USA > Minnesota > Dakota County > History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 48
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1875. G. W. Houghtaling, mayor; Messrs. Byers, Barbaras, Thompson, Norton, Smith, Feicker, and Yanz, aldermen; J. H. Heath, clerk; R. J. Marvin, treasurer; D. F. Langley, assessor; T. Woodward, chief; J. F. Newton, justice.
1876. George Barbaras, mayor; Messrs. Byers, Ferry, Meloy, Norton, Smith, Schmidt, and Yanz, aldermen; J. H. Heath, clerk; R. J. Mar- vin, treasurer; J. N. Searles, attorney; D. F. Langley, assessor; S. White, chief; J. F. New- ton, justice.
1877. George Barbaras, mayor; Messrs. Byers, Meloy, Smith, Estergreen, Weber, Seal, and Ferry, aldermen; Charles Mather, clerk; J. C. Norton, treasurer; J. N. Searles, attorney; D. F. Langley, assessor; J. F. Newton, justice; S. White, chief.
1878. J. B. Lambert, mayor; Messrs. Busch, Estergreen, Hildt, Marx, Seal, Van Inwegen, and Weber, aldermen; Chas. Mather, clerk; J. C. Nor- ton, treas .: L. Van Slyck, atty .; R. J. Marvin, as- sessor; W. H. De Kay, justice; T. Woodward, chief.
1879. J. B. Lambert, mayor; Messrs. Busch, Kramer, Marx, Norrish, Van Inwegen, Weber, and Yanz, aldermen; C. Mather, clerk; J. C.
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Norton, treasurer; L. Van Slyck, attorney; E. Dean, assessor; W. H. DeKay, justice; T. Wood- ward, chief.
1880. John Byers, mayor; Messrs. Busch, Kramer, Estergreen, Reed, Weber, Yanz, and Norrish, aldermen; C. Mather, clerk; B. C. Howes. treasurer; Wm. Hodgson, attorney; E. Dean, assessor; W. H. DeKay, justice; William Black, chief.
1881. John Byers, mayor; Messrs. Armstrong, Van Slyck, Estergreen, Weber, and Busch, alder- men; Owen Austin, clerk.
CHAPTER XLIII.
MANUFACTURES-BANKS-POST-OFFICE-SOCI- ETIES-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES.
The first lumber-mill was built at Hastings in 1855, on the site of the present Libbey mill, and was the first steam-mill on the Mississippi river north of Winona. The builder and owner was Hammon Stowell, who was born in Bainbridge, New York, in 1807, and emigrated to Ohio in 1819, when the country was but a wilderness. Mr. Stowell came to Hastings in 1855, and is now a resident of Northfield.
The timbers for his mill were of maple and elm, cut and hewn on the banks of the Mississippi. No pine lumber entered into its structure. The boarding of the mill was deferred until the mate- rial for it could be sawed by the mill itself, and this material was maple and elm like the timbers. An engine of thirty horse-power was procured from Mount Vernon, Ohio, and came up the river by boat.
The machinery was started in December, 1855, and the capacity of the mill was found to be about 10,000 feet per day. The settlers hauled in hard-wood logs, and Mr. Stowell and his mill were kept busy throughout the season.
In the following summer, 1856, Curtis and Knox, bought the property and entirely rebuilt the mill, much as it now stands. Mr. Curtis retained his interest with different partners until
1863, when it passed to Truax, Moorhouse and Knowlton.
The property afterward came into the hands of W. C. Cowles, who had previously been interested with Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Cowles sold out his interest to Mr. Libbey, in 1874. Mr. Libbey soon built on a front extension and introduced various other improvements. On the site of the first mill now stands
THE COWLES OR LIBBEY LUMBER MILL.
This mill, the only one of the kind in Hastings, is owned by R. C. Libbey, and operated by Messrs. Libbey and Thompson.
The mill proper is 40x130 ft. and contains a rotary saw with a capacity of 30,000 ft. per day; a gang of twenty-five saws, with a capacity of 20,000 ft. per day; a lath saw with a capacity of 25,000 per day, and a shingle saw, whose ca- pacity is 20,000 per day. The ichir ry is driven by steam, the engine being of 100 horse- power, with an 18-inch cylinder and 40-inch stroke.
THE LIBBEY AND THOMPSON PLANING MILL.
Messrs. Libbey and Thompson are also the owners and operators of a combined planing mill and sash, door and blind factory. The building, located within a short distance of their lumber mill, was formerly of wood, and owned by Mr. H. Buturff. Messrs. Libbey and Thompson re- built it of brick, in 1878-80. The main building is 44x80 ft., with an addition of 24x56 ft .; both two stories high. The engine and boiler room is 24x30 feet and sixteen feet in height. The engine is of 40 horse-power with a 10-inch cylinder and 12-inch stroke.
