Richard W. Gully was twenty-eight years old in 1890 when he took residence on virgin prairie northwest of the town of Lidgerwood, ND. The State of North Dakota was one year old. In accordance with homestead provisions, he waived the five year residency with improvements to the land in favor of immediate title through payment of $1.25 per acre. His $200.00 price for 160 acres are registered paid in full February 7, 1891. The following year he received copy of the sale of United States public lands signed by President Benjamin Harrison by proxy.
RW Gully was born in southwest Wisconsin in a rural area southeast of Mineral Point in central Fayette Township. His father Joseph Gully, an emigrant from Alsace Lorraine, had died at age 48 of unknown causes five weeks before his birth. His mother had became a widow at age 28 with five small children and was pregnant with Richard. She was called Crescens by family and neighbors and was a native of Wurttemberg. (Richard grew up speaking German and English). In 1865 after she remarried, the whole family moved to Stearns County, St. Martin, Minnesota to homestead where Crescens, after birthing eight more children, died at age 44 years. At the time of her death, Richard was age fifteen. His step father, Johann Jaeger, died of a heart attack at age 56, four years later. Richard and his seven brothers and seven sisters were left to fend for themselves and eventually four brothers followed him to the Lidgerwood, North Dakota area.
Leaving central Minnesota around 1883, he found work on the Keystone bonanza farm north of Great Bend, Dakota Territory where he became a foreman. By 1890, he had saved enough money to start a farming venture on his own and decided on a homestead spot in southwestern Richland County in Dexter Township, five miles NW of Lidgerwood.
Richard traded and purchased additional lands adjacent to his homestead. His total land ownership approached six hundred acres. After his marriage to Emma Neisinger in 1892, he sold or bartered 80 acres of his land to her parents Jacob and Gertrude. The families lived side by side (1/4 miles apart) for a few years until Gertrude's unexpected death in 1900 when Jacob moved to town.
Richard's farm prospered under his management. He purchased the first steam powered thresher in his area and employed several men. He had an interest in horses and was an active equine trader.
In addition to operating his farm, he founded, built, owned and operated the R W Gully Meat Market from 1906-1917 located in a prime business spot on the west side of Lidgerwood's burgeoning main-street.
He and Emma had nine children, all born on the farm. Three of these children died young and are buried side by side in graves near the entrance to the Lidgerwood Catholic Cemetery. Their son Matt and wife Caroline took residence on the Gully farm in 1929 following his death. They are also buried in the cemetery.
Wife Emma died in 1959 in her 85th year and is buried in line with him and their youngest child Roger who died of spinal meningitis at age 25. Roger rests between them.
Richard's appearance was brown thinning hair, deep set piercing blue eyes, thick sandy blond mustache and beard that he shaved once a week and tanned easily in summer. He stood about 5'5", maintained a weight of about 160 lbs and was an aware, confident fellow who could be a difficult employer. He encouraged education in all his children, himself an early school board member, and three of them actually attended college, which was unusual for the time. He seldom tasted alcohol and was supportive of the Catholic Church. He died from a heart attack on a Thursday morning around 10 am while in a main floor restroom at the Lidgerwood Hotel.
Richard's farm remains in the family today (2014) owned by a descendant.
(The birth year on Mr. Gully's grave-marker is inaccurate. It should read 1861 and confirmed on site to this author by his daughter Helen Healy.)
written by Gregory Dorr
RW Gully was born in southwest Wisconsin in a rural area southeast of Mineral Point in central Fayette Township. His father Joseph Gully, an emigrant from Alsace Lorraine, had died at age 48 of unknown causes five weeks before his birth. His mother had became a widow at age 28 with five small children and was pregnant with Richard. She was called Crescens by family and neighbors and was a native of Wurttemberg. (Richard grew up speaking German and English). In 1865 after she remarried, the whole family moved to Stearns County, St. Martin, Minnesota to homestead where Crescens, after birthing eight more children, died at age 44 years. At the time of her death, Richard was age fifteen. His step father, Johann Jaeger, died of a heart attack at age 56, four years later. Richard and his seven brothers and seven sisters were left to fend for themselves and eventually four brothers followed him to the Lidgerwood, North Dakota area.
