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
Bierbun, Mathias (1844 - 1925), Virgil Chirhart
Bier, Ferdinand (1846 - 1920), Walter B. Haupt
Bisenius, Ferdinand (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Bisenius, William (1828 - 1899), Tresa Gruber
Bjerkan, Edward (1844 - ), Works Progress Administration
Bjone, Simon C. (1855 - ), Melba Peterson
Blakely, August F. (1871 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Blakely, Hugh (1838 - 1908), Works Progress Administration
Blasdell, William Page (1862 - 1934), Clarence Chisholm
Blattner, Christopher (1862 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Blenker, John (1873 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Block, Henry (1812 - ), Works Progress Administration
Block, Henry A. (1855 - ), Marjory D. Carter
Bloms, Herman Henry (1846 - 1928), Virgil Chirhart
Blood, Allen (1862 - ), A. Peterson
Boerger, William A., Gilbert Bunt
Bohall, Arminda M. (Weeks) (1848 - 1938), Dorothy Hansmann
Bohall, Charles F. (1832 - 1906), Dorothy Hansmann
Bohlsen, John (1885 - ), Nick P. Kruckten
Bolin, Albert (1849 - 1935), Walter Jernberg
Bolster, Henry Jr. (1852 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Bonemeyer, John (1860 - ), Ann Kramer
Boobar, Calvin J. (1811 - 1872), Works Progress Administration
Boobar, Henry A. (? - 1878), Melba Peterson
Boobar, John J. (1865 - ), Tresa Gruber
Boobar, Oliver Bolton (1849 - 1923), Melba Peterson
Borchers, Ludwig (1826 - 1904), Ann Kramer
Borgerding, Henry (1836 - 1909), Ann Kramer
Borgerding, Joseph (1856 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Borgmann, Ferdinand (1825 - 1916), Dorothy Hansmann
Bostrom, Ernest (1870 - ), Dean Nelson
Bosworth, George Stanley (1830 - 1925), Clarence Chisholm
Bosworth, William (1807 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bosworth, William E. (1857 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Botz, Jacob (1845 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Bouvette, Joseph E. (1861 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bowers, Frank (1863 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Bowing, Harry (1867 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Boyd, James R., Dean Nelson
Boyington, Alonzo (1833 - ), Tresa Gruber
Boylan, James H. (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration
Braaten, Rier (1861 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Bradford, James F. (1834 - 1909), Tresa Gruber
Bradley, Daniel E. (1840 - 1926), Dorothy Hansmann
Braegelman, Gerhard (1853 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Bragelman, Henry Sr. (1851 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Brandenburger, Mary (1861 - ), Walter Jernberg
Brauch, Nicholas (1865 - ), Dean Nelson
Braun, Jacob (1965 - 1921), Walter Jernberg
Breen, Mathias (1851 - ), Tresa Gruber
Breer, Herman B. (1870 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Brennan, Mary Ann (Siscely) (1856 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Brick, Peter (1848 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Bridgmann, Charles (1929 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bridgmann, Elliot (1830 - 1906), Tresa Gruber and Melba Peterson
Brinkman, Bernard (1826 - ), Tresa Gruber
Briol, Frank (1838 - 1926), Walter B. Haupt
Bromenschenkel, John (1853 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Bromenschenkel, Michael (1858 - ), Dean Nelson
Broome, John M. (1826 - ), Tresa Gruber
Brooten, Ingrid (1851 - 1934), Melba Peterson
Brott, George F. (1825 - 1902), Tresa Gruber
Brower, J.V. (1845 - ), Melba Peterson
Brower, Walter (1852 - ), Melba Peterson
Brown, Charles (1843 - 1935), Dorothy Hansmann
Brown, Eliza Rooney (1854 - 1936), Dorothy Hansmann
Brown, Frank E. (1857 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Brown, Solomon F. (1817 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bruce, John W. (1844 - ), Melba Peterson
Bruce, Samuel Milton (1828 - 1897), Dorothy Hansmann and Tresa Gruber
Bruns, Casper (1832 - 1918), Ann Kramer
Bruns, Henry (1836 - 1907), Walter Jernberg
Brust, Hubert (1864 - 1923), Nick P. Kruchten
Bryant, Charles Milner (1844 - 1929), Dorothy Hansmann
Buchanon, John (1836 - 1931), Melba Peterson
Buchholz, Henry (1859 - 1919), Walter B. Haupt
Buckley, Daniel (1835 - 1914), Dorothy Hansmann
Buckman, August W. (1884 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Buckman, John (1857 - 1928), N. P. Kruchten
Budner, Bartl (1868 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Bunt, Peter (1862 - 1913), Gilbert P. Bunt
Burgess, Rosetta (Jones) (1843 - 1922), Melba Peterson
Burgess, Vernon L., Works Progress Administration
Burggraff, Nicholas (1853 - 1929), Virgil Chirhart
Burke, Joseph Martin (1876 - 1933), Walter Jernberg
Burke, Micheal (1867 - ), Ann Kramer
Burns, Bridget (Meagher) (1862 - ), Walter Jernberg
Burr, Hugh (1852 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Cadwell, Thomas (1834 - ), Tresa Gruber and Dean Nelson
Calhoun, David (1853 - ), Tresa Gruber
Campbell, George T. (1835 - ), Works Progress Administration
Campbell, John B. (1847 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Canfield, Dr. Abram (1822 - 1909), Melba Peterson
Canfield, John Henry, Melba Peterson
Capple, Charles (1859 - ), Tresa Gruber
Capser, Anthony R.C. (1841 - ), Tresa Gruber
Capser, Joseph (1833 - 1919), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber
Carlson, Alex Carl (1884 - ), Walter Jernberg
Carlson, Edward (1859 - ), Dean Nelson
Carlstrom, John Alfred (1857 - ), Tresa Gruber
