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Otter Tail County Minnesota

1860 Census

 

The 1860 Federal Census of Otter Tail County, Minnesota


The census of Otter Tail county in 1860 was taken under the direction of Hon. Oscar Taylor, of St. Cloud, a lawyer and a Democratic politician. Subsequently he was a captain in the Minnesota Mounted Rangers, a member of the Legislature, county attorney of Stearns county for many years, a man of more than ordinary ability. He died in Kansas in 1905. The work of enumeration in Otter Tail county was done by a deputy, but just who he was is not now known. A manuscript copy in the handwriting of the deputy is now in the custody of the secretary of state at St. Paul. It is from this manuscript that the data for this chapter has been compiled. For some reason the inhabitants were enumerated by their post offices. Why this method of listing them was followed is not known and it is reasonable to suppose that there were some listed at one or the other of the two post offices in the county who were not residents of Otter Tail County. The inhabitants of the county, whose post office is given as Otter Tail City, are copied verbatim from the original records, as follow:

Free Inhabitants in the County of Otter Tail, State of Minnesota, whose post office is Otter Tail City.-Enumerated June 3 , 1860.

William SAWYER, age 57; occupation, receiver U.S. land office; value of real estate, $30,000, and of personal property, $500; born in Ohio. Blanche, his wife, age 62; born in Penna.

George B. CLITHERALL, age 45; register U.S. land office; value of real estate, $50,000, and of personal, $8,000; born in North Carolina. His wife, Sallie Ann Clitherall, age 44; born in North Carolina. Their daughter, Elizabeth F. B. Clitherall, age 21; born in Alabama.

John BATTLE, age 15; no occupation; born in Alabama. (Very probably a servant of Clitherall's.)

Leon HOOD, age 15; servant; born in Minnesota.

Donald McDONALD, age 61; trader; real estate, $500; personal, $500; born in Lower Canada His wife, Genevieve, age 50; mixed blood; born in Minnesota. Their children, Peggy age 15, John 13, William 10; all born in Minnesota.

Albert AUBRE, age 28; farmer; real estate $500; person, $100; born in Lower Canada, His wife, Katherine, age 18; mixed blood; born in Minnesota, as also their child, William, age one year.

Peter BELLANGER, age 35; mixed blood; born in Minnesota, as also his son, Pierre, age 6.

Samuel DONNELL, age 35; farmer; real estate $500; personal, $200; born in Maine.

Charlotte RABBEE, age 16; servant; Indian; born in Minnesota.

Joseph COUVERETTE, age 30; laborer. His wife, Mary, age 25 and their daughter, Margaret, age 7; all mixed bloods and born in Minnesota.

William R. ATKINSON, age 28; inn keeper; real estate, $1,000; personal, $1,000; born in New York. His wife, Eliza S., age 28; born in Lower Canada. Their child, Fanny F. age 8; born in Illinois.

Peter BARHYTE, age 28; farm laborer; personal $400; born in Pennsylvania.

William COSLAND, age 20; laborer; personal, $150; born in Wisconsin.

Charles A. RUFFEE, age 21; mail carrier; personal, $500; born in Nova Scotia, (afterward lived at Crow Wing, where he was Indian agent for many years).

Henry BALDWIN, age 22; mail carrier; personal, $500; born in Massachusetts.

William M. DOLE, age 23; farmer; real estate, $500; personal, $100; born in Pennsylvania.

William R. KING, age 65; farmer; real estate, $200; personal $50; born in England.

George SIMPSON, age 35; ship carpenter; personal, $200; born in Maine.

Leon VANASSEE, age 31; laborer; real, $200; personal, $500; born in Lower Canada. His wife, Angelia, age 25; mixed blood; born in Minnesota.

Millie DUPEE, age 15; mixed blood; born in Minnesota.

James McDOUGALL, age 40; farmer; real, $250; personal, $150; born in Upper Canada. His Wife, Betsy, age 23 , and their children, Catherine age 5, Peter age 3, and Peggy age 10 months; all mixed bloods and born in Minnesota.

