WABASHA COUNTY, MINNESOTA ***************************************************************************** Biography transcribed & donated to Wabasha County, MN Bios by Barbara Koska Timm. For more information, please check out her site "Biographies and Historical Sketches of Wabasha County, Minnesota" at . ***************************************************************************** HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL MATTER, STATISTICS, ETC. GATHERED FROM MATTER FURNISHED BY INTERVIEWS WITH OLD SETTLERS, COUNTY, TOWNSHIP AND OTHER RECORDS, AND EXTRACTS FROM FILES OF PAPERS, PAMPHLETS, AND SUCH OTHER SOURCES AS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. ALSO A HISTORY OF WINONA COUNTY CHICAGO: H. H. HILL & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1884 Arnold, W. J., coroner of Wabasha county since 1868; office with the county attorney, over Schwirtz' drygoods house on Main street. Mr. Arnold was born at Smithfield, Rhode Island, August 14, 1810; was educated at the academy in his native town, and came west as far as Steuben county, New York, in 1835, clerking and teaching school there until 1839. He then started a grocery and provision store in Corning, New York; was burned out twice, and passed through the usual experiences of a young business man under two misfortunes of that kind before coming to the Mississippi in 1856, just after his second misfortune of that kind. He visited Wabasha in August, 1856, and immediately engaged to take charge of the general merchandising business of H. S. Allen & Co., of Chippewa Falls, which they had established here. He remained in their employ until they were wiped out in the financial crash of 1858. In 1859-60 he was member of the state legislature for this representative district, and upon the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presidency was appointed postmaster here, holding office during the two terms for which Mr. Lincoln was elected, and on the termination of his services with the postal department was elected county coroner, which office he continues to hold. He was justice of the peace from 1872 to 1876, also from 1879 to 1883. October 26, 1841, Mr. Arnold married Miss Harriet N. Kress, of Covington, Tioga county, Pennsylvania. They have three sons, John K., born July 20, 1842; Ralph E., born December 1, 1844; William F., born April 21, 1850.