Ringstadtj
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JOHN P. RINGSTADT. Seven
miles up the valley from Entiat, we come to the estate of our subject,
which was purchased in 1901. Although he is not as old a settler
in the Entiat valley as some, nevertheless, Mr. Ringstadt has shown himself
to be thoroughly identified with the interests of the country and his performed
labors indicate that he is one of the thrifty and industrious men
who are opening the west and making it the most fertile portion of the
United States.
John P. Ringstadt was born in Scones, Sweden,
on March 1, 1863. His parents, Ole and Helene (Isaacson) Nelson,
were natives of the same country, where the mother now lives, aged sixty-eight.
The father died some years since. Our subject joined the army at
Ringstadt, consequently he assumed that as his surname instead of Nelson.
He served seven years in the army after having secured a good education
from the public schools of his home place. Finally, in 1888, after
completing his service in the army, he left Sweden and came to Wausaw,
Wisconsin, where he worked in a sawmill for six months. He journeyed
from Wisconsin to Minnesota and did railroading and continued to come west
until he arrived at Ortonville, then went to Artichoke lake and three years
later came to Stevens county, whence in 1901 he journeyed to Wenatchee
and purchased his present place. The farm is valuable and consists
of one hundred and sixty acres, well watered by two large springs.
Mr. Ringstadt has a fine large orchard, good house, barns and so forth,
and is a very prosperous farmer. He has the following brothers and
sisters, Neils, Charles, Alford, Andrew, all in Minnesota, except Alfred,
who has remained in Sweden; Christiana and Hannah, living in Sweden; Caroline
and Louisa, both married and living in Ohio. On March 9, 1890, at
Ortonville, Mr. Ringstadt married Miss Mary Olson, a native of Norway,
and to them six children have been born, Ida, Alva T., Oscar H., Josephine
M., Manley, deceased, and Mabel V. Mr. and Mrs. Ringstadt are staunch
members of the Lutheran church. In political matters he is a well
informed Republican. Mr. Ringstadt holds the position of school director
and is a warm advocate of first-class educational facilities and general
improvement.