Emile Julien Amblard, known as the “Duke of Clearwater Lake,” became one of Coney Island’s leading residents. He bought his first piece of land there in 1893. The western edge of the island and a building in Waconia would become his passion for the next twenty-one years.

Amblard was born in Paris, France on April 4, 1840. He was the son of a wealthy landowner and Mayor of the town of Périgueux, in Burgundy, France. Amblard spent his youth at the family’s country home in Burgundy and in Paris schools. As an adult, Amblard worked for F. Chauvenet and Company, distributors of fine French wine. As the company’s representative in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, a lot of Amblard’s time was spent traveling, introducing and importing Burgundy wines. After a yearlong absence to serve in the Franco-German War (July 19, 1870 –May 10, 1871) under Napoleon III, Amblard spent the rest of his days working for F. Chauvenet and Company.

He first visited the United States in 1889. The following year, Amblard visited an old friend, former German Army Officer Rudolph Steinmetz, who lived in Minneapolis. While there, Amblard was invited on a fishing trip to Clearwater Lake. He fell in love with the beauty of the area and stayed.

Emile Amblard purchased his first property on Coney Island in 1893 from Mary Orth, with an existing cabin. The following year, fifty-four-year-old Emile Amblard married twenty-two-year-old Mary Augusta Wood of Manitoba, Canada. The family, including Mary’s mother and Amblard’s daughter from a previous marriage, Marie Therésè, spent their summers on the island. In the winter, the women lived in their Summit Avenue home in Minneapolis, while Marie Therésè attended St. Joseph’s Academy. Amblard spent his winters traveling for work.

In 1898, Amblard bought more land on the island and built his main summer residence. Known as “Villa Emile,” the building was one story, with a two-story tower on one side and a veranda on three sides. The original property became known as Villa Marie, for his wife Mary. The Amblards also built Villa Topsy, a five-room guesthouse, named for their beloved dog. Over time, Amblard added a park, gardens, a boathouse, a bathhouse, a billiard room, a chess room, and gazebos. The area became known as Amblard Point and Amblard Park. When the 1904 Waconia Cyclone hit, it wrecked the boathouse, the boat landing, gazebo, and Villa Topsy. Villas Emile and Marie were left undamaged. In 1906, Amblard purchased a building on Vine Street in Waconia. Over time, he added an automobile garage, guest rooms above, and a dining room.

By 1911, Amblard’s health began to deteriorate, and the family was living mainly in their Minneapolis home. In 1912, Amblard spent weeks ill in the hospital and in 1913, he fractured his leg. Despite Amblard’s poor health, the family took a final trip to the Amblard home in Burgundy, then on to Paris, Nice, and Monte Carlo. In July 1914, Amblard entered the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis for surgery; there were complications. Emile Amblard died in the hospital on July 15, 1914 at age seventy-four. Legend has it he wanted to be buried standing up, facing his beloved island, but he had a traditional burial in the Waconia city cemetery. His is the only grave in the cemetery facing the island (in a north-south direction), as all other plots face east to west.

Mary Amblard was the sole heir to his estate, but she had little interest in the land. The Coney Island property was sold to James R. Ferris of the National Hotel in Minneapolis and became “Frenchman’s Point.” The garage and club-house in Waconia were sold to James E. Hamilton of Janesville, Wisconsin, and became the “Waconia Tavern and Garage.” Mary sold the Minneapolis home and then lived in California, Belgium and France. She died and was buried in Winnipeg, Canada in 1946.

In the twenty-first century, no Amblard structures remain on the island. The club and garage in Waconia were placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1980. They were converted, and are now the Wishing Well Apartments. Amblard’s passion for building lives on in that structure.

Turning Point: In 1890, Emile Amblard’s visit to Clearwater Lake inspired him to buy his first property on Coney Island.