The first floor of the factory has all the neces- sary machinery for making sash, doors, etc., in- cluding one 26-inch surfacer, with a capacity of 40,000 ft. per day; one matcher with a capacity of 10,000 ft. per day, and one resawing machine; also two sticking machines, two sash machines. one blind and slat machine. .:
two circular saws for sawing up material, one cut- off saw, one sash and door clamp, and any neces- sary minor machinery.
On the second floor of the establishment are one sand-paper machine, one shaping machine, one boring machine, one turning lathe, one gum- ming machine, and one jig-saw. This depart-
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ment employs about fifteen men. Thereis a dry- house attached to it 20x24 ft. in dimension.
THE STAR IRON WORKS.
This industry was first opened at Hastings by a Mr. Morrill from Vermont, in 1858. The build- ing burned out in 1862, but left the walls as they are at present. In 1866 Mr. Morrill was suc- ceeded by a stock company, with Frederick Rehse, as president. Mr. Rehse, afterward assumed full control but failed, and after the works had lain idle for a time, Mr. Andrew Warsop became pro- prietor, in 1875. He still continues. The build- ing is a substantial one of stone, and is some ninety feet square, of one story, with a brick stack one hundred feet in elevation.
The machine shop is 60x40 feet and contains one planer, with planes, eight feet by thirty inches; one large lathe twenty feet long; one up- right drill; one lathe six feet long, one ten feet, and still another twelve feet in length, with the lesser tools necessary to operate these machines.
The foundry is fifty by thirty feet, with one large cupola, and one large core or dry oven. Here are made all kinds of mill work and build- ing castings; the moulding sand being procured from the bluffs near the city.
The engine room is 20x30 feet and has a twelve horse-power engine, the cylinder of which is 7x12 inches. The engine boiler is ten feet by forty- two inches in diameter, and is supplied with water from a well drilled in the solid rock beneath, to the depth of forty feet.
The work of this establishment stands "A No. 1." Six engines were built at the Star Iron Works, for elevators on the Hastings and Dakota railroad, with pulleys and shafting complete, and are understood to give the very best satisfaction, as to their equipment and working.
DENSMORE FANNING MILL FACTORY.
The manufacture of fanning mills was begun in Hasting, in 1862, by Montgomery and Thomp- son. In 1865, they were succeeded by Tyrrell and Wilson. Tyrrell bought Wilson out in 1866, and ran the factory until 1889, when it was burned to the ground. Nothing daunted, Tyrrell rebuilt immediately.
In 1870, Densmore, the present owner, bought a half interest in the establishment, and the firm was Tyrrell and Densmore until 1874, when it
became Dickey and Densmore. In 1880, Dens- more became sole proprietor. The factory, lo- cated on Second street, is 24x55 feet, in dimen- sions, and has a side lean-to 18x55 feet. The en- gine house is 16x30 feet, and contains a flue boiler and an engine of seventeen horse-power.
This establishment is fitted up, not only for the manufacture of fanning mills, but turns out also sash, doors and blinds.
GILLITT SHINGLE MILL.
This establishment was originally the property of Barnum and Nash, who built the mill and run it until 1867, when William Gillitt, the present proprietor bought them out.
The main building is 30x30 feet, with an L in addition.
The power is furnished by an engine of thirty horse-power, with an eighteen-inch cylinder and twenty-two-inch stroke. The remaining machin- ery consists of two Low machine saws, with a capacity per day of thirty thousand shingles apiece, one drag saw, one bolting saw, one clipping saw, two jointers, and everything necessary for a com- plete shingle manufactory. The mill is located on the slough, in Barker's addition.
The finest water-power in Dakota county is that of Vermillion falls, where now stands the justly celebrated
VERMILLION OR GARDNER ROLLER MILL.
Previous to the erection of this mill, some time in 1853 or 1854, according to Gen. Wm.G. Le Duc, Harrison H. Graham laid claim to the quarter section of land embracing the falls. As there was a party, James Main by name, already hold- ing the claim, as he said, for Alex. Wilkin and others in St. Paul, Mr. Graham, very naturally, became involved in litigation. Gen. Le Duc acted as Graham's counsel, and secured for him the patent.
