History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 103

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 103

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).

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will be one of the finest banking houses in southeastern Minnesota has just been completed. According to the statement at the close of business May 1, 1919, the bank has a capital and surplus of $20,000; undivided profits, $2,836.79; loans and discounts of $197,174.41; total deposits of $381,395.62; and cash assets including moneys due from other banks, of $114,963.19.

The Farmers' & Merchants' State Bank, of Houston, now consolidated with the Houston State Bank, was started July 10, 1905, with a capital of $10,000.00. The incorporators were: Knute T. Thompson, John D. Mc- Millan, Ole P. Gaustad, Solvie S. Vathing, Anton Forsyth, and D. C. Dyer. The first officers were John D. McMillan, president, Anton Forsyth, vice- president, and Ole P. Gaustad. At the time of the consolidation with the Citizens' State Bank, in the Houston State Bank, Dec. 28, 1908, the officers were: J. D. McMillan, president, C. J. Swenson, vice-president, George Vatting, E. S. Kingsley, Knud Omadt, N. A. Redding and J. F. Anderson. Knute T. Thompson was the cashier and A. P. Omodt the assistant cashier.

The Houston State Bank, with which is consolidated the Farmers' & Merchants' State Bank, was incorporated at the Citizens' State Bank, Dec. 22, 1902, by James C. Kelly, of Yucatan; John Q. Briggs, Thomas Rowland, Jens P. Onstad, De Witt C. Dyer, Adolph E. Johnson and Knute T. Thomp- son, of Houston; Harvey Chapel, of Money Creek; Herbert C. Garvin and Theodore Wold, of Winona; and William J. Naylor, of Owatonna. The first officers were Theodore Wold, president, John Q. Briggs, vice-president, H. C. Garvin, Charles T. Olson, James C. Kelly, Thomas Rowland, and Jens P. Onstad. The bank opened for business, Feb. 16, 1903, with William J. Naylor as cashier, in the building later occupied by the Security State Bank. June 11, 1904, the business had so increased that L. Hollis Briggs was employed as bookkeeper. From the beginning, the directors planned to have a banking house owned by the institution itself. In the summer of 1905, a building was started, and on Nov. 6, of that year, the doors of the present sightly bank were opened. The building has continued to prove itself well adapted to its purpose, with a large banking space, and with several private rooms for consultation and business. The safe and the safe deposit vaults are models of substantial and secure construction. In 1906, another vice-president was added in the person of James C. Kelly. In 1907, L. Hollis Briggs was promoted from bookkeeper to assistant cashier. April 29, 1908, Messrs. Garvin, Wold and Olson sold their stock to local interests, and retired from the directorate. At that time James C. Kelly became the president, Mr. Briggs remaining the vice-president and Mr. Naylor the cashier. The directors in addition to the president and vice- president were: A. C. Evanson, Henry Hanson, A. J. Von Arx, Thomas Rowland and Jens P. Onstad. Dec. 28, 1908, the bank was consolidated with the Farmers' & Merchants' State Bank, and the capital increased to $25,000. Jan. 2, 1909, a new board was elected. Mr. Kelly remained as president and Mr. Briggs as vice-president. Knute T. Thompson became cashier and A. P. Omadt assistant cashier, L. Hollis Briggs remaining in a similar capacity. The new board, in addition to Mr. Kelly and Mr. Briggs, consisted of A. J. Von Arx, Knud Omodt, N. A. Redding, E. J.

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Kingsley and C. J. Swenson. At this time the name was changed to the Houston State Bank. April 24, 1909, C. J. Swenson was added to the list of vice-presidents. Oct. 28, 1911, John Q. Briggs, vice-president, and L. Hollis Briggs, assistant cashier, resigned, and withdrew their interests. Thomas Rowland took Mr. Briggs' place as vice-president. July 1, 1912, William McMillan became bookkeeper. In 1916, Mr. Rowland retired as vice-president, and in 1917, E. J. Kingsley was elected to that office. April 15, 1919, after the death of Mr. Thompson, A. P. Omodt became cashier. The official force of the bank now consists of James C. Kelly, president; C. J. Swenson, vice-president ; E. J. Kingsley, vice-president ; A. P. Omodt, cashier ; William McMillan, assistant cashier ; Palmer Johnson, bookkeeper. The directors are : James C. Kelly, B. E. Lilly, S. M. Rowland, E. J. Kings- ley, N. A. Redding, C. J. Swenson, and A. E. Johnson. According to the report rendered at the close of business May 1, 1919, the bank has a capi- tal of $25,000; surplus and undivided profits, $25,166.87; loans and dis- counts of $412,493.16; total deposits of $621,019.11; and total cash assets including moneys due from banks of $139,446.46.

