USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64
NEW ULM POST.
The New Ulm Post, the oldest German weekly of Brown county, was founded in February, 1864, and the first number was issued on February 5th, 1864. Wolff and Hofer were the publishers, and A. Wolff was the editor. The newspaper was published in the postoffice building on Broadway, known in later years as the Forster building, and located two doors north of the city clerk's office. Joseph Hofer became the sole owner of the newspaper on June 10, 1864. At that time it was a six-column, four- page paper. With the issue of July 29, 1864, Ludwig Bogen became the editor and publisher, and continued as such until May 12, 1865, when the Post was published by Bogen and Naegele. In July, 1869, the plant was removed to the Blatz building on Minnesota street. In October, 1869, Ludwig Bogen became the sole owner of the news- paper, and continued as such until April 18, 1886, when he died. He was also its editor. In 1873, the New Ulm Post appeared partly in English. In the middle of December, 1876, the plant was removed to the Bogen building on Cen- ter street, where it remained for over twenty years. After the death of Ludwig Bogen, the ownership and manage- ment of the newspaper devolved upon Albert A. Bogen, a son of the former publisher, and he secured the services of J. H. Strasser, as editor. During the time that Ludwig Bogen was the publisher of the newspaper it had espoused the cause of the Republican party. Shortly after Albert A. Bogen took charge of the newspaper, and during Cleve- land's first campaign for the presidency, it became an ex- ponent of Democratic principles, and has so continued.
Digitized by Google
456
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
During the school fight, which was at its height in 1892, an offer was made to Albert A. Bogen by the opposition to those who were in control of the public schools at that time, to sell his newspaper plant to them, and he was on the point of doing so when he was importuned by friends to sell his plant to them. They purchased the plant in August, 1892, and sold it again the following week and on September 8, 1892, the newspaper was sold to J. H. Strasser, the editor of the paper, and he continued as editor and publisher of the newspaper until April 13, 1896, when he sold the plant to Edward and Armand Petry, who assumed charge of it under the name of Petry Brothers, and published the paper until November 22, 1905, when they sold the plant to the New Ulm Publishing Company. They continued as editors of the paper until June 15, 1909, when E. J. Buehrer as- sumed the editorship. Mr. Buehrer continued in the work until October, 1911. Since that time Albert Steinhauser has been the editor. He became the sole owner of the Post on March 2, 1916. Prior thereto and on December 16, 1915, he had purchased the Fortschritt from the Brown County Co-operative Publishing Company. The last issue of the Fortschritt appeared the last week in December, 1915. Since that time the New Ulm Post and the Fortschritt have been consolidated under the name of the former which is at the present time published from the office of the New Ulm Publishing Company. The New Ulm Post is a twelve- page, six-column newspaper.
THE MINNESOTA ANZEIGER.
Another German weekly was ushered into existence at New Ulm, June 26, 1874, under the name of the Minnesota
Digitized by by Google
457
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Anzeiger, with J. M. Broome as editor and publisher. This newspaper was, however destined to have a very short career and, with the issue of August 21, 1874, only two months after its founding, it passed out of existence.
DER FORTSCHRITT.
Der Fortschritt, a German weekly, was established at New Ulm, March 26, 1891, by Theodore Rein and John Schlumpberger as an organ of the Farmers Alliance, which movement was in its heyday in the early nineties. While it catered to the farmers and laboring classes generally, it was liberally supported by the business men. Ernst Brandt, who had formerly been connected with the New Ulm Post, and later was one of the publishers of the New Ulm Re- view, bought the paper and its plant April 28, 1892, and continued as its editor and publisher until December 2, 1912. when he sold out to the Brown County Co-Operative Publishing Company, a corporation made up of members of the Socialist party. Under the Brandt regime Der Fortschritt assumed an independent editorial policy, with leanings towards the Democratic. As a Socialist organ it became radical to the extreme and as a consequence lost much of the support and confidence it formerly enjoyed. The venture did not prove a financial success and the stock- holders decided on December 16, 1915, to accept an offer for the purchase of the plant and subscription list made by Capt. Albert Steinhauser, publisher of the New Ulm Post. The final issue of the paper appeared December 28, 1915, and the subscription list was added to that of the New Ulm Post.
Digitized by Google
458
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
The Fortschritt plant was a well-equipped news- paper and job office and for more than twenty years en- joyed the patronage of business men generally.
