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



The name of Herman W. Haislet, successful publisher, of St. James and the present representative of Watonwan county to the Legislature, needs no introduction to the readers of this work.

Mr. Haislet was born in Decorah, Iowa, September 17, 1875, and is a son of George W. and Emma Caroline (Wood) Haislet, who came from the East and settled in Howard county, Iowa, the father establishing the first newspaper at Howard Center (now Cresco). Himself and his brothers, Samuel and Frank were the promoters of the newspapers in northeastern Iowa. George W. Haislet remained at Decorah for a number of years, his death occurring there in 1880, his widow surviving until 1883.

He was a Republican. His wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. Their family consisted of eleven children, only three of whom are living at this writing, namely: Fred W., of Rice Lake, Wisconsin; Katie Irene is the wife of Robert Mapson, of El Modena, California; Herman W., the subject of this sketch.



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After the death of his mother Herman W. Haislet went to live with an uncle, Edward W. Wood, publisher of the Democrat at Lyons, Rice county, Kansas. There he attended school and worked in his uncle's printing office until he was fourteen years old, when he went to Frederick, Kansas, where he was employed four years on the News, then became a cowboy for two summers, and worked on newspapers during the winter months. He came to Decorah, Iowa, in the winter of 1897, arriving on January 1st, and worked on the Decorah Public Opinion for some time. While there he married, in 1898, Bessie D. Houck, and to their union one son was born, Donovan Herman Haislet, whose birth occurred in October, 1899, and is now a student in second year high school.

After his marriage, Mr. Haislet moved to Ridgeway, Iowa, and established the Record, which he conducted for about eighteen months, and in November, 1901, he came to St James and secured employment in the office of the Plaindealer where he worked until December, 1901, when he took charge of the Butterfield Advocate, and with the exception of the years 1905 to 1907 he has been a residence of Watonwan county ever since coming here. In November, 1914, he was elected to the Legislature on the non-partisan ticket and has made a commendable record in this office. He was chairman of the legislative expense committee and had charge of all expenditures made for supplies of Legislature. He made a record of economy not surpassed in twenty years. He is a man of force and character, and in the face of considerable opposition has won out, when he knew he was right, on many occasions. He is outspoken and not afraid to let everybody know just where lie stands on all important questions affecting the people. He has made his paper a strong factor in the general welfare of his community, and it has been a success from a business standpoint under his able management. He was justice of the peace at Butterfield for a period of nine years, and gave eminent satisfaction in the same, his decisions being noted for their fairness and clear interpretation of the law, Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America, in which he took an active interest in the rate fight in 1912 and 1913.

In December, 1913, he established the St. James Independent in partnership with Fred W. Haislet, buying his partner's interest in June, 1915, and has since been sole editor and publisher. The paper is gaining rapidly in circulation and is being recognized as a valuable advertising medium.