Maddie Kincannon was born on one of the Thousand Islands near Cape Breton, Nova Scotia on October 19. 1865, and came to Wisconsin with her parents when only a few months old. At Eagle Corners. Richland county, she attended the public schools and afterwards attended the high school at Muscoda. She began teaching school at the age of seventeen and graduated from the high school at Boscobel, Grant County. From there she moved with her parents to North Dakota, where she taught school for three years, after which she came to Minnesota and settled at Long Prairie. In Todd and Wadena counties where she taught school for five years. She married Edward Achenbach at West Superior, Wisconsin on April 13, 1893. They took a homestead in T143-R33-Section 5. The Achenbach property was on the north end of Bemidji, crossed now by Hwy 197 near Holy Cross Cemetery. From 15th Street to 25th Street. Patent issued 8/21/1900.
Mr. and Mrs. Achenbach came to Bemidji in May 1896, when there were only a few people living on the west side of the river and before the townsite was platted. They bought the first lot on the platted townsite. She built the third house in the town upon the lot occupied later by the Achenbach building at 119 Third Street.
Mrs. Maddie Achenbach continued teaching school for the first five years of her residence here.
Barney Burton had his clothing shop in the “old” Achenbach building at 119 Third Street, but moved to the new Miles brick building when it opened in November 1901. The Achenbach building was already considered “old” after just a few years.
While her husband was busy in civic affairs as Justice Achenbach, Maddie M,. Achenbach set up her own millinery and dress making business. See her front page ad in the May 21, 1896 and June 25, 1896 issue of the Bemidji Pioneer.
With tongue in cheek, the editor of the paper of August 23, 1900 announced:
“The ladies of Bemidji have formed another secret organization with over twenty charter members and everybody wishes them success, except the husbands who see another night at home in sole charge of the baby. Ten more members were to be initiated last night. The officers of the Lady Foresters are as follows:
Mrs. Ted Smith, Chief Ranger
Mrs. I. S. Boyer,Vice-Chief Ranger
Miss Emma Manning, Chief Archer.
Mrs. M.M.Achenbach, Treas.
Mrs. Fannie Harmon, Sec.
Mrs. Jno McLean, Chaplin
Mrs. Alice Ludington, Past C. R.
Mrs. Anne Newton, Court Deputy
Miss Vantassel, Jr. Woodward
Miss Eva English, Outer Woodward”
Maddie Kincannon Achenbach died August 11, 1904 and is one of the earliest burials in Greenwood Cemetery.
Her property was part of a lawsuit a year later.
KINCANNON SUED FOR $1000.
Today the ease of the Theodore Hamm Brewing company vs. E. S. Kincannon, administrator of the estate of M. M. Achenbach, deceased, was taken up. Gibbons & Torrance appeared for the plaintiff and Frank Price and Chas. W. Scrutchin for the defendant. The case is brought to secure $1000 damages claimed to have been sustained by the Hamm company through the sale of the Achenbach building and lot on Third street to the Duluth Brewing & Malting company during the life of a contract held by the Hamm Brewing company for the purchase of the property. (Oct 5, 1905)
The jury in the case of the Duluth Brewing & Malting company vs. E, S. Kincannon, administrator of the estate of M. M. Achenbach, deceased, failed to agree and the jury was dismissed this afternoon by Judge McClenahan. The case was continued until the next term of court. (Oct 6, 1905)
No further mention of the case. I fail to understand why most of the business property in Bemidji was held by the wives, rather than the men during the early years in Bemidji.