NEW ULM REVIEW.
Gen. Joseph Bobleter got into the newspaper game as early as March, 1877, when, on the fifth of that month, he published the first issue of the Monthly Visitor. It is re- ported that his friends made so much fun about a monthly newspaper trying to collect the daily happenings of a com- munity that Mr. Bobleter decided to enlarge the paper and publish it weekly. The first weekly issue was published on January 2, 1878, under the name of the New Ulm Review. It was then a five-column four-page newspaper. The twelfth number of volume 2 appeared as an eight-column, four-page paper and it was published in that form until volume 8, when it changed to a six-column quarto. On January 1, 1887, Mr. Bobleter sold the Review plant to Ernst Brandt and John H. Weddendorf, who assumed the publication of the Review, under the firm name of Brandt & Weddendorf. Charles L. Roos, who had been doing edi- torial work on the Review under Colonel Bobleter, was con- tinued as managing editor until March 7, 1888, when he re- signed. He was succeeded by Emil Weschcke, who became the managing editor and continued as such until January, 1889. when he quit the newspaper field.
Fred W. Johnson's name appears as the editor of the New Ulm Review for the first time in January, 1890. He became the owner of the Review on November 25, 1891, and was the editor and publisher until April 3, 1895. At
Digitized by by Google
459
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
that time Johnson took in Ernst Wicherski as a partner, and the Review was published by the firm of Johnson & Wicherski until November 25, 1896, when Ernst Wicherski became the sole owner of the newspaper. F. W. Johnson continued as the editor until February 15, 1899, when he was succeeded by Attorney Einar Hoidale, who helped out Mr. Wicherski with the editorial work for a short time. On April 12, 1891, he was succeeded by Max Latte, who was the editor of the paper until the latter part of August, 1899.
In November, 1899, E. R. Barager assumed the editor- ship of the Review. On January 9, 1901, he also became the publisher, having bought out Ernst Wicherski. Six- months later E. R. Barager sold the plant to W. R. Hodges and Asa P. Brooks, both of Sleepy Eye, who took charge of the Review with the issue of June 12, 1901, with Asa P. Brooks as editor. On November 22, 1905, the New Ulm Review was purchased by the New Ulm Publishing Com- pany, and they have been the owners and publishers of it ever since. Asa P. Brooks resigned as editor on November 1, 1906, and was succeeded by Fred W. Johnson, who con- tinued editor until June 15, 1909, when he was succeeded by E. J. Buehrer. Mr. Buehrer held down the editorial chair until October, 1911, and since that time Capt. Albert Steinhauser and Miss Harriet Payne have been the editors.
The New Ulm Review is now a six-column, eight-page paper and the subscription price is $1.50 per year. It is an independent Democratic newspaper and enjoys a wide circulation and the patronage of the business men of the city.
The New Ulm Publishing Company eliminated the New Ulm News on October 30, 1909, by purchasing of J. J.
Digitized by by Google
460
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Green the subscription lists and the good will of the New Ulm News .. Besides publishing the New Ulm Review, the New Ulm Publishing Company maintains an up-to-date and efficient job department. Several years ago they in- stalled a Monotype, and for a long time enjoyed the dis- tinction of being the only country newspaper in the state to be so equipped. They are also equipped with four job presses and recently installed a Huber cylinder press to take care of the fast growing business in the job depart- ment. Besides publishing the Review, the New Ulm Pub- lishing Company prints the New Ulm Post for Mr. Stein- hauser; The Messenger, a quarterly published by the stu- dents of the Dr. Martin Luther College; The Missions- briefe, a German monthly published by the China Mission; Mind and Body, and the American Turner, monthly pub- lication for the Turner Publishing Company of Minneapo- lis. The present officers of the New Ulm Publishing Com- pany are Emil G. Hage, president; Alfred Schroeck, vice- president, and Albert Steinhauser, secretary and treasurer.
BROWN COUNTY JOURNAL.
The Brown County Journal, published at the city of New Ulm, was established by its present owner, Philip Liesch, October 15, 1898, as a Republican newspaper. At first it was a six-column paper, but has since been enlarged to that of a seven-column quarto, and is issued at a subscrip- tion rate of one dollar and fifty cents per year. It has an extensive circulation in the counties of Brown, Nicollet and Redwood. The Journal is a thoroughly up-to-date news- paper, which seeks, and does give all possible news of city and county up to the hour of going to press each week.
