained to habits of industry in connection with the work of the fields, wherein his labors began almost as soon as he was old enough to reach the plow handles. His residence in North Dakota dates from 1893, in which year he settled in Pingree, where he remained for three years, working on the railroad. In the fall of 1896 he went to Ypsilanti and was made section gang foreman on the Northern Pacific Railroad, continuing in that position for ten years. He then started in the elevator business, managing elevators at Woods, Coburn, Sheldon and Buchanan, devoting six years to that business, after which he returned to Ypsilanti and entered into partnership with M. 0. Ruud for the conduct of a general merchandise establishment. Throughout his entire business life he has made good use of every opportunity that has been presented and steadily and persistently has worked his way upward, winning his success by honorable, earnest and indefatigable effort.
On the 22d of November 1910, Mr. Nichols was married to Miss Alice Egan, who was born at Lowe, Canada, in 1878, a daughter of Patrick and Eleanor Egan, both of whom have passed away. They were the parents of eight children. To Mr. and Mrs. Nichols was born a son, Marcus, on the 21st of March 1912, and on the 10th of October 1915, the wife and mother passed away. She had been reared in Minnesota, where she completed her education by study in the Glenwood Academy. She afterward devoted thirteen years to school teaching in Minnesota and in North Dakota. She was a member of the Catholic church and was laid to rest in Calvary cemetery at Jamestown, her death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret among the friends whom she had won in Stutsman county.
In his political views Mr. Nichols is a stalwart republican and has held several local offices, including that of township clerk of Convin township, while at the present time he is postmaster of Ypsilanti, to which office he was appointed in March 1916. Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen and with the Knights of the Maccabees at Jamestown and is a charter member of the Yeomen lodge at Sheldon. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Jamestown Presbyterian church. The marked characteristics which he has always displayed are designated as sterling by his friends. He has proven his worth in many connections and his business advancement has been the expression of strong and honorable purpose and indefatigable effort.
CHRIST NIELSON, a merchant of Buchanan, was born in Denmark in 1868 and in the year in which he attained his majority crossed the Atlantic to the new world, making his way to Jamestown, North Dakota. There he engaged in railroad work for about eight years, on the expiration of which period he turned his attention to commercial lines, becoming a clerk in the general store of Bowman Brothers at that place, where he remained for two years. In 1903 Mr. Nielson arrived in Buchanan, establishing one of the first stores in the town. He secured a stock of general merchandise and erected the building which he now occupies. At the present time he is improving the store by putting in a new front and adding to its equipment. He carries a good line and the integrity and reliability of his business methods have secured to him a growing patronage. In 1890 occurred the marriage of Mr. Nielson and Miss Christine Romer, a native of Denmark, and they have become the parents of five children: John, who conducts a store at Nortonville, this state; Edna, the wife of Roy Halverson, living at Nortonville; Henry, who is attending the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; and William and Ralph, both at home.
The parents are members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Nielson is well known in fraternal circles, being a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen at Jamestown, the Yeomen at Buchanan and the Modern Woodmen camp at Jamestown. In politics he is a democrat, has served as postmaster and is now notary public. He takes quite an active interest in political affairs and is serving as a member of the state central committee, his opinions carrying weight in the councils of his party, while his efforts are fearlessly put forth to ensure the success of the principles in which he believes. His ability as a business man is widely recognized and whatever success he has achieved is attributable entirely to his own efforts, for he came to the United States practically empty handed and has worked his way upward through the immediate improvement of the opportunities that have come to him.
ISAAC L. O’DELL, a merchant of Eldridge, has been engaged in the conduct of this business for about seven years, but has resided in the state since 1905. He was born near Cumberland Gap in the northeast part of Tennessee, January 18, 1863, a son of Lacy and Sarah (Owerby) O’Dell, the latter a daughter of a plantation and slave owner of Virginia. However, Mr. O’Dell, the father of our subject, joined the Union army and because of his position on the question of the right of the south to withdraw from the Union he was forced to secretly leave his Tennessee home at night in order to save his life, and went to London, Kentucky. He died of fever in that state and was there buried. To him and his wife were born four children: Mrs. Elizabeth Parman, living in Kentucky; John Henry, of Indiana; William Franklin, of Oklahoma ; and Isaac L. The last named was but two years old when he went with his mother to Kentucky and spent his boyhood in the family home near London, acquiring a district school education.
