This collection contains oral histories pertaining to life and events in Swift County, Minnesota. The oral histories range greatly in topic and time period.
The digitization of these oral histories was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.
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Annabelle Anderson Interview, 1979
Annabelle Anderson
In this interview, Annabella Anderson reminisces about life in Clontarf, MN growing up as a Catholic Irish American and how her family immigrated to the area.
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Alex & Leona Benoit Interview, 1977
Alex Benoit and Leona Benoit
In this interview, Alex & Leona Benoit talk about life as Irish Americans while growing up in Clontarf, MN. and how their family immigrated to the area.
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Dawn Benson Interview, 2025
Dawn Benson and Lex Lhotka
Dawn Benson discusses her childhood growing up on a farm in Chippewa County, Minnesota. She discusses going to school in Murdock, Minnesota.
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Elmer Benson Interview, 1973
Elmer A. Benson
Elmer Benson was the son of Norwegian immigrants and had lived all his life in Appleton, Minnesota, where he was born. After attending law school, Benson served in World War I and then worked in an Appleton bank. He was appointed Securities Commissioner, later Bank Commissioner, and then U.S. Senator by Floyd B. Olson. Elmer Benson, a Farmer-Laborite, was then elected governor in 1936. He was also active in the Non-Partisan League.
In this interview, Elmer Benson discusses the Non-Partisan League in Minnesota and Swift County, the establishment of the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, and Benson's participation. He discusses the Farmer-Labor Association, A.C. Townley, and the Farmer-Labor Party in West Central Minnesota. He discusses New Deal principles and West Central Minnesota Farmer's Holiday Movement, as well as the Democratic Party-Farmer-Labor Party merger. He discusses Hjalmar Petersen, Floyd B. Olson, and representative Rev. Kvale, He also discusses the split in the Farmer-Labor Party, Benson's present activities, and his opinion of his administration and the Farmer-Labor Party. Finally, he talks about his concern over the present conservatism in the DFL and the nation, the AFL-CIO, and his anti-war sentiments about the Vietnam War.
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Father John Cooney Interview, 1977
John C. Cooney
In this interview, Father John Cooney talks about the Catholic parish in Clontarf, MN and its Irish American roots. He goes into detail about Irish immigrants and farming in the area along with the influences of Bishop John Ireland.
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Father John Cooney Interview, 1978
John C. Cooney
In this interview, Father John Cooney, the parish priest for St. Malachy's of Clontarf, talks about the various celebrations that take place in Clontarf.
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Robert B. Coy Interview, 1976
Robert B. Coy
Robert Coy was born in 1894 and came to Danvers Minnesota with his family in 1905. His father had purchased both a lumberyard and later a general store. His father subsequently sold the lumberyard and in a few years, his father died. The store was managed by a guardian who turned it over to the elder Coy's sons once the boys graduated from high school. Robert Coy lived in Danvers and managed the store until 1969.
In this interview, Robert Coy discusses what Danvers was like in the early 1900s in terms of recreation, facilities, and employment. He mentions the changes the years have brought (for example: a large fire in 1931) and speaks briefly about his role as a businessman during the Depression and World Wars.
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LeAnn Dean Interview, 2025
LeAnn Dean and Mary Klauda
LeAnn Dean discusses growing up in the 1950s and '60s on a farm five miles north of Kerkhoven, MN.
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Mary Doherty Interview, 1977
Mary Doherty
In this interview, Mary Doherty reminisces about life in Clontarf, MN growing up as a Catholic Irish American and how her family immigrated to the area. Ms. Doherty was born in 1902 in Tara Township, Swift County.
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Mary Kent Doherty Interview, 1978
Mary Doherty
In this interview, Mary Doherty reminisces about life in Clontarf, MN growing up as a Catholic Irish American and how her family immigrated to the area.
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Robert Fennell Interview, 1977
Robert Fennell
In this interview, Robert Fennell discusses the beginnings of Clontarf, MN when Bishop John Ireland deeded the land for the development of the village along with other historical knowledge of Clontarf. Mr. Fennell is the owner of Fennell Grocery.
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Herman Gades Interview, ca. 1977
Herman Gades
Herman Gades farmed in the Holloway area since 1923. His father came from Germany when he was 15 years old. Herman was 82 years old and still engaged in farming at the time of the interview.
In this interview, he talks about the blizzards they survived and the changes from horses to big tractors and combines.
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Addie Gilbertson Interview, 1977
Addie Gilbertson
In this interview, Addie Gilbertson reminisces about life in Clontarf, MN growing up as a Catholic Irish American and how her family immigrated to the area. Addie was has always lived in the Clontarf, MN. area.
