The Repository @ St. Cloud State

Open Access Knowledge and Scholarship

 

This series consists of over 1500 biographical sketches created by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1936 though 1939. These sketches focus on early settlers of Stearns County, Minnesota, who lived predominantly during the 1800s, though a few can be dated to the late 1700s. By keeping their focus on the "common" person in society, the WPA biographies present examples of how the working class spent their lives. In addition, there are several immigrant accounts that share struggles and triumphs of settling in Stearns County.

A combination of interviews, information taken from books or newspapers, census data and courthouse records are put together in these files to create as complete of a genealogical picture as possible. All files are different - some may contain a combination of an interview summary, information taken from published sources, and census data and courthouse from the Stearns County courthouse. If the interview is not conducted with the subject themselves, they were usually conducted with a family member. This information is listed at the end of each sketch along with the name of the interviewer. Birth and death dates were included if known. It is believed that the people presented in these biographies were selected at random which come from diverse backgrounds. Some of the subjects discuss their interactions with Native Americans, while others briefly talk about their daily routine.

The finding aid for the biographies can be found here.

Visit the University Archives for more information.

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Interviews

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Abell, Lovinus [1809-1884], Tresa Gruber

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Abeln, Anton (1856 - 1929), Alexander Pallansch

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Achman, Joseph Sr. (1857 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Ach, Michael (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

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Adams, Julius (1867 - 1931), Walter Jernberg

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Adley. R.F. (1819 - 1885), Tresa Gruber

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Ahles, Godhard L. (1869-1936), Virgil Chirhart and Walter Jernberg

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Ahles, John L. (1863 - 1933), Walter Jernberg

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Ahrens, Elizabeth (Schmeising) (1863 - 1933), Ann Kramer

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Aigner, Rupert Joseph (1870 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

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Aker, John Milton M.E. (1836 - 1889), Tresa Gruber

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Alden, Thomas C. (1827 - 1905), Tresa Gruber

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Alexander, David, Jr. (1874 - 1933), Walter Jernberg and Walter B. Haupt

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Allen, John (1851 - 1936), Melba Peterson

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Allen, Leslie (Whitney) (1868 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Allen, Michael (1821 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann

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Allison, Frank (1850 - ), Melba Peterson

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Almer, Christian, Jr. (1861 - ), N. P. Kruchten

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Ambrositsch, John (1856 - 1915), Tresa Gruber

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Anderson, Albin (1875 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Alfred J. (1854 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Andrew M. (1860 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Carl, Sr. (1867 - 1923), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, John (1877 - 1933), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Oscar (1860 - 1929), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Swan (1870 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Anderson, Thomas (1855 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Anderson, William (1852 - 1934), Walter Jernberg

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Andrews, Christopher Columbus (1829 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Arndt, John Fred William (1824 - 1904), Clarence Chisholm

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Arneson, Kersti Pederson Mathismoen, Melba Peterson

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Arnold, Francis (1821 - 1906), Gilbert P. Bunt

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Arrowood, William, Dean Nelson

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Arseneau, John Elsworth (1865 - 1922), Virgil Chirhart

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Atkins, Blanche Euphemia (1877 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Atkins, Howard M. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Atwood, E.H. (1829 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Augustine, Jacob (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

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Ayers, Charles W. (1844 - 1917), Walter Jernberg

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Baalson, Austin E. (1864 - 1930), Melba Peterson

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Baalson, Ellen (1834 - 1899), Melba Peterson

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Bach, Frank J. (1865 - ), Dean Nelson

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Bachman, August (1857 - 1907), Dean Nelson

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Bach, Paul (1860 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Bahner, Melchior (1870 - 1902), Tresa Gruber

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Bailey, Jeremiah Bonaparte (1852 - 1936), Walter Jernberg and Melba Peterson

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Baitenger, John (1833 - 1925), Works Progress Administration

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Bakko, Ole E. (1867 - 1928), Melba Peterson

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Balfing, Ludwig J. (1847 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Dean Nelson

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Ball, Forest (1869 - ), Dean Nelson

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Barden, Charles H. (1870 - 1926), Dean Nelson

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Barnard, Frederick William (1843 - 1904), Dorothy Hansmann

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Barnard, Stephen Guliker (1836 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann

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Barnes, Nathan F. (1817 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Barnum, Edward Phelps (1831 - 1902), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber

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Baron, John M. (1872 - 1931), Tresha Bruber

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Barrett, Benjamin (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Barrett, H.C. (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Barrett, James (1829 - 1900), Ann Kraemer

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Barrett, Michael (1833 - 1898), Walter Jernberg and Tresa Gruber

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Barrett, Theodore (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Barrett, Thomas (1869 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Barto, Alphonso (1834 - 1899), Tresa Gruber

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Batz, Valentine (1854 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bauer, Andrew (1882 - ), Nick B. Kruchten

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Bauer, George (1875 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Bauer, Joseph (1854 - 1933), Nick P. Krutchen

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Bauer, Joseph (1861 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Bauer, Joseph (1877 - ), Nick Kruckten

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Bauer, Joseph Peter (1842 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bauer, Mary (Miller) (1854 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Bauer, Matthew (1870 - 1914), Tresa Gruber

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Bauman, August (1861 - ), Clarence Chisholm

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Bean, Martha Frances (Smith) (1862 - ), Melba Peterson

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Bean, William G. (1861 - ), Melba Peterson

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Beaudreau, Frank (1860 - ), Nick P. Krutchen

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Beaudreau, Paul (1871 - 1921), Tresa Gruber

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Becker, John (1827 - ), Alexander Pallansch

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Beckley, William Homer (1863 - 1898), Clarence Chisholm

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Bedell, Mark (1828 - ), Melba Peterson

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Beidleman, George Ernest (1862 - 1936), Dorothy Hansmann

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Beidleman, Samuel (1830 - 1910), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bellinger, Hiram (1828 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann

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Benken, Ole C. (Colbjornson) (1832 - 1909), Melba Peterson

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Bennett, Charles (1841 - ), Melba Peterson

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Bennett, George M. (1841 - ), Melba Peterson

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Bennett, H.P. (1825 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Bennett, W.P. (1825 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Benolken, Frank (1846 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Benson, John N. (1850 - 1917), Gilbert Bunt

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Benson, Steiner (1846 - 1929), Melba Peterson

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Bente, Ole O. (1840 - 1903), Melba Peterson

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Benzie, James (1868 - 1924), Walter Jernberg

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Berg, Christian (1869 - ), Dean Nelson

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Berg, John (1868 - ), Dean Nelson

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Bergman, Herman (1861 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bernick, Charles (1869 - 1913), Gilbert Bunt

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Berry, Amos (1834 - 1913), Virgil Chirhart

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Berschett, John (1864 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bestgen, Theodore (1863 - 1929), Tresa Gruber