Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1064

 918 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY serving as secretary of the board of education, a position he has occupied with credit since 1891. As captain of the hook and ladder company of the Cannon Falls fire department he has done much toward improving and maintaining the facilities for fire protection in this village. Born in Norway June 3, 1852, Attorney Aslakson received his education in the district schools of Minneola, to which town he was brought at the age of six years. He studied in Carlton College, at Northfield; in Miller's Normal School, Keokuk, Iowa, and took a full course in Prof. C. H. Pierce's Penmanship Institute; also Baylie's Business Col- lege, at Keokuk, Iowa, and finally in the Iowa State University, Iowa City, Iowa, graduating from the law department of the latter institution in 1878. Like many other young lawyers, he secured his start in life by teaching school, and for one year was professor of penmanship. Then, desiring to obtain a practical business training, lie kept books for Fred George, of Zumbrota, one year. Since June 1, 1886. he has practiced law in Cannon Falls with marked success, being an able consulting attorney as well as a convincing pleader. In addition to the Bar Associa- tion, he lias joined both the Modern Woodmen and the United Workmen. Since casting his first vote he has remained a con- sistent and loyal Republican and served as chairman of the Re- publican committee of the third congressional district from 1896 to 1902. Attorney Aslakson was married May 7, 1879, to Mary Christina Ullevig, of Hadcr. Minn., by whom he has seven chil- dren: Laura M., wife of E. H. Lidstrand, a printer at Faribault; Selma A., who married E. S. Olson and died July 29, 1905; Anna M., who lives at home; John S., a graduate of St. Olaf's College and now located in Duluth ; Pearl M.. Mabel H. and Cora A., the latter three of whom are at home and in school. Sven Aslakson and his wife, Lizzie Peterson, parents of Peter S. Aslakson, were land owners in Vinje, Thelemarken, Norway, their place being known as the Odegaard Farm. They came to America in 1858, purchased 160 acres from an Indian squaw in Minneola township and here ended their days, the father November 11, 1891, and the mother February 1, 1908, both being fine old people in every respect. Foster D. Barlow, a pioneer merchant of Cannon Falls, now deceased, was born in Oneida county, New York, July 16, 1821, and after attending the district school took a course in the academy at "Western, N. Y. His business career started with a clerkship in his father's store in Canewango, N. Y., where he remained until coming to Cannon Falls in 1857. From that year until 1876 he engaged in the mercantile business, also man- aging his large farm of 400 acres. In the middle seventies ill health forced his practical retirement, although he kept in touch