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Marie Goulet Interview, 1977
Marie Goulet
In this interview, Marie Goulet reminisces about life in West Central Minnesota as an Irish American family. Mrs. Goulet was born 1909 in Clontarf, MN.
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Georgina Gustavson Interview, ca.1977
Georgina Gustavson
Georgina Gustavson grew up in Benson and was 83 years old. She lived in Morris at the time of the interview. Her father was in the ice business.
In this interview, she discusses the particulars of the ice business. She also talks about the depression and some reflections on the changes through the years.
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Grant Herfindahl Interview, 1979
Grant Herfindahl
This interview centers around Norwegian settlement patterns in Swift County around Benson. The role of culture and kinship in determining settlements was discussed. The centrality of the church in the ethnic community was another topic mentioned. Herfindahl discusses his family's relationship to the Farmer/Labor party and to "radical" politics in general. Language and generational attitudes towards language maintenance are discussed.
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Gust Kositzke Interview, ca. 1977
Gust Kositzke
Gust Kositzke was 86 years old and lived in Florida at the time of the interview. His parents came from Germany to Michigan, where Gus grew up. He worked for the railroad for a time and then went to Appleton and farmed.
In this interview, he discusses the changeover from horses to tractors. After he moved to town, he worked at custom corn picking, plumbing, carpentry, sold seed corn, and worked at the golf course. He also talks about buying up flax straw to make cigarette papers. He finally talks about his travels to Florida and moving to Florida to live permanently.
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Jack Langan Interview, 1977
Jack Langan
In this interview, Jack Langan reminisces about life in West Central Minnesota as an Irish American. Mr. Langan was born in Clontarf, MN. His family farmed in the area but Jack's father came from Ireland in 1873 where he was a police officer in Dublin. They initially immigrated to Boston before moving to Minnesota in 1876-77.
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Richard Martin and Helmer Benson Interview, 1978
Richard Martin and Helmer Benson
Helmer Benson was born March 14, 1923. He lived and farmed outside of DeGraff, Minnesota. Dick Martin was born November 27, 1940. He lived in Murdock and drove a truck for a meat company.
Murdock and Kerkhoven School Systems were planning a possible consolidation for many years. The 1978 school year was the first year the consolidation was utilized. Both Dick Martin and Helmer Benson were active in the school board in the consolidation proceedings.
In this interview, they discuss the origins of the consolidation effort and the success which the proceedings had in consolidating the Kerkhoven and Murdock schools.
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Walter Mumm Interview, 2025
Walter Mumm and Naomi Skulan
In this oral history, Walter Mumm discusses his time as a student at the West Central School of Agriculture from 1943-1947. He discusses his early schooling in rural Swift County, then his time at the West Central School of Agriculture in Morris, MN, and his interactions as an alumnus of the school.
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Rose Perrizo & Anne Hughes Interview, 1977
Rose Perrizo and Anne Hughes
In this interview, Anne Hughes and Rose Perrizo discusses Irish Amerian family life in the West Central Minnesota. Mrs. Perrizo was born in 1903, her great-grandparents immigrated from Ireland. Both Anne and Rose were raised in the Irish American community of Clontarf, MN.
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Roy Peterson Interview, 1973
Roy Peterson
Roy Peterson was a Benson area milkman who was active in a number of liberal political movements in West Central Minnesota since the 1930s. His mother was from Sweden and his father was from Denmark.
In this interview, Roy Peterson discusses the political attitudes in Benson, Minnesota, the Non-Partisan League, the Farmer's Holiday movement, accounts of violence with the Farmer's Holiday Movement, the Depression in Swift County, the Farmer-Labor Party, and the National Farmer's Organization (NFO).
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Kathryn Scott Interview, 1978
Kathryn Scott
Born in Correll, Minnesota in 1901, Kathryn Scott graduated from R.N. school in St. Paul in 1922. She came to Appleton in 1923 where she worked as a nurse until her retirement in 1971. For most of these years she worked for Dr. W.C. Kauffman, one of the first doctors in Appleton.
In this interview, Kathryn Scott discusses early nursing, doctors' practices, the running of a private hospital, and changes in the medical profession.
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Anne Shinnick Interview, 1977
Anne Shinnick
In this interview, Anne Shinnick reminisces about life in Clontarf, MN growing up as a Catholic Irish American and how her family immigrated to the area. Ms. Shinnick was born in April of 1905 in Clontarf and was a teacher in the area.
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Carol Swenson Interview, 2025
Carol Swenson and Seth Schmidt
Carol Swenson discusses her childhood living on a farm in Swift County, Minnesota, including going to school in Murdock, Minnesota, and her time in college at the University of Minnesota Morris.