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.
Interviews
Pufahl, Rudolph (1852 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Puff, Amil (1859 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Pung, Nicholas (1880 - ), Dean Nelson
Putnam, Charles (1844 - 1908), Walter Jernberg
Quickstad, Christian (1856 - 1901), Tresa Gruber
Quinlivan, Sarah (Barrett) (1866 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
Raden, John (1857 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Raden, Peter (1869 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Ramler, Barney (1859 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Randall, Lizzie Evelyn (Mills) (Unterwood) (1877 - ), Melba Peterson
Randall, Samuel (1862 - ), Melba Peterson
Rander, Peter (1859 - 1926), Melba Peterson
Ranten, Halgrim (1858 - ), Melba Peterson
Rassier, Nicholas (1828 - 1906), Tresa Gruber
Rathbun, Anna (Syllander) (Johnson) (1869 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
Rau, Peter (1846 - 1910), Tresa Gruber
Rausch, Peter (1824 - 1903), Dean Nelson
Raymond, Edward N. (1864 - ), Walter Jernberg
Recktenwald, William (1872 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Reding, Peter (1846 - 1901), Walter Jernberg
Reed, Richard Henry (1864 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Reginek, John (1873 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Reichert, Sebastian (1830 - ), Walter Jernberg
Reinert, John A. (1875 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Reinolds, John J. (1834 - 1897), Ann Kramer
Reis, George (1862 - ), Dean Nelson
Remley, Frank X. (1830 - 1905), Tresa Gruber
Rengel, Anton (1853 - ), Dean Nelson
Rengel, John (1895 - ), Dean Nelson
Resseman, John (1854 - ), Alex Pallansch
Rettenmaier, Carl (1869 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Reylick, Josephine Juliana (Casper) (1867 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Reynolds, George H. (1853 - 1910), Tresa Gruber
Rice, Jennie Mable (Barnard) (Dean) (1862 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Richards, Eugene A. (1863 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Richardson, Anna (Gideon) (Hoffman) (1853 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Richardson, John (1847 - 1934), Dorothy Hansmann
Richardson, Rebecca Anne (Ferris) (1845 - 1917), Dorothy Hansmann
Richards, Ross (1848 - ), Tresa Gruber
Richards, William S. (1830 - 1908), Melba Peterson
Rich, Martha Jane (Hubbard) (1859 - 1917), Melba Peterson
Richter, Arthur, Sr. (1843 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Richter, Carl (also known as August) (1825 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Richter, Gerhard (1843 - 1921/1922), Tresa Gruber and Ann Kramer
Richter, John P. (1860 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Rieland, Hubert (1835 - ), Tresa Gruber
Rigby, W.T. (1824 - ), Works Progress Administration
Riggs, Oliver G. (1870 - ), Walter Jernberg
Riley, Gerhardt W. (1867 - 1937), Gilbert Bunt
Ripka, John (1864 - 1934), Dorothy Hansmann
Riss, Bruno R.C. (1829 - ), Tresa Gruber
Robbers, Ludwig (1832 - ), Tresa Gruber
Robbins, Curtis (1851 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Robbins, J.L. (1836 - 1899), Tresa Gruber and Melba Peterson
Roberts, D.A. (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber
Robertson, Ebenezer E. (1866 - 1941), Gilbert Bunt
Robertson, James W. (1830 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Robinson, George (1837 - 1913), Walter Jernberg
Robinson, John E.C. (1869 - ), Tresa Gruber
Robischon, Peter (1876 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Roche, Joseph C. (1865 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Roen, Ole C. (1867 - 1926), Melba Peterson
Rohling, Bernard J. (1861 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Rooney, Michael (1835 - 1918), Dorothy Hansmann
Rooney, Will (1863 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Rosenberger, Joseph B., Walter Jernberg
Rothstein, Hilarius (1878 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Rude, Rose (Bailey), Melba Peterson
Ruegemer, Peter P. (1868 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Ruenger, William (1848 - 1917), Clarence Chisholm
Rupp, Jacob (1875 - ), Dean Nelson
Ryff, John Samuel (1860 - 1934), Clarence Chisholm
Saatzer, Adolph (1847 - 1916), Walter Jernberg
Sakry, Paul Edward (1882 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Salaski, John (1872 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Salchert, Joseph (1863 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Saller, Robert (1865 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Salmond, George Washington (1824 - 1902), Dorothy Hansmann
Sanborn, David (1851 - 1918), Clarence Chisholm
Sand, Madelene (Breedy) (1861 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Sand, NIchlos (1834 - 1912), Ann Kramer
Sand, Peter (1863 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Sandvig, Knut (1860 - ), Melba Peterson
Sartell, William L. (1866 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Sauer, Anna M. (Dietman) (1867 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Sauer, Charles (1859 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Sauer, Conrad (1860 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
Sauer, Joseph B. (1856 - 1934), Dorothy Hansmann
Sauer, Thomas (1853 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Saunders, John (1864 - ), Dean Nelson
Schack, John Henry (1854 - ), Walter Jernberg
Schackmann, John (1849 - 1924), Virgil Chirhart
Schaefer, George (1824 - 1907), Tresa Gruber
Schaefer, George M. (1857 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Schaefer, John (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Schaefer, Leo (1862 - 1915), Nick P. Kruchten
Schaefer, Peter (1812 - 1874), Walter Jernberg
Schaefer, Peter R. (1865 - 1915), Walter Jernberg
Schaefer, Sebastian R. (1852 - 1915), Tresa Gruber
Schaeler, Peter (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
