USA > Minnesota > Cottonwood County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 49
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institution which plays such an important part in making St. James one of the most substantial of the smaller cities of Minnesota.
To begin with, the Minnesota and Iowa division traffic, both passenger and freight, is one of the heaviest in the northwest. During the last fifteen years an enormous sum of money has been expended on the roadbed, mak- ing it far superior to most western roads, and the equipment and service make the less fortunate neighbors on nearby lines quite envious. St. James being a division point, all trains stop, thus giving the people advantage of excellent train service. The great volume of business done on this line has 'a direct effect upon the welfare of the city, for it is from here that business is handled. Besides T. R. Welch, division superintendent, and his assistant and a large office force, there is a battery of six dispatchers. The fine two- story brick office building, surrounded by beautiful grounds, is the scene of great activity all hours of the day and night throughout the year.
The old round house stood where the general office building is today. With the increase of business and traffic, the structure became inadequate. These circumstances resulted in the building of the present round house in the summer of 1890. This structure has twenty-five stalls and is as com- pletely equipped as any division point on the system.
In the average town in a strictly agricultural region there are times during the year when cash trade is small. The large amount of dairy farm- ing around St. James circulates considerable cash during the dull seasons, but it remains for the Omaha pay-roll to make things hum the whole year around. There is paid out by the Omaha road at St. James an average montlily pay-roll of over seven thousand dollars. There are employed in the train service on this division an average of three hundred and in the engine service an average of two hundred and fifty. About forty men are employed in the round house.
As an index of the rapid growth of the business of this division, the numerous increases in the capacity of the company ice house is here given.
The capacity when first built was five hundred tons: enlarged in 1893 to one thousand five hundred tons: in igoo to two thousand tons; in 1905 to two thousand five hundred tons: in 1906 to three thousand tons and in 1916 the number of tons had been increased to eight thousand four hundred. This plant is a model of its kind and is one of the largest in the country. Not only are refrigerator cars iced, but day coaches, Pullman and buffet cars are cared for.
While the object of this article is to call attention to one of the strong
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points of this thriving substantial city, there is something regarding the local railroad situation that is worthy of mention. There was a time when rail- road centers were referred to as "railroad towns" and that term in the early days. carried with it the idea of a rough town. This may still be the case out West, but St. James is known as a quiet, orderly city, noted for its excellent school system and as an ideal place for bringing up children. Not only those of local employees connected with the management of the Minne- sota and Iowa division, but those in the train service are among our most honored and respected citizens.
Considerable has been said of the Omaha road, but the city is very fortunate in having the Minneapolis & St. Louis, thus giving the people another line to the Twin Cities and connecting with their Watertown branch at Winthrop and going south into Jowa. There is a branch of the Omaha running south in this county from Madelia, ten miles east of here, and the Northwestern crossing the Omaha at Butterfield, eight miles west, cuts the county north and south. Thus it will be seen that St. James has a train service and connections which make it a center of a large and rich territory. On account of this it is an ideal point for many lines of industry and is the home of a number of commercial travellers.
FIRST TRAIN ON THE MINNEAPOLIS & ST. LOUIS.
Comparatively few of the citizens of St. James realize that Friday, December 1. 1899, was a day which is destined to go down into history hand in hand with their prosperous fittle city. On that morning there steamed into town from the north the first train on the Minneapolis & St. Louis railroad. The men having it in charge were Conductor Frank Jones, Engineer Worth and Fireman William Young. It was a construction train, to be sure, but nevertheless a train, no matter what construction is put upon it. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning when it pulled in and stopped. In two minutes it was off south through the town, but not before the enter- prising artists, Hoffman & Richardson, had taken a fine snapshot of it. Among the men of note who stood without the range of the camera and smiled as they watched the smoke rise and curl away in ringlets, was M. K. Armstrong. Acting Trainmaster George Beatty, an old and trusted employee of the road; MeCabe & Steen. contractors. with Superintendent Frank Kyte. Foreman Pratt. of the tracklaying gang, and last but by no means least, John Mills, engineer of tracks.
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CHAPTER XVI.
MILITARY HISTORY.