Chronology:

• April 4, 1840: Emile Julien Amblard is born in Paris, France.
• July 9, 1870- May 10, 1871: Emile Amblard serves in the Franco-German War under Napolean III.
• 1889: Amblard’s first visit to the United States.
• 1890: Amblard visits a friend, former German Army Officer Rudolph Steinmetz, in Minneapolis. While there, he is invited to fish on Clearwater Lake in Waconia and falls in love with the beauty of the area.
• 1893: Emile Amblard purchases his first piece of land on Coney Island from Mary Orth, with an existing cabin.
• 1894: Fifty-four-year-old Amblard weds twenty-two-year-old Mary Augusta Wood of Manitoba, Canada.
• 1898: Amblard expands his property on the island and builds his main residence, Villa Emile.
• August 20, 1904: The Waconia Cyclone causes extensive damage to Amblard’s property on Coney Island.
• 1906: Amblard purchases a structure on Vine Street in Waconia, adding an automobile garage, guest house and dining room.
• 1911: Amblard’s health begins to deteriorate and he spends less time on the island.
• 1912: Amblard spends weeks ill in the hospital.
• 1913: Despite Amblard’s poor health, the family takes one final trip to the Amblard family home in Burgundy, then on to Paris, Nice and Monte Carlo.
• July 1914: Amblard enters the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis for surgery; there were complications. He dies in the hospital on July 15, 1914. He is buried facing his beloved island in Waconia, Minnesota.
• 1946: Mary Amblard dies and is buried in Winnipeg, Canada.
• January 4, 1980: The clubhouse and garage located on Vine Street are placed on the National Register of Historic Places and converted in the Wishing Well Apartments.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“A Crew of Men Are Busily Engaged on the New Addition to the Amblard Building.” Waconia Patriot, April 17, 1908.

Anderson, Keith, “Historic Waconia Building Welcomes Changes.” Carver County News, October 4, 1990.

“E. Amblard, A French Gentleman from New York.” Carver County News, May 25, 1894.

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., ed. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Chicago: Henry Taylor and Company, 1915.

“Mons. Amblard Property is Sold.” Waconia Patriot, August 21, 1914.

“Mons. Emile Amblard Gone to His Reward.” Waconia Patriot, July 17, 1914.

“Mons. Emile Amblard Was here Tuesday.” Waconia Patriot, April 5, 1912.

“Monsieur E. Amblard.” Carver County News, August 8, 1890.

“Mr. Amblard Left Tuesday for Minneapolis.” Waconia Patriot, September 4, 1903.

“Mrs. Marie Amblard Dies in Canada.” Waconia Patriot, April 4, 1946.

Waconia Heritage Association. Waconia, Paradise of the Northwest: The Lake and Its Island. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1986.

“Waconia’s Most Progressive Citizen, Mons. Amblard.” Waconia Patriot, May 19, 1911.

“We Are Pleased to Note that Mons. Emile Amblard.” Waconia Patriot, April 11, 1913.

RELATED RESOURCES

Primary:

“Mary Wood Amblard Marries Ruppert H. Clarke.” Waconia Patriot, February 20, 1919.

“Mons. Amblard Opens Public Park.” Waconia Patriot, June 20, 1913.

“Monsieur Emile Amblard.” Waconia Patriot, January 17, 1908.

“Waconia Now Has a Magnet for Motorists in the Shape of a Handsome Clubhouse.” Waconia Patriot, May 15, 1908.

Secondary:

Carver County: Today and Yesterday. Compiled by the Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, 1958. A pamphlet.

Lofstrom, Ted and Lynne VanBrocklin Spaeth. Carver County: A Guide to Its Historic and Prehistoric Places. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1978.

Millet, Larry. Once There Were Castles: Lost Mansions and Estates of the Twin Cities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2011.

Warner, George E. and Charles M. Foote. History of the Minnesota Valley: Carver County. Reprint. Carver County Historical Society, 1986. Originally published in George E. Warner and Charles M. Foote,               History of the Minnesota Valley, Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1882.

Web:

National Register of Historic Places. Minnesota- Carver County. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MN/carver/state.html

Go Historic. Emile Amblard Guest House, Waconia. http://gohistoric.com/sites/emile-amblard-guest-house-waconia

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

The story of Clara Judd is a story of controversy. Arrested as a female spy for General John H. Morgan, Judd spent time locked up in the military prison at Alton, Illinois. Was Judd truly a Confederate spy, or was hers a case of misplaced trust and innocence, as she spent her remaining life claiming?

