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
Truax, John L. (1865 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Truax, Oddy (1833 - 1913), Melba Peterson
Tubbs, Julia (Benson) (1834 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Tufts, Willard C. (1836 - 1901), Works Progress Administration
Uhlenkott, George (1851 - ), Dean Nelson
Ulmer, Sears Simonson (1834 - 1909), Ann Kramer
Umerski, Theodore (1876 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Undersander, John (1857 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Uptegrove, Isup (1871 - ), Tresa Gruber
Urbaniak, Thomas (1873 - ), Tresa Gruber
Urbashich, John (1866 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Utecht, August M. (1875 - ), Tresa Gruber
Vandervort, R.M., Works Progress Administration
Vanderwal, William (1882 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Van Dyke, J.H. (1836- ), Tresa Gruber
Van Heel, Frank (1887 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Varner, Reuben E. (1868 - ), Dean Nelson
Veeder, John Cornelius (1840 - 1923), Dorothy Hansmann
Vessey, Alan (1847 - 1918), Melba Peterson
Voerding, Bernard (1857 - ), Dean Nelson
Vogel, Abraham (1854 - 1906), Walter Jernberg
Vogt, Herman J. (1834 - 1920), Alexander Pallansch
Voit, Wolfgang (1841 - 1923), Walter B. Haupt
Volz, Joseph (1831 - 1907), Walter Jernberg
Vorgert, Herman H. (1846 - 1928), Walter B. Haupt
Vorse, William (1808 - ), Tresa Gruber
Vossberg, William H. (1865 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Voss, Fred B. (1862 - ), Oliver Myhre and Clarence Chisholm
Vreyens, P.A.N. (1842 - 1927), Alexander Pallansch
Wade, A. (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
Wagner, Magdalena (Miller) (1860 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Wagner, Mathias (1855 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Wahlberg, Arvid (1874 - 1936), Walter Jernberg
Wahl, John J. (1854 - 1926), Dean Nelson
Waite, Chester (1806 - 1868), Tresa Gruber
Waite, Henry C. (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber
Wakefield, James C. (1857 - 1897), Melba Peterson
Walberg, Oscar (1869 - ), Dean Nelson
Waldeen, Peter (1859 - ), Walter Jernberg
Walker, Charles (1822 - ), Tresa Gruber
Walker, George J. (1865 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Walker, William Henderson, Sr. (1865 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Wanish, Mathias (1840 - 1922), Dorothy Hansmann
Ward, Fredrick Albert (1876 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Warneke, Joseph, Sr. (1851 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Warner, George E., Works Progress Administration
Wartenburg, Anton (1832 - 1936), Clarence Chisholm
Washburn, Fremont H. (1856 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Watkins, B.U. (1811 - 1892), Tresa Gruber
Watson, Alfred Talbot (1859 - ), Melba Peterson
Webb, O.D. (1821 - 1886), Works Progress Administration
Weber, Charles (1829 - 1881), Works Progress Administration
Weber, Frank (1865 - ), Ann Kramer
Weber, John (1844 - 1918), Walter Jernberg
Weber, John C. (1864 - 1930), Alexander Pallansch
Weber, Mrs. Margaret (Longen) (1859 - 1937), Gilbert Bunt
Weber, Nicholas (1865 - ), Dean Nelson
Weber, William (1852 - 1936), Oliver Myhre
Wedl, August (1849 - 1928), Walter Jernberg
Weidert, Henry (1810 - 1880), Tresa Gruber
Weihs, John (1864 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Walter Jernberg
Weimann, Frank (1858 - 1908), Walter Jernberg
Weinant, John B. (1869 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Weiner, Herman H. (1867 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Weinhaus, Peter R., Tresa Gruber
Weinstein, Jacob (1882 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Weisbrich, August (1880 - 1936), Virgil Chirhart
Weisman, Andrew (1867 - ), Walter Jernberg
Weisser, Mary ( Walz) (Blonigan) (1854 - ), Ann Kramer and Dean Nelson
Welle, Christ (1855 - ), Dean Nelson
Wells, Henry Addison (1835 - 1906), Tresa Gruber
Wenck, Francis Xavior (1856 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Wendlandt, Emil A. (1880 - 1932), Clarence Chisholm
Wendt, Carl F. (1850 - 1921), Clarence Chisholm
Wengert, Frank M. (1868 - 1932), Tresa Gruber
Wertin, John (Vertin) (1860 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter B. Haupt
Wessel, Fredrick (1875 - ), Ann Kramer
West, Josiah Elam (1833 - 1911), Tresa Gruber
Westrom, John G. (1848 - 1923), Tresa Gruber
Weyland, Philip (1862 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Weymann, John (1867 - ), Ann Kramer
Weyrauch, Henry, Jr. (1863 - ), Walter Jernberg
Weyrauch, Henry, Sr. (1823 - 1880), Walter Jernberg
Weyrauch, Joseph (1869 - ), Walter Jernberg
Wheeler, Mary (Laudenbach) (1854 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Whitefield, Wilfred Jerome (1839 - 1926), Dorothy Hansmann
White, James (1843 - 1927), Dorothy Hansmann
White, John (1826 - ), Tresa Gruber
Whitemore, Charles (1812 - 1900), Works Progress Administration
White, Nellie M. (Torrey) (1847 - 1931), Melba Peterson
White, Xavier P. (1834 - 1891), Tresa Gruber
Whiting, Aruthur D. (1872 - ), Walter Jernberg
Whitney, A.A. (1846 - ), Tresa Gruber
Whitney, Albert Gideon (1860 - ), Tresa Gruber
Whitney, Daniel Estey (1888 - ), Tresa Gruber
Whitney, G. H. (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
Whitney, Mrs. Geo. R. (1821 - ), Works Progress Administration
Wickland, Andrew (1852 - ), Melba Peterson
Widman, Dionis, 1843 - 1914), Walter B. Haupt
Wieber, Joseph (1873 - 1932), Alexander Pallansch