On the 22d of February 1878, he was married in Laurel county, that state, to Alcie Phelps, a native of Kentucky, and they have become the parents of nine children: Dora E., the wife of W. T. Moore, who follows farming near Salem, Oregon; Flora A., who died at the age of twenty-five years; John Franklin, who died when a year old; William, who is farming in North Dakota; Catherine B., who became the wife of Roy Tory and died at Lakota, North Dakota, in 1915; Helen, the wife of Frank Alexander, of South Dakota; Robert, who was born in Indiana and is now with the Rock Island Plow Company at Minneapolis; Ida Belle, at home; and Lacy Paul, at Jamestown.
Mr. and Mrs. O’Dell began their domestic life in Kentucky, but after seven years removed with their family to Indiana, settling near Crawfordsville, in Montgomery county, where for nine years Mr. O’Dell was employed by James A. Mount, for four years chief executive of that state. He lived there until 1905, when he sold out all his interests in Indiana and made his way to Jamestown, North Dakota. For four years he cultivated a rented farm and then purchased a stock of merchandise from Alvin Vessey, continuing the business in the same building for five years. In 1914 he purchased ground and erected a substantial business block costing about five thousand dollars, and in this he has a stock of general merchandise and machinery valued at forty-five hundred dollars. He is doing a good business and his trade is steadily growing. His store is neatly and tastefully arranged and his goods attractively displayed. In addition to conducting his mercantile interests he served as postmaster of Eldridge for eight years. Mr. O’Dell has put forth every possible effort to aid in the upbuilding of his village. He was one of the organizers of the Eldridge Commercial Club in 1915 and became its first president. Since that time the club has been instrumental in securing the establishment of a bank, a blacksmithing shop and a restaurant in this place. Politically Mr. 0’Dell is a republican, and for two years filled the office of justice of the peace. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Jamestown and is an exemplary representative of the craft, loyal to its teachings and its purposes.
D. C. RAND, the proprietor of the Northern Automobile Company of Jamestown, Stutsman county, is one of the leading business men of his town and is highly esteemed throughout the county. He was born in Fargo, North Dakota, on the 17th of November 1876, a son of G. 0. and Rachel L. (Craig) Rand. The father is a railroad engineer and master mechanic residing at Jamestown and is likewise traveling auditor for the Powers Elevator Company. The mother is also living.
D. C. Rand attended school in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and subsequently entered Wright College at Tacoma, Washington, from which he was graduated in 1899. For fifteen years thereafter he was auditor for Powers Elevator Company and on severing his connection with that concern engaged in the automobile business in Jamestown. He erected his garage, which is fully equipped for all kinds of repair work. His floor space is eighty-five by one hundred feet exclusive of the basement. He carries all kinds of automobile supplies and is agent for the Packard, the Buick and the Ford machines. He has the agency for the south half of North Dakota and part of Minnesota for the Packard car, for the southeast quarter of North Dakota and a part of Minnesota for the Buick and is local agent for the Ford car. He has been very successful in business and keeps thoroughly abreast of the new developments that are constantly being made in the automobile business.
In July 1905, Mr. Rand was married to Miss Edith A. May, a daughter of J. A. May, and to this union three children have been born, Loraine, Genevieve and Justine. Mr. Rand is a republican in politics but is not an active party worker. He holds membership in the Elks, the Workmen and the Masonic order, in which he has taken all the degrees in both the York and Scottish Rites. He is a communicant of the Episcopal church and also belongs to the Young Men’s Christian Association, which connections indicate the rules which govern his life. He is also a member of the Commercial Club and cooperates readily in all projects looking toward the commercial advancement of Jamestown and Stutsman county. He finds needed recreation in hunting and fishing and, in fact, is fond of all outdoor sports. His public spirit and his adherence to high standards of commercial ethics have gained him the respect of all who know him and his personal friends are many.
