The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-10-08
DEATH OF ]. l. CATER
The Aged Pioneer Passes Away at
His Home in Princeton Early
Monday Morning.
Prominent in the Organization of Mile
Laos County and Conspicuous
Figure in EARLY History.


on account of feeble health. His death
resulted from no particular ailment
other than his general infrmities. \
few days before his death he became
very helpless and required constant
watching and care. Old friends min
istered to his needs in his last hours
and remained with him until wasted
and emaciated to a more skeleton, he
fell into the slu1nber of death.
The funeral was held this morning
at 10 o'clock at the NJ. E. church, Rev.
W. E. j. Gratz officiating. 1t was the
wish of Mr.. Cater that he be given a
Masonic burial, and Princeton LODGE,
A. F. and A. NJ, of which deceased was
one of the early masters, laid the re-
mains away in Oak Knoll beside those
of his wife Eliza who died last January.
In the death of Joseph L. Cater one
of the most active and conspicuous
characters in the history of Princeton
and Mile Laos county passed into his
tory. In recent years he had not taken
much interest in public affairs, but in
early days Joseph L. Cater was a prom
inent character and took an active in
terest in the organization of the county
and the development of this section.
Mr.. Cater was born in Darlington,
N. H., March %, 1926. He resided in
his native state until manhood, and in
1855 got in step with the march of en-
pire and started west, bis objective
points ultimately being Sank Rapids
and Princeton. He remained in Min
nesota one year and then returned to
his native state, but he came back the
beginning of 1856 and took up a claim
year he went back to New Hampshire,
and on March +. 1857, he was married
to Eliza futile Hall at Darlington, N.
H. Soon after he was married he started
west to make his home and after ar
irving in Princeton he built house
which is now owned by S. A. Carew
and which stands just east of Magnus
Sioblom's residence. 1t was in this
house that Mr.. Cater had the Prince
ton postoffice for some time while he
was postmaster. He was one of the
first postmasters of Princeton and held
the office for a number of years.
Mr.. Cater afterwards sold his Bald
IT,
later bought the claims of Jas. w.
Gillian and Z. 5. Carpenter which
were located just west Of the town of
Princeton. and here MIR. Cater has
since resided. The frame house which
Mr.. Cater built is now located within
the village limits and is owned and &C.
cupied by Mr.. S. P. Woodman. At
the time the Great Northern railroad
entered Princeton Mr.. Cater erected
new house west of the depot which was
to be his last abiding place on earth.
Two children were born to Mr.. and
Mrs. Cater, the only child living being
Forest Clinton Cater who resides at
home. A daughter, Myrtle Estelle,
died in 1872. The son Forest was the
first white male child born in Mile
Laos county. Mr.. Cater had five
brothers and one sister, of whom three
brothers are now living. They are
Andrew j., who resides at Wilbur,
WASH, Joshua O., who resides at Ha-
rington.
Mr.. Cater possessed strong individ
uality and in some respects more than
the average amount Of ability. He
was a rock-ribbed Jacksonian Demo-
crat and battled INCREASINGLY to pro-
mote the interests of his party. There
was an element in his nature, inherent
in him, and forming strong part of
his personality, to organize, lead and
govern, and in a new and unorganized
community he found ample opportunity
to satisfy his ambition. 1t was this in
his nature that prompted him to go to
St. Paul in the winter of 1S59-6O and
work hard for an act organizing the
county of Mile Laos, after failure
the year before to have an act of the
legislature for the formation of the
county of Monroe ratified at the polls.
After the act was passed Mr.. Cater
did not wait for any kind of convey
ance to get back home but started
afoot. He Immediately set to work to
assist in the organization of the new
county. At that time an attempt was
made to saddle on the new county a
part of the bonded school indebtedness
of Bentc: county, and this Mr.. Cater
vigorous1y and successfully opposed
At tt " st election of county officials
for Mile Laos county Mr.. Cater was
chosen man of the board of county
commissioners and he served until the
close Of the year 1864. He was mem
Der of the board again in 1867 anc
Tn 1912 ho