It will be remembered that Watonwan county was not well settled when the Civil War broke out in April, 1861,-in fact, the settlement was just commenced in and about the village and the then county seat. For this reason the part that Watonwan county men took in the war was necessarily not large. But while there were a few who enlisted and were credited to other counties in the state of Minnesota, it does not boast of its part in that war that forever set the old doctrine of states rights at naught, in so far as it related to the holding of slaves in this country.
Minnesota furnished many thousands of loyal, brave men for the war, and when it was finally over tens of thousands of the boys who wore. the loyal blue, immigrated from some one of the Eastern states to this state, and this included a goodly number of men who became first and permanent settlers in the various townships of Watonwan county.
The county records show the names of many veterans of that war, who claimed and secured their homestead and other land rights in this county, by reason of their service in the war. No township can be named in this county that does not have citizens residing there who did not see their share of fighting in the Southland between 1861 and 1865. It was this class of men who braved the bullets of the erring ones of the South ; who here faced the storms of many a hard winter; suffered by reason of dry weather and grasshopper scourges, but who finally redeemed the county from many blighting scourges, and have lived the remainder of their days in comparative ease. The ranks of the Civil War soldiers, however, are being rapidly depleted and ere long none will remain among us as a re- minder of those sturdy, loyal characters who aided in putting down the rebellion. The "copper-button" of the Grand Army of the Republic is now only seen here and there, as most of the soldiers have passed to the beyond.
In 1864 the records show that the county commissioners of Watonwan county voted to allow one hundred and fifty dollars bounty to any man who should enlist from the county, in order to avoid a draft. Other aid
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was rendered by the citizens, through the board of county commissioners, all going to show the spirit of loyalty that then obtained.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
For hundreds of years Spain had ruled in tyranny over Cuba and in April, 1898, when the "Maine" gun-boat belonging to the United States, was sunk in Havana harbor, as believed, by the Spanish, and war was de- clared on that nation, it was no trouble to secure recruits and volunteers to quickly fill up the ranks needed to carry forward the war with that coun- try, which, in a few months, finally resulted in the sinking of almost the entire Spanish fleet and also in freeing the neighboring island of Cuba, at our south. after three hundred years of bondage in which Spain had held the people of that island.
A military company, known as Company H, of St. James, was one of the companies making up the Second Regiment, National Guard, of which William Denny was captain; Peter S. Lobben, first lieutenant, and A. Running, second lieutenant. This company was organized on March 4, 1898, and formed an honorable part of the Twelfth Minnesota Regiment, mustered for Spanish-American service, and which left for Chickamauga, May 6, of that year. When the company went South, under orders of President William Mckinley, they had officers as follow: G. N. Griswold, captain ; C. R. Henton, first lieutenant : William Denny, second lientenant. Griswold resigned on June 20. 1898; Lieutenant Henton commanded until July 20; Perrin L. Smith was elected captain on July 19; William Denny was transferred to Company C. October 6. as first lieutenant : Fred Straub became second lieutenant on October 6. The company was mustered out at New Ulm, Minnesota, with its regiment, November 5, 1898.
CHAPTER XVII.
AGRICULTURE, STOCK-RAISING, ETC.
Watonwan is purely an agricultural district; here "corn is king," and small grains and stock-raising. with dairying next in importance. The carly settlers did not suppose that this was a corn country, hence devoted all of their energy to raising wheat, oats, barley and flax, and this in the very nature of things was of a lasting benefit. as the tough prairie sod had first to be pulverized by constant and annual cultivation, before the production of corn would have been a great success; but as the farmer saw the price of grains kept low and no signs of ever making much money out of the laborious work of raising grain, they commenced to experiment in seed corn and after years of trying, succeeded in producing a very early and hardy variety of corn which now grows as well here as in Iowa, which is one of the leading corn states in the Union. The same conditions obtained in northern Iowa for a decade or more after that section of the West was settled. The soil here is ideal for corn growing and with the proper var- iety of seed the crop seldom fails. Then the soil is very suitable for dairy- ing, there being much low, moist land, where all kinds of common grasses grow luxuriantly. Many have come to believe, in more recent years, that with the modern system of creamery and butter-making facilities, this whole country will ere long be one vast dairy region. The pastures of the county are now covered with cows, whose milk is fast paying off the debts that stood against the farms of the county a few years ago.
