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
Abell, Lovinus [1809-1884], Tresa Gruber
Abeln, Anton (1856 - 1929), Alexander Pallansch
Achman, Joseph Sr. (1857 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Ach, Michael (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Adams, Julius (1867 - 1931), Walter Jernberg
Adley. R.F. (1819 - 1885), Tresa Gruber
Ahles, Godhard L. (1869-1936), Virgil Chirhart and Walter Jernberg
Ahles, John L. (1863 - 1933), Walter Jernberg
Ahrens, Elizabeth (Schmeising) (1863 - 1933), Ann Kramer
Aigner, Rupert Joseph (1870 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Aker, John Milton M.E. (1836 - 1889), Tresa Gruber
Alden, Thomas C. (1827 - 1905), Tresa Gruber
Alexander, David, Jr. (1874 - 1933), Walter Jernberg and Walter B. Haupt
Allen, John (1851 - 1936), Melba Peterson
Allen, Leslie (Whitney) (1868 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Allen, Michael (1821 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann
Allison, Frank (1850 - ), Melba Peterson
Almer, Christian, Jr. (1861 - ), N. P. Kruchten
Ambrositsch, John (1856 - 1915), Tresa Gruber
Anderson, Albin (1875 - ), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Alfred J. (1854 - ), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Andrew M. (1860 - ), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Carl, Sr. (1867 - 1923), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, John (1877 - 1933), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Oscar (1860 - 1929), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Swan (1870 - ), Walter Jernberg
Anderson, Thomas (1855 - ), Tresa Gruber
Anderson, William (1852 - 1934), Walter Jernberg
Andrews, Christopher Columbus (1829 - ), Tresa Gruber
Arndt, John Fred William (1824 - 1904), Clarence Chisholm
Arneson, Kersti Pederson Mathismoen, Melba Peterson
Arnold, Francis (1821 - 1906), Gilbert P. Bunt
Arrowood, William, Dean Nelson
Arseneau, John Elsworth (1865 - 1922), Virgil Chirhart
Atkins, Blanche Euphemia (1877 - ), Virgil Chirhart
Atkins, Howard M. (1838 - ), Tresa Gruber
Atwood, E.H. (1829 - ), Tresa Gruber
Augustine, Jacob (1861 - ), Nick P. Kruchten
Ayers, Charles W. (1844 - 1917), Walter Jernberg
Baalson, Austin E. (1864 - 1930), Melba Peterson
Baalson, Ellen (1834 - 1899), Melba Peterson
Bach, Frank J. (1865 - ), Dean Nelson
Bachman, August (1857 - 1907), Dean Nelson
Bach, Paul (1860 - ), Walter Jernberg
Bahner, Melchior (1870 - 1902), Tresa Gruber
Bailey, Jeremiah Bonaparte (1852 - 1936), Walter Jernberg and Melba Peterson
Baitenger, John (1833 - 1925), Works Progress Administration
Bakko, Ole E. (1867 - 1928), Melba Peterson
Balfing, Ludwig J. (1847 - ), Virgil Chirhart and Dean Nelson
Ball, Forest (1869 - ), Dean Nelson
Barden, Charles H. (1870 - 1926), Dean Nelson
Barnard, Frederick William (1843 - 1904), Dorothy Hansmann
Barnard, Stephen Guliker (1836 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann
Barnes, Nathan F. (1817 - ), Tresa Gruber
Barnum, Edward Phelps (1831 - 1902), Melba Peterson and Tresa Gruber
Baron, John M. (1872 - 1931), Tresha Bruber
Barrett, Benjamin (1830 - ), Tresa Gruber
Barrett, H.C. (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration
Barrett, James (1829 - 1900), Ann Kraemer
Barrett, Michael (1833 - 1898), Walter Jernberg and Tresa Gruber
Barrett, Theodore (1834 - ), Works Progress Administration
Barrett, Thomas (1869 - ), Walter Jernberg
Barto, Alphonso (1834 - 1899), Tresa Gruber
Batz, Valentine (1854 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bauer, Andrew (1882 - ), Nick B. Kruchten
Bauer, George (1875 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Bauer, Joseph (1854 - 1933), Nick P. Krutchen
Bauer, Joseph (1861 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Bauer, Joseph (1877 - ), Nick Kruckten
Bauer, Joseph Peter (1842 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bauer, Mary (Miller) (1854 - ), Walter B. Haupt
Bauer, Matthew (1870 - 1914), Tresa Gruber
Bauman, August (1861 - ), Clarence Chisholm
Bean, Martha Frances (Smith) (1862 - ), Melba Peterson
Bean, William G. (1861 - ), Melba Peterson
Beaudreau, Frank (1860 - ), Nick P. Krutchen
Beaudreau, Paul (1871 - 1921), Tresa Gruber
Becker, John (1827 - ), Alexander Pallansch
Beckley, William Homer (1863 - 1898), Clarence Chisholm
Bedell, Mark (1828 - ), Melba Peterson
Beidleman, George Ernest (1862 - 1936), Dorothy Hansmann
Beidleman, Samuel (1830 - 1910), Dorothy Hansmann
Bellinger, Hiram (1828 - 1909), Dorothy Hansmann
Benken, Ole C. (Colbjornson) (1832 - 1909), Melba Peterson
Bennett, Charles (1841 - ), Melba Peterson
Bennett, George M. (1841 - ), Melba Peterson
Bennett, H.P. (1825 - ), Works Progress Administration
Bennett, W.P. (1825 - ), Works Progress Administration
Benolken, Frank (1846 - ), Tresa Gruber
Benson, John N. (1850 - 1917), Gilbert Bunt
Benson, Steiner (1846 - 1929), Melba Peterson
Bente, Ole O. (1840 - 1903), Melba Peterson
Benzie, James (1868 - 1924), Walter Jernberg
Berg, Christian (1869 - ), Dean Nelson
Berg, John (1868 - ), Dean Nelson
Bergman, Herman (1861 - ), Tresa Gruber
Bernick, Charles (1869 - 1913), Gilbert Bunt
Berry, Amos (1834 - 1913), Virgil Chirhart
Berschett, John (1864 - 1930), Dorothy Hansmann
Bestgen, Theodore (1863 - 1929), Tresa Gruber
