USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 28
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for all purposes not specified in the act. The first city election was held on April 6, 1868. The town election was the next day, and the city dominated everything. In 1869 an amended charter severed the connection between the city and the town. But it was some time before the matter was satisfactorily arranged, as it was complicated by the bridge bond indebtedness which had been incurred before the city was chartered, to the extent of $8,000. The supervisors of the town had voted a tax of $2,000 to help pay these bonds, the county auditor exempted the city from this tax, and suit was brought to compel the latter to bear its share of the burden. When the cause was heard the authori- ties were required to levy the tax in city and town alike. The bonds were finally paid in 1877 and a new bridge of iron was built in 1879 at a cost of over $5,000.
The first officers elected under the city charter were: Mayor, S. S. Stebbins; councilmen, John Iverson, H. D. Weed, F. M. Smith, T. H. Everts and A. J. Stevens; clerk, John Larkee; jus- tices of the peace, Niles Carpenter and Lewis Peterson; con- stables, E. S. Hewitt and D. S. Coverdale; treasurer, A. K. Han- son; attorney, T. A. Lebar. The council, on August 4, 1868, moved that an ordinance be drawn to appropriate $500.00 for a building for city use.
1869-Mayor, G. G. Stevens; councilmen, John Iverson, John Hobart, John Albertson, J. E. Atwater and A. J. Stevens; treas- urer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, G. W. Valentine; justice, Lewis Peterson; constable, R. Weed. February 4, 1869, the amended charter was approved by the council. March 1, 1869, the base- ment room of Larson's stone house was rented for use as city prison. On this same day the city issued bonds of $200.00 to buy lots owned by S. S. Stebbins, the lots to be those numbered eighty-five and eighty-five, in block eight, of the original plat of Rushford. The property is now occupied by the high school.
1870-Mayor, G. G. Stevens; councilmen, J. E. Atwater, John Iverson, Burr Dauchy, B. F. Tillotson and A. K. Hanson; treas- urer, Christian Peterson ; recorder, John C. Smith; justices, Lewis Peterson and G. W. Willis; constables, J. F. Reppy and C. G. Philbrick ; assessor, Gullik Olson.
1871-Mayor, Henry C. Grover; council, E. Kierland, G. A. Onstine, O. Foss, Hiram Walker and Knudt Olson; treasurer, Christian Peterson; clerk, B. W. Benson; constable, George E. Hall; assessor, Gullik Olson; attorney, E. N. Donaldson; street commissioner, Andrew Jenson.
1872-Mayor, Henry C. Grover; councilmen, A. K. Hanson, G. A. Onstine, O. Foss, D. J. Tew, H. W. Holmes; treasurer, B. W. Benson; clerk, W. L. Osborne; justices, Nels J. Eide, A. Cur- rie ; constables, A. W. Rice, Christian Peterson.
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1873-Mayor, A. K. Hanson; councilmen, D. J. Tew, Jens F. Humel, C. G. Hulbert, Louis Kundson, Joseph Otis; treasurer, B. W. Benson; clerk, Thomas Kierland; justice, H. G. Reppy; con- stable, C. G. Philbrick.
1874-Mayor, C. G. Hulbert; councilmen, A. J. Stevens, R. H. Valentine, J. F. Humel, Ole E. Olson, G. G. Stevens; treasurer, Niles Carpenter ; clerk, Herman V. Olson; justices, B. F. Tillotson, H. G. Reppy; constables, Horace Dauchy, E. E. Webster.
1875-Mayor, A. J. Stevens; councilmen, T. H. Everts, B. W. Benson, John Albertson, Niles Carpenter, Louis Knudson; treas- urer, E. Kierland; clerk, Herman V. Olson; constables, G. P. Blom, A. Beebe. The council this year passed a resolution to se- cure a city policeman. As a result of this decision C. P. Richard- son was appointed.
1876-Mayor, G. G. Stevens; council, B. D. Sprague, S. E. Boyum, Charles Drake, E. Kierland, L. Greiser; treasurer, E. Kierland; clerk, Herman V. Olson ; justices, B. F. Tillotson, H. G. Reppy ; constables, C. P. Richardson, William Johnson.