There are now paying creameries at various points, including those located at Butterfield, St. James, Odin, Darfur, the Nelson and Albin creamery. the Long Lake creamery, the Sveadahl creamery, the South Branch creamery, and others. In 1913 the county had eight creameries, the output of which was one million and a quarter pounds of butter ; also, one cheese factory with an output of one hundred and twenty-seven thousand pounds of cheese. The live stock of the county in 1913 was as follow : Horses, 8,433: cattle, 20,459; sheep, 1.754; swine, 13.599.
There are numerous large stock farms here and fancy stock is raised. Hundreds of cars of fat cattle and other stock are shipped annually from
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the markets of Watonwan county. Nearly all the farmers own an orchard for the production of apples, as well as berries, which yield a splendid crop.
Nearly every farm home in this county is supplied with United States rural free delivery of mail and parcels, daily. and long-distance telephones, which, together with the excellent transportation facilities to the markets of the Twin Cities, Winona and Mankato, make an ideal home for the agriculturist.
STOCK-RAISING METHODS IMPROVED.
Complete success at farming and stock-raising in this county did not crown the efforts of the Watonwan husbandmen until they had first learned the lesson of corn growing and breeding fancy stock, coupled with the kin- dred industry of butter-making and the sale of cream. For many years after this county had been settled the cattle were of a poor grade, and after getting half their growth were sold to stockmen from Iowa, who drove large herds annually from southern Minnesota to lowa, where they were fattened and enriched the men who brought them from this state. But, later. through the foresight of such men as the late M. K. Armstrong and a score more men. better grades of stock were imported and since then none but the best will satisfy the farmer here. The horses also have been bred up till the horse buyers of today say this county produces almost as good a grade of horses as does that fine horse-breeding section of Brown county on the north, whose German population have a name at home and abroad for raising the best horses in Minnesota.
As this county is being drained. the land is becoming better adapted to successful farming and stock-raising, and the rural scene of today, splendid as it is to the eye of the passerby, is only a faint shadow of what the real county will be in the near future.
The farmer who used to be known only as the "homesteader," the "grasshopper sufferer," and had to be materially aided by the outside world, has now come to be in good circumstances and supports his automobile, telephone connection, has his daily paper and educates his children in the high schools of the county and at the State University. Pioneering is al- ways hard on every member of the family, but this was especially true in this part of the state, before railroad days and before the soil had been subdued. Those who remained faithful to the trust imposed upon them as fathers and mother- in this county have lived to see their families well educated and holding places of importance in the bury world.
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FARM NAMES.
Through a provision of the law enacted a few years since, landowners within the state of Minnesota may select a name for their improved farm land (not already taken by another and so recorded with the register of deeds), by the payment of a fee of from fifty cents to one dollar. This was a wise provision, and has been in vogue many years in other countries. The farm name-no matter how many times the land changes owners- always has an individuality that otherwise it could not have. But in Waton- wan county not many farmers have taken advantage of this provision of the Legislature, as the record book only presents the names of sixteen farms, and they are as follow :
No. 1-June 25, 1909, "East Bank Farm," in section 12, township 106, range 31 west, by J. C. Jensen.
No. 2-October 16, 1909, "Oak Dale Stock Farm," in section 15, township 105, range 32 west, by Otto M. Howe.
No. 3-"Brook Side Stock Farm," December 20, 1910, in section 33 and section 34, by D. O'Keefe.
No. 4-October 21, 1911, "Brook Valley," in section 20, township 107, range 32 west, by Jolin A. Sjorquist.
No. 5-May 6, 1912, "Northwood Farm," by Nels Nelson, in section 24. township 105, range 32 west.
No. 6-June 15, 1912, "Fertile Valley Farm." in section 16, township 105, range 32 west, by Mangus Ronsdahl.
No. 7-"Elmwood Farm," August 31, 1912, in sections 19 and 30, township 105, range 31 west, by Soren Cook.
No. 8-April 16, 1914, "City View Farm," in section 18, township 106, range 31 west, by W. G. Manning and Francis T. Desmond.
