Franklin Hesse, Territorial Pioneer

Franklin Hesse, son of Magdalena Frees and John Hesse, was born August 11, 1861 in Neenah, Wisconsin.¹LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, (17 Jan 1935), pages 1, 8. Final Tribute to Franklin Hesse. In Frank’s obituary: “He grew to manhood and received a common school education in Neenah, except for a few years in Ohio.”

A few years in Ohio

After his parents’ deaths, Franklin and his siblings were separated. The Winnebago County, WI Guardianship Records are no longer available. I contend that Franklin was placed under the guardianship of someone from Neenah. Perhaps the guardian was John F. Brown or Theodore Brown, brothers and coopers in Neenah. They were maternal family friends “from the fatherland.”²Winnebago County Press/The Saturday Evening Press (Menasha WI) 4 Mar 1871, page 3, col 3. “Her [Magdalena Hesse] sister, Mrs. Mink [sic], arrived from Philadelphia on Thursday night and is stopping with Theodore Brown, Esq. a former acquaintance in fatherland.”

I further theorize that Franklin and his brother, August, were placed in an orphanage in Ohio. Franklin’s obituary (above) provides the first clue. This statement from brother August’s 1878 Intake Record from the Wisconsin School for Boys³Inmate Case History Book, volume 5, (Wisconsin School for Boys); State Historical Society of Wisconsin Series 2176; August Hesse, Case number 1532, date of reception: July 9, 1878. gives weight to my assertion.

“After death of parents, Mr. Brown sent him [August] to an orphan asylum in Ohio. Staid there about 6 years.”

If August was placed in an orphanage in Ohio and Franklin spent “a few years in Ohio,” it is likely that they were together; placed by “Mr. Brown.” Franklin probably remained at the orphanage through his minority. To date, I have not discovered in which orphanage August and/or Franklin lived. August returned to Neenah, was arrested for stealing and summarily sent to the state juvenile detention facility at Waukesha in the summer of 1878.

Franklin also returned to Neenah. In June of 1880, Frank lived with and worked as a laborer for Welsh farmer: William E. Jones.⁴1880 U.S. Census Wisconsin, Winnebago County, Neenah, SD4, ED203, page 15, dwelling 91, Wm E. Jones household.

Territorial Pioneer

Franklin and Caroline “Lena” Krull Hesse were pioneer settlers of Dakota Territory because they lived there prior to statehood. In June of 1889, the U.S. government granted Franklin a land patent/title for his “proved-up” claim under the provisions of the 1862 Homestead Act.⁷https://glorecords.blm.gov/ for Accession Number ND0620_.237, original is blurry. The 160 acres of LaMoure County farmland was two miles northwest of the city of LaMoure. Read more about their homestead here.

Life on the farm

• 1886: “Mrs. Frank Hesse and her friends, Miss Carrie Hesse and Miss Amelia Avis, entertained a small company of friends at tea Wednesday evening and a very pleasant time is reported.”⁸LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 4, No 32, August 6, 1886.
• 1887: “Frank Hesse had a long chase after his pony a few days ago. He recovered it at Roscoe’s”⁹LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 5, No 5, May 13, 1887.
• 1888: During the infamous Schoolhouse Blizzard, “Mr. Hesse had to chop up half his bed and a chair when he ran out of fuel and was snowbound.”¹⁰LaMoure Centennial Book Committee, A History of LaMoure North Dakota 1882-1982, (LaMoure, ND: self, 1982). Gentzkow-Hesse-Freyberger Section, page 60. Frank and Caroline had two small children living at the time of the blizzard.
• 1889: “Frank Hesse is putting a fine, large cellar under his residence on the bluff west of town.”¹¹LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 7, No 29, July 29, 1889.

North Dakota is a state: November 2, 1889

• 1892: “Frank Hesse has gone to Neenah, Wis., his old home, for a visit of a couple of months.”¹²LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 10, No 1, January 1, 1892.
• 1893: “Frank Hesse thought he ought to see the World’s Fair too, and left on Tuesday.¹³LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 11, No 44, October 27, 1893.
• 1896: “Frank Hesse appeared at the Monarch elevator Monday evening with the first load of new wheat. It was threshed by Henry Neverman on his own place. The berry was small and the grain graded No. 1 Northern. The yield as promised by the straw was estimated at about 20 bushels per acre; the machine revealed a yield of about 12 bushels.”¹⁴LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 3, No 15, August 21, 1896.
• 1897: “The first day of May was a rather unlucky day for Frank Hesse. He was operating a drag, to which four large horses were attached. He left them a few moments, wishing to see how a seeder was working, and while away the animals took fright and started across the field at a 2:40 gait. The several sections of the drag striking stones, bouncing into the air and threatening serious damage to the horses. After running considerable distance the terrified animals were caught, and the damage found to be limited to the demolition of one section of the drag. Mr. Hesse concluded to come to town to see if he could not change his luck, and every thing has been going smoothly since.”¹⁵LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 16, No 52, May 7, 1897.
• 1897: “Mrs. Frank Hesse and children departed for Neenah, Wis., last week for a visit with her mother and relatives. Before returning they will spend some time at other points in Wisconsin and Minnesota with relatives and friends. They will be absent two months or more.”¹⁶LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, Vol 16, No 24, October 22, 1897.
• “Their farmstead was among the best known and most typical of pioneer days. Mr. Hesse labored to build up a modern farm and to enlarge his holdings.”¹⁷LaMoure (ND) Chronicle, January 17, 1935, pages 1 & 8. Franklin Hesse Obituary.
• According to A History of LaMoure North Dakota 1882-1982, Frank Hesse was one of the first farmers in the county to raise corn.¹⁸LaMoure Centennial Book Committee, A History of LaMoure North Dakota 1882-1982, (LaMoure, ND: self, 1982). Gentzkow-Hesse-Freyberger Section, page 60.

Last Years

Franklin’s wife, Caroline, died suddenly in February of 1914. In November of 1915, Franklin married Jennie (Delamater) Bowman Dawson. After retiring from the farm, he and Jennie lived “in town.”

In the early 1930s Franklin underwent an operation, but never fully recovered. He died January 9, 1935.¹⁹North Dakota Department of Health, Death Certificate for Franklin Hesse, 1935, State File No. 2468. No burial location listed. His obituary states that burial was in Rosehill Cemetery in LaMoure, ND.

Preparing this post made me curious about Franklin’s burial. When I visited the cemetery in 1987, there was no marker for him. Four of his children and his first wife have markers around the large, upright Hesse stone. So, I called the Rosehill Cemetery Sexton, Craig Bierman.

He told me that the cemetery’s old record book shows that Franklin purchased a four-grave lot in 1926 with a final $3.00 payment received in 1938. Additionally, Rosehill cemetery has no record of Franklin’s burial.

The next time that I am in LaMoure, I will get together with the sexton and see what, if anything, we can determine about Franklin Hesse’s burial.