Jacob Knecht

Jacob Knecht was born in St. Galen, Switzerland in 1841. He came to America in 1860 settling first in Wisconsin. In 1871 he married Wilhemina Wecker. They made Wisconsin their home until 1883 when Jacob came to North Dakota and filed claim on a homestead in Uxbridge Township, the northeast quarter of Section 6.

In April of 1874 the family moved into the little frame claim shanty.

Wilhemina went into the fields and worked with her husband, but she found time to set out trees and shrubs about the place, nurse the sick in the community, work for church and school and raise her family.

Their trading centers were Jamestown, Sanborn and Dazey. When the Soo railroad went through one-half mile from their farm it was a thrilling sight to see the train sweep around the hill for the first time. When Wimbledon became a town less than a mile away shopping was simplified.

There were nine children born, one of whom

  1. Wilhemina is still living. She resides at the Sheyenne Manor in Valley City. The others were

  2. Adolph,

  3. Sarah,

  4. Louisa,

  5. John Edwina,

  6. Herman,

  7. Jacob and

  8. Henry.

Jacob and Henry served in World War I.

In 1907 the family moved into Wimbledon. Mr. Knecht died in 1924 and Mrs. Knecht in 1936.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 128