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
Marquardt, August (1853 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Marquardt, Herman (1859 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Martini, John B. (1835 - 1907), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Martini, Peter (1858 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Martin, James A. (1865 - ), Tresa Gruber
Marty, Martin, R.C. (1834 - 1896), Tresa Gruber
Maservey, Alpheus (1818 - ), Tresa Gruber
Mason, Vernon H. (1878 - ), Dean Nelson
Mathiasen, Hans Christe (1864 - ), Dean Nelson
Mattison, Orange (1819 - 1898), Melba Peterson
Maurin, Marcus (ca. 1836/1837 - 1905), Harry Schultz and Tresa Gruber
Maus, John A. (1866 - ), Walter Jernberg
Maus, Peter (1832 - ), Walter Jernberg
May, Gerhard (1851 - ), Gilbert Bunt and Walter Jernberg
McCarty, David (1836 - 1919), Dean Nelson
McClure, Thomas Clarendon (1827 - 1881), Tresa Gruber
McConnell, John O. (1836 - 1928), Gilbert Bunt
McCracken, James (1871 - 1916), Melba Peterson
McCullom, Nellie May (Bryant) (1869 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
McDonald, Don B. (1835 - ), Tresa Gruber
McGregor, John G., Tresa Gruber
McIntyre, Miner, Melba Peterson
McKay, Lillian M. (Stebbins) (1861 - 1912), Melba Peterson
McKinley, James, Sr. (1861 - ), Clarence Chisholm
McManus (McNally) Margaret (1854 - ), Dean Nelson
McNeal, William (1830 - 1879), Tresa Gruber
McNeice, Washington (1840 - 1920), Tresa Gruber
Meier, Joseph (1843 - 1908), Walter Haupt
Merry, Charles L. (1811 - ), Melba Peterson
Mertes, Nicholas (1866 - ), Walter Jernberg
Merz, Wendlin (1835 - 1893), Tresa Gruber
Meyer, Bernard, Sr. (1864 - ), Walter Jernberg
Meyer, Christian Wendlin (1862 - ), Tresa Gruber
Meyer, Henry John, Ann Kramer
Meyer, Herman A. (1850 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Meyer, Joseph L. (1847 - 1904), Tresa Gruber
Meyer, Michael M. (1862 - 1913), Walter Jernberg
Meyer, Michael N. (1857 - 1932), Tresa Gruber
Meyers, Mathias (1857 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Michaelis, Frederick G. (1870 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Michels, Peter (1824 - 1897), Walter Jernberg
Mihelich, Mathias (1875 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Milke, William (1853 - 1896), N. P. Kruchten and Dean Nelson
Miller, Amy (Buttwiler) (1860 - ), Ann Kramer
Miller, Catharine Mary (Ley) (1847 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Miller, John (1861 - ), Ann Kramer
Miller, John G. (1870 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Miller, Joseph, Sr. (1843 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Miller, Peter F. (1866 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Miller, Stephen (1816 - 1881), Tresa Gruber
Miller, Stephen (1816 - 1881), Tresa Gruber
Miner, George H. (1866 - ), Dean Nelson
Miner, Nelson H. (1833 - 1905), Tresa Gruber, Dorothy Hansmann, and Melba Peterson
Minette, Antonette (Borgmann) (1857 - ), Dorothy Hansmann
Minette, Frank E. (ca. 1858/1859 - 1922), Tresa Gruber and Dorothy Hansmann
Mock, Gregor (1856 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Mohr, Anna Maria (Kneiper) (1840 - 1932), Melba Peterson
Mohs, Peter M. (1883 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Mokenhaupt, August (1843 - 1903), Tresa Gruber
Moline, Carl J. (1889 - ), Walter Jernberg
Molitor, Joseph (1823 - 1905), Reva Drinker
Molitor, Peter P. (1875 - ), Dean Nelson
Montgomery, Albertis (1833 - 1890), Tresa Gruber
Monthy, Louis (1855- ), Tresa Gruber
Moog, John (1860 - 1923), Walter Jernberg
Moonen, Joseph (1835 - ), Ann Kramer
Moore, Alexander (ca. 1822/1823 - 1901), Tresa Gruber and Dorothy Hansmann
Moore, David Dalloff (1814 - ), Tresa Gruber
Moore, Hugh (1834 - 1902), Dorothy Hansmann
Moosbrugger, Joseph Anton (1845 - ), Tresa Gruber
Morehouse, Thomas (1862 - ), Ann Kramer
Moritz, Bernard J. (1869 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Morris, John Thomas (1822 - 1902), Dorothy Hansmann
Morrison, William Henry (1848 - 1916), Melba Peterson
Morse, Charles A. (1852 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann
Mortenson, Peter (1840 - ), Evelyn Mortenson
Muir, James (1856 - ), Ann Kramer
Mullbaur, Joseph ( - 1864), Tresa Gruber
Mumford, Dr. Augustus ( - 1900), Dean Nelson
Mund, Frank Leopold (1870 - ), Walter Jernberg
Mund, Mrs. Mary Weibel Staples (1856 - 1921), Gilbert Bunt and Tresa Gruber
Mund, William (1847 - 1921), Gilbert Bunt and Tresa Gruber
Munsinger, William Henry (1863 - 1924), Dean Nelson
Muntifering, Frederick (1855 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Tresa Gruber
Murphy, William, Margaret Moynihan
Myers, John P. (1842 - 1930), Alexander Pallansch
Naegeli, Franz G. (1843 - 1915), Walter Jernberg
Naguschewski, Julius R. (1854 - ), Dean Nelson
Nathe, Frank (1863 - 1900), Dean Nelson
Nehring, Samuel (1833 - 1906), Clarence Chisholm
Neihaus, Christian (1862 - 1922), Tresa Gruber
Neil, John A. (1860 - ), Dean Nelson
Nelson, Gilbert N. (1862 - ), Melba Peterson
Nelson, Henry Fred (1882 - 1935), Melba Peterson
Nelson, Milton K. (1853 - ), Dean Nelson
Nelson, Nels (1860 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Nelson, Nels (1864 - ), Dean Nelson
Nelson, Nels N. (1865 - ), Melba Peterson
Nelson, Olander (1860 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Nelson, Wellington Rice (1840 - 1910), Melba Peterson
