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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Bierbun, Mathias (1844 - 1925), Virgil Chirhart

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Bier, Ferdinand (1846 - 1920), Walter B. Haupt

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Bisenius, Ferdinand (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

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Bisenius, William (1828 - 1899), Tresa Gruber

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Bjerkan, Edward (1844 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Bjone, Simon C. (1855 - ), Melba Peterson

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Blakely, August F. (1871 - ), Clarence Chisholm

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Blakely, Hugh (1838 - 1908), Works Progress Administration

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Blasdell, William Page (1862 - 1934), Clarence Chisholm

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Blattner, Christopher (1862 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Blenker, John (1873 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Block, Henry (1812 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Block, Henry A. (1855 - ), Marjory D. Carter

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Bloms, Herman Henry (1846 - 1928), Virgil Chirhart

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Blood, Allen (1862 - ), A. Peterson

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Boerger, William A., Gilbert Bunt

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Bohall, Arminda M. (Weeks) (1848 - 1938), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bohall, Charles F. (1832 - 1906), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bohlsen, John (1885 - ), Nick P. Kruckten

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Bolin, Albert (1849 - 1935), Walter Jernberg

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Bolster, Henry Jr. (1852 - ), Gilbert Bunt

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Bonemeyer, John (1860 - ), Ann Kramer

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Boobar, Calvin J. (1811 - 1872), Works Progress Administration

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Boobar, Henry A. (? - 1878), Melba Peterson

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Boobar, John J. (1865 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Boobar, Oliver Bolton (1849 - 1923), Melba Peterson

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Borchers, Ludwig (1826 - 1904), Ann Kramer

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Borgerding, Henry (1836 - 1909), Ann Kramer

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Borgerding, Joseph (1856 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Borgmann, Ferdinand (1825 - 1916), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bostrom, Ernest (1870 - ), Dean Nelson

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Bosworth, George Stanley (1830 - 1925), Clarence Chisholm

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Bosworth, William (1807 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bosworth, William E. (1857 - ), Gilbert Bunt

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Botz, Jacob (1845 - ), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bouvette, Joseph E. (1861 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bowers, Frank (1863 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Bowing, Harry (1867 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

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Boyd, James R., Dean Nelson

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Boyington, Alonzo (1833 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Boylan, James H. (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Braaten, Rier (1861 - ), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bradford, James F. (1834 - 1909), Tresa Gruber

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Bradley, Daniel E. (1840 - 1926), Dorothy Hansmann

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Braegelman, Gerhard (1853 - ), Alexander Pallansch

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Bragelman, Henry Sr. (1851 - ), Alexander Pallansch

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Brandenburger, Mary (1861 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Brauch, Nicholas (1865 - ), Dean Nelson

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Braun, Jacob (1965 - 1921), Walter Jernberg

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Breen, Mathias (1851 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Breer, Herman B. (1870 - ), Alexander Pallansch

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Brennan, Mary Ann (Siscely) (1856 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Brick, Peter (1848 - ), Gilbert Bunt

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Bridgmann, Charles (1929 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bridgmann, Elliot (1830 - 1906), Tresa Gruber and Melba Peterson

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Brinkman, Bernard (1826 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Briol, Frank (1838 - 1926), Walter B. Haupt

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Bromenschenkel, John (1853 - ), Dorothy Hansmann

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Bromenschenkel, Michael (1858 - ), Dean Nelson

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Broome, John M. (1826 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Brooten, Ingrid (1851 - 1934), Melba Peterson

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Brott, George F. (1825 - 1902), Tresa Gruber

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Brower, J.V. (1845 - ), Melba Peterson

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Brower, Walter (1852 - ), Melba Peterson

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Brown, Charles (1843 - 1935), Dorothy Hansmann

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Brown, Eliza Rooney (1854 - 1936), Dorothy Hansmann

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Brown, Frank E. (1857 - ), Clarence Chisholm

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Brown, Solomon F. (1817 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Bruce, John W. (1844 - ), Melba Peterson

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Bruce, Samuel Milton (1828 - 1897), Dorothy Hansmann and Tresa Gruber

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Bruns, Casper (1832 - 1918), Ann Kramer

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Bruns, Henry (1836 - 1907), Walter Jernberg

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Brust, Hubert (1864 - 1923), Nick P. Kruchten

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Bryant, Charles Milner (1844 - 1929), Dorothy Hansmann

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Buchanon, John (1836 - 1931), Melba Peterson

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Buchholz, Henry (1859 - 1919), Walter B. Haupt

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Buckley, Daniel (1835 - 1914), Dorothy Hansmann

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Buckman, August W. (1884 - ), N. P. Kruchten

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Buckman, John (1857 - 1928), N. P. Kruchten

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Budner, Bartl (1868 - ), Walter B. Haupt

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Bunt, Peter (1862 - 1913), Gilbert P. Bunt

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Burgess, Rosetta (Jones) (1843 - 1922), Melba Peterson

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Burgess, Vernon L., Works Progress Administration

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Burggraff, Nicholas (1853 - 1929), Virgil Chirhart

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Burke, Joseph Martin (1876 - 1933), Walter Jernberg

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Burke, Micheal (1867 - ), Ann Kramer

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Burns, Bridget (Meagher) (1862 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Burr, Hugh (1852 - ), Clarence Chisholm

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Cadwell, Thomas (1834 - ), Tresa Gruber and Dean Nelson

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Calhoun, David (1853 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Campbell, George T. (1835 - ), Works Progress Administration

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Campbell, John B. (1847 - ), Virgil Chirhart

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Canfield, Dr. Abram (1822 - 1909), Melba Peterson

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Canfield, John Henry, Melba Peterson

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Capple, Charles (1859 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Capser, Anthony R.C. (1841 - ), Tresa Gruber

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Capser, Joseph (1833 - 1919), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber

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Carlson, Alex Carl (1884 - ), Walter Jernberg

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Carlson, Edward (1859 - ), Dean Nelson

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Carlstrom, John Alfred (1857 - ), Tresa Gruber