From the Book

HISTORY

OF

WINONA COUNTY,

TOGETHER WITH

BIOGRAPHICAL MATTER, STATISTICS, ETC.

 

GATHERED FROM MATTER FURNISHED BY INTERVIEWS WITH OLD SETTLERS,

COUNTY, TOWNSHIP AND OTHER RECORDS, AND EXTRACTS FROM

FILES OF PAPERS, PAMPHLETS, AND SUCH OTHER

SOURCES AS HAVE BEEN

AVAILABLE.

 

CHICAGO:

H. H. HILL AND COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.

 

1883

 

 

 

 

 

 

     BENJAMIN ELLSWORTH, Utica, the model farmer of Winona county, was born in the State of Maine, in Franklin county, July 8, 1820. His parents, William and Polly (Dolbier) Ellsworth, were also natives of Maine, and were born toward the close of the last century, and are now buried in their native state. They were the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters. The former was of English ancestry, as his grandfather with two brothers emigrated to this county from England in the early part of the seventeenth century, and settled in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont respectively. Benjamin, the subject of this brief sketch, was reared on the farm and educated in the common schools of his native state. Soon after he became of age, ambition and an enterprising spirit led him and his brother Amos D. to California, where for five and a-half years they successfully engaged in mining, after which they returned to their old home. Soon after his return from California Mr. Ellsworth made a prospecting tour as far west as St. Paul, Minnesota, and the same fall (1857) went to Waupon, Wisconsin, Where he engaged in the grain trade till 1863, when he removed to Winona, Minnesota, and continued to deal in grain here till the completion of the Winona & St. Peter railroad as far as his farm in Utica township. The farm is located on Secs. 18 and 19, T. 106, R. 9, and was bought by Mr. Ellsworth in 1860. On his removal to his farm he at once built a warehouse, which has continued to be a market for grain at that point. It may be here stated that Mr. Ellsworth shipped the first carload of wheat in bulk sent over the road. Mr. Ellsworth also Planted the village of Utica, and a few years ago built his fine and stately residence a few rods north of the village, and has since his residence here been actively engaged in stock-raising and farming. In his pastures can always be found good grades (and some thorough-bred stock) of cattle, horses, sheep and swine. He is, no doubt, the most extensive and intelligent farmer and stock-raiser in the county and a large land owner in and out of the county, all of which is the result of honest industry, good management and close attention to business. November 29, 1866, he was united in marriage with Miss Emma G. Campbell, also a native a Franklin county, Maine, by whom he has an interesting and healthy family of four children, whose names, in the order of their birth, are Frank W., Vesta E., Ethlin M. and Osman B.