Duncan McDOUGALL, age 32; trader; personal, $1,000; born in Upper Canada. His wife, Mary, age 27, and their children, Peter W. age 9, Catherine age 7, Susan age 5, Donald age 3, and Mary age 1; all born in Minnesota and mixed bloods.

Maxine VANASSEE, age 38; laborer; real, $500; personal, $500; born in Lower Canada. His wife, Nancy, age 24 and their children, Andrew 7, Antonie 5, Isabel 4, and Maxine 2; all mixed bloods and born in Minnesota.

Francois BELLEAIR, age 45; trader; real, $100; personal, $1,500. His wife, Betsy, age 30; both Minnesota mixed bloods.

Auguste BELLANGER, age 56; farmer; real, $200; personal, $150. His wife, Charlotte, age 50. Their children, Francois, age 20, farm laborer, and Charlotte, age 15; all mixed bloods and born in Minnesota.

Pierre BELLANGER, age 30; day laborer. His wife, Jane, age 25. Their children, Henry, age 10, Nancy, age 8, and Francois, age 6-all Minnesota mixed bloods.

Henry BELLANGER, age 65; farm laborer. His wife, Nellie, age 20; Indian. Their children, Margaret, age 3 and Joseph, one year. All born in Minnesota; children and father mixed bloods.

Joseph COURETTE, age 30; laborer. His wife, Madeline, age 25 and their child, Charlotte; all Minnesota mixed bloods.

Joseph BELLANGER, age 43. His wife, Nancy, age 35. Their children, Henry, age 17 , laborer; Josette, age 12; Sarah, age 11; John, age 9; David, age 5; May, age 2, and Louis, six months; all Minnesota mixed bloods.

Charles W. IDDINGS, age 27; surveyor; real, $2000; personal, $500; born in Pennsylvania.

Charles ROCH, age 30; farmer; born in Baden, Germany.

Jane PINGRE, age 20; servant; Minnesota Indian.

Benjamin F. DENSMORE, age 28; civil engineer; personal, $1,000; born in Ohio. Served in the Third Minnesota Infantry.

William FAIRBANKS, age 39; farmer; real, $1,000; personal, $600; born in Massachusetts. His wife, Annette, age 26 and their children, Lucy age 9; Nancy , age 7; Sylvia, age 5; and Ephraim, age 3; Minnesota mixed bloods.

Peter GERARD, age 20; day laborer; born in Lower Canada.

Pierre LaDUC, age 47; farmer; real, $250; born in Lower Canada. His wife, Margaret, age 35; born in Lower Canada. Their children, Peter, age 14; John, age 5; and Mary, age 2; born in Minnesota.

Abram S. WHITE, age 36; upholsterer; real, $200; personal, $100; born in Maine.

Clark SWINGLE, age 24; laborer; personal, $100; born in Pennsylvania.

John La PORTE, age 24; laborer; personal, $100; born in Lower Canada.

Edourd BELENTE, age 25; farmer; real, $500; personal, $150; born in Lower Canada.

Fabian LeFEVRE, age 26; laborer; real, $400; born in Lower Canada.

Jacob SYLVESTER, age 26; farmer; real, $500; personal, $300; born in Lower Canada.

Auguste LOON, age 21; laborer; personal,$150; born in Lower Canada.

Pierre ROUSELLE (or Peter RUSSELL), age 24; farmer; real, $500; personal, $400; born in Lower Canada.

Frank GONJE, age 23; laborer; personal, $100; born in Lower Canada.

John BISHOP, age 25; farmer; real, $1,000; personal, $300; born in Upper Canada.

Reuben M. MERCER, age 24; laborer; born in Maine.

William KILPATRICK, age 24; blacksmith; personal, $1,000; born in Maine.

George BANCROFT, age 17; apprentice; born in Wisconsin.

John GREELY, age 19; laborer; personal, $100; born in Maine.

David SUTHERLAND, age 45; lumberman; personal, $500; born in New Brunswick. His children, James Sutherland, age 18; laborer; personal, $100; William, age 15; Zebedee, age 11, and Lizzie, age 7; all born in Maine.

John SUTHERLAND, age 22; farmer; real, $300; personal, $100; born in Maine.

