My Grandfather Charles Alfred Barnes took up a tree claim 3 miles Northwest of Ellsworth, MN, Long Prairie Township, S. E. quarter of section 18 in township 101 North of range 43 west of the 5th principal Meridian in Minnesota, containing 160 acres. His brother George had located there sometime before and both of them went thru all the pioneer days with many trials and privations, twice he was eaten out by grasshoppers, tree and crops, and he had to go back to Iowa and obtain more money to carry on, besides receiving help from his brother George, He was thru the bad blizzard and hot and dry summers and strong winds. He was united in marriage to Emma C. Pierce of Ackley, IA in Feb of 1881. They immediately left for Minnesota but on account of the heavy blizzard of that winter the trip took over six weeks. Charles improved his tree claim, built a small house, set out trees, built a large barn and lived there until the fall of 1897. His health was none to good and early in the fall he had the chance to sell the place for 35 to 40 dollars per acre to Charles Loveland who had made a strike in the Alaska gold rush.
Charles brother, George S. Barnes b. 7 Sept 1845, Pittsford, Rutland, VT d. 17 Nov 1884, Ellsworth, Nobles, MN was married to Hannah Walker 2 Feb 1868. They had 5 children James A., George L., Charles A., Violet N. and Maude Rose. I am looking for any connections or information to these relatives and their decendants. Thank you.