1877-Mayor, L. Greiser; councilmen, Charles Drake, Jens Julsrud, Ole Langin, Niles Carpenter, Herman Walker; treasurer, G. G. Stevens; clerk, H. V. Olson; constable, Thomas Murphy. This year the city purchased a lot of G. G. Stevens for the pur- pose of building a lock-up. At the same time it was decided to build a lock-up 20 by 20 feet, of pine lumber, to be divided into two cells. The location was to be in block one, Stevens fourth addition.
1878-Mayor, B. D. Sprague; councilmen, H. W. Eldred, H. O. Clements, T. H. Everts, J. H. Reppy, C. H. Reishus; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; clerk, G. J. Walker; justices, B. F. Tillotson, H. J. Reppy ; constable, Ole Holm.
1879-Mayor, G. G. Stevens; councilmen, E. A. Hostvet, F. M. Smith, D. J. Tew, J. W. Magelssen, Ole E. Laugen; clerk, G. J. Walker; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; constables, O. H. Johnson, P. O. Fallang.
1880-Mayor, Henry C. Grover; councilmen, D. J. Tew, F. M. Smith, J. P. Wangsness, T. S. Reishus, J. W. Cram; treasurer, Niles Carpenter; clerk, G. J. Walker; justices, B. F. Tillotson, H. G. Reppe; constable, William Johnson.
1881-Mayor, G. J. Onstine; councilmen, Thomas Kierland, Peter Miller, T. S. Reishus, Charles Drake, M. J. Desmond; treas- urer, Niles Carpenter; recorder, Herman V. Olson; constable, Martin H. Iverson.
1882-Mayor, G. J. Onstine; councilmen, D. J. Tew, E. A. Hostres, P. E. Dahl, M. J. Desmond, Charles Drake; treasurer, Lars Norem; clerk, O. S. Berg; justices, G. W. Rockwell, Niles Carpenter; constables, S. W. Walker, E. A. Philbrick.
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1883-Mayor, Henry C. Grover; councilmen, Thomas Kier- land, Jonathan Webster, John Eggen, Larks Lukkasson, Peter Miller; treasurer, F. M. Smith; clerk, Fred A. Olson; justice, G. H. Hitchcock.
1884-Mayor, G. J. Onstine; council, John P. Wangsness, Ed. Hallahan, J. W. Cram, Michael Miller, A. M. Hanson; treasurer, F. M. Smith; clerk, Lars J. Amble; justice, S. A. Pierce; con- stables, A. L. Tyler, S. Walker.
1885-Mayor, G. J. Onstine; councilmen, D. J. Tew, Niles Car- penter, Lars Lukkassen, J. W. Magelssen, M. J. Desmond; treas- urer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, L. J. Amble; justice, G. W. Rockwell; constable, William Bruce. February 25, 1886, the council author- ized the organization of Hook and Ladder Co., No. 1, with the fol- lowing officers: Foreman, Edward Hallahan; first assistant, George Hanson; second assistant, Charles Wilmarth; secretary, A. J. Nelson; treasurer, John Eggen; clerk, Oluf Lee. There were twenty-nine members in this company.
1886-Mayor, N. P. Colburn; councilmen, J. W. Magelssen, Thomas Kierland, Jonathan Webster, Albert Anderson, Niles Car- penter; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, L. J. Amble; justice, S. A. Pierce; constable, A. L. Tyler.
1887-Mayor, M. J. Desmond; councilmen, J. W. Magelssen, Peter Miller, Lars Lukkesson, J. Webster, W. E. Colburn; treas- urer, A. K. Hanson ; clerk, L. J. Amble; justices, Niles Carpenter; C. G. Edwards; constable, William Bruce.
1888-Mayor, Albert Anderson; councilmen, Lewis Knudson, C. C. Hourn, Jens Jelsrud, John Eggen, J. J. Durland; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, L. J. Amble; constable, Oscar Larson.
1889-Mayor, D. J. Tew; councilmen, A. O. Heiberd, W. E. Colburn, E. Kierland, John Eggen, H. O. Berg; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, F. A. Olson; constable, J. O. Iverson.
1890-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, J. Webster; H. Hendrickson, Jr., Peter Miller, Henry C. Grover; G. W. Rock- well; treasurer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, C. H. Ilulbert, S. A. Pierce; constable, Andrew Nelson.
