USA > Minnesota > Morrison County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 16
USA > Minnesota > Todd County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 16
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The city has a bonded debt of one hundred and sixteen thousand dol- lars, running in twenty-year bonds and drawing four and one-half and five per cent, interest.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
The history of the Little Falls postoffice for the first two decades is not well preserved, and the author was unable to secure proper data from the department at Washington, hence it cannot be inserted here. The present obliging postmaster, Simon P. Brick, furnishes the following facts concern- ing the office since 1883-near a third of a century ago.
The postoffice has been in its present quarters since July 20, 1909, and previous to that it was kept by postmaster Nathan Richardson in a building near the corner of First street and First avenue, northeast (in the eighties). in a building known as the "Old Fort" and later at the Richardson build- ing. The buikling was later burned. Then it was kept in a small wooden building on ground now occupied by the present office, during which time 1. G. Worthington was postmaster. It was moved by Postmaster John Wetzel to the opposite side of the street into a small frame building prepared by him and Postmaster Fuller moved the same to a small frame building on Broadway and soon thereafter to the one-story solid brick building built alongside the frame structure. The frame building was destroyed by fire and the brick building was but recently torn down to make room for the new brick buikling now being erected by the German-American Bank and John Vertin. Postmaster Medved moved the office to a room in the Buck- man Hotel, next to the City Hall, but later it was removed to the Rhodes' building adjoining the building on the north. Owing to the establishing of
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the rural delivery system, it was moved to the building on the north which was larger and much needed owing to the growth of the office service at Little Falls. The next location was in July, 1909, when it moved into the present quarters.
A site has already been purchased and survey made and plans for a new government postoffice are being prepared by the department at Wash- ington, D. C. The contract will likely be let so the construction can begin during this autumn or early next spring.
Since 1883 the postmasters have been as follow :
Nathan Richardson held the office many years prior to 1883. Lewis G. Worthington, April 1, 1883, to September 5, 1885.
Jolın Wetzel, September 6, 1885, to October 31, 1889. Wheaton M. Fuller, November 1, 1889, to October 31, 1893. Peter Medved, November 1, 1893, to October 31, 1897. Dura Corbin, November 1, 1897. to February 9, 1902.
Wheaton M. Fuller, February 10, 1902, to September 30, 1908.
Clara K. Fuller, October 1, 1908, to August 1, 1913. Simon P. Brick, September 1, 1913, to present date.
Free delivery in the city was secured on May 1, 1904. The office became a second-class office on July 1, 1898. The last fiscal year the busi- ness (not including money orders) amounted to sixteen thousand eight hun- dred and eleven dollars and twenty-four cents, the year ending July 1, 1915. The present amount of deposits in the savings department is two thousand eight hundred and ninety-one dollars.
The city carriers are Byron G. Bradley, Constantine T. Droskowaski, Benjamin F. Griffith and Lloyd M. Kay. There are eight rural carriers, Preston J. Manbeek, Everett A. Savage, Samuel Longfellow, John E. Richey, Peter H. Holum, Howard Hovey, Reuben S. Beymer and John F. McNally. The present office force is as follows: Postmaster, Simon P. Brick; assist- ant postmaster, Ethen S. Brown; clerks, George F. Cornwell, Irvin E. Corn- well, Olaf E. Peterson and Christian P. Vernig; substitute clerk, Ernest L. Gatchell.
THE WHITE WAY.
"The White Way" is the name given to that portion of the city illumi- nated brilliantly by a cluster of five lights, two hundred and eighty-watt Mazda lamps, eight in a block, for fifteen blocks. These lights are attached to ornamental iron standards. This system turns night into day and gives
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the city a most beautiful appearance at night time. When this system was completed on October 25, 1913, the occasion was celebrated with red lights, marching clubs, eight bands of music, floats, industrial displays, visiting guests in automobiles ; while Governor Eberhart and other noted men of the state delivered orations on the progressiveness of Little Falls.
PINE GROVE PARK.
This is one of Nature's wonder spots and handsome retreats for the citizens and visitors of Little Falls. It is a fifty-seven-acre tract of white pine timber, only three-fourths of a mile out of the city, on the west side of the Mississippi river. This grove has been left as it was handed down by the Creator of all native forests, in all of its beauty and sublimity. Rustic seats of iron and wood are found here and there throughout the park. There is already quite a collection of wild animals within a wire enclosure. This park was the generous gift of C. A. Weyerhauser, M. M. Williams, .A. R. Davidson, R. D. Musser and others, and will ever remain a monument to these gentlemen. It cannot fail of being appreciated as the years roll by, and Minnesota forests have all disappeared.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
One of the indexes of prosperity and intelligence among the citizens of Little Falls is its interest in literary matters and the organization and maintenance of a public library. The history of this institution dates back to February, 1892, when Mrs. M. M. Williams, realizing the great need of a library, conceived and carried out the plan of raising a sufficient amount of money for the purchasing of the same by popular subscription. She set about by first heading the paper with a liberal amount herself, then visited the business men and others of the city and was gladly aided by most all of them in her laudable undertaking; one thousand one hundred and twenty- five dollars and fifty cents being the sum pledged, the same to be forthcom- ing as soon as one thousand dollars was raised, or rather subscribed, at which time all subscriptions were made payable. Subscribers were notified through the local newspapers to meet for the purpose of forming a library association, and for the preliminary steps toward securing and opening a public library.