Digitized by Google
!
461
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Connected with the Journal plant is a modern print- ery-a job department in which all kinds of artistic and commercial printing is executed. Electric power is em- ployed in the running of the various kinds of machinery, which include a linotype, three job presses and two-revolu- tion book and job presses, with all such fixtures and mate- rial used in a twentieth-century printing plant, either in town or city.
This office is centrally located just off of Minnesota street, in a modern brick structure, which is leased for a term of years. On account of the rapidly increasing busi- ness, the building has had to be enlarged twice within a few years. Whether one visits the Journal office on business or out of curiosity, they are at once impressed with the neat- ness and order found on every hand in counting room, edi- torial rooms, and the extensive printing establishment, and with the impressions must come the conclusion that the guiding hand who has managed so successfully the business for the last eighteen years must be able and competent in all that it takes to conduct a modern printing office.
NEW ULM VOLKSBLATT.
The German newspaper, styled the New Ulm Volks- blatt, published weekly at New Ulm, was founded on Sep- tember 21, 1892, by the Volksblatt Publishing Company. It is a Republican paper and in size and form is a seven- column quarto. It was established by the company just named and by it conducted until October 1, 1897, since which date it has been owned by Philip Liesch, who also owns and edits the Brown County Journal, which is printed
Digitized by by Google
462
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
in the same building. The Volksblatt is two dollars a year, and has a large circulation throughout Nicollet, Brown and Redwood counties.
The job department is complete in every detail. Here is found every necessary appliance for executing modern commercial printing in excellent style, either in the Ger- man or English languages.
The building, its style and location has already been mentioned above in the history of the Brown County Jour- nal. The Volksblatt is to the German people what the Journal is to the English-speaking population in the com- munities in which it circulates. With the large German population in the country in which it pays its weekly visits, it is almost necessary that a first-class weekly newspaper be supplied, and in this Mr. Liesch has made a success from the start. His paper is now almost a quarter of a cen- tury old.
SLEEPY EYE HERALD-DISPATCH.
The Sleepy Eye Herald-Dispatch was established in February, 1880, by Thomas E. Bowen, as a Democratic newspaper. The changes in ownership and editors have been about as follow: On May 5, 1890, Mr. Bowen sold the property to York & Marcellus, and two months later, W. R. Hodges purchased the paper and has conducted it ever since. Up to June 8, 1907, the paper was known as the Sleepy Eye Herald, but on that date he bought out his competitor, the owner of the Dispatch, and consolidated their names, making it the Herald-Dispatch.
Mr. Hodges owns his own office building and has a good circulation in Brown and adjoining counties. His
Digitized by Google
1
-
463
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
subscription rate is one dollar and fifty cents a year. The size of the paper is fifteen by twenty-two inches. The job business in this office is good and here is executed as fine work as can be found in any Minnesota printing office. Its equipment includes two cylinder presses, two jobbers, a linotype, folder, etc., making it modern throughout.
OTHER NEWSPAPERS.
An account of the newspapers of Sleepy Eye written in 1882, says at that date there were in Brown county the Brown County Republican, published by C. Browmwich, and the Sleepy Eye Herald, Democratic, by T. E. Bowen. Another publication there was the Sleepy Eye Wide Awake and the Gazette.
COMFREY TIMES.
The Comfrey Times was established on March 9, 1900, by W. R. Hodges, Sleepy Eye, and at first it was six-column, two pages, printed at home. It is now a six-column, four- page sheet. It is independent in politics. The office is equipped with a Diamond power cylinder, Chandler & Price and Clipper job presses. A two-horse International gas engine furnishes the power for the establishment. The job work executed here is fully up to the standard required nowadays. The proprietor owns his own building. The yearly subscription rate is one dollar and a half, if not paid in advance, but twenty-five cents less if in advance.
On January 1, 1902, the paper was sold by W. R. Hodges to W. B. Brooks, who has published the paper ever since. Prior to the present owner taking the paper, Mr.
Digitized by Google
464
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Hodges, founder of the paper, had various managers, and among such were Hans Gyrthdahl, Harry Roe, W. B. Brooks, who worked one year and purchased the property. The Times has a good circulation in the counties of Brown, Cottonwood and Watonwan.