No. 9-"Cloverdale Farm," August 10, 1915, in section 9. township 106, range 32 west, by R. E. Hagen.
No. 10-"Sunnyside Farm," September 8, 1915, in sections 20 and 29, township 107, range 33 west, by Albert A. Uhlhorn.
No. 11-"Park Dale Farm," September 27, 1915, in section 2, town- ship, 106, range 31 west, by Hans A. Haygen.
No. 12-October 8, 1915, "East View Farm," in sections 20, 29 and 30. township 106, range 32, by N. L. Zender.
No. 13-"Clover Leaf Farm," January 8, 1916, in section 7, township 107, range 33 west, by Oscar Wallin.
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No. 14-March 28. 1916. "Cloverdell Farm," in section 20, and section 21, township 105. range 30 west, by William F. Poppe.
No. 15-"Fairview Stock Farm," March 29, 1916, in section 18, town- ship 106, range 32 west, by Henry J. Meyer.
No. 16-"Hage," April 6, 1916, by Siver Hage in section 2, township 107, range 30.
THE GREAT ELGIN COLONY.
Among the greatest single colonies that ever came to this county was the one induced to settle here by Mr. Voss. Many of these Illinois farmers purchased lands at ten dollars an acre and sowed the raw breaking to flax, and so great was the yield for a number of seasons that many paid for their land from the proceeds of one year's crop of flax. Besides this the land was thoroughly subdued, suitable for the easy cultivation of other crops, including corn. After a few crops of flax. it was found that this plant was a detriment to the soil and its growth was lessened until none was sown. This colony furnished many thrifty agriculturists in the vicinity of St. James.
COUNTY FAIR SOCIETIES, ETC.
Here, as has been the case in many of the counties in Minnesota the keeping up a successful county annual fair for the exhibit of farm, live stock and fruits produced in the county, has been no small task. The earliest society went down about the date of the Indian massacre in 1862 and was not reorganized for a number of years. It is profitless to the reader to trace the coming and falling by the wayside of all of these societies, but it may be briefly stated that in 1890 the business men of St. James started a monthly "stock sale." which was highly successful and pleased the farmers very much.
In November, 1891, the Watonwan County Board of Trade decided to organize a regular county fair, again. On February 26, 1892, they met and elected the following officers: H. W. Wadsworth, president; the township vice-presidents were, David Sharp, South Branch; P. H. Grogan, River- dale: C. M. Malmrose, Nelson; W. W. Gibbs, Rosendale ; Gilbert Swensen, Long Lake; E. Z. Rasey, St. James: James McDonaugh, Adrian; J. D. McBroom, Butterfield; A. A. Nass, Odin: Thomas Veltum, St. James vil- lage; John Hammond, Antrim. A constitution was prepared, read and adopted, and the name given the society was the "Watonwan County Agri- cultural Society."
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Several successful fairs were held under the auspices of this society, but interest was not kept up. \ meeting was called and other men desired to organize a stock company and purchase the old fair grounds. This meet- ing was held in 1910. In February, 1913, a new or really a re-organized society was formed and stock was placed at five dollars per share. The last officers of the old association became the first officers in the newly formed society. C. T. Crowley. E. A. Gibbs, Rev. Knowlton and C. E. Fuller were made a committee to prepare and submit plans for the grounds and buildings.
Thus the old fair grounds went from the hands of a county agricul- tural society of the old type into the hands of a stock company, which incorporation made the present improvements on the grounds, which are just to the southeast of the city. The half-mile track, amphitheatre, judges' stand, the long rows of stock pens and other improvements, make it a per- manent and desirable property. The buildings, for the most part, are cov- ered with metal sheeting.
The present officers of the association are: Oliver C. Peterson, presi- dent ; E. Corliss, vice-president ; Thomas Offerdahl, secretary; Milton Ham- mond, treasurer. There is a board of directors made up of the stock- holders, scattered throughout the county. Shares are now ten dollars each and there are about seventy-five at this date.