1891-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, H. W. Eldred, Henry C. Grover, J. Webster, A. K. Hanson, Jens Julsrud; treas- urer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, P. C. Hulbert, S. A. Pierce; constables, L. L. Streeter, A. L. Tyler; assessor, Lars Lukkasson.
1892-Mayor, A. K. Hanson; councilmen, Henry C. Grover, C. W. Gore, Lewis Knudson, Lars Lukkasson, Peter Miller ; treas- urer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, John Iverson, S. A. Pierce.
1893-Mayor, A. K. Hanson; councilmen, Peter Miller, H. M.
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Smith, M. A. Maland, G. W. Rockwell, G. E. Kirkpatrick; treas- urer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson.
1894-Mayor, H. M. Smith; councilmen, J. Webster, G. W. Rockwell, Lars Lukkasson, P. E. Pederson, Peter Miller; treas- urer, A. E. Hazzard; clerk, F. A. Olson; justices, Niles Carpenter, John Iverson.
April 4, 1894, the council moved that $10,000 in bonds be issued, the question be submitted to the people at a special elec- tion. The special election was held June 23, 1894, and the $10,- 000 in bonds was voted. The bonds were ten in number of $1,000 denomination each, drawing interest at 51/2 per cent. They were issued August 1, 1894, to Carpenter G. Stevens, for $10,152.50.
1895-Mayor, H. M. Smith; councilmen, H. O. Berg, P. E. Pederson, J. J. Stensing, B. E. Olson, A. E. Hazzard; treasurer, H. M. Hendrickson ; clerk, W. F. Drake.
1896-Mayor, M. J. Desmond; councilmen, F. A. Olson, E. J. Eide, H. O. Berg, B. E. Olson, Olaf Lee; treasurer, H. M. Hend- rickson; clerk, W. F. Drake; justice, Niles Carpenter.
1897-Mayor, Peter Miller; councilmen, F. A. Olson, H. W. Eldred, Lewis Knudson, H. O. Berg, J. H. Peasley ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; clerk, W. F. Drake.
1898-Mayor, H. W. Eldred; councilmen; Philip Miller, J. H. Peasley, John Martin, J. J. Stensing, C. W. Gore; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; clerk, W. F. Drake; justice, Niles Carpenter; constable, S. M. Knudson.
1899-Mayor, H. M. Smith; councilmen, J. J. Stensing, John C. Larson, H. O. Berg, A. T. Kjos, Philip Miller; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, W. F. Drake.
1900-Mayor, H. W. Eldred; councilmen, F. A. Olson, C. W. Gore, T. Sundby, N. H. Tofsted, J. H. Peasley ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; recorder, W. F. Drake.
1901-Mayor, H. W. Eldred; councilmen, F. A. Olson, T. Sundby, W. F. Drake, Philip Miller, O. Tagland; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; clerk, C. O. Alm.
1902-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, J. Webster, M. J. Desmond, B. E. Olson, O. E. Resishus, T. Sundby ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson ; recorder, C. O. Alm.
1903-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen ; councilmen, F. A. Olson, B. E. Olson, O. E. Reishus, W. W. Webster, C. L. Foss; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.
1904-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen ; councilmen, B. E. Olson, W. W. Webster, O. E. Reishus, J. J. Stensing, J. G. Robertson; treas- urer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.
1905-Mayor, W. W. Webster; council, J. G. Roberton, E. A. Highum, T. Sundby, Peter Ogard, Milo Bathrick ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.
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1906-Mayor, W. W. Webster; councilmen, J. G. Roberton, E. A. Highum, A. T. Kjos, O. E. Reishus, M. Johnson; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.
1907-Mayor, F. A. Olson; councilmen, Thomas Ferguson, Charles H. Green, H. Halvorson, E. N. Vigard, John McLeod; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, C. O. Alm.
1908-Mayor, F. A. Olson; councilmen, Thomas Ferguson, W. W. Webster, W. F. Drake, M. C. Eischen, T. Sundby ; treasurer, A. K. Hanson; recorder, O. E. Reishus.