Graham's improvements at the falls consisted of a little farm house, of two rooms, and a clumsy backwoods mill with "two run of stone, the stones being, one four and a half and the other four feet in diameter, and . each placed on top of the water shaft which drove them. The said shaft was a tree cut from the woods near by, and rounded roughly; the foot being rounded and standing in a cast-iron dish resting upon the lever which raised the stone. The mill machinery was
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driven by the friction of a wooden wheel on this shaft, rolling on a smaller wooden wheel, which had to be renewed as fast as worn out. There was not a cogged wheel in the mill. The water wheels, on the foot of the driving shafts, were percussion wheels of wood, made roughly by Gra- ham, and answered the purpose of grinding the settler's grain."
While Graham was General Le Duc's client, he borrowed money of him, and was, moreover, unable at the end of the litigation, to pay the lat- ter for his services. In settlement of this double indebtedness, Graham made over to the General one-half of his claim. Becoming more deeply in- volved thereafter, Graham transferred the re- maining half of his claim to General Le Duc in consideration of $7,000 cash and the payment of his personal debts as well as any joint debts on the property. This transfer was made early in 1856.
General Le Duc immediately rebuilt the Gra- ham mill, a mill-wright named Bowers superin- tending the work. This mill-wright was, unfor- tunately drawn into the machinery, while starting it for the first time, and crushed to death.
"Previous to entering the army," says General Le Duc, "I sold this mill, together with twenty acres of land, to the Messrs. Harrison of Illinois, for $20,000." One of the Harrisons died, and the other sold the property to Mr. Stephen Gardner, for $27,000. Mr. Gardner immediately proceeded to erect the substantial stone mill which now em- bellishes the north bank of the Vermillion at the falls. This was in 1865.
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The mill is located in the fourth ward of the city of Hastings, although one mile from the city post-office. The stone of which it is built was quarried from the Vermillion river, just below, and is a species of limestone. The building is 60x80 ft. and has two basements and four other stories. Both water and steam power are em- ployed, the former being utilized by an iron flume and penstock, and a 30-inch American turbine water-wheel. The iron flume is seventy ft. in length, with a head of fifty-one ft., using about 150 horse-power. There is also an engine- room and boiler-house of stone, containing a Harris-Corliss low pressure engine, built by Allis and Co., of Milwaukee, with an 18-inch cylinder and 42-inch stroke, rated and warranted to be of
215 horse-power, and with a fine, steel tubular boiler.
The first floor of the mill above the basements is the grinding floor. It has twenty-six sets of Gray roller machines, with rollers of corrugated iron and porcelain. On this floor are also a com- modious office, a retail department and a packing- room with three flour packers. The remaining three floors contain, collectively, eighteen puri- fiers, twenty-six reels or flour bolts, four aspira- tors, two bran-dusters, and numerous dust-rooms, and all the minor modern and most successful appliances necessary to the manufacture of the best brands of flour. This machinery is entirely new, having been put in during the present year, 1880-81, by some twenty-five skilled mechanics. The mill usually gives employment to about twenty men, and under the new system is ex- pected to produce 300 bbls. of flour per day. A railroad track laid to the very door of the mill affords the very best of advantages for receipt and shipping.
Besides the mill proper, there are several barns and outhouses connected with it, as well as three tasty residences for the millers. Also a large building 60x80 ft. for storing bran, and a cooper- shop, where the company manufactures its own barrels, with a barrel-house and stave-house at- tached.
Mr. Stephen Gardner is the owner of this valu- able property, which is at present under the man- agement of his son-in-law, Mr. Charles Espen- chied. The Vermillion-or as it is now called, the Gardner Roller Mill-has commanded for its flour, the highest prices ever paid in the state, in the past, and hence, probably, in the world, and under its new system, cannot fail to hold its own in the very first rank.
RAMSEY FLOURING MILL.
This mill is located on the lower fall of the . Vermillion river, and was formerly called the Dakota mill. The river at this point, is about fifty feet wide, and has a fall of nineteen feet.
In 1855, Elbert H. Halstead located the claim, embracing this water-power, and transferred it in 1857, to Gov. Alexander Ramsey and Dr. Thomas Foster. These gentlemen then built the mill upon it, now called the Ramsey mill. Dr. Foster having disposed of his interest to Gov.
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Ramsey, the latter sold the property in 1877, to Frederick Voigt, its present owner.
The structure is stone, it is 35x55 feet, in di- mension, and has two and one-half stories above the basement. The water-power is utilized by a flume twenty feet in length, and a Swain tur- bine wheel, rated at ninety, but using about sixty horse-power.
The basement contains wheat cleaning ma- chinery, a smutter and separator.
On the first floor are four buhr stones, one set of Gray rollers, two flour packers, two reel bolt- ing chests, and boiler, by means of which the wheat is heated.