Houston has been a dairy center since the early days. Long before creameries were thought of, the thrifty housewives brought to Houston their butter and exchanged it with the storekeepers for merchandise. In fact considerable homemade butter is still shipped from this point. Milk and cream are also still shipped out in large volume. The first creamery in the county was probably started in Houston, when the Polar Creamery Co., Hostvet & Horn, owners, with creameries in Rushford and Lanesboro, opened a branch here in 1884, in charge of Jacob Wold. In 1887, A. Nash was placed in charge, and he has since continued to be connected with the creamery business here, being now a shipper. The creamery of this com- pany was on the hill south of the village and was called the "Side Hill Creamery." The building was so constructed that the ice could be slid into it from the upper side hill. The creamery did a good business, having some twenty men engaged in hauling cream. But various causes prevented its ultimate success, and in 1892 it went out of business. The Houston Cream- ery Co. was then organized, and a creamery erected at the eastern edge of the village. This creamery with enlargements and improvements is still the Houston Creamery.

Houston was platted by Mons Anderson, a leading La Crosse mer- chant. He purchased two quarter sections from David Johnson and Lars Johnson. David Johnson's claim was originally taken by W. Webster, who sold it to Mr. Johnson in 1853 for $30. On this tract the present village is located.

The early history of the village has already been related. The village was originally started about a mile east, at what is now known as Old Houston. The first store there was opened in 1854 by Ole Knudson, who brought his goods on a keel boat from La Crosse. Others soon followed, and the place soon became a flourishing hamlet. Some of the old buildings there, now used as sheds or storerooms, still testify to the prosperity that was once found there. But when the railroad was put through, the present location of the village was chosen. The first to move was Andrew Forsyth,

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in the early fall of 1866. He was followed soon afterward by Isaac Abraham- son, E. A. Horner, A. P. Johnson, D. C. Dyer and others. It is interesting to note that D. C. Dyer still conducts the leading mercantile establishment in the village, while Mr. Abrahamson, though retired, is still one of its most respected citizens.

The moving once begun, it was not long before the old village was entirely deserted, and the efforts of the populace were given over entirely . to building up the new settlement.

The village of Houston had a vigorous early growth, three years after its establishment containing about 35 buildings, including three store houses, two shingle factories, turning out from three to five thousand shingles a day, two carpenter shops, a chair factory and cabinet shop, a cooper shop, blacksmith shop, one steam sawmill, a corn mill, a turning lathe and broom factory. Other enterprises were also projected, and the people were getting ready to build a good school house. Timber was then abundant, and land was selling at from $5.00 to $25.00 an acre.

In 1882, sixteen years after the coming of the railroad and the removal of the village to its second and permanent location, it contained about 39 or 40 business enterprises, including three hotels. Among the older mer- chants, several of whom started in the lower village, were: D. C. Dyer, general store, established 15 years; E. A. Horner, dry goods, boots and shoes, millinery and fancy goods, established 16 years; L. R. Hall, general store, esablished 18 years; A. P. Johnson, general store, established 12 years; Isaac Abrahamson, general store, established 20 years; L. A. Tenni- son, hardware, tinware, agricultural implements, and undertaking, seven years established. The Cottrell House, opposite the depot, John Cottrell, had been established eleven years. The two other hotels were: the Minnesota Hotel, on Cedar street, T. R. Parish, proprietor; and the Sherman House, Alonzo B. Smith, proprietor. Among the other merchants were: Field & Briggs, general store, in business seven years; C. Rasmussen, general store; F. N. Goodrich crockery, glassware, stationery, notions and toys; E. O. Loken, five and ten cent store, tinware, shoemaking, etc .; Charles Hollengren (lower village), blacksmithing and wagon works; Charles Han- son, wagon works ; C. O. Olson, wheelwright; Mikkle N. Berg, watchmaker; John B. Gerard, blacksmith; J. Vincent, lumber; Lafayette Whitehouse, livery stable; W. W. Cargill & Bro., grain and provisions; David L. Buell, warehouse; E. E. Webster, lime; Ever Jacobson, harness; S. D. Drake, harness ; Thomas Ryan, and S. S. Wenson, boots and shoes; A. Landergren, tailor; James Haley, meat market and feed store; Whitehouse Bros., restaurant and groceries; Thomas Rowland and James Rowland and Christian Jacobson, saloons with billiard tables; Asbjorn Olson, saloon and cigar store; Chris. Nelson, saloon; Anna Huber, saloon. There were two lawyers, C. D. Ramsdell and Samuel B. McIntire; and two physicians, G. Erdmann, and E. M. Sheldon.

