Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/870

 758 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY at the close of his legislative term, he was given the position of clerk in the office of the superintendent of public instruction, as before recorded, under the late H. B. "Wilson. Judge Densmore's forte lay in an ever active, independent, and critical mind, a minute and untiring attention to detail, a strong sympathy for the struggling citizen, and an unswerving integrity. Prof. "Wil- son feelingly remarked concerning him: "I never knew a man who so thoroughly detested a trickster as did Judge Densmore." All scientific topics held a great interest for him, and for many years of the early times of the Smithsonian Institute he sent in his regular monthly reports of weather observations. He died June 3. 1872. In 1828 he was married to Elizabeth Fowle, of New York. She was ever his tactful coadjutant, and was an active worker in the social affairs of early Red Wing. The gloomy days of the Civil War saw her serving most effectively with that band of patriotic Red Wing women who maintained gratuitously a soldiers' rest, where every journeying soldier was sure to find, day or night, a sympathetic welcome and a warm meal. Her death occurred in January, 1891. Peter Joseph Erbar, now living in retirement at Red Wing, where he is enjoying ;i well deserved rest after years of faithful toil, is a native of Prussia, Germany, born March 2, 1828, son of Hubert E. and Marggalena (Korp) Erbar, both natives of Germany, the father being a farmer in that country all his life. He was killed by his team of horses, June 28, 1842, and the mother followed him to the grave in the following autumn. Peter Joseph attended the schools of his native kingdom, and like other Ger- man youths of strong physique, served in the standing army of Germany, his period of service being for three years and three months. In 1852 he came to America, and worked a year in New York city as a carpenter. From 1853 to 1856 he worked in Kings county, New York state, and in the latter year came to Olmstead county. Minnesota, where he bought 160 acres and remained until 1858. In the fall of 1859 he first set foot in Red "Wing. The following spring he purchased 160 acres in Hay Creek township, and later 160 acres more. This farm was largely wild at that time and he at once set to work breaking and clear- ing the land. He erected a comfortable home and remained until -1906, when he rented his farm and came to Red Wing, tak- ing up his home with his son, S. M. An independent Democrat in politics, Mr. Erbar served three years a supervisor of the town- ship of Hay Creek and fifteen years as town clerk. July 1, 1863, P. M. Erbar was appointed a captain of the Tenth Regiment, state militia, by Commander-in-chief Henry A. Swift. He is a good cit- izen, of quiet disposition, and well liked by everybody. Mr. Erbar was married at Red Wing, in September, 1858, to Cath-