The grounds comprise about twenty acres, which was bought from W. W. Gibbs at one hundred dollars an acre in 1905. It contains two good wells, and all the improvements before mentioned, all of which have cost more than five thousand dollars. Electric lights make all beautiful at night. and every township in the county now makes a special effort to attend the annual fair, bringing with them the finest of stock, grain and fruits the county can produce. In the year 1915 the association paid out for premiums $1.082: for races, $920; for amusements, $875. a total of $2,877. They now have an indebtedness of $1.722.27.
The Farmers Clubs are doing much toward exciting interest in the enterprise, as are also the rural school districts, which under the county school superintendent, have collected six hundred dollars and to this has been added two hundred more for a school exhibition building.
AN EARLY HORSE AND CATTLE FAIR.
At a meeting held in the village of St. James early in July, 1875, by its enterprising citizens, it was decided that a monthly horse and cattle fair
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should be held in that village on the third Saturday of each month, com- mencing with September 18. The farmers and citizens saw the need of - choosing a certain day when they could go and sell, buy or trade and where the butchers could also be accommodated. The first fair was a sort of an experiment, but was so much of a success that others followed. At the first fair seven yoke of oxen, several cows and a great many young cattle were sold. amounting to nearly one thousand five hundred dollars. As the country settled up, and markets changed in the community this fair was done away with.
THE CREAMERIES OF WATONWAN COUNTY.
Of recent years the flat lands of this county have been profitably utilized for pasture purposes and the amount of butter made has been remarkable. The farmers have found that their debts could be paid off and a nice bank account started through keeping as many cows as possible.
A report of the Sveadahl Cream Company, published in February. 1911, shows that during the year ending in that month, this creamery had produced one hundred and five thousand pounds of butter and received for the same thirty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-two dollars. They had paid out for butter-fat twenty-eight thousand five hundred dollars. The expenses, including salaries, amounted to twenty-five hundred and fifty dol- lars. They had on hand, in the sinking fund, thirteen hundred dollars. The average price per pound for butter-fat that year, was thirty-one cents; average overrun twenty per cent. Total, three thousand dollars business more than the previous year.
At Madelia the Co-operative Creamery opened up for business in 1890, and in the first season received ninety thousand pounds of milk. In Sep- tember they sold the butter on track at twenty cents per pound and raised the price of milk to the farmers. This was the first creamery in the county.
There are now eight or ten successful creameries and many cream stations in operation within Watonwan county. In 1903 the State Butter- makers Association convened at St. James.
DAIRY STATISTICS.
The recent state reports show that there are now eight active cream- eries within this county; that these creameries produced last year nine hundred and sixty-two thousand, five hundred and forty-seven pounds of
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butter and that the patrons were paid two hundred and thirty-eight thou- sand, four hundred and thirty-two dollars therefor.
MADELIA CREAMERY COMPANY.
The Madelia Creamery Company, which was organized on January I, 1915, are the successors to the Madelia Butter and Cheese Company organ- ized in 1890. The old company held a charter from the state that expired on August 1, 1915. On February 21, 1916, the creamery was sold at public auction, the highest bidders being the present Madelia Creamery Company. The present company is a stock concern, composed of the leading farmers and business men in and around Madelia. The men connected with the organization are as follow: A. U. Mclaughlin, president ; Clark Penny, vice-president : George E. Gjertson, secretary; Henry Madson, treasurer; George E. Gjertson, John Hermanson, S. A. Peterson, C. L. Sorensen and Clark Penny, directors: C. L. Sorensen, manager. Mr. C. L. Sorensen belongs to a family of butter-makers, he being one of six brothers now in the business. Perhaps no other family in the United States can boast of having as many brothers managing co-operative creameries as the Sorensen family. Another fact that recommends them to their many patrons is that no one of them has ever failed. Therefore, there is a very logical reason why the Madelia Creamery Company is among the leaders in the creamery business of the county. Their patrons are always satisfied and their pros- perity never questioned.
During May, 1916. the company had about two hundred patrons, whose checks for that month amounted to a total of four thousand seven hundred and two dollars and ninety-nine cents. The amount of business done by the company amounted to five thousand dollars. Their principal market is in Brooklyn, New York. The farmers are careful to deliver their cream on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for which they receive three cents above the regular price of butter-fat. They may get their checks whenever needed, but regular payment is made at the end of every month.
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