FRANK E. STOTT, proprietor of a general store at Montpelier and thus identified with a business activity which is proving an element in the material development of the state, was born in Kirksville, Missouri, January 8, 1886, a son of Charles and Louise (Hayden) Stott, who were farming people. Throughout the period of his minority the son remained under the parental roof and in the acquirement of his education attended the high school of Kirksville, the State Normal School of that place and the Kirksville Business College, in which he pursued a commercial course. When not busy with his textbooks his attention was given to the work of the home farm and his early practical experience along that line proved of marked value to him when in 1898 he came to North Dakota and homesteaded a quarter section in Lamoure county, obtaining the southwest quarter of section 4, township 136, range 64. He proved up on that property and occupied it for seven years, his unremitting labor converting the raw prairie land into rich and productive fields. In 1905 Mr. Stott traded his farm for the general store of which he is now the owner. It was located at the corner of Bailey and Front streets, in Montpelier, and the building was included in the trade. He continued to conduct business there for eight years but in 1913 sold the building and erected a new business block of two stories on Bailey street considerably larger than the one which he first occupied. He accordingly increased his stock and now carries a large and carefully selected line of general merchandise, including dry goods, ladies’ and men’s furnishings, groceries and in fact everything but hardware. In 1912 he was joined in a partnership by H. A. Hughes but Mr. Stott still remains the active head of the business. This store was established by William Campbell in 1905 but had only been conducted for six months when it was taken over by Mr. Stott, who has proven one of the progressive merchants of Stutsman county, possessing marked energy and enterprise leading to substantial success.
He has also engaged in farming near the village in which he lives and he has other important business connections, being a stockholder and president of the board of directors of the Montpelier Farmers Elevator Company, and a stockholder, director and treasurer of the Montpelier Telephone Company. Mr. Stott exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and has filled various local offices in the township and village, the duties of which he discharged so promptly and faithfully that he was again called to positions of public trust. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp and to the Odd Fellows lodge in Montpelier and his cooperation in any movement is considered of value.
W. C. WESCOM, connected with the business interests of Edmunds as a dealer in implements and lumber, comes to the west from New England, his birth having occurred in Belvidere, Vermont, November 28, 1866. His parents, Joseph E. and Julia M. (Smith) Wescom, were likewise natives of the Green Mountain state, where the father engaged in farming and stock raising, but at the time of the Civil war he put aside all business and personal considerations in order to espouse the cause of the Union, joining the army as a member of Company A, Eighth Vermont Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Gulf. He served for three years and ten months and although he participated in many hotly contested battles was never wounded. When the war was over he returned to Vermont, where he resided until 1883, when he disposed of his property there and removed to North Dakota, securing a homestead in Stutsman county, about two miles south of Edmunds. He proved up on that claim and made his home there until he retired from active business. In the meantime he purchased more land and cultivated three-quarters of a section but in 1907 disposed of his property and returned to Vermont where he lived for a year. At that time his son, W. C. Wescom, returned to the east and brought his father back to North Dakota, where he passed away in April 1908, at the age of about sixty-eight years, his birth having occurred on the 25th of August 1840. His wife, who was born April 30, 1845, died in the spring of 1903. In their family were eight children: Frank, who is a section foreman on the railroad and lives at Vashti, North Dakota; W. C; Minnie, deceased; Edward, a farmer living three miles southwest of Edmunds; Hubert, who makes his home in the village, where he operates an elevator and is also engaged in farming; Efie, the widow of E. W. Hall and a resident of Jamestown; Laura, living near Outlook, Saskatchewan, Canada; and Walter, who died in the spring of 1903.