Burritt and Clara Judd were early settlers to Chanhassen. Burritt Judd was an architect and builder, completing three churches in Minneapolis which gained him national acclaim. The couple also served as missionaries for the local Episcopal Church, with Burritt being only the second person to be ordained in Minnesota. After only a short time settled in Carver County, the couple moved south in 1858. Clara Judd was suffering from poor health, and it was thought the climate in the South would do her good. Burritt accepted a job at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee and helped to construct some of the first campus structures. Before migrating south, they left their mark – Lake Lucy in Chanhassen was named for the Judd’s daughter.

In 1861, while on business in Nashville, Burritt Judd and one of the Judd children were killed in a train accident. Clara Judd was left a widow with seven children and no way to support herself in a country at war. In 1862, she returned to Chanhassen to mortgage the family farm and leave her three youngest children with family. In the end, they were left with a sister in St. Louis, Missouri. Work was found for her older sons in a government factory in Atlanta to provide money for the family. From then on, Clara traveled often between the lines of North and South visiting her children in different parts of the county. This is where her trouble started.

These frequent trips across the lines became suspicious to those in power. It was thought the frequent trips were a way to smuggle goods and supplies over the lines, count troop numbers and deployments, and provide vital details to General Morgan, who she supposedly worked for. On one such trip, she was detained in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a number of days waiting for a pass. While there, she met a man claiming to be a paroled prisoner, offering her a ride in his buggy into Nashville. He was actually a Northern counterespionage agent named Delos Thurman Blythe. Blythe reported her to authorities, claiming her behavior as suspicious. He claimed to overhear a Confederate whisper to her, “If they won’t let you in, you can go across country, about four miles to my father’s, and they will run you through the lines anyhow.” He reported to his boss and was instructed to assist her on her journey to trap her.

From Nashville, the duo boarded a train for Louisville, Kentucky, traveling together for a number of days. Clara fell in love with Blythe, and after a brief illness, made plans to travel on to Mitchellville, Tennessee. There, both were arrested by army police, with Blythe being roughed up. Witnesses claimed Judd was more worried for her love, Blythe, than herself. Among her possessions was a bible inscribed to Blythe, meant to be a gift. Using her love against her, Judd was told that Blythe would be court-martialed, and she testified on his behalf, saying he was innocent and she alone was responsible. Unknown to her, Blythe had already been released. She never saw him again.

Clara Judd was imprisoned at Alton, Illinois for eight months on the charge of espionage. She was paroled due to poor health and ordered to return to Minnesota and stay there. Upon her return, Judd was criticized in the press, who had decided her guilty. Despite living quietly under an assumed name, Judd faced criticism and ostracism to the end of her days. Upon her release, she issued a statement claiming innocence, that she was tricked by Blythe. Her claim was that “he has sworn falsely and misrepresented other things then said jocosely.”

The truth of her tale may never be known. Newspapers at the time, and the local Chanhassen history book, claim her guilt. A recent book, Stealing Secrets, discusses her claims of innocence and being tricked by love. Was her frequent travel simply to visit her children, or was she truly a spy? Was she duped into trusting Blythe and taking the blame, or did he really observe suspicious behavior? We may never know. History always has two sides, and presented here are the facts. Clara Judd is remembered in history as a female Confederate spy, trapped and imprisoned in an undercover operation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Gen. John H. Morgan’s Female Spy, alias Mrs. Clara Judd, of Carver County, Minnesota: Interesting Details of her Detection.” Chaska Valley Herald, December 5, 1863.

Hoisington, Daniel John. Chanhassen: A Centennial History. Chanhassen, MN: The Press, Banta Corporation, July 1996.

“Local Items: Distinguished Arrival.” Chaska Valley Herald, August 29, 1863.

Winkler, H. Donald. “Trapped in a Sting Operation: Clara Judd”. In Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War, edited by H. Donald Winkler, 247-251. Naperville, Illinois: Cumberland House, 2010.

Throughout Carver County’s long history, there have been many tales and people of fame and infamy. However, perhaps one of the most infamous is that of Rosa Mixa, victim, and Andrew Tapper, murderer. This case was the first and last public execution for murder in Carver County. Presented below are the facts of this tale as noted in the newspapers and records of that time.

