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
Spiering, Richard Ludwig (1869 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Spoden, Hubert (1870 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Sprague, Cassius M. (1846 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Stabler, George Lund (1831 - 1908), Melba Peterson
Stafford, Patrick E. (1856 - 1926), Walter Jernberg
Stakemann, Julius, Tresa Gruber
Stalboerger, Andrew (1844 - 1927), Dorothy Hansmann
Stanczyk, Frank (1863 - ), Ann Kramer
Stang, George (1854 - 1913), Gilbert Bunt
Stangl, Fred, Sr. (1862 - ), Walter Jernberg
Stanley, David B. (1858 - ), Tresa Gruber
Stanley, Roger W. (1853 - ), Tresa Gruber
Stanton, George A. (1877 - ), Tresa Gruber
Staub, Clemens, R.C. (1819 - 1886), Tresa Gruber
Steffens, John, Jr. (1850 - 1919), Nick P. Kruchten
Steffes, Gerhard (1868 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Steinbauer, George (1851 - 1922), Dorothy Hansmann
Steinbauer, Michael (1842 - 1935), Gilbert Bunt
Stein, Casper (1828 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Steinhoff, Anton (1873 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Stein, John (1862 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Stein, Nicholas (1860 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Stein, William (1867 - 1936), Walter B. Haupt
Stein, William A. (1867 - ), Tresa Gruber
Steinworth, John (1861 - ), Tresa Gruber
Stephens, Charles Edgar (1859 - 1933), Tresa Gruber
Stephens, James, Gilbert Bunt
Stevenson, John H. (1807 - ), Tresa Gruber
Stewart, George Warren (1859- 1911), Tresa Gruber
Stich, Rudolph (1862 - 1933), Walter B. Haupt
Sticken, Henry (1860 - 1936), Dean Nelson
Stimmler, Valentine R.C. (1836 - 1908), Tresa Gruber
Stock, Adam (1859 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Stockinger, Fred (1874 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Stock, William J. (1874 - ), Tresa Gruber
Stoen, Ole Knutson (1827 - 1893), Melba Peterson
Stone, Albert Emery (1884 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Stone, Live (Bakko) (1860 - 1924), Melba Peterson
Stone, William T. (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
Storkamp, Henry (1848 - 1930), Walter Jernberg
Strandemoen, Nels Olson (1843 - 1918), Dorothy Hansmann
Strande, Nels K. (1865 - ), Melba Peterson
Straw, Thomas (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
Strebel, Albert J. (1882 - 1933), Melba Peterson
Streitz, Theodore (1875 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Stromberg, Peter, Jr. (1860 - ), Melba Peterson
Strong, E.B. (1814 - ), Tresa Gruber
Strout, Silas C. (1831/1833 - 1893), Tresa Gruber
Struffort, Anton (1852 - 1926), Tresa Gruber
Stuckenkemper, Meinulph R.C. (1837 - ), Tresa Gruber
Studnicki, John R.C. (1860 - ), Tresa Gruber
Sturre, Gerhard (1863 - 1934), Walter Jernberg
Sturre, Herman (1865 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Sullivan, John D. (1862 - ), Tresa Gruber
Sundflat, Emil (1886 - 1924), Melba Peterson
Sutton, Alvah A. (1846 - 1876), Tresa Gruber
Svenson, Anders Frederick (1862 - ), Dean Nelson
Svenson, Carl Alfred (1861 - ), Dean Nelson
Swanson, John A. (1860 - 1931), Dean Nelson
Swenson, Gustav Sanfred (1865 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Swift, Levant R. (1856 - ), Dean Nelson
Tangen, John K. (1843 - 1937), Melba Peterson
Tangen, Ole C. (1841 - 1913), Dorothy Hansmann
Tank, Frank (1849 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann
Taylor, Myron D. (1855 - ), Tresa Gruber
Taylor, Oscar (1832- 1905), Tresa Gruber
Taylor, Stephen (Steven) Marvin (1834 - 1920), Dorothy Hansmann and Myra Taylor
Terres, Peter J. (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Terwey, Barney M. (1859 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Terwey, Bernard A. (1846 - 1928), Tresa Gruber
Tessendorf, Mary E. (Pontius) (1866 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
TeVogt, William (1857 - 1923), Ann Kramer
Theisen, Nicholas J. (1854 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Thelen, Lambert R.C.(1874 - 1900), Tresa Gruber
Then, Mrs. Mary (1863 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Thielen, Jacob (1864 - ), Dean Nelson
Thielen, Joseph (1859 -), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Thielman, Frank J. (1868 - ), Dean Nelson
Thielman, John (1864 - 1913), Walter B. Haupt
Thielman, Leonard (1844 - 1928), Tresa Gruber
Thome, John Peter (1843 - 1919), Walter B. Haupt
Thometz, John (1863 - ), Dean Nelson
Thompson, Milton (1848 - 1936), Ann Kramer
Thompson, Peter (1827 - 1913), Melba Peterson
Thompson, Thomas Endre (1858 - ), Melba Peterson
Thompson, Wesley (1882 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
Thorborg, Adalhead (1859 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Thorson, Olaf (1870 - 1933), Melba Peterson
Thursdale, Martin (1857 - ), Walter Jernberg
Thyen, Bernard J. (1866 - 1929), Alexander Pallansch
Tileston, George (1858 - 1895), Tresa Gruber
Tobey, Charles Clinton (1835 - 1911), Melba Peterson
Tobey, Uriel Montague (1826 - 1901), Tresa Gruber and Melba Peterson
Tollefsrud, Guri (1861 - ), Melba Peterson
Tolman, Moody Cook (1824 - 1873), Tresa Gruber
Townsend, Alvin (1821 - ), Works Progress Administration
Townsend, John (1818 - ), Tresa Gruber
Trembly, S.D. (1799 - 1868), Tresa Gruber
Trobec, James R. C. (1838 - 1921), Tresa Gruber
Trossen, John Peter (1876 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
