Legacy of Maine families uncovered in Minnesota township

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A couple of weeks ago, we noted that the city of Orono, Minnesota, was named for our own Orono, Maine.

Just as interesting is the fact that Otter Tail County, in the western part of Minnesota, is home to Maine Township. According to John Mason’s “History of Otter Tail County,” the township’s name was suggested in 1871 by R.F. Adley, father of the county superintendent.

Other early settlers were A. Scribner, Joseph Nagle, Hugh Hunter, Allen Young, William McCall, William Turville, David F. Spalding, B.L. Bull, John Braun, Peter Peterson, L.H. Barry, G.A. Clark, Ole Oleson, H.W. Putnam and N. Huse.

The 1880 census bears out the Maine origins of the Adleys at least. You may remember that you can check any name for the 1880 U.S. Census free on the Mormon Web site at www.familysearch.org. In Maine Township, which numbered 340 individuals in 1880, we find the household of:

Roswell Adley, self, 61, born in Maine, farmer.

Joanna Adley, wife, 52, born in Minnesota, keeping house.

Charles Adley, son, 21, Minnesota, schoolteacher.

Lafayette Adley, son, 15, Minnesota, at home.

Lou Owen, other, 18, Minnesota, schoolteacher.

Mary Dalton, other, 16, Ohio.

More information on Maine Township is available on the Minnesota GenWeb site for the township at www.jsenterprises.com/ottertail/townships/maine.htm.

I was particularly interested in the surname Scribner – an old Maine name – and found references on GenWeb to Aaron, Alanson and Frank W. Scribner. Two of the three names turned up as households in the 1880 census for Maine Township:

Aaron Scribner, self, 46, born in Maine, farmer. Both his parents were born in Maine, as well.

Mary C. Scribner, wife, 42, New Brunswick, keeping house.

Charles E. Scribner, son, 18, Dakota, farmer.

Anson A. Scribner, son, 13, Minnesota.

William H. Scribner, son, 9, Minnesota.

James S. Scribner, son, 7, Minnesota.

Ella-May Scribner, daughter, 4, Minnesota.

Thornton Scribner, son, 2, Minnesota.

Also living in Maine Township in 1880, we find:

Frank W. Scribner, self, 43, born in Maine, farmer. Both parents were born in Maine.

Eliza A. Scribner, wife, 43, Maine, keeping house.

Charles R. Scribner, stepson, 20, Maine.

Lovina Scribner, stepdaughter, 17, Maine, at home.

Of course, not everyone residing in Maine Township at the time of the 1880 census was from Maine. While looking at the household of a particular family, we can click on “previous household” or “next household” to find neighbors. I checked the heads of the five previous households next to the Aaron Scribner family and found:

Collins M. Brown, 34, born in Pennsylvania.

Thomas Rees, 30, Ohio.

Olizern Nadeau, 43, Canada.

James Fogerd, 40, Ireland.

Patrick Moore, 57, Ireland.

Then I kept clicking on “next household” to find the five neighbors on the other side of the Scribners:

Eling Renstrom, 41, Sweden.

Swen Helander, 39, Sweden.

Peter Lee, 34, Norway.

Sivert Lee, 31, Norway.

Ole Iverson, 50, Norway.

Of course, this process works just as well if we want to check out neighbors in the 1880 census for Maine.

Another resource on Maine Township is one I’m enjoying immensely. “The Haymakers” – a recent gift from my favorite Minnesotan, Heather Taylor – includes a chapter on the farm of Oliver Perry Kysor, who was born in Vermont and lived in New York and Pennsylvania before arriving in Maine Township in 1882.

The book also has chapters on Andrew Peterson, Swede, of Waconia; Gilbert Marthaler, German, Meire Grove; Arthur and Douglas Rengen, Norwegian-American, Fertile; and Larry Hoffbeck, Danish-American, Morgan.

You may order “The Haymakers” for $14.95 through the Minnesota Historical Society at www.mnhs.org.

The Wassebec Genealogical Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, in the Mayo Regional Hospital Conference Room, entrance off Dwelley Avenue.

The speaker will be Dick Brown, who will share his adventures researching his Irish roots across two continents. All are welcome to attend.

3252. HILTON-STONE-HUDSON. Seeking ancestry of Sally or Sarah Hilton, b. Jan. 20, 1773, Hallowell; md. Aug. 27, 1791, Benjamin Stone, b. Feb. 2, 1764, Marblehead, Mass., son of Nehemiah and Mary (Hudson) Stone. Benjamin was on North Island, Maine, by 1794. Danny W. Howard, DECF Box 428, Machiasport, ME 04655.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.