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.

Follow

Interviews

PDF

Hengel, Mary J. (1871 - ), N. P. Kruchten

PDF

Henneman, John William (1862 - ), N. P. Kruchten

PDF

Hennen, Mathew (1872 - 1929), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hennes, Lambert P. (1878 - 1928), Alexander Pallansch

PDF

Henningsgard, Anna (Jamtvold) Evavold (1855 - ), Melba Peterson

PDF

Henry, John A. (1884 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Henshaw, William I. (1856 - 1907), Melba Peterson

PDF

Herbrandson, Ole (1856 - 1907), Melba Peterson

PDF

Herzog, Frank (1891 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Hetherington, William (1850 - 1929), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Heywood, William (1832 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hickman, John J. (1855 - 1933), Melba Peterson

PDF

Hickman, Peter S. (1816 - ), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hillerud, Gunther (1872 - ), Melba Peterson

PDF

Hillsdale, William O.P., Melba Peterson

PDF

Hinnen, George J. (1820-1880), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hinnenkamp, Eliz. (Renneker) (1862 - ), Ann Kramer

PDF

Hirschfelt, Jacob (1846 - 1931), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Hodel, Gottlieb, Jr. (1860 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Hoeft, William (1856 - ), Clarence Chisholm

PDF

Hoeschen, John (1852 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Hofbauer, Norbert R.C. (1854 - 1901), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hoffman, Cornelius Oliver (1848 - 1922), Melba Peterson

PDF

Hoffman, Jacob (1861 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Hoffman, John C. (1813 - ), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Hoffman, Nicholaus (1848 - 1923), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hogan, Michael (1859 - 1904), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hohman, Jacob L. (1859 - ), Virgil Chirhart

PDF

Holding, Randolph (1844 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Holes, George Ottis (1864 - 1927), Gilbert Bunt

PDF

Holes, Samuel (1824 - 1876), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hollenhorst, Frederick (1823 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hollenhorst, William (1870 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Holmes, John S. (1865 - 1932), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Holt, Ole (1863 - )1933), Melba Peterson

PDF

Holtz, John (1861 - ), Clarence Chisholm

PDF

Hommerding, Mathew (1859 - 1918), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hoople, Nelson (1846 - ), Melba Peterson

PDF

Horan, Robert (1855 - 1918), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Houghton, Charles (1870 - 1931), Melba Peterson

PDF

Howard, John R. (1840 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Howe, William (1870 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Hoy, Michael (1834 - 1895), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Hoyt, Dennis A. (1829 - 1893), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Huber, Jacob G. (1819 - 1903), N. P. Kruchten and Tresa Gruber

PDF

Huberty, Frank (1852 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Hudovernik, Mathew (1848 - ), Nick P. Kruchten

PDF

Huff, Mathias (1863 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Huhn, Paulinus G. (1875 - 1910), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Hunstiger, Joseph (1858 - 1897), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg

PDF

Hunt, Nathaniel K. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Huseth, Andrew (1859 - 1928), Melba Peterson

PDF

Ilstrup, Arthur (1869 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Imdieke, Henry (1835 - 1923), Ann Kramer and Roger R. Imdieke

PDF

Ingram, Mrs. Elizabeth (1826 - 1918), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Ireland, John R.C. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Irish, Abner (1837 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann and Melba Peterson

PDF

Irish, Jonathan (1807 - 1884), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Irish, Sydney Abner (1833 - 1912), Dorothy Hansmann and Melba Peterson

PDF

Iverson, Anna Regine (Skarhus) (1887 - 1928), Melba Peterson

PDF

Iverson, Nils E. (1863 - 1927), Melba Peterson

PDF

Jackson, August (1865 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Jackson, Louis (1864 - 1929), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Jacobs, John (1865 - ), Alexander Pallansch

PDF

Jacobs, Mathew, Walter Jernberg

PDF

Jacobs, Mathias (1863 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Jacques, Alfred G. (1832 - 1914), Melba Peterson

PDF

James, Whitman R. (1835 - 1913), Melba Peterson

PDF

Jandal, John (1859 - ), N. P. Kruchten

PDF

Janssen, Bernard (Barney) (1854 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Jardine, James (1813 - 1883), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Jenkins, Caroline E. (Spencer) (1852 - 1923), Melba Peterson

PDF

Jenkins, James L. (1846 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Jensen, Mathias, Sr. ( - 1912), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Jernberg, August, Jr. (1858 - 1928), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Jesh, Martin (1869 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Johnson, Albert (1859 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Alfred (1867 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Arthur Leopold (1884 - ), Virgil Chirhart

PDF

Johnson, Bertha L. (1850 - 1936), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Charles (1861 - 1936), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Charles J. (1850 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Johnson, Ebert (1872 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Fred H. (1867 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Johnson, Gustav (1880 - ), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Herman (1864 - 1928), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Isac D. (1831 - 1905), Clarence Chisholm

PDF

Johnson, John (1833 - 1889), Melba Peterson

PDF

Johnson, Levi (1870 - 1927), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnson, Victor (1860 - 1930), Walter Jernberg

PDF

Johnston, Daniel S. B. (1832 - ), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Jonas, Anton (1866 - ), Walter B. Haupt

PDF

Jorgenson, Carl (1864 -), Dean Nelson

PDF

Judd, Hiram M. (1815 - 1888), Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Juenemann, Peter (1873 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Marjory D. Carter

PDF

Kaeter, John Henry (1864 - ), Dean Nelson

PDF

Kaiser, Anton (1841 -), Gilbert Bunt

PDF

Kalkman, Henry (1855 - 1922), Tresa Gruber

PDF

Karels, Ludwig, Dorothy Hansmann

PDF

Karls, Mathew (1871 - ), Virgil Chirhart