The first meeting was held on August 15, 1892, in the rooms of the
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Itasca Club. Committees were chosen for the purpose of selecting books and a place for keeping the same. A motion was made by W. M. Fuller, seconded by A. R. Davidson, that Rev. A. A. Joss act as chairman of the meeting, which was carried and he took his seat. The secretary for the meeting was G. W. Massey. M. M. Williams moved that the chair appoint a committee of seven, of which Mrs. A. A. Joss should be one, who should be authorized to act for the subscribers in organizing an association. The chair then appointed the following as such committee: A. R. Davidson, Mrs. M. M. Williams, Mrs. Joss, Miss Sadie Fuller, C. A. Lindbergh, J. H. Rhodes and John A. Burkey.
The next meeting was on August 22, 1892, at ten o'clock in the fore- noon, at the directors' room of the First National Bank. This was called for the purpose of electing permanent officers of the association. Mrs. M. M. Williams was elected as president and Miss Sadie Fuller as secretary and treasurer. The city was then divided into three districts and a commit- tee of two appointed (one lady on each committee) whose duty should be to solicit from house to house and get lists of books. Another committee was selected to prepare by-laws for the newly-formed association. This committee was composed of C. A. Lindbergh, A. R. Davidson and J. H. Rhodes, while J. A. Burkey was appointed a committee to secure proper rooms in which to keep the library.
At the third meeting, which was held August 29 (no time was allowed to go to waste), C. A. Lindbergh and J. H. Rhodes were appointed to draft an ordinance relative to the establishment of a city library, and present the same to the city council, and after such was accomplished the same was. presented to the city authorities by Mr. Burkey, Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Joss and Miss Sadie Fuller.
At the meeting held in October, the same year, the list of books was completed and accepted by the association and ordered purchased.
The next meeting was on January 7, 1893, at the library rooms in the Butler block, at which Mr. Davidson was called to the chair. At this meet- ing the report of the committee was made and it was adopted that the two rooms in the Butler block should be used at a rental of nine dollars per month, including janitor's services. It was later known that the city coun- cil would levy a tax of one-half mill to support the city library. The com- mittee on books also reported that they had procured books amounting to eight hundred and twenty-six dollars and forty-seven cents. Another matter that was settled at that date was that books might be secured from the library on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays of each week, between the hours
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of two and five in the afternoon, as well as on Sunday evenings between seven and nine o'clock.
February 12, 1893, it was reported to the meeting of stockholders that the services of Mrs. L. F. Benton had been secured as librarian, at three dollars per week.
At a meeting in July, of that year, the report was made that the city of Little Falls had concluded to establish a city library and had appointed a board. The resolution read as follows: "Whereas, The city council of the city of Little Falls, Minnesota, having passed an ordinance creating and establishing a free public library, levied a tax for that purpose, for the sup- port of said library, and whereas, the statute of the state of Minnesota provides that any city in the above named state wherein the city council shall have passed an ordinance establishing a public library, and in which city there shall be already existing a public library, the same may be turned over and transferred to said city by the trustees of said library duly passing and adopting a resolution, so turning over and transferring such library to such city, upon the appointment by the mayor of such city, by and with the consent of the city council of such city, of a board of nine trustees to be selected from the citizens of such city, with reference to their fitness for the same, and that not more than one thereof shall be a member of the city council.
"Whereas, The mayor and city council of the city of Little Falls, Min- nesota, having complied with all said requirements, and there now being a public library in said city, known as the Little Falls Public Library Asso- ciation, and it being the duty of the officers and members of said association to so transfer said library to the city of Little Falls aforesaid, it is hereby
"Resolved, by the board of trustees of said association, that in consider- ation of said library being secured and kept up by the said city as a free public library, and upon the city paying the sum of one hundred and ten dollars, the present indebtedness of the association, said library and all property connected therewith is hereby turned over and transferred to the city of Little Falls, Minnesota, to be and remain henceforth the sole property of said city." On motion this was adopted.
UNDER CITY CONTROL.
Mayor Richardson appointed the following board of trustees: Mrs. M. E. Butler, Mrs. John Dennis, Mrs. A. A. Joss, Miss Sadie Fuller, Messrs. A. R. Davidson, J. L. Meyers, John A. Burkey, J. H. Rhodes and W. A.
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Bushey. Their first meeting was on July 27, 1893. At this meeting, Miss Sadie Fuller was appointed president of the library board, and W. A. Bushey was made secretary. It was then determined that the library should be open on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons and evenings of each week. Miss Laura Guernon was employed as librarian, at two dollars per week. By- laws and regulations for the library were ordered printed, with a catalog.
