"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



T. N. Dryden, a well-known stock buyer, of Windom, is a native of Illinois, born on a farm in Coles county, that state, December 8, 1850, son of W. A. and Amizilla Dryden, who were the parents of eight children, only one of whom, the subject of this sketch, is a resident of Cottonwood county. W. A. Dryden was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, and grew settling in Coles county, that state, where he worked with his father in a blacksmith shop. Not long after his arrival in Coles county he married a daughter of one of the pioneers of that section and in the early fifties moved to Wisconsin, settling on a farm in Dane county, about twenty miles west of Madison, where he established his home and where he remained until 1862, in February of which year he and his family moved to Marion county, Iowa, making the trip by ox team. After a residence of three years there he moved, in 1865, to Lafayette county, Wisconsin, where he bought a farm and remained there until his retirement from the farm and removal to the town of Argyle, that state, where for a number of years he was engaged in the buying of live stock. He then moved to Castana, in Monona county, Iowa, where he remained until he came to this state and located at Windom, where his last days were spent.

T. N. Dryden was little more than an infant when his parents moved from Illinois to Wisconsin and his schooling was [transcribed for Cottonwood Co. AHGP] obtained in the latter state. Not long after leaving school he rented a farm in the neighborhood of the paternal farm and was engaged in farming there until 1874, in which year he moved to Pottawattomie county, Iowa, where he rented a farm on which he made his home for two years, at the end of which time he went to Monona county, same state, where he bought a farm and was there engaged ia farming until 1900, when he sold out and came to this part of Minnesota, locating at Windom, where for a time he was engaged in the general real-estate business, but presently turned his attention to the buying and selling of live stock and has been thus very successfully engaged ever since, being now recognized as one of the leading stockmen in this part of the state. Mr. Dryden is a Republican and gives a good citizen's attention to political affairs, but has never been included in the office-seeking class.

T. N. Dryden was united in marriage to Joan E. Howery, and to this union five children have been born, Guy, George, Reuben, Vernie and Genevieve. Guy Dryden married Clara Lanham and has two children, Ruth and Glenn. Reuben Dryden married Florence Barber and has one child, a son, Lowell. Genevieve Dryden married Dana Goss, and Vernie married Helen Kerr and lives at Harlan, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Dryden are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Mr. Dryden being a member of the official hoard of the church, and they take an active interest in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in all local good works. They have a very pleasant home at Windom and take a proper interest in the general social and cultural activities of their home town.