Born in 1863 near the close of the Civil War, Albert Wittkop grew up in Afton, Minnesota. His sisters, Wilhelmina and Bertha, had married brothers from New York and had migrated to Dakota Territory where they had settled in what was later to be known as Ellsbury Township, in Barnes County.

Albert Wittkop moved to Barnes County shortly after his sisters, settling in what later known as Minnie Lake Township. He homesteaded the northwest quarter of Section 4 and since his sisters and their husbands, William and Henry Barr had settled on the south one-half of Section 30 in Ellsbury Township, the farms were within two miles of each other.

The families got together and organized a Sunday School and later a church was built in Section six in Minnie Lake Township. School District #88 defined the boundaries of the first settlement but was enlarged later in 1904.

Albert Wittkop married Josephine King in 1891 and to this union were born five children: William, who married Hazel Benham; Mary, who married Orlin Slocum; Wesley, married to Zella Keyes; Waldo, who married Ruda Blegen, and Esther, married to Cloyse Carico.

Albert and Josephine operated the farm until 1941 , when he retired and moved to Pillsbury.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 273