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
Dunn, John Benjamin (1859 - 1936), Dean Nelson
Dwyer, Thomas (1860 - ), Ann Kramer
Eaton, Joseph (1815 - 1887), Tresa Gruber
Eben, Margaret (Orth) (ca. 1842/1843 - 1923), Dorothy Hansmann
Ebnet, John (1858 - 1911), Nick P. Kruchten
Edelbrock, Anthony, Tresa Gruber
Edelbrock, Anton (1815 - 1895), Dean Nelson
Edelbrock, Henry (1823 - 1909), Dean Nelson
Edelbrock, Joseph (1826 - 1907), Dean Nelson and Tresa Gruber
Eder, Joseph (1847 - 1908), Tresa Gruber
Eickholt, Joseph A. (1893 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Eisenreich, Charles A. (1891 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Eiynck, Herman (1871 - 1934), Nick P. Kruchten
Eldred, Clark Horace (1860 - 1927), Tresa Gruber
Elliott, Adolphis Leroy (1835 - 1912), Clarence Chisholm
Emerson, Christopher A. (1839 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Emmel, Henry Joseph (1844 - 1928), Tresa Gruber
Emmerich, John (1855 - 1914), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Enderle, Frank (1868 - ), Dean Nelson
Engelhard, Mrs. Theresia (1841 - 1934), Alexander Pallansch
Engel, Mrs. Helen (Daniel), Gilbert Bunt
Engel, Peter (1856 - ), Tresa Gruber
Engle, Tobias (1847 - ), Melba Peterson
Erickson, John (1860 - ), Dean Nelson
Erickson, John (1865 - ), Dean Nelson
Ernst, William (1861 - ), Gilbert P. Bunt
Ervin, Harry Clay Sr. (1860 - 1914), Dean Nelson
Essler, Anna Mary (Jung) (1871 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Ettl, Frank Jr. (1865 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Evans, Louis A. (1822 - ), Tresa Gruber
Evens, Nicholas (Evans) (1832 - 1917), Walter B. Haupt
Everson, Ben (1856 - 1926), Dorothy Hansmann
Fabeck, Jospeh (1861 - ), Dean Nelson
Fahrenholz, Amelia (Feabealkorn) (Mielke) (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Falkner, George (1845 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Farnsworth, A. (1840 - ), Works Progress Administration
Farwell, John, Works Progress Administration
Farwell, Orlen, Works Progress Administration
Fath, John N. (1867 - ), Ann Kramer
Faust, Joseph (1847 - 1918), Walter Jernberg
Feld, Gerhard (1850 - 1933), Virgil Chirhart
Ferdinanson, Peter H. (1861 - ), Dean Nelson
Field, Adelbert Sinclair (1873 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Fieldien, Armstead (1842 - 1907), Melba Peterson
Fieldien, Harry (1867 - ), Melba Peterson
Fielding, Henry (1848 - ), Melba Peterson
Fienhage, Frank (1867 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Fiesler, Charles, Melba Peterson
Filmore, Henry G. (1834 - 1899), Tresa Gruber
Fischer, Anton (1862 - 1934), Walter Jernberg
Fischer, Henry J. (1866 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Fischer, John W. (1853 - 1929), Clarence Chisholm
Fish, Florence Belle (Bruce) (1866 - 1916), Melba Peterson
Fish George (1862 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Fish, Wilbur F. (W.F.) (1834 - 1904), Works Progress Administration
Fladeland, Tollef (1831 - ), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber
Flahaven, Thomas J. (1864 - 1933), Dorothy Hansmann
Fleming, Thomas N., Walter Jernberg
Flynn, Patrick Henry (1862 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Foley, Thomas (1841 - ), Tresa Gruber
Foley, Timothy (1839 - ), Tresa Gruber
Foltmer, Henry (1870 - ), Tresa Gruber
Foster, Ulysis Cordlin (1871 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Fowler, David (1825 - ), Tresa Gruber
Fox, Michael (1857 - 1932), Walter B. Haupt
Franke, Alois (1855 - 1925), Walter Jernberg
Fredrick, Jacob (1829 - 1917), Dorothy Hansmann
Freeburg, Hugo E. (1892 - ), Walter Jernberg
Freeman, Ambrose (1823 - 1863), Tresa Gruber
Freeman, Daniel H. (1849 - 1931), Tresa Gruber
Freitag, Christ (1854 - 1936), Clarence Chisholm
French, Dudley S., Tresa Gruber
French, John Hiro (1828 - ), Tresa Gruber
Freudenreich, Sarah (Hickman) (1847 - 1897), Melba Peterson
Friederichs, Nick (1862 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Friedl, Joseph, Walter B. Haupt
Friedman, Jospeh (1871 - ), Tresa Gruber
Frieler, Herman (1892 - ), Dean Nelson
Friese, William C. (1859 - ), Dean Nelson
Fritz, Andrew E. (1879 - ), Tresa Gruber
Fritz, Thomas (1871 - ), Dean Nelson
Fuchs, Peter (1850 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Fuchs, Xavier (1854 - ), Ann Kramer
Fulmer, Nelson B., Tresa Gruber
Gaetz, Helen (Giefer) (1856 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Gale, Edward D. (1844 - 1921), Clarence Chisholm
Gales, Peter (1857 - ), Nick P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Gamradt, Reinhart (1853 - 1932), Dorothy Hansmann
Gans, Hubert (1866 - ), Dean Nelson
Ganzer, Steven (1857 - 1928), Alexander Pallansch
Garrison, Oscar E. (1825 - ), Tresa Gruber
Gaspard, John (1848 - 1933), Dorothy Hansmann
Gau, Servatius (1851 - ), Tresa Gruber
Gayno, John Adam (1871 - ), Melba Peterson
Gedosch, Gustaf (1866 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Gedosch, William Frederick (1855 - 1936), Clarence Chisholm
Gehrenbeck, Gottlieb Jr. (1849 - ), Dean Nelson
Geisel, Joseph Jr. (1859 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Gerard, Louis (1876 - ), Gilbert Bunt
Gerding, Bernard (1869 - ), Ann Kramer
