Meeker County MN Archives Biographies.....Heard, Samuel A. 1831 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 30, 2019, 8:17 pm

Source: Alden, Ogle & Co.
Author: See Below

      SAMUEL A. HEARD. Among the prominent figures in the history of Litchfield, of
which he is a resident, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, who was the
pioneer merchant of the place. He was born in Newport, Canada, September 6, 1831,
and is the son of Samuel and Sophronia M. (Williams) Heard, both of whom were
natives of the same province. He was reared upon a farm and remained with his
parents until his twenty-third year, when he came to the United States, and, after a
short time spent in Illinois and Wisconsin, in the spring of 1856 came to Minnesota,
and settled in Wright county, where he located on a farm of 160 acres, which he took
up on government land, a few miles south of Clearwater. The first summer was
employed in looking after the interests of the Clearwater Town  Site Company, and
the following winter in teaching school a short distance from the village. Next
spring, in company with a Mr. Chase, he bought out the mercantile establishment of
Gibbs & Whitney, of Clearwater, and remained in that business for over a year, when,
the firm being dissolved, Mr. Heard built another store, and again entered into
trade, and followed it until 1861. He had been appointed deputy postmaster in 1857,
and had charge of the mails until 1861, when, his health failing, he gave up his
business altogether, and spent the following year in Maine and Canada, returning to
Clearwater in the spring of 1862, where he passed some time, and later went to Cold
Springs, where he rebuilt the flour-mill, which had been destroyed by fire. After
gravitating between this State and his native home for some years, in 1869 he came
to Litchfield, and, in company with C. D. Ward, opened the first store in the embryo
village. After continuing in the mercantile trade, both with his partner and alone,
until 1880, Mr. Heard then sold out and retired from trade. He has large real-estate
interests in the village still, and stock in the woolen-mills and other enterprises
in Litchfield, and finds in their conservation and improvement sufficient
employment. In 1878 he was1 elected a member of the village council, and in 1879 as
mayor of the place, and served with great credit to himself. He has always been
deeply imbued with religious ideas, and has always lent a helping hand in all church
matters. He had charge of the erection of the first church edifice in the village,
the Presbyterian, and was chairman of the building committee.

   Mr. Heard was united in marriage, October 1, 1871, with Miss N„ H. Bowen, a
native of Chenango county, N. Y., and daughter of Luther and Martha (Hatch) Bowen,
both of whom are natives of Connecticut, and both of whom were among the first
settlors of that region, settling there in 1785. Mr. Heard is a prominent member of
the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is one of the Past Grand Masters of the
Grand Lodge of this State.

   During the civil war Mr. Heard was appointed ensign of Company A, Nineteenth
Regiment, M. V. M. He assisted in raising a company for service in 1861, and was to
have gone with them, but poor health induced the doctor to order his remaining at
home, much to his regret.

   Mr. Heard has always been prominently identified with the best interests of the
village. He was a charter member and is the master workman of the Litchfield Lodge
of Ancient Order of United Workmen.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
Illustrated Album of Biography
Meeker and McLeod Counties, Minnesota
1888



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