The churches of Houston are the Norwegian Lutheran, the Episcopal the Presbyterian, the Roman Catholic, the Norwegian Lutheran and the Bethany Evangelical Free Churches. Not far away are the Swedish Bap- tist and the Norwegian Lutheran (Stone) Church. Of these the Swedish

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Baptist church is the oldest in the community, the first of its kind in the state. It came into existence, Aug. 18, 1853, with a membership of nine, under the leadership of Rev. F. O. Nelson, the members of the congregation being the pioneers of Swede Bottom, who had arrived the previous year. In 1854, a cholera plague swept the community, and this congregation lost five members, Mrs. Ole Benson, Mrs. Lars Johnson, Mrs. Abraham Ander- son, Mrs. Johannes Anderson, and a young son of Abraham Anderson.

The Mound Prairie Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Co. was incor- porated March 1, 1884, and commenced business March 26, 1884, with thirty-two original members carrying insurance of $44,700.00. The first officers were Charles Lehmann, president, A. J. Van Arx, secretary, Jacob Klein, treasurer, Fred Burow, J. A. Eberhard, Lorenz Hafner and Andrew Orr. Charles Lehmann remained as president until June 7, 1910, when he resigned and was followed by George H. Onstine. In 1915, Albinus Lilly was president, after which came Mr. Onstine again. In 1917, the present president, O. T. Findreng took office. Jacob Klein remained as treasurer until 1890, when he was followed by J. C. Kelly. A. J. Van Arx was secre- tary until his death in 1916, when Mr. Kelly took his place, Mr. Kelly be- ing followed as treasurer by W. H. Eberhard. The present officers are: president, A. T. Findreng; vice-president, Philip Schwebach; treasurer, W. H. Eberhard; secretary, J. C. Kelly; directors, W. J. Von Arx, E. J. Kingsley, George F. Lampert, H. F. Pagel and H. W. Klein.

A comparison of the various financial reports of the company shows an interesting growth in the business done. At the end of the first year, 1884, there had been issued 64 policies. The premiums received amounted to $350.69, which, after deducting the expenses and losses paid of $155.60, left $291.09 in the treasury. At the end of 1900, there were 1,360 policies in force. At the beginning of that year the company had $1,561.06 on hand. During the year it received $2,800.03 in premiums, and $39.91 in interest, making a total of $4,394.00 out of which the expenses and losses amounted to $4,027.88, leaving a balance of $366.12. At the close of 1910, there were 1,730 policies in force. At the beginning of the year the company had $2,329.32. During the year it received $5,719.83 in premiums and $61.80 in interest, making a total of $8,110.95, out of which $5,502.67 was paid in expenses and losses, leaving a balance of $2,208.28. At the close of 1918, there were 1,858 policies in force. At the beginning of the year the company had $6,116.01. During the year it received $11,057.80 in premiums and $185.17 in interest, making a total of $17,358.98, out of which $6,995.13 was paid in expenses and losses, leaving a balance of $10,363.85.

During its thirty-five years of existence the company has levied only five assessments.

LA CRESCENT

La Crescent, a pretty village, where centers so much that is interest- ing in the story of Minnesota's historical and economic development, is one of the most important fruit growing regions in the State. Its rich soil, its sunny slopes, its favorable contour, and its location all contribute

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to its importance. While it is still a small village, it is already the home of several important industries and with the extension of a trolley system from La Crosse, will become as important as a suburban residential district and possibly as a manufacturing region, as it is now as an agricultural region.

Situated somewhat back from the Mississippi, from which it is sep- arated by a series of sloughs, marshes and lagoons which teem in luxuriant water foliage and flowering plants, and occupying the gently sloping terraces which terminate on the sunny slopes of picturesque hills, the village is free from floods, and still has all the advantages that can be given by nearness to that great thoroughfare. The dike road which joins the main- land to the La Crosse high wagon bridge, guides through La Crescent, all the road traffic flowing into La Crosse from southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa, and brings from far east and west the tourists, who find here a convenient crossing place.

