Edward S. Hoppin, of Pleasant Valley, was born in Milwaukee, Wis., Oct 22, 1842, and came to this county from Wisconsin in '60. His parents were Rhode Islanders who came to Milwaukee in 1842, finding it situated on a dry strip of land between Lake Michigan and an impenetrable tamarack swamp. Here he helped clear off land, learning to read, write and repeat the multiplication table at his mother's knee. Later he finished in a graded village school.

At eighteen years of age he and his brother left the old homestead to seek their fortunes west of the great Mississippi. The river was just breaking and before they could cross, the rest of the family arrived and they proceeded on their journey together. They took up a claim in Pleasant Valley, when Ed. worked until the fall of 1864, when he bought a farm for himself.

In March he married Miss Elizabeth Rowley, starting with a pair of old oxen as his entire stock in trade. He raised a crop of wheat the first year, which brought him two dollars a bushel. From this small start, by industry and economy, he now owns 800 acres of land and a splendid house and barns. The pride of his heart is his fine heard of Devon cattle, which won for him $500 and the silver cup for the best in the State Fair of 1889. He has twice fill a legislative chair very creditably.

In town affairs he has held office almost always since he became a voter. Of late years he has been extensively engaged in the buying and selling of cattle, but now is making a specialty of raising flax.

In 1890 he broke about three hundred acres of new prairie and raised about four thousand bushels and in 1891 broke three hundred acres more of fresh prairie for flax. There is one farm in the county not for sale; the owner says he would not exchange it for the national bank or one of Gould's railroads.

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Submitted to MnGenWeb by Darrel K. Waters