SPRINGFIELD ADVANCE.
The Advance published at the village of Springfield, was established in 1887 by Fred A. Wright, as a five- column, four page paper. Its present size is a six-column, all home print and runs from eight to thirty-two pages per week. It is independent Republican in its politics. The subscription rate of the Advance is one dollar and a half per year, in advance, at home and two dollars if sent to Canada. Its circulation is largely in Brown and Redwood counties. The equipment of the printing plant consists of all that is needed in a modern up-to-date printing office, in- cluding two Gordon presses, a drum cylinder book and job press and a newspaper press. The power to propel the plant's machinery is a two-horse gasoline engine. All sorts of excellent job work is turned out at this office weekly.
HANSKA HERALD.
The Herald, published at the little village of Hanska, was established in 1901, by Reverend Upton, who sold to Mr. Dresser, and by him to J. H. Haenzie and he in turn sold to A. B. Eggensperger, who purchased the property in January, 1906. This is an eight-page, six-column paper; is independent in its political bearings, and has a subscrip-
Digitized by by Google
465
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
tion rate of one dollar and fifty cents per year. It has a fair circulation in Brown and Watonwan counties. It is published in a leased building, and the owner makes a specialty of fine commercial printing. This branch of the Herald's business is quite extensive, and reaches out into the Dakotas and all over Minnesota's southern counties. Its equipment includes a linotype machine, a stitcher, per- forator, etc., and these are all run by electric motors.
Within the last few months the property has been known as the holdings of the A. R. Eggensperger-Jones Company, Walter Jones having acquired an interest in the property. The Herald is a live local journal conducted on modern business principles by energetic men.
THE ADLER.
The Adler was the name of a German newspaper estab- lished in 1892 at Springfield, and continued about two years. It was started by Frank L. Manderfeld and others. It was a small weekly journal which was sold to a German school teacher named Klemme, but did not run long there- after.
(30)
Digitized by Google
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE CITY OF NEW ULM.
New Ulm, the seat of justice of Brown county, on the right bank of the Minnesota river, was named by its found- ers after an important city and an old fort standing on the shore of the Danube in Wurtemberg-Ulm-which word is a combination of the initials of the old Roman legend, "Ultra limites militares," which, translated into our lan- guage signifies "Beyond the military border," as the Romans usually called the territory adjoining their posses- sions in distant countries. It will be understood by the reader from what has already been noted, this place in Brown county was first settled and has always been almost exclusively a German town, hence it was but natural that the founders named it from Ulm, in Wurtemberg, and added the prefix "New," making it New Ulm.
The object in laying out New Ulm was stated in a reso- lution passed by the company or colony that headed the enterprise in the following words: "The object of the German Land Company is to procure a home for every German laborer, popish priests and lawyers excepted, in some healthy and productive district, located on some navigable river." With the passing years, both priest and lawyer have here found a welcome and have been numer- ous, as well as truly law-abiding citizens of a sprightly city whose history reads not unlike a romance from the early
Digitized by Google
-
467
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
fifties on down for more than a third of a century, which covered the awful baptism of blood during the 1862 massa- cre, as well as that never-to-be-forgotten summer in 1881, when the city was destroyed by a cyclone of fearful velocity. "The German Land Association of Minnesota" was formed by act of the Legislature, March 4, 1857, by Will- iam Pfaender, president; Adolph Fischer, Fred Werner, C. Victor Bechmann, Julius Fischer, Adolph Forbeiger, Charles Stroebel, Albert Tafel, Henry Essmann, Charles Floto, Max Wocher and their associates. These parties made a second survey of the townsite and the land was entered by Judge A. G. Chatfield, at the land office at Winona.
At present the city is built up with many brick busi- ness houses and the residence districts are scarcely excelled in cities much larger than New Ulm. Excellent deposits of clay, stone and sand are found in and near the city. The railroad facilities are excellent in all directions and the wealth accumulated largely by the painstaking German and other foreign elements, has for years supported the numer- ous strong banking concerns, and the number of unfor- tunate poor in few in number.
THE BEGINNINGS.
New Ulm was platted in 1856 and in 1858 it had a news- paper known as the New Ulm Pioneer, the files of which show the following to have been the make-up of the village at that date: Fifty-nine hundred building lots and four hundred and ninety-three outlots; ninety buildings with six stores, a woolen mill, two blacksmiths shops, a saw- and
Digitized by Google
468
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
grist-mill. Its population was then one thousand and thirty-four, with four hundred and forty voters, while the entire county only had six hundred and fifty-five voters.
