| Summary: | 1192 COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. and clerked in wholesale houses in different parts of Germany, and at the age of nineteen years entered the army and then returned to clerking and served several short terms in the army. In Janu-ary, 1883, he came to America in search of health and spent a few months in Chicago and St. Paul, and in the summer of 1883 went to North Dakota. He settled on a farm four miles west of Hebron and built a small store, the first one in the western part of Morton county, and he and Charles Krauth conducted the same in partnership. The store and block were burned in 1883, the building being struck by lightning, and the following spring Mr. Leutz erected another building and continued the business. He also followed farming and continued there until 1885, when a colony from Chicago started the town of Hebron, and Mr. Leutz built the hrst store in the town and gave up his farming operations. He and his partner were actively engaged in the busi-ness until 1891, since which time they hold interest in different stores in the vicinity and are retired from active pursuits. They control stores in Rich-ardson, Taylor, Gladstone and Antelope, as well as at Hebron, and are also engaged extensively in stock raising, the ranch being located twelve miles north of Hebron. The buildings, erected in the spring of 1884, were destroyed by fire in 1889, and again the stock and buildings were replaced by our subject as soon as possible. Our subject was married, in 1886, to Anna Leutz, who was born in Germany and came to America in 1886. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Leutz. named Lottie, Fritz, Annie and Hans. Uur subject is a member of the Republi-can party and is prominent in public affairs of the county, was a member of the convention at Phila-delphia, 1900, and a member of the delegation to notify the President of his election and chaimian of the committee and chairman of the county conven-tion. HOX. EIRIKUR H. BERGMAN, the pioneer merchant of Gardar, is also engaged in farming and handles real estate extensively. He was in-strumental in getting many of his countrymen from Iceland to settle in that locality and there is no more progressive and enterprising settlement in Pembina county than that composed mostly of Ice-landers in Gardar township. A portrait preserves the countenance of this remarkable man, who has accomplished so much in an alien country. Mr. Bergman was born in Iceland, April 15, 1852, and was the oldest in a family of three children born to Helmar and Valgerdur (Bergman) Erikson, both of whom are deceased. The father was a fisherman and from the time our subject was eleven years of age he spent much of the time on the water with his father. He was fourteen years of age when the father died, but the mother kept the family to-gether and as our subject neared manhood he heard from fellow countrymen, who emigrated to America, in 1871, of the advantages of this country. He de-cided to try his fortunes with the others and in 1873 came to America with the first large body of Icelanders, the party numbering two hundred and fifty, most of whom settled in Ontario, but our sub-ject, with five other families, went to Milwaukee and Mr. Bergman worked at farm labor and in the woods for four years. He went to Lyon county, Minnesota, in 1876, and took government land and lived there four years. He was one of the pioneer settlers of that county, but he would penetrate a still newer country and in the fall of 1878 came to Dakota to look over the country for an Icelandic settlement. He viewed the country near Lake Kampeska and Big Stone lake, in what is now South Dakota, and in 1879 visited Pembina county, and decided on the country along the north branch of the Park river. In June, 1880, he pre-empted land in section 1 6, of Gardar township, on the banks of the above named stream, and built a log cabin, with ceil-ing and flooring of lumber hauled fifty-five miles from Pembina, and also hauled his farm machinery from there over the unbroken country. The family is the oldest resident family of Gardar township and in the winter of 1881-1882 a postoffice was es-tablished and the name of Gardar chosen at the suggestion of our subject, in honor of a Swedish pioneer of Icelandic history. Mr. Bergman was appointed postmaster of Gardar and has held the office continuously since, with the exception of about four years. He began the real estate and loan busi-ness about 1885 and has devoted some attention to this line since that date and about the same time established a general store in Gardar and now has a well-stocked establishment and enjoys a good trade. He owns and operates six hundred and forty acres of land and has made a success of farming. Our subject was married, in 873, to Miss Inge-borg Thorlacius, a native of Iceland. Three chil-dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bergman, named as follows: Fredrik P., now attending St. Peter College, in Minnesota; Hjalmar A., also a student of St. Peter College, and Kristine. Gardar township was originally organized as a part of Thurgavalla township, and our subject was chosen chairman of the first township board. He was ap-pointed county commissioner in 1885 and later elected to that office. He was elected state repre-sentative in 1888 and served one ^erm and was a member of the ways and means committee. He is a Republican politically and is a reco,gnized leader of his party m tlie southwestern part of Pembina county and is now a member of the county central committee. JOHN S. METCALF is the efficient postmaster of Lakota, North Dakota, and is also a prominent citizen of that town. He was born near Carmi, White county, Illinois, February 4, 1830, and was the second child and oldest son born to John and Ann E. (Culbertsonj Metcalf. Internet Archive
|
|---|