Andrew Tapper was born in Carver County to Otto and Johanna Tapper. He remained working the farm with his parents until his father’s death in 1882 and his mother selling the farm soon after. He then spent his time working as a carpenter, bartender, and hostler. When his mother died in 1896 and Tapper began suffering chest and back pain, for which he received no treatment, accounts say Tapper turned to drinking.

Tapper and Rosa Mixa met while both were employed for the Basler House Hotel in Carver. Tapper served as hostler and part-time bartender, Mixa as cook and housekeeper. Rosa Mixa only worked at the Basler for part of the year, spending the rest of her time helping on the family farm in Montgomery, Le Sueur County, with parents Leopold and Catherine. Rosa Mixa was 19 at the time of this event. Eyewitnesses and Tapper himself recalled Tapper’s infatuation with Mixa, an affection she did not return. While walking through Carver Park one Sunday, Tapper insulted Mixa. The following Monday, he attempted to seek reconciliation, which is where our story starts.

On Monday, June 3, 1901, Rosa Mixa rose early and went about her kitchen and laundry duties. Tapper also rose early, planning to finish his chores quickly and ask to assist Mixa in order to apologize. When he sought her out, Mixa refused his assistance and apologies. Here, accounts vary. Some claim it was the refusal of his apology that sent Tapper into a rage, some claim his drinking, and others, Mixa’s refusal of his advances. Whatever the reason, Tapper, in a rage, pulled out his pocketknife and stabbed Mixa. Her screams attracted hotel owners John and Tilda Leonard, who rushed to the kitchen to find Tapper standing over Mixa with a knife.

Tapper fled to the nearby Minnesota River, and attempted to drown himself. However, the cold water instead brought him back to his senses. He returned to the hotel, saw what he had done, and was convinced by Mr. Leonard to turn himself in to the local sheriff.

The trial of Andrew Tapper began on October 18, 1901, and lasted four days. Tapper’s lawyer, W.C. O’Dell sought life in prison. However, Minnesota at this time (1860-1906) practiced capital punishment. The jury came back with a guilty verdict and Judge Francis Caldwell sentenced Tapper to be hung.

After a six-month waiting period, Andrew Tapper’s execution was scheduled for February 18, 1902. Despite an appeal filed with the Minnesota Board of Pardons by his sister Anna Benson, the execution was carried out between 12-12:30 am, attended by 150 deputies and sheriffs from around the state.

While in prison, Tapper gave one or two interviews about the incident. In them, he claimed he was not in his right mind due to drink, though he never sought an insanity plea. He said in one interview, “I do not care so much for death as the disgrace which will always be connected with my name [. . .] I do not wish to say that the verdict is an unjust one, all I wish to say is that I was not responsible at the time I committed the crime. I do not recollect anything that happened on the morning Rosa was killed.”

Whatever the truth behind why Tapper killed Rosa Mixa and how in control of his actions he was, the story remains one of the most violent in Carver County’s history. Many articles have been written over the years about the only public execution in Carver County history. The State of Minnesota repealed capital punishment in 1911, making this one of few such penalties in our history.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Andrew Tapper Pays the penalty for His Crimes.” Minneapolis Times, January 18, 1902.

Barac, Lavonne. Chaska: A Minnesota River City, Volume 1 and 2. St. Paul, MN: Carver County Public Library, 1989.

Faber, Jim. “In Times of Eye-for-Eye Justice.” Chaska Herald, December 12, 1991.

“Girl Murdered at Carver.” Weekly Valley Herald, June 6, 1901.

Minnesota State Legislature. “Death Penalty”. From Session Weekly, 1992. Accessed July 19, 2014. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/swkly/1995-96/select/death.txt

Olson, Mark W. “Killer Hanged: County’s Only Execution Retold.” Chaska Herald, October 29, 1998.

“Rosa Mixa is Avenged.” Weekly Valley Herald, February 20, 1902.

“Shocking Tragedy.” The Montgomery Messenger, June 7, 1901.

“Tapper Feels His Disgrace.” Weekly Valley Herald, October 31, 1901.

“Tapper Must Hang.” Weekly Valley Herald, January 23, 1902.

“Tapper Pays the Penalty.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 18, 1902.