The second floor contains, beside flour and wheat bins, a purifier, three bolting reels and one set of smooth rollers.
In the remaining half-story, there are two puri- fiers and a bolting chest.
There is also connected with the mill, a ware- house, twenty-four feet square, having a capacity of ten thousand bushels; and a cooper-shop 24x40 feet, in dimension.
The capacity of the mill proper, is one hun- dred barrels of flour per day, and the assessed value of the property is $10,000.
ENNIS MILL.
In 1871 Joseph Ennis and brother built a dam of wood and stone for the purpose of getting power for a mill which they proposed to build. This dam is one hundred feet long, four feet wide at the top and forty-tive feet at the bot- tom, with apron. They succeeded in getting eleven feet head, making one of the finest water- power sites on the Vermillon river. In 1873 they built a mill of wood, with stone base- ment, three stories high, 30x40 feet. In the basement there is a turbine water-wheel, and a separator and smutter machine, which has a capacity of forty bushels an hour. On the second floor there are four run of stone, each four feet in diameter, and a flour-chest with a capacity of thirty barrels. On the third floor there are two wheat-bins with a capacity of 3,000 bushels, two bolting-chests and two receiving garners. On the fourth floor are one purifier and one dust- room. This mill is a custom mill, and Mr. Ennis is now making straight flour.
The mill is situated on the banks of the Ver-
million river, in the south-west quarter of section 33, township 115, range 17.
JOHN ESTERGREEN AND SON.
The industry of wagon-making John Ester- green opened at Hastings, in 1857, at the corner of Fourth and Ramsey streets. In 1858-'60 he drew stone from Barker's addition, and built the building at the corner of Fifth and Vermillion streets, in which the company's office now is.
The firm name has recently become John Ester- green and Son. Their manufactory of carriages, wagons and sleighs is the largest of its kind in the county, and ranks well with others in the state. Mr. Estergreen, Sr., learned his trade thoroughly at Stockholm, Sweden, and made the first carriage for King Carl XV .. .
WAGON-SHOP.
This building is of wood and fronts on Fifth street. It is twenty-four feet wide by 120 feet long, and is two stories high. All the wood work in the manufacture of carriages and sleighs is done on the lower floor of this shop. On the upper floor are four paint-rooms to which, from the blacksmith and trimming-shops, the vehicles return, in the process of manufacture, for their coats of paint. In each of these four rooms a different stage of the work is continually going on, from rough coating to varnishing.
BLACKSMITH SHOP.
This building is the nucleus of the goodly number that together make up the Estergreen property. It isof stone, and is thirty feet wide by seventy-five feet long, and has one and one- half stories. It is on the corner of Vermillion and Fifth streets, and besides the company's office, contains also, on the ground floor, seven forges, which are used in ironing the firm's own manufactures, as well as in doing a general black- smithing business, with the exception of shoeing horses. Above this floor there is a storage-room for wood and lumber.
TRIMMING SHOPS.
The wood work and ironing done, the vehicles are taken to the trimming shop, where the leather work, upholstering and general trimmings, are added. The building for this purpose is located in the rear of a depository which fronts on Ver- million street. It is 24x65 feet in dimensions and
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has two stories; the upper one being used as a tenement. Below are four rooms, only one of which is used as a trimming room proper; the others containing respectively, leather and smaller trimmings, springs, axles and various supplies of carriage hardware.
REPOSITORIES AND STORE ROOMS.
There are eight store rooms connected with the Estergreen establishment, four for finished work and four for the storage of material. They are located within. short distances of the central build- ings and are of an average dimension of about 25x50 feet and range from one to two stories in height.
GRANARY.
Estergreen and Son are largely interested in farming as well as in manufacturing, and own a story and a half granary, which fronts on Fifth street. It is thirty feet wide and forty feet long and its capacity is between two and three thous- and bushels. The estimated value of this and the other property described is $10,000. The manu- ·facturing interest gives employment steadily to from ter. to twenty-five men, and is an important factor in the business interests of Dakota county.
BELL BROS. MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
This active company, engaged in the manufac- ture of sash, doors and blinds, are also the only furniture manufacturers in Dakota county. Their factory is located at the corner of Third and Eddy streets. Their building, of two stories, has three wings; the first 22x65 feet, the second 20x50 feet, and the third 20x22 feet, with an engine house of stone in addition, 20x30 feet. The en- gine is of 25 horse-power, and was manufactured at the Star Works in Hastings. It is a double engine, having two cylinders, each seven inches in diameter, with a 12-inch stroke. The boiler is twelve feet long, and has thirty 3-inch flues. The supply of water is from a well in the boiler-house, drilled in the solid rock to a depth of sixty-five feet, and having a 6-inch diameter. The machine work is almost entirely done on the first floors. In the first wing below are two planers, a mortiser one sand-papering machine, one moulder, two blind machines, one scroll saw, two cut-off saws, two circular saws and a turning lathe.