1909-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, Peter Miller, C. C. Jensen, H. Halvorson, Joseph Lukkasson, Ole H. Hoararud; treasurer, J. W. Webster; clerk, O. E. Reishus.
1910-Mayor, J. W. Magelssen; councilmen, Peter Miller, C. C. Jensen, C. L. Foss, E. L. Sheldahl, Albert J. Holle; treasurer, J. M. Webster; clerk, O. E. Reishus.
1911-Mayor, W. F. Drake; councilmen, Albert Holle, Peter Miller, E. L. Sheldahl, D. J. Sheroin, W. L. Nerud; treasurer, J. M. Webster; clerk, O. E. Reishus.
1912-Mayor, W. W. Webster; councilmen, Peter Miller, E. L. Sheldahl, Albert J. Holle, W. F. Drake, C. C. Jensen; treasurer, J. M. Webster; clerk, O. E. Reishus; marshals, O. C. Johnson, D. J. McCormick ; justices, M. C. Eischen, H. Wornson.
Public Library. In the summer of 1856 the first steps were taken toward the establishment of a public library, Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Stevens being the prime movers. Various methods were taken to raise money, and when the library was opened it was in the store of Mr. Stevens, who donated space in his store for that purpose. Mrs. Stevens was the librarian. It flourished for a while, but was finally closed. In 1898 Mr. Stevens donated build- ing and books to the Stevens Library association for the purpose of establishing a public library. Just at this time the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church sold the church property here and secured permission from the Conference to donate $300.00 for the use of the library. The amount of which was immediately invested in books. In his will, Mr. Stevens left the association $500.00, none of which was to be used for the purchase of books, and C. G. Hulburt left $400.00 to be used solely for the purchase of books. Hitherto the library has been supported by donations. This year the city levies a one mill tax for its support. The pres- ent board of directors are: H. W. Eldred, president; H. M. Smith, treasurer ; Geo. E. Kirkpatrick, secretary ; D. J. Tew, G. W. Rockwell and F. A. Olson. The librarian is Emma Crampton.
RUSHFORD TOWNSHIP.
Rushford is the northeast corner township of the county,
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with thirty-six sections in regular form, with Norway on the south, and its former yoke-fellow, Arendahl, on the west. This is emphatically one of the broken towns of the county. The Root river flows into the town from the west, between sections thirty and thirty-one, and running eastward leaves the town and county from section thirteen. Rush creek was so called on account of the tall rushes that grew along its banks, where cattle and ponies could obtain a subsistence all winter. This creek flows from Winona county, and coming in through section four, makes a confluence with the Root river at Rushford city. The valleys are quite wide in some places, and afford tillable land; the ridges are inclined to spread out and are generally under cultivation. The northwestern part of the township has an extensive table, as a part of North Prairie, which extends across the northern part of Arendahl, and is the best farming portion of the northeastern part of the county, although it was at first neglected by the older settlers, who were attracted more particularly to the valleys. The bottom lands of Root river were found by the first comers to be a wide and level tract, bounded on either side by irregular bluffs, with smaller valleys projecting into it from various distances on either side. When first settled it was mostly timber, brush, and grub land. Along the streams and the north side of the bluffs quite large timber was found, elm, maple, and black walnut pre- dominating in the valley, and black, white, and burr oak, with some hickory, on the bluffs. A portion of Root river bottom is particularly adapted to the raising of hay, being a natural meadow, destitute of trees, with a natural growth. There is a higher strip of land, or bench, between this and the bluffs. On the ridges, or table lands, there is a clay soil; in the bottoms, or valleys, it is of a dark character and sometimes sandy, mixed with gravel. There are many fine views to be had from the elevated points on the ridges overlooking the surrounding coun- try. At one time in the geological history of this section the whole land was on a level with the higher points now existing. The valleys have been washed out, completely disintegrating the several strata of rocks, and leaving their rough edges protruding from the sides of the bluffs, often appearing like ruins of ancient castles, with their crumbling entablatures, pilasters, and cara- tides, and presenting, particularly by moonlight, a striking imita- tion of the ruins of some ancient city.