“Tapper to Hang.” Norwood Times, October 25, 1901.

Andrew Peterson was born Anders Petterson on October 20, 1818, on a farm in Sjoarp, Vastra Ryd, Ostergotland, Sweden. His family had financial ties to the church, so he and his brother received a better education than many farmers of the time. He had interests in music, and experimental agricultural and farm techniques.

In 1850, at thirty-two years old, Andrew Peterson immigrated to the United States, arriving in Boston on July 2. During his voyage, Peterson began keeping a daily journal. He would continue writing for the next forty-eight years, until two days before his death. Most of the early journals were unfortunately later lost. From Boston, he traveled west to Peru, Illinois, and then on to a settlement called New Sweden, near Burlington, Iowa. While in Iowa, Peterson “Americanized” his name, from Anders Petterson to Andrew Peterson.

In 1853, wanting to own land of his own rather than working for others, Peterson visited Minnesota where he filed a claim for a farm. Two years later, on May 4, 1855, Peterson left for Minnesota permanently with his sister and her family. He settled on his claim close to a community called Scandia, near Waconia. He began an orchard on his land, as well as farming more traditional crops. The farm was his by December 6, 1856. During these years, Peterson was a founder of the Scandia Baptist Church. Meetings were held in his home. A church building was erected not long after.

Peterson visited nearby King Oscar’s settlement, near the twenty-first century town of East Union, to buy more trees and grafts for his orchard. While there, he met a woman named Elsa. They married in 1858 when he was forty and she was twenty-three. They had nine children: Ida, George, John, Charles (Carl), Frank, Emma, Anna, Josephine and Oscar. He continued his daily diary, recording trips to town, work on the farm, visits with neighbors, and in 1862, his thoughts on the U.S.-Dakota conflict. His orchard was blossoming, with the farm producing apples, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries.

In 1874, Peterson joined the Patrons of Husbandry, a national fellowship of farmers. He sent apple grafts to growers as far away as Iowa. His experimental work was recognized at the January 1888 annual meeting of the Minnesota Horticultural Society. He received an honorary life membership, by unanimous vote.

At its height, his orchard produced over two hundred varieties of apples. Peterson hosted tours to leading experts in the field from nearby states and as far away as Ottawa, Canada. Later, his orchard became one of fifteen experimental fruit breeding research stations in Minnesota, run by the Minnesota Horticultural Society. His farm was located six miles from what would become the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Horticultural Research Center.

Peterson died on March 31, 1898. His wife Elsa Peterson ran the farm with her children until her death March 8, 1922. As their children died with no heirs, his last daughter Emma gave the farm to Sarah Peterson, a neighbor who had cared for Emma in her old age. The farm then passed into the hands of the Holasek family, who renamed it Rock Isle Farm.

The Andrew Peterson farmstead was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. His children donated Peterson’s diaries to the Minnesota Historical Society in the 1930s. Swedish novelist Wilhelm Moberg discovered them while visiting Minnesota for research in the 1940s. He used the journals as the basis of his four novels: The Emigrants, Unto a Good Land, the Settlers, and the Last Letter Home. A musical called Andrew Peterson: The Genuine Pioneer Story had great success in Sweden in 2012. In the twenty-first century, Carver County is sister counties with Ydre, Sweden, Peterson’s home county. The Carver County Historical Society restored the granary on the farmstead in 2006 with help from Swedish carpenters, and began restoration on the north barn in 2010.

Turning Point: In 1850, Andrew Peterson journeyed to America and began daily journals that would provide a unique glimpse into the life of a Swedish immigrant.

Chronology:

• October 20, 1818: Anders Petterson (Andrew Peterson) born in Sweden.
• 1850: Thirty-two year old Peterson travels by ship to America, landing in Boston on July 2.
• July-August, 1850: Peterson travels to Illinois and Iowa, where he settles in New Sweden, Iowa.
• 1853: Peterson visits Minnesota to file a claim for a farm.
• May 4, 1855: Peterson leaves for Minnesota permanently with his sister and her family.
• December 6, 1856: Peterson pays off his claim and owns his farm.
• 1858: Andrew Peterson marries a woman named Elsa from King Oscar’s settlement.
• 1874: Peterson joins the Patrons of Husbandry, a national fellowship of farmers.
• January 1888: Peterson is honored with a life membership from the Minnesota Horticultural Society for his experimental work.
• March 31, 1898: Andrew Peterson dies.
• March 8, 1922: Elsa Peterson dies.
• 1978: Historic Andrew Peterson Farmstead placed on National Register of Historic Places.
• 2006: Log granary on farmstead restored with help of Swedish carpenters.
• 2010: Work begins to restore north Peterson barn.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, Keith. “The Swedish Connection.” Waconia Patriot, September 16, 2004.