Charles W. JONES, age 18; farm laborer; personal, $50; born in Pennsylvania.

Patrick Mc ELROY, age 33; laborer; personal, $100; born in Ireland. His wife, Margaret, age 27, born in Ireland, and their child, Patrick, Jr., age 3, born in Wisconsin.

Joseph DUSETTE, age 24; farmer; real, $1,000; personal, $100; born in Lower Canada.

William B. GATES, age 35; farmer; real, $2,300; personal, $4,000; born in Indiana. His wife, Emily R. 332, born in New York. Their children, William, 11 and Emily R., age 7, born in Illinois, and George 5, Louis 3, and Charles R., six months, born in Minnesota.

Joshua R. KNIGHT, age 29; laborer; personal, $100; born in Ohio.

George HERBERT, age 28; teamster; personal, $500; born in South Carolina. His wife, Mary Jane, age 22 born in Virginia, and their child, William S. age 2, born in Minnesota.

Gustavus De BOIS, age 26; laborer; personal, $200; born in Prussia. His wife, Sarah, age 23, born in Hanover, Germany and their child, William S. born in Minnesota.

Karl ROCHAU, age 29; teamster; personal, $250; born in Hanover.

William ROCHAU, age 27; teamster; personal, $100; born in Hanover.

Joseph EINCK, age 34; laborer; personal, $200; born in Hanover, Germany. His wife Mary, age 30 born in Prussia. their children, Karl 9, Mary 6, Joseph 4, born in Minnesota, and Elizabeth 7, born in Wisconsin.

Patrick McGINNISS, age 39; farmer; real, $1,000; personal, $150; born in Ireland. His wife, Margaret, age 35; born in Ireland, as was their son, Thomas, 17, a laborer; William, 15, born in New York; Margaret, 11, in Illinois; Patrick, 9, in Wisconsin; James M. age 5, and Martin McLeod, age 3, born in Minnesota.

Douglass CRAIGIE, age 47; farmer; real, $500; personal, $300; born in Scotland, as also his wife, Elizabeth, age 42, and their children, Catharine, 18, a teacher; William, 15; Wallace, 13; but Frank P., 11, was born in New York, and Mary E., 8, and Jane, 5, in Minnesota.

Thomas CARTER, age 47; cooper; personal, $500; born in Maine.

Andrew HENRY, age 30; teamster; personal, $800; born in New York. His wife, Melissa, age 26 born in Connecticut. Of the children, Andrew J., 7, born in Wisconsin; Mary Ann, 5, Charles A., 3, and Emma J., 4 months, born in Minnesota.

George W. EMERY, age 34; carpenter; real, $200; personal, $250; born in New Hampshire. His wife, Ellen G. 29, born in Vermont. Of their children, Moses K. 12 , born in New Hampshire; Samuel J. 8, born in Illinois; Francis J. 5, Kimball, 3 and Louise, 7 months, born in Minnesota.

William SHATTINELL (SHOTTWELL?), age 49; farmer; real, $2500; personal, $400; born in Massachusetts. His wife, Hannah C. age 45; born in New Hampshire. Of their children, George W., 17, farm laborer, born in Massachusetts; Mary, 14 and William G. 11, born in New York; Jane, 7 born in Wisconsin; Hannah J., 3, and Lizzie O., 2 born in Minnesota.

Thomas HIGGINS, age 38; laborer; personal, $400, born in Pennsylvania

John RICHARDS, age 28; laborer; personal $100; born in New York.

William RICHARDS, age 26; laborer; personal, $100; born in New York.

Bridget McMULLIN, age 28; housekeeper; born in Ireland.

Hugh McALPIN, age 37; farmer; real, $500; personal, $300 born in Scotland. His wife, Clara, 36 born in England. Of their children, John, 16, laborer; and Caroline, 13, born in Massachusetts; Hugh, 8 and Lizzie F., 5, born in Wisconsin; Jenny, 3 and Charles W., 7 months born in Minnesota.

Michael DORAN, age 42; laborer; personal, $50; born in Ireland. His wife, Susan, age 23 born in New York. OF their children, James, 4 born in Wisconsin; Michael, 2, and Bridget, one month, born in Minnesota.

