Compendium of history and biography of North Dakota: containing a history of North Dakota . also a compendium of biography of North Dakota

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
• Subjects: Canada; Devils Lake; Ferguson; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/52270

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. 1141 of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. He also holds membership in the Masonic fraternity. Dr. Fawcett was for three years superintendent of the high and normal and public schools of the city of Winnipeg. PETER R. FERGUSON was born on a farm in Ontario, Canada, in 1839, and has been a resident of Bottineau county for some fifteen years. Coming into North Dakota late in life, he feels that he has made liis final move until he is called "home." Peter Ferguson, the father of our subject, was a farmer and blacksmith. He was a native of Scotland, and came to Canada when he was only twenty-two years old, bringing with him a wife and two children. Her name was Ellen Robinson, and she was also Scottish born and bred. Peter R. is tlieir fifth child, ten of their children reaching maturity. Mr. Ferguson left home when he attained his majority, and became a farmer for himself. He owned a small place, and continued in Canada for the next ten years. During that time he worked out to a considerable degree among neighboring farm-ers. He was married, in 1865, to Miss Maria Ward, a daughter of the Reverend James Ward, a tiller of the soil, and a clergyman of the Methodist Episco-pal church, both in England and Canada. Mrs. Ferguson was born in Ontario, and had the usual experiences of what was then very close to frontier life. She has presented her husband with ten chil-dren : Hellen, Theresa, John S., Rhoda B. Emma, Peter B., Felicia, James, Edgar, Clarence and Coral. The family left Canada, after selling out the farm and other farm holdings, and entered Manitoba in 1872. For the next five years Mr. Ferguson was engaged in farming in that far away country. He was not satisfied, however, though he had a good farm west of Winnipeg. Three years of grasshop-pers was too much for his equinimity, and he retired from the farm, and entered a mercantile business, and combined certain important real estate invest-ments with it. He had a store, 25x75, and did a large business for some ten years, when he disposed of his Manitoba interests and sought a home in this state. He drove overland from Gladston, and set-tled in Bottineau county. He located upon govern-ment land, and procured his supplies at Devils Lake. In common with others in that early day he used o.xen for several years after coming into the terri-tory they were so much better adapted to local con-ditions, and it is only at quite a recent period that they had retired in favor of horses. He put up a shanty, 18x24 feet, and in 1886 harvested his first crop, his wheat running fifteen bushels to the acre. He had an ample supply of oats, potatoes, and started oiT much better than the most of those who, like him, were trying to win homes from the prairie. He fought prairie fires, faced the blizzards, and feeling that he had reached what would be his final home, held on, and is now enjoying the fruits of adventur-ous vears. He owns an entire section of land, and in 1900 had four hundred and fifty acres under cul-tivation. It is a well-equipped farm with ample buildings and sufficient machinery. Mr. Ferguson was elected county treasurer in 1886, and was twice re-elected, completing a continu-ous service of six years. In 1897 he left the farm, which continued to be his residence during his oc-cupancy of office, and moved to Botteneau. He put up a house in the village, 18x26 feet, with kitchen and other extensions, and one and a half stories high. He also erected a barn, 26x48 feet, with twelve-foot posts, and is now cosily fixed in one of the most pleasant homes in the county. He is a Populist, and takes much interest in party af-fairs. He attends numerous conventions and is a man of more than ordinary influence. He belongs to the Masons, and is deservedly popular in the mvstic order. JOHN HILL]\1AX, proprietor of one of the fine farms of Beaulieu township, Pembina county, re-sided thereon in section 34 for many years, but is now retired from active farm labors and enjoys a pleasant and comfortable home. He owns five hun-dred and twenty acres of land and rents it to others. Our subject was born in the northern part of Iceland, April 10, 1848, and was the eldest of a fam-ily of eight children, born to John and Una (Gud-brandadottir) Rognvaldsson. Her father, John Rognvaldsson, was the first child of Rognvaldur and Margaret. (Petursdottir) Jonsson, and the grand-parents of our subject were Jon and Anna (Jons-dottir) Rognvaldsson, and the family can be traced thus back several hundred years to King Harold Harfari Sigurdson, who reigned in Norway, previ-ous to the settlement of Iceland. In the great famine in Iceland, caused by the eruption of Mt. Hecla, our subject's great-grandparents above named, and two of their four children died of starvation at the place Klifshaga on Axar Fjord in Thingeiar sislu. The father of our subject was born December 10, 1808, and was a man held in high esteem for his educa-tional attainments. He was very methodical in his life, and left a diary giving details of the passage of the Icelandic colony with whom he came to America in 1874, and especiallv of the families who settled in Nova Scotia. He 'died October 16, 1888. As will be noted the name of our subject has undergone radical changes, and has entirely lost its identity. His Icelandic name was Jon Jonson, and he was born on the farm Holi (meaning hill). They were many of the name of Jon Jonson who took passage with the colony, and our subject was designated Jon from Holi (John from the hill). He was later known as Jon Holman, which finally became John Hillman. The colony with whom he arrived on American soil went to Kenmouth, north of Toronto, Canada, but as some were not pleased with the loca-tion, our subject and three companions searched for a new location, and eight of the Icelandic families settled in Halifax countv. Nova Scotia. Our sub- Internet Archive