Leaving central Minnesota around 1883, he found work on the Keystone bonanza farm north of Great Bend, Dakota Territory where he became a foreman. By 1890, he had saved enough money to start a farming venture on his own and decided on a homestead spot in southwestern Richland County in Dexter Township, five miles NW of Lidgerwood.
Richard traded and purchased additional lands adjacent to his homestead. His total land ownership approached six hundred acres. After his marriage to Emma Neisinger in 1892, he sold or bartered 80 acres of his land to her parents Jacob and Gertrude. The families lived side by side (1/4 miles apart) for a few years until Gertrude's unexpected death in 1900 when Jacob moved to town.
Richard's farm prospered under his management. He purchased the first steam powered thresher in his area and employed several men. He had an interest in horses and was an active equine trader.
In addition to operating his farm, he founded, built, owned and operated the R W Gully Meat Market from 1906-1917 located in a prime business spot on the west side of Lidgerwood's burgeoning main-street.
He and Emma had nine children, all born on the farm. Three of these children died young and are buried side by side in graves near the entrance to the Lidgerwood Catholic Cemetery. Their son Matt and wife Caroline took residence on the Gully farm in 1929 following his death. They are also buried in the cemetery.
Wife Emma died in 1959 in her 85th year and is buried in line with him and their youngest child Roger who died of spinal meningitis at age 25. Roger rests between them.
Richard's appearance was brown thinning hair, deep set piercing blue eyes, thick sandy blond mustache and beard that he shaved once a week and tanned easily in summer. He stood about 5'5", maintained a weight of about 160 lbs and was an aware, confident fellow who could be a difficult employer. He encouraged education in all his children, himself an early school board member, and three of them actually attended college, which was unusual for the time. He seldom tasted alcohol and was supportive of the Catholic Church. He died from a heart attack on a Thursday morning around 10 am while in a main floor restroom at the Lidgerwood Hotel.
Richard's farm remains in the family today (2014) owned by a descendant.
(The birth year on Mr. Gully's grave-marker is inaccurate. It should read 1861 and confirmed on site to this author by his daughter Helen Healy.)
written by Gregory Dorr
Richard W. Gully was twenty-eight years old in 1890 when he took residence on virgin prairie northwest of the town of Lidgerwood, ND. The State of North Dakota was one year old. In accordance with homestead provisions, he waived the five year residency with improvements to the land in favor of immediate title through payment of $1.25 per acre. His $200.00 price for 160 acres are registered paid in full February 7, 1891. The following year he received copy of the sale of United States public lands signed by President Benjamin Harrison by proxy.
RW Gully was born in southwest Wisconsin in a rural area southeast of Mineral Point in central Fayette Township. His father Joseph Gully, an emigrant from Alsace Lorraine, had died at age 48 of unknown causes five weeks before his birth. His mother had became a widow at age 28 with five small children and was pregnant with Richard. She was called Crescens by family and neighbors and was a native of Wurttemberg. (Richard grew up speaking German and English). In 1865 after she remarried, the whole family moved to Stearns County, St. Martin, Minnesota to homestead where Crescens, after birthing eight more children, died at age 44 years. At the time of her death, Richard was age fifteen. His step father, Johann Jaeger, died of a heart attack at age 56, four years later. Richard and his seven brothers and seven sisters were left to fend for themselves and eventually four brothers followed him to the Lidgerwood, North Dakota area.
Leaving central Minnesota around 1883, he found work on the Keystone bonanza farm north of Great Bend, Dakota Territory where he became a foreman. By 1890, he had saved enough money to start a farming venture on his own and decided on a homestead spot in southwestern Richland County in Dexter Township, five miles NW of Lidgerwood.
Richard traded and purchased additional lands adjacent to his homestead. His total land ownership approached six hundred acres. After his marriage to Emma Neisinger in 1892, he sold or bartered 80 acres of his land to her parents Jacob and Gertrude. The families lived side by side (1/4 miles apart) for a few years until Gertrude's unexpected death in 1900 when Jacob moved to town.
Richard's farm prospered under his management. He purchased the first steam powered thresher in his area and employed several men. He had an interest in horses and was an active equine trader.
