Brickyard opens 29 May 1886. Ames donates bricks for GAR Hall.
Page 401. HENRY AMES, one of the large landowners and prominent citizens of Darwin township, has his home upon section 6. He is largely interested in the manufacture of brick and tile, commencing that line of business in the autumn of 1882, by buying the Butler brick yard. In the following spring, having purchased the place where he now lives, he removed the yard to its present location. This line of manufacture has been an eminent success in his hands from the very start. He has made upon this place over 8,000,000 brick alone from the clay that covered an acre and a half, and has an abundance of material left. In the fall of 1887 Mr. Ames took some two or three tons of the clay to the Chicago Exposition to test it, and tried it on all the different brick-making machines exhibited, and on his return burned the brick so made, and found that he could make his choice of the
Page 402. machines, such was the fine quality of his material. He accordingly purchased the Kell & Son brick and tile machine, with a capacity of making 40,000 per day, and will start making brick and tile in the spring of 1888. He gives employment to twenty-four men and from six to eight teams for nearly the whole year. Having some 420 acres of land, Mr. Ames devotes a share of his attention to stock interests, principally in the way of Norman-Percheron horses and short-horn Durham cattle.
Henry Ames was born in Oswego, N. Y., May 4, 1846, and is the son of Harlow and Adeline Ames. He was reared in that part of the Empire State, and received his education in the excellent schools of that commonwealth. In 1863, when but seventeen years of age, he enlisted in the United States navy, at the Brooklyn navy-yard, and served throughout the war, on the flag-ship "Lancaster," and spent much of the time in the Pacific Ocean, the China Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk, that vessel cruising there to protect American commerce from the depredation of rebel privateers.
In 1867, after spending some time at his boyhood’s home, our subject came West, and located at Fort Dodge, Webster county, Iowa, where he took up the mason’s trade, and remained about ten months, and then came to this county and settled in what is now Dassel township, then Swan Lake, and there made a stay of two years. While there he erected the first frame house in the township of Dassel. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Ames removed to the young village of Litchfield, and for about two years was engaged at his trade, and then moved to Minneapolis, where he followed the same line of work till fall. He went into the pineries then, and engaged in lumbering that season, returning at its close to the "Twin Cities."
Returning to Oswego, N. Y., in October, 1872, he was there united in marriage, October 10, with Miss Lottie Killan, and the same day started for his home in Dassel. Spending the next winter in the saw-mill, in the spring he resumed the mason’s trade, in partnership with C. L. Todd, but in the fall commenced to carry on business by himself, and continued in that line until the fall of 1882, when he purchased his present place and embarked in the brick-making business.
Mr. and Mrs. Ames are the parents of three children – Gordon, born August 10, 1874; Allan, born May 13, 1878, died January 25, 1879; and Bessie, born December 3, 1881. In his political views Mr. Ames coincides with the democratic party, and supports the candidates of that organization. (Album of History and Biography of Meeker County, Minnesota, Alden Ogle & Company, Chicago, 1888)
HENRY AMES, New President of the State Dairymen’s Association. Henry Ames, of Litchfield, Minn., recently elected president of the Minnesota State Dairymen’s association, is proprietor of the Walnut Grove stock farm, two and one-half miles northeast of Litchfield. He also runs a brickyard with a capacity of 5,000,000 bricks annually, and is manager of the Litchfield Co-operative Creamery association. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Sunday Morning, December 29, 1895, Volume XVIII, Number 363, Page 14)
The Minnesota State Dairymen’s association’s thirteenth annual meeting and the butter makers’ third annual meeting will be held at Albert Lea Dec. 15, 17, 17. The officers of the Dairymen’s association are: President, Henry Ames, Litchfield; first vice president, A. P. McKinstry, Winnebago City; second vice president, E. D. Childs, Crookston; secretary, T. L. Haecker, St. Anthony Park; treasurer, George T. Short, Faribault. (The Saint Paul Globe, Monday, December 7, 1896, Volume XIX, Number 342, Page 2)
The organization (Minnesota Dairy Board of Trade) was completed last night with the election of officers, the full list being as follows: President – Henry Ames, Litchfield, Vice President – B. D. White, Manchester, Secretary – J. H. Beck, St. Paul, Treasurer – J. S. Moody, St. Paul. (The Saint Paul Globe, Saturday Morning, April 17, 1897, Volume XX, Number 107, Page 4)
School Closing at Litchfield. LITCHFIELD, Minn., June 6. – (Special.) – This morning the High school commencement took place. A class of seven completed the High school course. Their names are: …, Bessie Ames, … (The Saint Paul Globe, Thursday Morning, June 7, 1900, Volume XXIII, Number 158, Page 3)
$40,000 Deal in Willmar Property. Henry Ames, of Litchfield, Becomes the Owner of the Ruble Block on Fifth Street. An important real estate deal was perfected here yesterday thru Mr. A. P. Adams, when Henry Ames, the well-known resident of Litchfield, traded his fine farm of 260 acres known as the Walnut Grove Stock and Dairy Farm, located two and a half miles from Litchfield, for the handsome three-story Ruble block on Fifth street at Willmar. The farm which Mr. Ruble gets in trade is regarded as the finest farm in Meeker county. The residence on the same is probably the handsomest structure of the kind in the county, not excepting Litchfield. It has a fine walnut grove from which the farm receives its name and all the modern equipments of a first-class stock and dairy farm. The old Litchfield brickyard was located on this farm, from which the brick for many of the early buildings in Willmar was secured.