W. C. Wescom attended the public schools in his native state and also continued his education in Brighara Academy at Bakersfield, Vermont. Later he was employed at farm labor until 1886, when he came west. In 1892 Mr. Wescom secured a. homestead claim a mile and a half west of Edmunds and began the development of the property, which he still owns. He has since purchased another quarter section in Stutsman county and he continued to reside upon the farm until 1902. His labors wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the place, which he converted into a valuable and productive farm. In the fall of that year he was elected county assessor and in the spring of 1903 he erected a store building in Edmunds where in connection with his brother Hubert he engaged in general merchandising, continuing in business for five years. He then traded his stock for a farm and rented the building. He had held the office of assessor four years, being elected to that position on the republican ticket. He afterward went to work for the Lutz Lumber Company, with which he was connected for eight years, when the business was sold to the Salzer Lumber Company, of which Mr. Wescom is now a representative, having built up a good business for the company. In 1904 he became one of the organizers and original stockholders of the First State Hank of Edmunds, of which he was elected a director and vice president, occupying those positions until 1915, when he sold his interests in the bank. For ten years he operated a threshing machine in the vicinity of Edmunds and thus he has been actively and prominently connected with various lines of business but now makes his home in Edmunds.
On the 31st of October 1894, Mr. Wescom was married to Miss Miriam Hall, a native of Iowa, who in her girlhood days accompanied her parents on their removal to Stutsman county. She was born January 7, 1876, and by her marriage has become the mother of three children, Margaret, Joseph and Mildred, all at home. Fraternally Mr. Wescom is connected with the Odd Fellows and with the Modern Woodmen camp at Edmunds, of which he is past vice consul.
As a pioneer settler he has experienced many of the hardships and privations incident to frontier life in North Dakota. It was necessary for the settlers of his locality to haul lumber from Jamestown and he even worked on the section for twelve months in order to get the money to supply his needs, for no credit was given in those days. He attended Jamestown College, realizing the value of education as a preparation for life’s practical and progressive duties, after which he hired out on a ranch and for a number of years was foreman, remaining on the ranch of T. S. Wadsworth until the spring of 1892. When he went to Edmunds the village contained only a hotel, an elevator and a small house. He has erected a number of buildings in the village and in fact has been one of the most active and influential of its citizens, doing more to promote its progress, upbuilding and improvement than almost any other man. His activities have been broad and varied and each one has constituted an element in progress as well as in individual success.
GEORGE A. WESTON, owner and publisher of the Montpelier Magnet and otherwise actively identified with the interests of the town of Montpelier, claims Maine as the state of his nativity, his birth having there occurred in Orono, February 18, 1870, his parents being A. J. and Elizabeth (Wilkey) Weston, the former a native of Maine and the latter of Quebec, Canada. The father died in 1904, having long survived his wife, who passed away in 1879. He was a millwright by trade and in 1880 removed westward to Stillwater, Minnesota, while later he became a resident of Detroit, Minnesota, where he spent his remaining days.
George A. Weston was the fifth in a family of six children, three of whom are yet living. He began his education in the schools of the Pine Tree state and afterward continued his studies in Canada, finishing in a St. Paul business college. After leaving school he entered the printing establishment of Baker, Collins &. Company at St. Paul and there remained for a period of five years, thoroughly learning the trade while in that establishment. He next became an employee of the firm of Brown & Tracey, with whom he continued for eight years, and no higher testimonial of his capability and fidelity can be given than the fact that he was so long retained in the service of both companies. He next went to Wabasha, Minnesota, where he was made foreman of the Wabasha County Herald, in which position he continued for a period of five and one-half years. Removing to North Dakota in 1904, he settled at Grand Forks, where he resumed active connection with the printing trade as an employee. After leaving Grand Forks he went to Dickey, North Dakota, where he remained for two years, and in May 1914, he arrived in Montpelier, where he founded the Montpelier Magnet, which he has made a successful enterprise. The paper now has a circulation of five hundred and its patronage is continually growing. He is also accorded a good advertising patronage and he does everything to make the Magnet an attractive and readable paper, embodying high ideals of modern journalism.
In 1891 Mr. Weston was married to Miss Jennie Lockwood, who was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1875, a daughter of John and Clementine B. (Allen) Lockwood, the latter a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and the former of Cornwall, England. The father, who was an engineer, emigrated to the United States and entered the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, with which he was connected during the greater part of his life. Mrs. Weston is one of a family of twelve children and by her marriage has become the mother of two sons: Lawrence, born in 1892; and Hugh, in 1897. Mr. Weston is a republican and issues his paper in support of the principles of that party. He is not bitterly partisan, however, and the Magnet is characterized by a fair and impartial discussion of public questions.
