Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/968

 830 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY mediately after his graduation he located in Kenyon village, and commenced the practice of his profession. Dr. Gates has always taken an active interest in politics. He has been for eleven years, a member of the village school board. He served as president of the city council in 1900 and was elected a member of the State Legislature for three terms, 1904, 1906 and 1908. He built the Kenyon telephone exchange in 1901 which covers all the territory to Kenyon. He also served as editor of the Kenyon Leader for several years, and is a director in the Citizens' State Bank of Kenyon. June 10, 1896, he married Jennie Clark, of Rochester, Minn. They have five children : Elnathan, Russell, Nellie, Joseph and Jennie. Fraternally Dr. Gates is a member of Kenyon Lodge Xo. 201 A. F. and A. M..' Tyrian No. 6 R. A. M., Faribault Com- mandery No. 8 K. T. and Osman Temple. St. Paul. He is a mem- ber of the A. O. U. W. and M. W. A. of Kenyon, the B. P. O. E. Xo. 1166 of Faribault. Dr. Gates is a Republican in polities and affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal church. John Elcock, Kenyon village, whose boyhood memories ex- tend back to the first decade of the settlement of this township and county, was born in Ontario. Canada, on New Year's day, 1845, son of William and Annie J. (Fraser) Elcock, the former a native of Ireland, and the latter a Canadian of staunch Scot- tish descent. The mother died in Canada, when John was very young, and the father brought his motherless family to the United States in 1858, coming first to Eastings, this state. Sub- sequently they spent a short time in Faribault, and then pur- chased 160 acres of land two miles south of Kenyon. On this farm, young John lived and grew to manhood, assisting his father in all the work about the place until 1889 when the father died. During the latter part of his father's life, John had practical charge of the home farm. In 1889 he moved to his own farm in Kenyon township, which he had previously purchased, and there he carried on farming operations until 1907, when he rented his farm and in company with his brother and sister. Robert and Annie purchased their present fine resi- dence on Main street in the village of Kenyon. where the three now reside. Aside from this home he owns over 200 acres of farm land, in this township. Mr. Elcock is a public spirited gentleman and has served on the town board a number of terms. He votes the Democratic ticket. For many years he has be- longed to the Masonic order. Simon, a brother of John, lives in Oregon. George, another brother resides on the old homestead and Elizabeth, a sister, is Mrs. Shepard, of Kenyon, her hus- band being manager of the Farmers Elevator. The religious preference of the family is that of the Episcopal church. It is worthy of note that in the early days before the railroad came