The first mill in the place was the Eagle mill-a saw- and grist-mill combined, erected in 1856.
The old Dakota House was opened to the public on April 16, 1859, by Seiter & Erd.
The first store was started by Adolph Seiter, just to the west of the village in 1856. The first real store or busi- ness house in New Ulm was that of F. Roebecke, who pur- chased the store above mentioned.
BUSINESS OF 1916.
The latest directory of the city gives these as the prin- cipal places of business: Four banks, one mortgage and loan company, five hotels, six grain elevators, a commercial club, an opera house, an armory, two extensive flouring mills, a feed-mill, a pipe-organ factory, three breweries, an overall factory, bottling works, a saw-mill, a woolen-mill, brick-kilns, two hospitals, a creamery, two stone-quarry companies, four weekly newspapers (two English and two German), a produce company, a steam laundry, two ex- press companies (Adams and American), a greenhouse, an ice company and the usual number of retail stores and shops found in cities of this class.
THE BREWING INDUSTRY.
Brewing has always been one of the leading industries in New Ulm, the first attempt being made in January, 1858,
Digitized by Google
469
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
by Anton Friton, when he built the pioneer brewing estab- lishment. In January, 1861, in the valley of the Cotton- wood river, near the village of New Ulm, August Schell commenced his brewing plant and this was highly success- ful. In 1865, Betz & Hauenstein completed their brewery, A distillery was started by H. A. Subilia and was ready for business on April 6, 1861. It stood just under the bluff, a little to the north of the street leading from the city to the present college grounds, near the Hermann monument. The old brick smoke-stack is all that remains as a monument of that early still, where unadulterated spirits were produced and sold in the markets of the country.
The New Ulm Brewing and Malting Company was established in 1910, as the company is now formed. The incorporation officers are now: President, John Schneider ; vice-president, Herman Nogel; secretary, Joseph F. Groeb- ner; treasurer, Otto Meyer. The authorized capital is fifty thousand dollars. Twelve men are employed, and large amounts of grain are annually used in the establishment. Minnesota and Iowa take a greater part of the output from this brewing concern. The capacity is ten thousand bar- rels per year, but on account of the recent temperance agi- tation and war upon the part of the "Drys" the limit is not quite reached of late.
This brewing plant is the direct successor to the first brewery in New Ulm-Anton Friton's-established in 1858, near the Minneapolis & St. Louis depot, and the Park of today. Mr. Friton was succeeded by Joseph Schumaker and he was succeeded by the present owners.
The Schell Brewing Company was established at New
Digitized by Google
470
BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Ulm in 1861, under its present name. August Schell was the proprietor. It is now operated under a stock company capital, including the heirs of the late Anton Schell. The officers of the company are George Marti, president; August A. Schneider, vice-president; E. A. Hagberg, secretary and treasurer. The plant's capacity is now eighteen thousand barrels annually ; the grain consumed is about twenty thou- sand bushels. The product is sold in Minnesota and Iowa, and the company enjoys an excellent mail order business. The capital is three hundred thousand dollars; number of men employed, thirty-two. The grounds surrounding the plant are indeed beautiful-a real park in which twelve deer are kept.
The Hauenstein Brewing Company, at New Ulm, was established in 1864 by John Hauenstein. The present officers of the corporation are: Charles Hauenstein, presi- dent; Mrs. Henrietta Hauenstein, treasurer; John Hauen- stein, Jr .; Martin Hose, secretary. The capacity of the plant is twenty thousand barrels, and they consume about thirty-five thousand bushels of grain per annum. The pro- duct of this brewing company finds sale mostly in Minne- sota, North and South Dakota and originally in Iowa. An extensive mail-order business is also transacted. Forty men are constantly employed. The capital under which this concern is operated is one hundred thousand dollars.
FLOURING INDUSTRY.
Brown county has long since been noted for its flour- making industry. The census in 1905 says this county made more flour than any county in Minnesota, outside of
I
Digitized by Google
New Ulm Roller Mills, New Ulm, Minn.
,
NEW ULM ROLLER MILL CO. A
.
0
L
Eagle Roller Mille, New Ulm, Minn.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.