The 1870 United States census showed the Foley family living in Thompson Township, Geauga County, Ohio. The head of the household was Ann (age 40, born in Ireland, house keeper). Children were Mary (age 17, born in Ohio), Michael (age 17, born in Ohio), James (age 15, born in Ohio), Henry (age 13, born in Ohio), July (age 11, born in Ohio), John (age 9, born in Ohio), Eliza (age 6, born Ohio), and Kate (age 3, born in Ohio).
The 1880 United States census showed Mike Foley (age 27, born in Ohio, farmer) married to Laura (age 26, born in Ohio) and living in Alta Vista Township, Lincoln County, Minnesota. Children Zoe (age 5, born in Ohio) and James (age 1, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
M. G. Foley, of Redwood Falls, the man who is going to open a brick yard here, was here Tuesday and Wednesday prospecting for clay. He has decided to open a yard here and the only thing to agree upon now is the land and the price to be paid for same. Mr. Foley intends to put a $5,000 plant, which will be able to furnish enough brick for the entire line. A brick yard is badly needed here and will prove a vast benefit to the town. (Sibley County Enterprise, Thursday, October 22, 1891, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)
The Redwood Reveille of last week says, “Mr. and Mrs. M. Foley, of Arlington, were visitors here during the week. While here Mr. Foley disposed of three acres of his farm north of the cemetery to the city to be used as a dump ground for garbage. He also leased his farm to Mort McKay. The brick trade at Arlington he reports flourishing, and that orders for brick come in faster than he can fill them. Farmers of that vicinity use brick to a great extent in the erection of residences.” (Sibley County Enterprise, Thursday, February 7, 1895, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)
Mr. and Mrs. M. G, Foley arrived home Friday from their eastern trip. We are glad to say that Mrs. Foley who has been so ill during the latter part of her stay in the east, though yet unable to walk, is much better than before she started home. (Arlington Enterprise, Thursday, April 26, 1900, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)
The 1900 United States census showed Michael G. Foley (age 46, born in August 1853 in Ohio) married to Mary (age 49, born in October 1850 in Ohio) and living in Arlington Township, Minnesota.
May Start a Brick Yard. Special to The Journal. Cass Lake, Minn., Dec. 5. – M. G. Foley of Arlington, Minn., has been in Cass Lake looking over the ground with a view of putting in a large brick yard. He was in the woods adjoining Cass Lake, where he sampled the soil, visiting several localities. He believes there is clay here suitable for the manufacture of brick. He found one point where the soil was first-class, but the location was too near the level of the water. Said Mr. Foley: “I have visited several of the northern towns, and am satisfied that Cass Lake, when the reservation is thrown open to settlement, will be the best town on the line west from Duluth. There will be much building and a consequent demand for brick. I shall return to Cass Lake and will probably put in a brick yard.” (The Minneapolis Journal, Thursday Evening, December 5, 1901, Page 3)
M. G. Foley returned Monday noon from Bemidji where he had conveyed his household and other goods. He says there was two inches of snow north of Duluth Sunday. (Arlington Enterprise, Thursday, April 10, 1902, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)
M. G. Foley and family left Monday for Bemidji where they will reside in the future, Mr. Foley having disposed of the bulk of his property here. (Arlington Enterprise, Thursday, April 17, 1902, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)
Mrs. Foley, who lives at the brick yard a mile west of the city, is very ill. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Wednesday, November 23, 1904, Volume 2, Number 185, Page 4)
…Mr. Foley, who conducts the Bemidji brick yard. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Monday, January 9, 1905, Volume 2, Number 213, Page 3)
The 1905 Minnesota census showed Michael G. Foley (age 55, born in Ohio, brick yard owner) living in Bemidji, Minnesota. Laura A. (age 54, born in Ohio) and Lillie (age 12, born in Minnesota) also lived with Michael.
M. G. Foley and step-sons, Frank and Jimmy Long, departed this morning for Boin, Mich., where they will visit for a few days after which Mr. Foley will return to his home in this city, the boys remaining there to attend school for a time. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Friday Evening, September 13, 1907, Volume 5, Number 123, Page 3)
Bumper Crops Are Being Raised Near This City. Farmers in Grant Valley and Frohn Townships Will Reap Big Harvests - Mike Foley Raised 45 Bu. Wheat Per Acre; Oats, 50 Bu. Per Acre. In the town of Grant Valley, adjoining the City of Bemidji, on the southwest, there are probably the best crops in this section, although the German tillers of the soil in Frohn, east of Bemidji, also have fine yields. Mike Foley, who owns a fine farm in Grant Valley township, has a bumper crop of everything that a successful farmer raises. Yesterday afternoon, from a measured field of two acres of winter wheat, Foley secured ninety bushels of the finest-graded hard wheat, averaging forty-five bushels to the acre. Foley has forty acres of oats that are a wonderful crop. Careful estimates of the yield that he will secure from this forty-acre field place the same at 2,000 bushels, an average of fifty bushels per acre. Twenty acres of potatoes on the Foley Farm are fairly bulging out of the ground; and Mr. Foley does not hesitate to place the yield of tubers from his patch at 4,000 bushels. Other vegetables are a tremendous crop, and the cellars and root houses will be filled to overflowing. Mr. Foley is erecting a new house and commodious barn, the total cost of both of which will be close to $3,000. The barn is provided with a full cement basement, and will nicely house his dairy and beef cattle, in which he intends to deal extensively. Five years ago the Foley farm was being denuded of its timber and doleful indeed were the prophesies of the fat of the cut-over land; but the past three years has demonstrated quite forcibly that the lands of this section which were formerly densely timbered with white and Norway pine, jackpine, etc., contains the finest kind of soil for the raising of agricultural products. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Saturday Evening, August 28, 1909, Volume 7, Number 112, Page 1)
Mr. and Mrs. M. G. Foley and their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Winterstein of Rat lake, left this morning for Hot Springs, Arkansas, where they will spend the winter. Mrs. Foley is an invalid and goes south for the benefit of her health. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Thursday Evening, November 18, 1909, Volume 7, Number 182, Page 3)
The 1910 United States census showed Michael G. Foley (age 56, born in Ohio, farmer) living with his brother Henry W. in Grant Valley Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota. A daughter Zoe L. (age 34, born in Ohio) and her husband Sam E. (age 36, born in Ohio) also lived with them.
The safety razor given by the City Drug store for the largest load of wheat was awarded to Michael Foley, of Bemidji township. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Friday Evening, October 13, 1911, Volume 9, Number 142, Page 1)
Mrs. Foley Buried. The funeral of Mrs. Mike Foley was held yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Presbyterian church Rev. S. E. P. White officiating. Mrs. Foley has been an invalid for the past ten years and unable to leave her chair. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Wednesday Evening, December 24, 1913, Volume 11, Number 204, Page 8)
M. G. and Henry Foley left yesterday over the M. & I. for Plainsville, Ohio. They will stop off at Minneapolis and also go to Hot Springs before returning. (The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Saturday Evening, December 23, 1916, Volume XIV, Number 307, Page 5)
Mike Foley, a former Arlington man, now residing at Bemidji, tarried here for a few hours last Saturday and called on a few of his old acquaintances, among them Aug. Melzer. Old timers will remember Mr. Foley as the owner of the brick yard which was one of this city’s main industries some thirty years ago. East Arlington was known at that time as Foley’s Addition and all of the brick dwellings in that part of town were built by Mr. Foley with the product of his own yard. (Arlington Enterprise, Thursday, September 3, 1931, Courtesy of Dwight Grabitske, Arlington Historical Society)