Early Settlers. The Root river valley was the first part of the town to be settled, the pioneers being Norwegians, who came directly from Wisconsin by way of McGregor and Decorah, Iowa, with ox teams. The first came in 1853, and were Ole Olson Tuff and Halver Goodrich. Mr. Tuff took a claim in sections twenty- six, twenty-three, and twenty-seven. It is south of the river and
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southwest of South Rushford. Mr. Goodrich settled east of Mr. Tuff and put up his shanty on the land in section twenty-six. These men left their families in what is now Yucatan, Houston county, at a settler's residence, and in June came here and selected their land. About the first day of July they returned here with their families. In the same month of July came Erick T. Lien, who drove in with three yoke of oxen and procured a farm in sections sixteen and twenty-one. Ole Berland, secured a place in sections fifteen and twenty-two. His family were still in Norway, and he lived in a little dug-out. A son and a daughter finally came over, but his wife remained on the other side. Erick Glaem took his land in section sixteen. Two years later he brought his wife from Wisconsin. He cultivated his farm up to 1866, when he sold to H. Hendrickson and went to Yellow Medicine county. Peter Peterson Haslerud went further up the valley and took the northeast of section thirty and commenced improvements. He made the farm his home until his death, Sep- tember 23, 1880. Ile laid out the village of Peterson and had always been an active and influential man in the community. Arthur B. Bowe, a Vermonter, who had figured conspicuously in the early settlement of Spring Grove, came over here in 1853 and put up a claim shanty near the bluff, in section fifteen. In August, 1853, Gilbert Edmunds came and located in the south- east of section twenty-three, where a part of South Rushford now is. He was from Norway, and a married man. He made improvements, and while loading logs on a wagon in the river bottom was killed in 1855. His widow afterward married H. Hendrickson.
With the party that came in June, 1853, was Ole Torgerson, who also came from Wisconsin and overtook the party at Stevens, in Yucatan, and joining them came on and settled on the land which finally became Roderick McLeod's, on Rush creek, north of the city, but he soon left. Oliver Wilson came through at that time, a lad of 17 years, who assisted E. T. Lien in driving his oxen. He was too young to pre-empt land, so he went to Iowa to work and returned in 1856.
During the winter of 1854 a Mr. Webster came and cultivated some land in section twenty-four, but moved away a few years afterwards. In 1854 several were added to the settlement in town. Swan Werlein located east of E. T. Lien, in section twenty- one, and there remained while he lived. In June, 1854, Roderick McLeod, a native of the north part of Scotland, came from Wis- consin, where he had stopped three years, and claimed 160 acres in sections ten and eleven. Part of this land was lost to him by being jumped. West of the town William Johnson located land in sections fourteen and fifteen, in the fall of that same year.
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West of this claim, in August, 1854, S. Thompson Gjernes, a Nor- wegian, planted a claim. Within a year or two the town was well filled up.
Early Events. Two births occurred at a very early day. George Peterson Haslerud was born November 10, 1853, on sec- tion thirty. In October of the same year Jurie E. Lien was born at her father's house in section twenty-one. She lived but eight years and was buried on the farm of St. T. Gjernes. The wife of Ole Olson passed away soon after their arrival in the summer of 1853. At the funeral no one was present but Mr. Tuff and Mr. Goodrich. The boards to make a coffin were taken from the wagon body they had brought. A trapper had previously died some time in the forties, as mentioned elsewhere. The Southern Minnesota, now owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, reached Rushford village the first of Jan- uary, 1867, and for some months it remained the western terminus of the road.
Land Office Records. The first titles to land in Rushford township were issued by the government in 1855. Those who obtained land that year were as follows, the date of the issuance of the warrant being given first, then the name of the owner and then the section in which the land was largely located: June 6, Leo Oleson, 24; August 7, Sylvester S. Stebbins, 14; August 24, Martha Edmonds, 23; August 30, Oliver Goodrich, 23-26; De- cember 11, Joseph Otis, 13.