MAJOR DANA WRIGHT, who has made an excellent record as sheriff of Stutsman county, is also a veteran of the Spanish-American war and has taken a great interest in the work of the Dakota National Guard, now serving as major therein. He was born in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, on the 30th of August 1878, a son of Monroe and Clara (Morse) Wright. The father served throughout the Civil war as a member of the Second Michigan Cavalry and proved a brave and loyal soldier. In 1881 he came to North Dakota and in the fall of that year entered a homestead. In the following March the family joined him and he continued to reside upon the place until he retired from active life. Both he and his wife are now living in Jamestown. For twenty years he served as chairman of the school board.
Dana Wright attended the public schools of Jamestown in the acquirement of his education. At the time of the Spanish-American war he enlisted in Company H, of the First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry, and went with his command to the Philippines, where he served for seventeen months. After being mustered out from the army he returned to Jamestown and for three years taught school during the winters and worked on the home farm during the summers. He then devoted ten years to railroad work, being fireman and engineer on the Northern Pacific, but on the 1st of January 1913, took office as sheriff of Stutsman county, in which capacity he proved so efficient that he was reelected in the fall of 1914. He is fearless and impartial in the enforcement of the law and has gained the support of all good citizens.
On the 4th of May 1904, Major Wright was married to Miss Sybilla Pearson, a daughter of the late Peter Pearson, who at one time served as justice of the peace. The Pearson family has been represented in Stutsman county for many years and has had a part in its development. Major and Mrs. Wright have the following children, Lunetta, Dana Monroe, Jr., Sevilla and Jane.
Major Wright is a republican, manifests a keen interest in everything relating to the general welfare and is taking an active part in the good roads movement. He realizes the need of a body of citizens trained in military tactics and for a number of years has belonged to the National Guard. For some time he was captain of Company 11 but is now major of the state organization. His interest in the moral progress of the community is indicated by the fact that he is a director of the Young Men’s Christian Association and is also a member of the Baptist church. He is identified with the Masonic order, in which he has taken the Knight Templar degree, and also belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen and the breadth of his interests is further shown by the fact that he is a trustee of the State Historical Society and his knowledge of the past of the state serves to increase his faith in its future. He enjoys all manly outdoor sports, finding especial pleasure in hunting and he is recognized as one of the most expert marksmen in his part of the state. He has a wide acquaintanceship and is highly esteemed and respected by all who know him.
IVER YTREEIDE, Norway has contributed largely to the citizenship of North Dakota. Her sons, industrious and diligent, have labored earnestly along the lines of business which have been the chief factors in the development and upbuilding of the state. A representative of this class is Iver Ytreeide, who was born in Norway. February 2, 1880, a son of Peter and Anna Ytreeide, who were born, reared and married in the land of the midnight sun. They remained there until called to their final rest and the father followed the occupation of farming in order to provide for the support of his family of five children, all of whom are yet living.
Iver Ytreeide, who was the second in order of birth, pursued a common school education in his native country and when a youth of nineteen years started out in the world on his own account. The favorable reports which he had heard concerning America and its opportunities led him to the determination to try his fortune in the new world and, crossing the Atlantic, he made his way to Iowa, where he was employed for a time as a farm hand. In the fall of 1906. however, he came to North Dakota, settling in Steele, where he secured a clerk ship in a general store, spending a year in that way. In 1907 he accepted a position in the James River National Bank at Jamestown and later went to Montpelier to become teller in the bank, which position he occupied for ten months. At Pingree he held the office of assistant cashier, continuing at that place for five years, when he returned to Montpelier in May 1913 and has since been actively identified with its financial interests. He is now a stockholder of the James River Bank Syndicate and he has served as cashier of the Montpelier bank for three years. The bank was organized in 1906 by the James River Valley Bank of Jamestown and has had a continuously successful existence. In addition to his banking interests Mr. Ytreeide has investments in farm lands and in town property and in fact the bank conducts a large real estate department and is also agent for different insurance companies. Since his arrival in America Mr. Ytreeide has given financial aid toward bringing to this country two brothers and a sister all of whom have become successful in the new world.
