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
Hengel, Mary J. (1871 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Henneman, John William (1862 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Hennen, Mathew (1872 - 1929), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Hennes, Lambert P. (1878 - 1928), Alexander Pallansch
Henningsgard, Anna (Jamtvold) Evavold (1855 - ), Melba Peterson
Henry, John A. (1884 - ), Walter Jernberg
Henshaw, William I. (1856 - 1907), Melba Peterson
Herbrandson, Ole (1856 - 1907), Melba Peterson
Herzog, Frank (1891 - ), Dean Nelson
Hetherington, William (1850 - 1929), Walter Jernberg
Heywood, William (1832 - ), Tresa Gruber
Hickman, John J. (1855 - 1933), Melba Peterson
Hickman, Peter S. (1816 - ), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber
Hillerud, Gunther (1872 - ), Melba Peterson
Hillsdale, William O.P., Melba Peterson
Hinnen, George J. (1820-1880), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Hinnenkamp, Eliz. (Renneker) (1862 - ), Ann Kramer
Hirschfelt, Jacob (1846 - 1931), Walter Jernberg
Hodel, Gottlieb, Jr. (1860 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Hoeft, William (1856 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Hoeschen, John (1852 - ), Dean Nelson
Hofbauer, Norbert R.C. (1854 - 1901), Tresa Gruber
Hoffman, Cornelius Oliver (1848 - 1922), Melba Peterson
Hoffman, Jacob (1861 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Hoffman, John C. (1813 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Hoffman, Nicholaus (1848 - 1923), Tresa Gruber
Hogan, Michael (1859 - 1904), Tresa Gruber
Hohman, Jacob L. (1859 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Holding, Randolph (1844 - ), Tresa Gruber
Holes, George Ottis (1864 - 1927), Gilbert Bunt
Holes, Samuel (1824 - 1876), Tresa Gruber
Hollenhorst, Frederick (1823 - ), Tresa Gruber
Hollenhorst, William (1870 - ), Tresa Gruber
Holmes, John S. (1865 - 1932), Walter Jernberg
Holt, Ole (1863 - )1933), Melba Peterson
Holtz, John (1861 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Hommerding, Mathew (1859 - 1918), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Hoople, Nelson (1846 - ), Melba Peterson
Horan, Robert (1855 - 1918), Walter Jernberg
Houghton, Charles (1870 - 1931), Melba Peterson
Howard, John R. (1840 - ), Tresa Gruber
Howe, William (1870 - ), Dean Nelson
Hoy, Michael (1834 - 1895), Tresa Gruber
Hoyt, Dennis A. (1829 - 1893), Tresa Gruber
Huber, Jacob G. (1819 - 1903), N. P. Kruchten and Tresa Gruber
Huberty, Frank (1852 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Hudovernik, Mathew (1848 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Huff, Mathias (1863 - ), Tresa Gruber
Huhn, Paulinus G. (1875 - 1910), Walter Jernberg
Hunstiger, Joseph (1858 - 1897), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
Hunt, Nathaniel K. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber
Huseth, Andrew (1859 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Ilstrup, Arthur (1869 - ), Dean Nelson
Imdieke, Henry (1835 - 1923), Ann Kramer and Roger R. Imdieke
Ingram, Mrs. Elizabeth (1826 - 1918), Dorothy Hansmann
Ireland, John R.C. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber
Irish, Abner (1837 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann and Melba Peterson
Irish, Jonathan (1807 - 1884), Dorothy Hansmann
Irish, Sydney Abner (1833 - 1912), Dorothy Hansmann and Melba Peterson
Iverson, Anna Regine (Skarhus) (1887 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Iverson, Nils E. (1863 - 1927), Melba Peterson
Jackson, August (1865 - ), Dean Nelson
Jackson, Louis (1864 - 1929), Dorothy Hansmann
Jacobs, John (1865 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Jacobs, Mathew, Walter Jernberg
Jacobs, Mathias (1863 - ), Walter Jernberg
Jacques, Alfred G. (1832 - 1914), Melba Peterson
James, Whitman R. (1835 - 1913), Melba Peterson
Jandal, John (1859 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Janssen, Bernard (Barney) (1854 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Jardine, James (1813 - 1883), Dorothy Hansmann
Jenkins, Caroline E. (Spencer) (1852 - 1923), Melba Peterson
Jenkins, James L. (1846 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann
Jensen, Mathias, Sr. ( - 1912), Tresa Gruber
Jernberg, August, Jr. (1858 - 1928), Walter Jernberg
Jesh, Martin (1869 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Johnson, Albert (1859 - ), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Alfred (1867 - ), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Arthur Leopold (1884 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Johnson, Bertha L. (1850 - 1936), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Charles (1861 - 1936), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Charles J. (1850 - ), Dean Nelson
Johnson, Ebert (1872 - ), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Fred H. (1867 - ), Dean Nelson
Johnson, Gustav (1880 - ), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Herman (1864 - 1928), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Isac D. (1831 - 1905), Clarence Chisholm
Johnson, John (1833 - 1889), Melba Peterson
Johnson, Levi (1870 - 1927), Walter Jernberg
Johnson, Victor (1860 - 1930), Walter Jernberg
Johnston, Daniel S. B. (1832 - ), Tresa Gruber
Jonas, Anton (1866 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Jorgenson, Carl (1864 -), Dean Nelson
Judd, Hiram M. (1815 - 1888), Dorothy Hansmann
Juenemann, Peter (1873 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Marjory D. Carter
Kaeter, John Henry (1864 - ), Dean Nelson
Kaiser, Anton (1841 -), Gilbert Bunt
Kalkman, Henry (1855 - 1922), Tresa Gruber
Karels, Ludwig, Dorothy Hansmann
Karls, Mathew (1871 - ), Virgil Chirhart