In addition to operating his farm, he founded, built, owned and operated the R W Gully Meat Market from 1906-1917 located in a prime business spot on the west side of Lidgerwood's burgeoning main-street.
He and Emma had nine children, all born on the farm. Three of these children died young and are buried side by side in graves near the entrance to the Lidgerwood Catholic Cemetery. Their son Matt and wife Caroline took residence on the Gully farm in 1929 following his death. They are also buried in the cemetery.
Wife Emma died in 1959 in her 85th year and is buried in line with him and their youngest child Roger who died of spinal meningitis at age 25. Roger rests between them.
Richard's appearance was brown thinning hair, deep set piercing blue eyes, thick sandy blond mustache and beard that he shaved once a week and tanned easily in summer. He stood about 5'5", maintained a weight of about 160 lbs and was an aware, confident fellow who could be a difficult employer. He encouraged education in all his children, himself an early school board member, and three of them actually attended college, which was unusual for the time. He seldom tasted alcohol and was supportive of the Catholic Church. He died from a heart attack on a Thursday morning around 10 am while in a main floor restroom at the Lidgerwood Hotel.
Richard's farm remains in the family today (2014) owned by a descendant.
(The birth year on Mr. Gully's grave-marker is inaccurate. It should read 1861 and confirmed on site to this author by his daughter Helen Healy.)
written by Gregory Dorr
RW Gully was born in southwest Wisconsin in a rural area southeast of Mineral Point in central Fayette Township. His father Joseph Gully, an emigrant from Alsace Lorraine, had died at age 48 of unknown causes five weeks before his birth. His mother had became a widow at age 28 with five small children and was pregnant with Richard. She was called Crescens by family and neighbors and was a native of Wurttemberg. (Richard grew up speaking German and English). In 1865 after she remarried, the whole family moved to Stearns County, St. Martin, Minnesota to homestead where Crescens, after birthing eight more children, died at age 44 years. At the time of her death, Richard was age fifteen. His step father, Johann Jaeger, died of a heart attack at age 56, four years later. Richard and his seven brothers and seven sisters were left to fend for themselves and eventually four brothers followed him to the Lidgerwood, North Dakota area.
Leaving central Minnesota around 1883, he found work on the Keystone bonanza farm north of Great Bend, Dakota Territory where he became a foreman. By 1890, he had saved enough money to start a farming venture on his own and decided on a homestead spot in southwestern Richland County in Dexter Township, five miles NW of Lidgerwood.
Richard traded and purchased additional lands adjacent to his homestead. His total land ownership approached six hundred acres. After his marriage to Emma Neisinger in 1892, he sold or bartered 80 acres of his land to her parents Jacob and Gertrude. The families lived side by side (1/4 miles apart) for a few years until Gertrude's unexpected death in 1900 when Jacob moved to town.
Richard's farm prospered under his management. He purchased the first steam powered thresher in his area and employed several men. He had an interest in horses and was an active equine trader.
In addition to operating his farm, he founded, built, owned and operated the R W Gully Meat Market from 1906-1917 located in a prime business spot on the west side of Lidgerwood's burgeoning main-street.
He and Emma had nine children, all born on the farm. Three of these children died young and are buried side by side in graves near the entrance to the Lidgerwood Catholic Cemetery. Their son Matt and wife Caroline took residence on the Gully farm in 1929 following his death. They are also buried in the cemetery.
Wife Emma died in 1959 in her 85th year and is buried in line with him and their youngest child Roger who died of spinal meningitis at age 25. Roger rests between them.
Richard's appearance was brown thinning hair, deep set piercing blue eyes, thick sandy blond mustache and beard that he shaved once a week and tanned easily in summer. He stood about 5'5", maintained a weight of about 160 lbs and was an aware, confident fellow who could be a difficult employer. He encouraged education in all his children, himself an early school board member, and three of them actually attended college, which was unusual for the time. He seldom tasted alcohol and was supportive of the Catholic Church. He died from a heart attack on a Thursday morning around 10 am while in a main floor restroom at the Lidgerwood Hotel.
Richard's farm remains in the family today (2014) owned by a descendant.
(The birth year on Mr. Gully's grave-marker is inaccurate. It should read 1861 and confirmed on site to this author by his daughter Helen Healy.)
written by Gregory Dorr
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