The second room below contains a matching
and resawing machine; while the third room is used entirely for putting up sash and doors.
In the second story are two rooms, one used for the storing of finished work, and the other for the making of that work itself. In the latter room is a boring machine, a shaping machine, and. a cutting-off saw.
The Bell Bros. usually employ from ten to fif- teen hands. Besides their jobbing orders they also do a large retail business, and are the princi- pal undertakers in the city. Their furniture store is located at the corner of Third and Vermillion streets, and is of brick, 22x90 feet and two stories high. Besides sales rooms this building also con- tains the company's office.
This company began operations eleven years ago under the name of Bell, Rhodes and Co., at the corner of Second and Eddy streets. In 1871 the firm became A. B. Bell and Co., and in 1875, Bell Bros. built the factory, and in the fall of the same year, the furniture store above described. Until within a short period they also operated another branch of their business at Cannon Falls.
BREWERIES.
The first brewery was built, in Barker's addi- tion, by M. Schaller in 1856. It burned down, but was rebuilt. In 1870, while owned by Bor- ser and Yaeger, it burned again, and nothing but its ruins remain.
HASTINGS CITY BREWERY.
Schmidt and Latto established this brewery, on the south side of Lake Isabel, in 1865. The present proprietors are Ficker and Donndelinger. In 1874, Mr. Ficker secured his interest as one of the firm, Ficker and Kelnfofer. In 1875, Mr. Kelnfofer gave place to Mr. Doffing, and, in 1878, the latter gave place to Mr. Donndelinger.
This brewery has a capacity of 450 kegs of beer per week. The capacity of the mash-tub is sixty- five barrels.
Ficker and Donndelinger have a large trade in Hastings, and along the line of the Hastings and Dakota division.
BUSCH'S BREWERY.
In March, 1867, Mr. F. Busch bought this es- tablishment of its first proprietor, Mr. Charles Saille.
The size of the main building is 40x40 feet.
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There is an addition brew house, 26x40 feet, and a patent ice house, of two stories, 22x54 feet. The mash tub contains thirty barrels, and it is estimated that 400 kegs of beer could be manu- factured per week.
ELEVATOR A.
This new elevator was built by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company on the levee, near the foot of Vermillion street, from July to December, 1880. It is intended for a transfer elevator, and is leased by Messrs. Kel- logg and Lange. The wheat stored here comes largely over the Hastings and Dakota division of railroad, on which line Kellogg and Lange have other elevators.
Elevator A is forty feet wide by sixty feet long, and is 125 feet in height above the railroad. It has twenty-four bins, forty feet high, whose aggregate capacity is 70,000 bushels. The base- ment is divided into an engine room, 20x40 feet, and into another room forty feet square. The engine is from the Bay State Iron Works, is of twenty-five horse-power, and its cylinder meas- ures 10x18 . inches. The boiler is twelve feet long and three in diameter, and is encased solidly in brick, which prevents much dissipation of heat. The room adjoining contains an Excelsior cleaner, besides minor machinery.
On the floor above, there is also an Excelsior cleaner and one cockle machine, numerous eleva- tor legs, a large set of Fairbanks scales, an of- tice, and all implements necessary in receiving or shipping wheat.
All the remaining space in the building is de- voted to the immense bins, which contain, when filled, a weight of more than 2,000 tons.
GARDNER AND MELOY ELEVATOR.
Stephen and A. W. Gardner erected this stone building at the foot of Sibley street, in 1862. Its dimensions are 66x120 feet and its capacity is 150,000 bushels. Itis the largest elevator in Has- tings, and has three stories above the basement. The basement, together with the next two floors, is used for storing wheat; The last floor is occu- pied by machinery. The elevating power is wind; a Challenge double-wheel mill being employed, which is rated at eighteen horse-power. Six or seven hundred bushels per hour can be elevated
and the same amount can be cleaned at the same time, in the separator which is on the last floor.
Gardner and Meloy are also agents for the Keo- kuk Northern Line Packet company.
ELEVATOR C.
Elevator C, is situated between First street and the Mississippi river. It was built about 1858, by North and Carll. It is seventy feet high and stands 40x120 feet on the ground. It has a ca- pacity of 125,000 bushels, but is at present un- used.
An engine house, separate from the main build- ing, contains an idle engine of twenty-five horse- power. The property is owned by a Mr. Robin- son of St. Paul.
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