Those who obtained land in 1856 were as follows: January 6, Nuton Olsen, 14-23; January 6, Enoch B. Walrath, 14-23; May 19, Lucius S. Cady, 12-13; June 16, Orrin Thurber, 6; June 19, Duncan Cameron, 11-14; June 19, Hendrick Hendrickson, 24; June 19, Dennis Jacobs, 6; June 19, Roderick McLeod, 11; June 19, Roswell H. Valentine, 3-4; June 24, Elizabeth Wilson, 20; July 3, Reuben Whittemore, 23; July 10, Joshua Emery, 2; July 10, Henry Stage, 3; July 16, Sylvanus Everts, 13; July 25, Walter N. Webster, 24; July 26, William Johnson, 14-15; August 5, John P. Whittemore, 24-25; August 14, Otis Bathrick, 15-22; September 23, Ole Gutormsen, 32-33; September 23, James D. Pierce, 13; September 25, James D. Pierce, 24; October 7, Erick Lien, 21; October 7, Peter Peterson, 19-30; October 7, Ole Ran- nesson, 22; October 7, Ole Rasmusson, 15; October 7, Sevend Erickson Wesley, 15-21-22; October 8, Patrick McCune, 1; No- vember 4, John Cameron, 10; November 15, Halvor Oleson, 29; November 15, Ole Oleson Tolrud, 30-31; November 19, Truls Gul- branson, 29-31-32; November 19, Andrus Jensen, 8; November 25, Betsey Nims, 11; November 27, Solomon West, 14; November 4, Sturke T. Gjernes, 15; November 4, Lars Larson, 15.
Political. This township was organized May 11, 1858, and
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included Arendahl. The town meeting was held at the residence of Peter Peterson, in section thirty. The following were the first town officers elected: Supervisors, Henry Mead (chairman), Lewis Thompson and Ole Torgerson; clerk, G. W. Valentine; assessor, Hiram Walker; collector, C. G. Hulbert; overseer of the poor, R. H. Valentine; constables, C. G. Philbrick and Nels A. Gullickson; justices of the peace, Peter Peterson and Hiram Walker. Arendahl was separated from Rushford in 1860. In 1888 the entire township of Rushford, outside of the city of Rush- ford, was incorporated as the village of Rushford. The first village board in 1888, according to the books now in the posses- sion of Asmund Vaagen, the present village recorder, consisted of the following: President, Charles Davis; trustees, Henry Stage, H. H. Baker, H. O. Anderson; recorder, George G. West; treas- urer, Oliver Wilson.
PETERSON VILLAGE.
Peterson is a lively incorporated village on the Root river and the southern Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. It is well situated and well laid out, and a desirable place of residence. It has good sidewalks, a school which covers half the state high school course, two churches, a newspaper, a bank, good telephone service, street lights, three general stores, one hardware store, postoffice, a casket factory, furniture store, two elevators, a feed mill, a hotel, a sawmill, a restaurant, a clothing store, a wagon shop, a lumber yard, a machine shop, meat market, harness shop, a creamery, a millinery store, a barber shop and the usual complement of professional men. The Mod- ern Woodmen have a flourishing lodge here. The village is sur- rounded by beautiful scenery. There is excellent fishing within the incorporate limits and small game abounds in nearby groves.
Early History. Soon after the completion of the railroad through Rushford township in 1867, Peter Peterson (Haslerud) gave the railroad company fifteen acres of land and other citi- zens subscribed to the extent of $800 to secure a station and warehouse. A building was erected for this double purpose, a sidetrack was laid, and the new station was named Peterson. Mr. Peterson at once began buying wheat for eastern parties and the village was thus begun.
In 1870 a postoffice was established, with Even A. Hjelle as postmaster.
In 1873 Lewis Olson erected a building, put in a stock of merchandise and kept a store for about two years. Neri Hol- geson also put up a building and opened a store. Ole Ensberg started a blacksmith establishment, and a wagon shop was opened
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by E. P. Quickstad.
In 1874 the whole of the quarter section was laid off into lots. Up to this time there had been no ticket office here, but in 1874 Neri Holgeson became ticket agent.
In 1875 Peter Peterson (Haslerud) repurchased from the rail- road the sixteen acres which he had parted with several years previous. This year Thompson Brothers purchased a store and started in business here. Johnson, Hourn & Hostvet opened a hardware store, and E. Kierland a drug store. K. Torvilson & Son opened a general store.
In 1876 the telegraph was installed in the station, with G. Peterson (Haslerud) as agent. This year fifteen acres were plat- ted and Prospect, Park, Mill, Centennial, Fillmore and Church street and Murtle avenue were named.
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