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
Carpenter, Arthur S. (1859 - 1928), Clarence Chisholm
Carpenter, Fred Warner (1873 - ), Tresa Gruber
Carpenter, Horatio Newton (1842 - ), Melba Peterson
Carr, Byron Franklin (1845 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann
Carter, Benjamin Farrar (1864 - ), Benjamin F. Carter
Carver, O.F. (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber
Case, Clark (1844 - 1921), Melba Peterson
Case, William (1861 - ), Walter Jernberg
Cass, Gilford Dudley (1859 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Cater, Herbert J. (1863 - ), Walter Jernberg
Chase, Esadore Freeman (1836 - 1899), Dorothy Hansmann
Chelgren, P.J. (1862 - 1919), Melba Peterson
Chirhart, Isidor (1852 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Chisholm, Alexander (1847 - ), Tresa Gruber
Chisholm, Alexander Reed (1861 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Chisholm, Daniel (1833 - 1903), Clarence Chisholm
Christen, Frederick (1846 - 1931), Walter Haupt
Christen, John (1844 - 1921), Walter B. Haupt
Christie, Ella (Dailey) (1888 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Chute, Samuel Sharp (1865 - 1935), Virgil Chirhart
Clarity, Peter Edward (1841 - 1926), Dean Nelson
Clark, George (1814 - 1884), Tresa Gruber
Clark, John Washington (1832 - 1895), Melba Peterson
Clark, Nehemiah P. (1836 - 1912), Tresa Gruber
Clement, Mrs. Gertrude C. (Arnold) (1859 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Cleveland, David (1837 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Clifford, S.A. (1814 - ), Works Progress Administration
Clure, Charles F. (1854 - ), Dean Nelson
Coe, L.E. (1826 - ), Melba Peterson
Cogan, Father (1827 - 1889), Melba Peterson
Colegrove, James (1841 - ), Tresa Gruber
Collignon, Herman (1859 - ), Dean Nelson
Collins, Loren Warren (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber
Collins, Mrs. Katherine (Kinsella) (1864 - 1920), Dorothy Hansmann
Conkey, George, Sr. (1860 - ), Melba Peterson
Connelly, Frank Sr. (1852 - 1933), Dorothy Hansmann
Connor, Elza (1841 - ), Melba Peterson
Cooley, Eliza (Hickman) (Parker) (1844 - 1934), Melba Peterson
Cooling, John E. (1860 - ), Walter Jernberg
Cooper, Charles H. (1857 - 1933), Dorothy Hansmann
Cooper, Cornelius (1840 - 1920), Melba Peterson
Cooper, Harriet (1831 - 1905), Melba Peterson
Cooper, John (1836 - 1907), Tresa Gruber
Cooper, Josiah (1828 - 1905), Melba Peterson
Cooper, William (1838 - 1882), Works Progress Administration
Cornell, William T. (1852 - ), Dean Nelson
Cossairt, Samuel (1863 - 1886), Tresa Gruber
Coyle, James Francis (1859 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Craig, Christopher J. (1837 - 1899), Dorothy Hansmann
Cremers, John Joseph (1868 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Daggett, Oscar (1857 - ), Tresa Gruber
Dahlem, Albert (1844 - 1925), Melba Peterson
Dahl, Samuel (1855 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Dambly, Jacob Leo (1860 - ), Dean Nelson
Dam, F.H. (1835 - ), Tresa Gruber
Dam, Hurcules (1806 - ), Tresa Gruber
Dam, Joseph (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber
Damm, Hans (1857 - ), G. P. Bunt
Daniels, Frank B. (1842 - 1936), Dorothy Hansmann
Danzl, John (1856 - 1935), N. P. Kruchten
Danzl, Mrs Margaret (Reinert) (1877 - 1936), Gilbert P. Bunt
Daubaton, John Peter (1868 - ), Dean Nelson
Davis, C.F. (1819 - ), Tresa Gruber
Davis, George Everett (1839 - 1899), Melba Peterson
Davis, Pleasant Richard (1851 - 1929), Melba Peterson
Day, Wm. H. (1821 - ), Works Progress Administration
Dean, John L. (1856 - 1884), Tresa Gruber
Dean, William S. (1848 - 1923), Melba Peterson
DeBill, Harvey (1875 - ), Dean Nelson
DeBlois, James Henry (1862 - 1936), Walter Jernberg
Deering, Christ (1876 - ), Walter Jernberg
Dennis, John Halden (1828 - 1900), Dorothy Hansmann and Melba Peterson
Deters, Ferdinand (1859 - 1918), Dorothy Hansmann
DeZelar, Emmet M. (1866 - ), Walter Jernberg
Dickinson, George A. (1862 - ), Dean Nelson
Dilley, John (1861 - ), Oliver Myhre
Dimler, Mrs. Anna M. (Grab) (1853 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Dingman, Edward (1870 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Dinndorf, Martin (1868 - ), Works Progress Administration
Dirkes, John (1840 - 1936), Walter B. Haupt
Dobbs, John Coleman (1821 - 1901), Dorothy Hansmann
Dockemeyer, Barney (1825 - 1908), Walter Jernberg
Doerner, Edward (1870 - ), Tresa Gruber
Doerner, John M., Jr. (1870 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Doherty, Mrs. Anna E. (Christien) (1863 - ), Walter Jernberg
Dolan, John C. (1831 - ), Tresa Gruber
Dolderer, Frank (1851 - ), Walter Jernberg
Dombrovske, Martin G. (1864 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Donath, Gustave (1869 - 1923), Clarence Chisholm
Doty, Henry Sylvester (1837 - 1901), Dorothy Hansmann
Dow, William A. (1868 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Doyle, Otis F. (1870 - ), Tresa Gruber
Draper, Jesse (1827 - 1888), Melba Peterson
Dressling, Mathias (1833 - 1870), Walter Jernberg
Dretz, Martin (1855 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Drygas, Albert B. (1888 - ), Walter Jernberg and Nick Kruchten
Du Bois, Dr. Julian Arthur (1856 - ), Melba Peterson
Dudley, Willis Martin (1866 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Dueber, Frank (1856 - 1933), Tresa Gruber
Dummert, William Frederick (1850 - ), Melba Peterson
