Hazard Family

On his 91st birthday Jared C. Hazard received congratulations from Calvin Coolidge, then President of the United States.  President Coolidge wrote:

"I have received a letter telling me of your 91st birthday anniversary and also telling me something of your life and family.  It is fine to know you are enjoying the rewards of an active, useful and well-ordered life."

''May I add my congratulations to those of your many relatives and friends who will be wishing you continued health and happiness."

Jared was born in 1836 in Courtland County, New York to Clark and Delia Hazard.  Clark's father was Steward and his mother, Sarah.  Delia's father was Robert Tennant.  Jared's great grandfather, Thomas Tennant, enlisted in the Revolutionary War in 1777.  At that time his address was Greenwich, Mass.

When he was five years old the family moved to a farm forty miles west of Kingston, Upper Canada.  Later Hazards moved to Salmon River, Canada where Clark operated a sawmill.

In 1846 Hazards traveled by boat to Milton Junction, Rock County, Wisconsin.  Clark Hazard purchased a farm at Hampton, Columbia County.

Jared married Emily A. McDonald in 1858.  They lived in Columbia County, Wisconsin where their eight children were born.  In 1887 they came to Griggs County by train (Cooperstown at that time was the end of the route), and homesteaded on the NE quarter of Section 28 146-59 with 3 of their children, Randal, Byron, and Lucius.  

  1. Randal later moved into Cooperstown.  In 1895 he remarried to Cora St. John in Columbia, Wisconsin.  Cora St. John had one son, Harry St. John by a previous marriage.
  2. LUCIUS HAZARD lived on the homestead (Hillside Farm), except for a few years in railroad work.  He married Elizabeth Dorman Miner in 1914.  They added several buildings to the homestead and continued farming until his retirement.  A daughter, Virginia (Mrs. Roger Stohle, Moorhead, Minnesota) was born in 1928.  After his death in December 1949, the homestead was sold and Mrs. Hazard lived in Fargo-Moorhead until her death in February 1970.  He had a daughter, Dorothy, of Montana by a previous marriage.
  3. BYRON (1873-1953) married Martha Arneson (18721950) on October 3, 1893.  They took a homestead on NW quarter of Section 14 146-59.  In order to hold the homestead they had to show they were living on it, so in February after a few warm days, Byron took a team of horses and with his wife and small son James went over there to live.  It turned bitterly cold and the stove wouldn't heat the house so at night the water froze so hard it bulged the bottom of the pail.  Byron would walk to the neighbors each day to get eggs and milk, and to prove he was living on the place.  (Bruce Lee Hazard a great grandson is now farming this homestead.)  Later, they moved to Valley City where Byron was maintenance engineer for the highway department.

Raymond N. Arneson, a nephew of Martha, had made his home with the Hazards since infancy.

JAMES married Cora Houghton in 1918.  From that union are seven children: 

  1. Mrs. Clifford (Marjorie) Ashland of Missouri
  2. Mrs. Richard (Joanne) Schwappach of Bismarck, North Dakota
  3. Mrs. Don (Ardys) Rundle of La Cross, Wisconsin
  4. Edwin married Evelyn Hagen, they now live in Warren, Minnesota
  5. William married Marjorie Steffan.  They have two children, Greg and Susan.  They farm near Cooperstown.  
  6. Bruce married Marilyn Simpson.  They farm on Section 29 and have three children, Mrs. Wayne (Vickie) Iverson, Ricky, and Bruce Lee.  
  7. James Jr. still lives on the home farm.

When James and Byron farmed together this notice was seen in the Courier:

"Dr. J. A. H. Winsloe shipped a pure bred Duroc boar pig last Saturday to his father in Pasadena, Maryland.  The pig was purchased from B. W. Hazard and Son.  The Winsloes know the right breed to raise for the biggest profits and do not hesitate in shipping long distances when they can get good ones."

James and Cora hosted a party for their parents, Byron and Martha on their 55th wedding anniversary.  Among the 50 relatives and guests gathered at the James Hazard home three miles west of Cooperstown were six who had been present at the wedding 55 years ago.  They were: 

  1. Mr. and Mrs. Nels Opheim of Cooperstown, married a few months before the Hazards were
  2.  
  3. Mr. Hazard's brother, Lucius, of Cooperstown 
  4. his sister, Mrs. Cloie Ayrea, of Hobart, Indiana 
  5. Mrs. Anna McDermott 
  6. Mrs. W. D. Hartman, both of Fargo, sisters of Mrs. Byron Hazard

The Hazards were and are active members of the community.  They hold and have held offices in the Masonic Lodge, Township Board, and Presbyterian Church.

Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 page 271