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(1831 - 1911)  Article from MCHENRY COUNTY: Its History and Its People
1885-1985, Author Unknown, Page 767:
"In 1884 James Lymburner [son of Oscar], then age 30, came to the Dakota territory from a farming community in Southern Ontario, Canada. Friends and relatives who had moved to the area earlier had written his family about the large spaces of land that were available for homesteading and he had become interested in the possibility of raising beef cattle on the abundant grassland. After a brief try for land in the Red River Valley he decided to look for a homestead further west.
In June 1885 he and a friend named Frank Leach explored the area along the southern loop of the Mouse River. Mr. Lymburner decided to stake his claim in a location several miles north of what is now Towner [Hougom Township, Township 157, Range 76]. He wrote and conveyed his enthusiasm for ranching here to his father in Ontario. Equally enthusiastic, the elder Mr. Lymburner, decided to leave the farm and take his family to Dakota.
In the spring of 1886 Oscar Lymburner, his wife Anna [Some records have Annie Willits, some have Willitts], and daughter, Lydia, filled a freight car with their belongings including not only furniture and household goods, but also wagons and a buggy and traveled to the end of the newly constructed rail line at Minnewaukan [Benton County]. There they obtained horses and loaded their belongings into the vehicles, then traveled along the stage coach road and wagon trail to their new home. They lived in a tent until a small house could be built with lumber hauled from Devils Lake. Each of them staked a claim of land, also a tree claim. They planted dozens of trees and built two houses. Over the years they purchased land from neighbors and increased the cattle herd until the Lymburner ranch was one of the largest in the state. After the area became more populated Mr. Lymburner started a feed and fuel business in the new town of Towner.
James Lymburner married Isabel MacDougall, a school teacher, who was also from Ontario. They had two children, Oscar and Penelope. Following the elder Mr. Lymburner's death in 1910 [1911], the land was divided between his son and daughter. Lydia was given the land close to the river and James the "West Ranch". Lydia married Archibald Campbell in 1914 and her land was thereafter known as the Campbell Ranch.
In 1916 James Lymburner leased his ranch to a neighbor and moved with his family to Southern California. He died in 1923 while on a visit to Towner.
Lydia [Lymburner] Campbell's ranch was sold to A. M.
Christianson of Minot shortly before her death in 1947.
Oscar Lymburner [son of James] and his family returned to the West Ranch in 1929 and lived there until 1949 at which time they moved back to California and the ranch was sold to Carl Miller of Towner.
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Lymburner [son of James] are both deceased. Their children, James Lymburner and Beverly Hemingway both live in California."
From additional records it was found that the Lymburners married about 1854 in Canada and that they in 1910 indicated they had three children with two surviving.
Oscar's parents were William and Nancy Lymburner. Oscar had at least one other relative that settled in the area. Oscar's sister, Myra Lymburner, was married to Joseph M. McCombs and they had settled in Newport Township (T156, Range 76).
Annie's Obituary JAMES WILLIAM LYMBURNER (1855 - 1923) Son of Oscar and Annie Lymburner Article from Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota, Page 1409:
"JAMES LYMBURNER, owner [1900] of the most extensive ranch and stock farm in McHenry county, resides [1900] on the Mouse river, where he has surrounded himself with many of the comforts and modern conveniences that are prized in much older communities.
Mr. Lymburner was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1855. He was the eldest in a family of three children, and was reared on a farm and received the benefits of country school education. Being the only boy in the family he was compelled to give his services to their support and remained at home, working with his father until 1884. In 1887 he came to North Dakota, and farmed a short time in Grand Forks county. He then came to McHenry county, and located land on the Mouse river, seven miles north of Towner. He hauled lumber from Devils Lake, one hundred miles distant, and erected a shanty, and began stock raising. Two years later [1886], after he had got a start, his father and family
joined him. He has had great success and is now the owner of two thousand acres of land, with two complete sets of farm buildings, an abundance of stock and machinery, and is regarded as the most extensive farmer and ranchman in the county. He keeps on hand about six or eight hundred head of cattle.
Mr. Lymburner was married, in 1893 [14 March 1894, Grey Township, Huron County, Ontario, Canada] to Miss Belle [Isabelle] McDougal [McDougall], daughter of Duncan [and Christina] McDougal, and a native of Canada, of Scotch descent, her parents being natives of Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Lymburner have two children, Oscar and Penelope. Mr. Lymburner is a Republican in his political belief, and has taken an active interest in public affairs of his county, being often chosen as a delegate to the conventions of his party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity."
James' Burial, Tombstone Photo Isabelle's Burial, Obituary (1867 - 1947) Daughter of Oscar and Annie Lymburner Lydia was born in Kelvin, Brant County, Ontario, Canada on 11 February 1867. See the above information for her early life.
Lydia married Archibald (Archie/A.M.) McIntyre Campbell on 15 July 1914 in Towner. There were no children from this marriage although Archie was married previously to Katherine Foster and had three sons all who remained in Canada.
Archie's Burial, Tombstone Photos (1895 - 1958) Son of James and Isabelle Lymburner Oscar married Ruth E. Miller of Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa, in Santa Ana, Orange County, California on 8 May 1922. They had at least two children; Beverly Ruth (12 September 1926-5 May 2008) and James Miller.
Beverly married Robert C. Hemingway and at least two sons were born of them; James and Bruce. Beverly and Robert were later divorced and Beverly died in Washington.
James was married to Sharlene Unknown and Helen Unknown. No known children.
Ruth's Burial, Tombstone Photo James' Burial Sharlene's Burial (1896 - 1980) Daughter of James and Isabelle Lymburner Penelope was born on 1 October 1896 in Towner. She married Claude Hickman in California. Claude had been married before to Ella Unknown and at least one son, Glen. No record could be found of Penelope having any children.
Claude's Burial |