RL 2001.3.1
Andrew Peterson Diaries, 1855-1898.
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: English translation of diaries. Kept by Andrew Peterson for much of his life, detailing his daily activities.

“Andrew Peterson Farm Receives Grant.” Chanhassen Villager, February 2, 2012.

Andrew Peterson Sällskapet. http://www.andrewpeterson.se/index_eng.htm

“Awarded Several Premiums for Apples and Grapes.” Weekly Valley Herald, September 17, 1891.

“Chanhassen: 4 Swedish Men Arrive to Repair Granary Roof of Historic Farm in Scandia.” Carver County News, October 12, 2006.

“County Project Gets Historical Society Grant.” Carver County News, July 27, 1978.

“Died- Andrew Peterson, Pioneer of Laketown.” Carver County News, April 7, 1898.

“Excerpts from Andrew Peterson’s Journals.” Star Tribune, March 27, 2012. http://www.startribune.com/local/west/144019856.html

“Farm Stock, Home and Apples Shown.” Weekly Valley Herald, October 7, 1886.

“Historic Peterson Farm.” Norwood Times, August 10, 1978.

“Jan Hermelin: Meet the Real “Karl Oskar” of Moberg’s Emigrant Saga.” The Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce Currents Online, January 13, 2011. http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/jan-hermelin-meet-the-real-karl-oskar-of-mobergs-emigrant-saga/

Mihelich, Josephine. Andrew Peterson and the Scandia Story. Minneapolis: Ford Johnson Graphics, 1984.

“Obituary- Mrs. Andrew Peterson.” Waconia Patriot, March 16, 1922.

Olson, Mark W. “Coming to America.” Chanhassen Villager, November 1, 2007.

Qualey, Carlton C. “Diary of a Swedish Immigrant Horticulturist,1855-1898.” Minnesota History, 43 No. 2 (Summer 1972): 63-70. http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/43/v43i02p063-070.pdf

Salden, Jessica. “County Interested in Historic Peterson Farm.” Carver County News, October 26, 2006.

Westman, Tama. “Swedish Homesteader a Celebrity in Homeland.” Chanhassen Villager, March 17, 2005.

Zuege, Unsie. “Commissioner Visit Has Ties to County Pioneer.” Chanhassen Villager, June 11, 2009.

__________. “Commissioner Visits Homeland of Carver County Pioneer.” Chanhassen Villager, July 23, 2009.

__________. “The Swedes are Coming.” Chaska Herald, October 5, 2006.

__________. “Swedes Share Roots With Visitors.” Chaska Herald, October 26, 2006.

RELATED RESOURCES

Secondary:

Holcombe, Maj. R.I., ed. Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota. Henry Taylor and Company: Chicago, 1915.

Lofstrom, Ted and Lynne VanBrocklin Spaeth. Carver County: A Guide to Its Historic and Prehistoric Places. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1978.

Moberg, Vilhelm. A History of the Swedish People: From Prehistory to the Renaissance. Translated by Paul Britten Austin. New York: Pantheon Books, 1971.

Petersen-Biorn, Wendy. “Preserving a (Inter)National Treasure: the Andrew Petersen Farm.” Powerpoint presentation. Carver County Historical Society, 2012.

Tremblay, Ruth and Lois Schulstad. Images of America: Carver County. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2011.

Waconia Heritage Association. Waconia, Paradise of the Northwest: The Lake and Its Island. Dallas:

Taylor Publishing Company, 1986.

Web:

American Swedish Institute website. http://www.asimn.org/

The Swedish Emigrant Institute. http://www.utvandrarnashus.se/eng/

“This article used with the permission of MNopedia, operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, under a Creative Commons License. No changes have been made to the article’s content.”