Bridget AUSTIN, age 44; nurse; personal $150; born in Ireland.

Thomas HUMPHREY, age 29; teamster; born in Ireland.

WASEATA POST OFFICE

Matthew WRIGHT, age 50; farmer; real estate, $,500; personal property, $1000; born in Upper Canada. His wife, Mary Ann, age 47 born in New York. Their children, Caroline, age 20 (later the wife of Oscar Taylor of St. Cloud.); John W., age 15 (killed by the Indians in Dakota in 1876); Albert M. age 12, (Now located in the west), born in Upper Canada; Martha E., age 10, born in Wisconsin (now married and living in Spokane Washington). Editorial note: Matthew Wright was one of the few of those listed in this census schedule to return to the county after after the Civil War. Mention is made of him and other members of the family elsewhere in this volume.

Edwin M. WRIGHT, age 24 (son of Matthew Wright); farmer; real, $1000, personal, $500; born in Upper Canada. ( Edwin M. Wright later became a lawyer and was a partner of Hon. J. W. Mason, who has written a sketch of him which appears elsewhere in this volume.)

Edward J. WRIGHT, age 22 (son of Matthew Wright); laborer; personal, $500; born in Upper Canada.

Peter SCHMIDT (or SMITH), age 24; farm laborer; personal, $400; born in Nassau, Germany. (Some authorities say that a Smith was killed at Dayton in 1862, and that his mangled remains were found there two weeks after his death by Captain Freeman.)

Ebenezer BRIGGS, age 28; blacksmith; personal, $250, born in Vermont. His wife, Jane, age 24, was born in Vermont, and their child, Andrew, age 5, born in Minnesota.

Andrew JONES, age 24; stage driver; born in New York.

Samuel MUNN, age 41; laborer; personal, $400, born in New York. His wife, Jane, age 28, was born in Maine, and their children, Silas, 8, Henry, 7, Francis, 5, and Stewart, 3, were born in Minnesota.

Henry A. BON, age 30; surveyor; real, $1000, personal, $500; born in New Hampshire.

Margaret LITTLE, age 14; born in Maine.

James RYERSON, age 38; farmer; real, $200; born in Pennsylvania. His wife Bridget, 31, born in Ireland. Their children, John, 5, Stephen, 3, George, 2, and Mary, 6 month, born in Minnesota.

John DAU (or DOW), age 24; laborer; personal, $100; born in Baden.

Christopher KOHL (or COLE), age 32; farmer; real, $200; born in Prussia. His wife Mary, age 27, born in Pennsylvania, and their child, Jane E., age 5 born in Minnesota.

George FOWLESTON, age 44; farmer; born in England, as also his wife, Jane, age 34 and one child, Harriet, age 7; other children, John, 4, and George, 2, born in Minnesota.

Joseph WHITFORD, age 35; farmer; real, $500; personal, $500; born in Vermont. Note- He was reported insane at the time of the census, but recovered and was killed later by the Indians. A letter of James Fergus to the Fergus Falls Advocate printed in its issue of June 29, 1972, is authority for the statement that Whitford was killed by the Indians near Fort Abercrombie in 1862.

John SMITH, age 38; laborer; personal, $3000; born in Scotland. Note-it appears that Smith was living with Whitford in 1860, at the time of the census. He is reported to have been at Dayton in 1862 and to have been killed by Indians at that place. The Adjutant-General's Report for 1862-63 (pg 187) says that as Captain Freeman was returning from Fort Abercrombie to St. Cloud on September 30, 1862, they found at Dayton the body of one Smith, who had been murdered two weeks previously, and buried it. Whether this was the Johns Smith listed in 1960, or some other Smith (or Schmidt), is a matter of conjecture. It may have been the Peter Schmidt listed above.

William CAREY, age 27; laborer; personal, $250; born in Ireland.

Peter CLARK, age 42; laborer; personal, $100; born in Maine.

Copied from the History of Otter Tail County, John W. Mason Editor. Printed by B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana 1916. From: Sue Tomhave (suet@meyers.com)

 

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