Mr. Ames has been a bricklaying contractor, and erected some of the early buildings at Willmar, notably the Kandiyohi County bank building. The Merchants hotel of this city is constructed from Litchfield brick. If Mr. Ames can made the trades he will locate here. He regards Willmar as having a great future, and believes that real estate holdings here are good investments. He has in mind the erection of modern steam heated flats, which would certainly be a great benefit to our city, as good houses are very scarce. Mr. Ruble’s new farm property at Litchfield, of which he takes possession the first of April on this deal, is in the hands of an up-to-date young Illinois stock farmer, and Mr. Ruble thinks his part of the bargain is a good speculation. The Ruble block is undoubtedly the largest and among the finest business blocks of the city, and there has never been and dearth of tenants including the second and third stories. The big deal involves a transfer of $40,000 worth of property. (Willmar Tribune, Wednesday, March 20, 1907, Volume 13, Number 5, Page 1)
The Ames Block Sold. Henry Ames has sold his business block on Fifth street to James R. Loney, a real estate dealer of Grand Forks, N. D. The deal was closed some time ago but the final papers were made out and transferred Saturday. The consideration was $21,700. Of this amount $3500 is cash, and Mr. Ames further received 560 acres of land in Richland county, south of Wyndmere, N. D. Mr. Loney assumes a mortgage of $7,000. Mr. Ames will have charge of and will receive the rentals from the building till September 1, 1911. By that time he hopes to have closed a number of other real estate deals affecting property which he owns in various parts of this state and Wisconsin after which he may move to the western part of Washington, possibly Seattle, to make his future home. Mr. Ames bought the block from O. E. Ruble about four years ago. It is one of the most important business properties in the city, at present yielding more than $200 per month rental. (Willmar Tribune, Wednesday, September 28, 1910, Volume 16, Number 33, Page 1)
DEATH CLAIMS MRS. HENRY AMES. Came Here From Willmar to Visit and Was Stricken with Paralysis. Mrs. Henry Ames died Tuesday morning of this week [May 23, 1911] at the home of Mrs. O. L. Angell. Death followed a paralytic stroke after a winter of ill health. Mrs. Ames came down from Willmar on Thursday of last week to visit Mrs. Angell and other Litchfield friends. On the following evening, Friday, she suffered a paralytic stroke and gradually sank to her last repose. She had been ill all winter, but it was thought that she was gaining strength. Mr. Ames was summoned from North Dakota and Gordon Ames, her son, from Wrenshall, Minn., and they arrived Saturday. The daughters were sent for Saturday and started for Minnesota Sunday morning, arriving in Litchfield Wednesday morning. They reside at Seattle. Mrs. Ames was married at Oswego, N. Y., in 1872 and before her marriage was Lottie Kilan. For forty years or more with her husband and family she had resided in this state, practically all of that time in Meeker county. A number of years ago she removed with her husband to Willmar. Her long residence here added greatly to the number of her friends who will mourn her death. She was a member of the W. R. C. of Litchfield. Mrs. Ames is survived by the husband, Henry Ames, son, Gordon Ames, Wrenshall, Minn., and two daughters, Mrs. Bessie Slippern and Miss Laura Ames, both resident in Seattle. The funeral services took place Thursday afternoon from Trinity church and interment was in the Litchfield cemetery. (Litchfield Newspaper, Saturday, May 27, 1911)
Minnesota Death Records, Lottie Kilen Ames (wife), Died 28 May 1911, Meeker County, does not match obituary above.
Naval Civil War Veteran Dies At Retsil Vets Home. Henry Ames, Civil war veteran, died Friday evening (August 3, 1928) at 7 o’clock at the veteran’s home, Retsil (Washington), where he had been living since July 5. Mr. Ames was born May 4, 1846, in Mexico, N. Y., and at the time of death was 82 years old. He joined the U. S. navy in 1861 and served during the entire war in the navy. Since 1912 he has been living at Poulsbo where a daughter, Mrs. Halstan Slipperman, resides. Another daughter, Mrs. Laura Sweeney, of Cheyenne, Wyo., also survives. Funeral services will be conducted from the home assembly room Monday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock with the Ladies of the G.A.R. in charge. Interment will be made in the home cemetery. (Bremerton Daily News Searchlight, Saturday, August 4, 1928, Page 1)