A.J. Carlson was like so many other immigrants to America in the 1850s and 1860s; he worked hard to save money for land, and did his service in the Union Army. What sets A.J. Carlson apart was the written record he left behind; a record of trials, hard work, social commentary, and pioneer life.

A.J. Carlson was born Anders Johan Carlsson on April 20, 1837 in Kronosbergs lan, Sweden to parents Carl Andersson (1800-1879) and Anna Isacsdotter (1796-1852). Carlson was raised with his many siblings: Rev. Peter Carlson, Ingrid Carlsdotter, Christina Carlsdotter, Catarina Carlsdotter, and Maria Carlsdotter. In 1854, at the age of 17, Carlson emigrated to America, traveling with many of his siblings. The group landed in Boston on July 22.

Over the next five years, A.J. Carlson worked in factories and on the farm work throughout Illinois, building up savings to purchase land. In 1860, he traveled to Minnesota where he purchased 80 acres of land in San Francisco Township, Carver County. He then returned to Illinois to finalize his affairs before settling in Carver County permanently in 1861. During this time, his name was “Americanized” to Andrew John Carlson.

Shortly after starting his life as a bachelor farmer, the Civil War broke out, and Carlson enlisted to “free the slaves”. He was mustered in as a foot soldier in Company H of the Ninth Minnesota on August 21, 1862. He saw service in both the U.S.-Dakota and Civil Wars for the next three years, before being mustered out August 24, 1865. He then returned to Carver County and became one of East Union’s most active and prominent citizens. Carlson worked his land, worked as secretary at the Beven’s Creek Milling Company, was a member of the County Fair Association, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Carver County, served as a State Senator, was East Union Postmaster from 1873-1893, and owned and operated a general store. On top of all this, Carlson was instrumental in founding St. Ansgar’s Academy in East Union in 1862, and later involved in the decision to move the school to St. Peter where it was renamed Gustavus Adolphus College. He later served on the Board of Directors for the school. Carlson was also a member of the Minnesota Scandinavian Relief Association.

During this time, Carlson wed Maria (Mary) Wilson (Oleson) on September 16, 1865. The couple had seven children: Victor E., Lydia, Elise, Levi, Carl, Ernest E., and Alice Jeannette. Maria passed away June 1, 1883. Two years later, Carlson wed Mathilda Wicklund on October 11, 1885. A.J. Carlson passed away March 20, 1909, just one month shy of his 72nd birthday.

Carlson did more than serve as an active citizen of East Union. He also kept a detailed journal of his time serving in both wars, and provided wonderful insight and social commentary about the times in which he lived. When he returned from the war, he brought home only 2 things- his bayonet and his journal. This journal was preserved in newsprint in the East Union News published by his son E.E. Carlson.

When Carlson’s son, Ernest E. or E.E. was 11 years old, he began publishing a small 4-page, 4 x 6 inch newspaper of local happenings for “fun and pleasure”. This was the East Union News. In this newspaper, E.E. published his father’s journal documenting A.J.’s time serving his country. “A Narrative of the Late War” was published over several years, beginning with the February 1, 1895 and ending with the April 15, 1897 edition. The East Union News account also included other newspapers’ articles, court documents and various personal accounts to round out A.J’s commentary.

In 2013, the CCHS was made aware of these accounts by a visitor looking to find the “rest of the story” to complete the two East Union News newspaper sections in her ownership. Very few copies of The East Union News have survived. Working with Carlson’s grandson, Howard Arneson, and East Union historian, Mike Coleman, the full account and original surviving newspapers were located. With the blessings and support of the family, and the hard work of museum staff, the News articles were compiled into a book. The title of the book, Two Wars on the Frontier, originates from the name A.J. had given for his account of the wars. A.J. Carlson was active in civil affairs, a pioneer of East Union and a foot soldier. His life in the two wars is preserved through the journals, The East Union News, and now a book documenting life during the U.S.-Dakota and Civil Wars.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Petersen-Biorn, Wendy, editor and Darlene Fasching, compiler. Two Wars on the Frontier.  Louisville, Kentucky: Four Color Print Group, 2014.