To these sweeping terraces came Peter Cameron in 1851, with his dream of a great city. Here, a little later, came the Gillettes, who platted a village. Here in 1856, came the advance guard of the Kentucky Company, whose stockholders likewise had dreams of a great city. Here they platted their future metropolis. Eastern newspapers teemed with its possibilities, great men of the nation vied with each other in buying at fabulous prices lots in this new Utopia. But the wonderful ambitions of the promoters were never realized, and the lot ownership merely remained to harass the tax collectors, and to retard the growth of the town. Indeed it is only in recent years that the titles to the property by resident owners has all been cleared, and now all the land is owned by the La Crescent citizens themselves.

But while these plans for a great metropolis were meeting with failure, there was one dream that was being realized. John S. Harris was a lover of the out-of-doors. He was also a fruit and vegetable fancier. He came to La Crescent in 1856, and while southern promoters were platting and pic- turing the wonderful lots, in the swamps, on the terraces and up the sides of the hills, he quietly established the Sunnyside Gardens, and started rais- ing fruits and vegetables. He probably did more than any other man to encourage the growing of fruit in the State of Minnesota. And in doing so he brought to La Crescent its present importance. The dream of a great city faded, but his dream of a great fruit and vegetable growing region has more than been fulfilled. Mr. Harris' own son, Frank I. Harris, and his grandson, DeWitt C. Webster, probably ship more berries than anyone else in the State, and there are many others in the same business. The slopes of the hills are covered with fruit trees, the fertile acres of level stretches of the terraces are covered with berry vines and bushes and truck vegetables, and the truck gardens extend far into the sunny valleys and rich ridges. Not only are fruit and fresh vegetables supplied to the cities in large quantities, but a canning factory devoted exclusively to tomatoes, cans the products of the great acreage of that refreshing product.

From the time the strawberries are ripe in the spring, until the last apples and tomatoes are harvested in the fall, the territory surrounding the village is a scene of busy activity, the fruit pickers, who come by the 49

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hundreds from La Crosse, forming a picturesque sight as they go about their duties of harvesting.

In addition to its fruit and vegetable culture, La Crescent is known as the home of the Smith Grubber Co., (N. W. Smith, president; F. R. Smith, secretary ; manufacturers of stump pullers), whose advertising and whose product carries the name of the village near and far; and the sterling Machinery Co. (J. W. Welch, president; Phil Fitting, secretary) has a big business in cement block making machinery. J. W. Welch is proprietor of a well digging industry, which has also made the village well done. He has done work through this region in Minnesota and Iowa. For several decades he has taken careful observations, and his conclusions are eagerly sought by learned societies interested in geology.

There are three churches in the village, the Catholic, the Presbyterian and the Methodist Episcopal. The public school has been long noted for its excellent work under trained and experienced instructors. The La Crescent Shipping Association is important in the business activities of the town. The creamery, the Pine Creek Valley Creamery, ships from La Crescent, but is located some distance away.

The railroad facilities are excellent. It is on one of the main lines of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, the line to La Crosse branching off a little to the northward, and the Southern Minnesota a little to the south- ward. A good hotel furnished accommodation to traveling men and tourists, and the business houses are adequate. For pleasure purposes, Pettibone Park, the famous La Crosse municipal park, with its great trees, its play- grounds, and its bathing beach, are but a little distance away.

The La Crescent State Bank was organized Sept. 10, 1912, and opened for business Nov. 25, 1912. As the result of the work of J. W. Welch, a leading business man of La Crescent, and L. H. Gardner, cashier of the New Albin Savings Bank, capital of $10,000 had been subscribed by some forty-five business men and farmers, not more than five shares being allotted to one man. After the money had all been subscribed, the original meeting was held July 22, 1912, Masonic Hall, with Mr. Welch as chairman and Mr. Gardner as secretary. The first officers were: J. W. Welch, presi- dent; A. J. Cameron, vice-president; Albinus Lilly, George Kinny and L. H. Gardner. Levi L. Atkinson was cashier. The store which had been occupied as a mercantile establishment by J. M. McCaffrey for some fifteen years previous was remodeled into a model bank building, with a comfort- able banking room, a director's room, a safety-deposit vault and an adequate safe. Before the bank opened, Mr. McCaffrey was named as cashier, and he has since remained in active charge of the bank. It is constantly growing and has proved a great convenience to the people who formerly had to do their banking across the river in another State at La Crosse.