On the 6th of May. 1914, Mr. Ytreeide was united in marriage to Miss Anna Wahl. who was born in Norway, a daughter of Lars and Ingeborg Wahl. the former now deceased. while the latter resides in Missouri. Mrs. Ytreeide was the fifth in order of birth in their family of twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Ytreeide have become the parents of a little son, Leland, who was born April 20, 1915.
They are members of the Montpelier Lutheran church, of which Mr. Ytreeide is serving as treasurer and to the support of the church he is a liberal contributor. In politics he is a republican, and while he does not seek nor desire political office, he is serving at the present time as school treasurer. Never has he regretted his determination to come to the new world, for he found that in America labor is king and that the way of advancement is always open to the man of ambition and energy—qualities which are numbered among his salient characteristics. Year after year he has worked on along well defined business lines and has continually progressed toward the goal of success.
OSCAR ZIMMERMAN, That Oscar Zimmerman of Jamestown is a man of unusual business acumen, executive ability and enterprise is indicated in the fact that he has developed the store owned by the Zimmerman Company, of which he is president, from a comparatively small beginning to one of the largest mercantile establishments of the state. In addition to managing the affairs of this large department store he is interested in many other business concerns and is conceded to be a leader in the commercial growth and expansion of Jamestown. A native of Minnesota, his birth occurred on the 6th of October 1876, and he is a son of Rudolph Zimmerman, who was born in Switzerland but emigrated to the United States in boyhood and became a resident of Indiana. In 1874 he located at Alexandria, Minnesota, and there engaged in mercantile pursuits until his demise in 1887 at the comparatively early age of forty-two years. His wife, who was in her maidenhood Rosa Loseley, and was also born in Switzerland, is still living in Alexandria.
Oscar Zimmerman, the second in order of birth in a family of six children, received his education in the public schools of his native town and also devoted some time during his boyhood to working in his father’s store, thus early learning the principles of successful merchandising. After leaving school he entered the employ of Moles Brothers, merchants of Alexandria, and remained with them for ten years as salesman and buyer. In 1902 he became connected with the store at Valley City, North Dakota, owned by William McKinney and in 1906 he removed to Jamestown to accept the position of manager of the New York Store. After a year he bought the business and incorporated the Zimmerman Company, of which he became president. In the nine years that have since intervened the business has had a remarkable growth and its trade now totals a quarter of a million dollars, although at the time the Zimmerman Company was organized it only amounted to a few thousand dollars a year. All departments of the store are well organized, the buying is done systematically, the sales force is impressed with the value of courtesy and willing service and full value is given for money received. Mr. Zimmerman also has other important business interests, owning stock, in the Burns-Zimmerman Company at Edgeley, North Dakota, of which he is a director and vice president, in the Simonson & Ames Company, of Plaza, this state, of which he is a director, and in the merchants Investment Company, of North Dakota, of which he is a director and vice president. He is also financially interested in stores at Woodworth, North Dakota, and in Laurel, Montana, and, moreover, owns considerable land in Stutsman county. He is a member of the Retail Merchants Association of North Dakota and keeps in close touch with business conditions in the state.
Mr. Zimmerman was married on the 15th of May 1899, to Miss Daisy Terrell, a daughter of J. C. and Ella Terrell, of Alexandria, Minnesota. They have four adopted children, Virginia, Rose, Mary and Margaret.
Mr. Zimmerman is a republican and takes the interest of a public-spirited citizen in political affairs, but has never been an office seeker. He is affiliated with the Masons, belonging to the blue lodge, the commandery and the Shrine, and is also a member of the Yeomen. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church, to which he belongs and of which he is now serving as a trustee, and he is also prominent in the Young Glen’s Christian Association, of which he is a director. His wife is also a member of the Methodist church and is very active in church and social work. He is serving as a director of the Park View Hospital and can always be counted upon to give freely of his time and thought to the promotion of movements for the general good. He is a member of the Jamestown Commercial Club and he has been a factor of no small importance in carrying its projects for the business expansion of Jamestown through to successful completion His success as a merchant is notable in itself and is doubly so in consideration of the fact that he is a self-made man, beginning his career without capital or the aid of influential friends.
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