A.B. Hazen was born in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, April 4, 1852. During the Civil War, he was left to help his mother as the head of the family while his father was fighting in defense of the Union.
Later years saw him in various capacities in the west. In 1875 he was steward on the old river steamer Selkirk, which plied between Moorhead and Winnipeg, before the advent of the Northern Pacific or Great Northern railroads across the Red River. In 1877, he went to the Black Hills and was for several years engaged as freighter and stage driver for the old Northwestern Transportation company between Bismarck and Deadwood.
Until his removal to Bemidji, Mr. Hazen was farming at Parkers Prairie, Otter Tail county. During his long residence in Bemidji, he was actively engaged in politics and took a keen interest in every election. He was a staunch, life-long Republican and besides always supporting the straight ticket, was a liberal contributor to the Republican campaign fund.
He was a resident of Beltrami county for about 35 years, first being engaged as a logger and later going into business in Bemidji. He came to Bemidji in 1893. In Jan 1900, he leased the Merchants Hotel and moved in. Mr. Hazen was an old hotel man and was greeted warmly as the proprietor of the hotel. The hotel burned in 1907. He was elected sheriff in 1908 and 1910 for two-year terms. He lived on an excellent farm on the shores of Lake Plantagnet south of the city until 1927 when he moved to Mill Park. He died in 1931 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.