The La Crescent Canning Co., Inc., is a large and growing institution, and is more than doing its share toward spreading the fame of La Crescent as a leading region for the growing of small fruits and vegetables. The plan had been operated for several years, when in 1909 it was given new life by coming under the ownership of A. J. Cameron, John L. Cameron and Philip Fitting. They purchased the plant, remodelled it throughout,

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installed new machinery, laid cement floors, instituted sanitary precautions, and otherwise greatly improved the plant and equipment as well as de- cidedly enlarging its capacity. In 1916, it was incorporated with a capital of $15,000 with Allen J. Cameron of La Crescent township as president; John L. Cameron, of La Crosse, as secretary; and Philip Fitting, of La Crescent, as treasurer. They are doing a splendid business, specializing in the La Crescent Brand of tomatoes, putting some up under their own name and some under the jobber's name. The officials are men of high standing and good judgment, their product is large, and they are utilizing many acres of rich land and thus giving employment to many people and adding to the wealth of the village and township.

W. H. Parks, who came to La Crescent as a boy, has written some interesting reminiscences of La Crescent. He says:

The winter of 1855-56 my step-father, H. Gleason, and my mother came by team from Blissfield, Mich., to the town of Manton, now the village of La Crescent. We crossed the mighty Father of Waters from La Crosse to Manton on the ice, Christmas Day, 1855. The town plat of Manton nearly all belonged to Harvey and William Gillett, who lived in a log house, the only house in the village. William Gillett was the first postmaster, and the mail he kept in his trunk until called for. The Gilletts built the first frame house in the hamlet in 1857, if my memory serves me right. Harvey Gillett built the second frame house, the "Minnesota Hotel." H. Gleason bought the place and ran a hotel there for many years. The general store was built and run by J. A. Anderson and a partner named Crocker. After- ward it was bought by Farnham & Hanscom. The first school was taught by a lady from Ohio named Nancy Ambler. The pupils were William, Estalla and Benjamin Mercer, Larkie Lapham and the writer. In the near future there was a large sawmill erected on the river bank, about eighty rods north of where the present railroad bridge is, and was a great source for employment from La Crosse. About that time, a company of Ken- tuckians came up the river and made a trade with the Gillett brothers for their interest in the townsite, two steamboats and some other property. This company established its general office on the lot where the residence of the Houston county surveyor now stands, and had several residences built in the village. The first railroad grade and bridges were completed in La Crescent in 1864 by the Southern Minnesota, formerly called the Root River Valley Railway Co. Injunctions and financial difficulties stopped the work for several years. Finally about two miles of the north end of the grade was abandoned, and a new grade was built across the low lands to the Mississippi River opposite the south end of La Crosse, and the traffic was transported by boat to connect with the railroad running east from about midway between the north and south part of La Crosse. The western terminus of the line was Rushford for some time, and finally was completed to Lanesboro, where it remained for some years. The first resident attor- ney in La Crescent was O. T. Gilman. The first blacksmith was Charles Sperry. The first wagon maker was named Case. The first newspaper was published by E. A. Purdy. The first drug store was kept by James Ayers. Many of the old time farmers used to haul their grain fifty or

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sixty miles from the west to La Crescent by ox team before the Southern Minnesota was built, taking four or five days for the trip. In 1862, the time of the great Indian Uprising, hundreds of settlers became frightened and put their families in their wagons and rushed to La Crescent to get across the river for safety. The first resident physician in La Crescent was Dr. H. T. Fox, from Lexington, Ky. He was an army surgeon in the Civil War and after the war returned to La Crescent and resumed his practice until his death in 1875. S. E. Truesdell built a large hotel on the bank of the river along in the sixties, and J. C. Burbank established a stage line from La Crescent to St. Paul. Twelve and fourteen coaches used to leave the hotel every noon, as well as many other teams carrying the freight, mail and express over land in summer and on the ice in winter, on the river. Joseph M. Garner superintended the transfer of mail and baggage and express from the stages to La Crosse in the winter and endured many hardships and narrow escapes on the treacherous ice in early winter and spring after the ice got really unsafe for traffic. A group of people from Kentucky consisting of Benjamin Mills and family, Edward Rice and mother, Mrs. Andrews and daughter, started an educational institution in what was then known as the La Crescent House. This female seminary was the best school for somewhat advanced students ever in the town. During the regime of the old Kentucky Company, previously mentioned as owners of the townsite, it operated a ferry boat, and a transportation line from the Minnesota side to La Crosse until a short time before the wagon bridge was built in 1889, and great was the tide of immigration until the railroad was finished from La Crescent to St. Paul in 1872. The railroad from Dubuque, Ia., was completed to La Crescent in 1872 and connected with the line to St. Paul. The first passenger train to arrive in La Crescent was at 4 o'clock p. m., Dec. 28, 1872. In 1876, the railroad bridge was com- pleted across the Mississippi River.

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 103

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1343

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343