The first mention in the records of a proposition to or from Andrew Carnegie, concerning a donation to the city of the present splendid public library building was at the meeting of February 1, 1902, when Mrs. C. H. Brown made a motion that the president appoint a committee of three to confer with the city council about the proposition to obtain ten thousand dollars from Mr. Carnegie for a library building, providing the city appro- priate ten per cent. of that amount, or one thousand dollars annually, for the library's support. The committee then appointed for that purpose consisted of Messrs. M. M. Williams, C. A. Lindbergh and Charles E. Vasaly.
Mr. Carnegie was heard from in due time, and at the meeting of the board in March, 1902, at which this fact was made known, Mr. Carnegie agreed to give ten thousand dollars providing the city would pledge its sup- port in maintaining the library at a cost of not less than one thousand dol- lars per year and also to provide a suitable site for the building. A com- mittee was appointed to make this offer known to the city council. Such committee was as follows: Messrs. M. M. Williams, C. A. Lindbergh and Charles E. Vasaly. The committee was also empowered to look after a library site.
After much discussion and investigation of many sites, the one now occupied by the library building was selected, the same being known at that time as the F. A. Lindbergh lots.
On July 15, 1904, the library board opened the bids for erecting the library. Those present were: A. R. Davidson, A. P. Blanchard, L. E. Richard, Mrs. C. H. Brown, Mrs. C. H. Weyerhauser and Stephen Vasaly, as well as Architect F. D. Orff; Stephen Vasaly acting as secretary in the absence of Miss Sadie Fuller. There were bids for the superstructure from five firms, whose bids ranged from nine thousand four hundred and four- teen dollars down to eight thousand one hundred and ten dollars. The last named was by Harrison & Mecusker, and was accepted by the board. The style of building, material, etc., need not be here mentioned, as the completed structure stands, and doubtless will remain a monument that tells its own story, of both beauty and usefulness.
Quite remarkable was the contest for the first janitorship of the new
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library. The time set for opening the bids was on January 5, 1905. and there were no less than twenty-seven applicants for the position and the bids ranged from eighteen dollars up to forty-five dollars per month. That of Jerry Blair at twenty dollars per month was accepted by the board.
The library was completed in the spring of 1905 and dedicated in the month of February, with appropriate ceremonies. The records of the library board have been faithfully kept all these years by Miss Sadie Fuller, whose book entries are plain, clear and concise, recording the various pro- ceedings of the board's meetings to date. The present number of books in this library (1915) is five thousand three hundred volumes; fifty periodicals, and three daily and one weekly newspapers. Not over thirty per cent. of the books in this library are fiction, which is far less than many other city libraries have.
The present officers of the board are as follow: S. C. Vasaly, presi- dent; Mrs. L. D. Brown, vice-president ; Miss Sadie Fuller, secretary; Mrs. Jenny Lind Blanchard, librarian. Other librarians have been Laura Guer- non, Grace Hill (Mrs. E. M. LaFond), Miss Cora Tanner (Mrs. W. H. Hunter ).
LITTLE FALLS WATER POWER COMPANY.
The early history of this enterprise has already been treated, hence it need not here be repeated, but it will be well to show its importance in later years, as bearing on the business of the city. Really, the old company was a dismal failure in its operations, but in 1887 a new company was formed known as the Little Falls Water Power Company, capitalized at six hundred thousand dollars, distributed among both eastern and western capitalists. The year 1888 saw active strides toward making substantial improvements. It was found that by proper construction a "head" or "fall" of more than twenty feet could be secured, thus making it the largest water power (next to Minneapolis) to be found in the state or the whole Northwest region. The dam, completed in 1888, cost in round figures about two hundred thou- sand dollars.
Upon the completion of this great dam, the citizen property holders voted bonds to the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, as a bonus to aid the improvement. At the election voting these bonds the result was a vote of two to one in favor of bonding the county. The village of Little Falls also entered into a contract with the company, agreeing to pay annually a sum equal to the taxes imposed upon that corporation, and to exempt any
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PINE TREE MANUFACTURING COMPANY SAW-MILL, LITTLE FALLS
DAM I. LITTLE FALLS
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corporation or company who might engage in manufacturing using this com- pany's water power for a period of five years. Of the improvements named as in course of construction in 1888, a former state history speaks as follows :
"First the dam across the entire river, resting, however, against the head of Mill Island; second, a canal on the west side, starting from a point opposite the head of Mill Island, and extending one thousand feet down stream. This canal is eighty feet wide and thirteen feet deep, is lined with a retaining wall, and provided with head-gates at the upper end and with a waste-way at the lower end; third a wheel-house, races, and, if found desir- able, a wire rope tower for transmitting power to Mill Island and to the east shore. Basing the rental of this power on that of water power at Lowell, Massachusetts, it would be worth one hundred and fifty thousand dollars per annunı. The officers of the company are: W. H. Breyfogle, of Louis- ville, Kentucky, president; M. M. Williams, of Little Falls, secretary and treasurer." (The above paragraph was written in 1888.)
Another paragraph by the same writer-W. H. C. Folsom-says: "A bridge, built at a cost of twenty-four thousand dollars, crosses the Missis- sippi at this point. The bridge is four hundred feet long. The Little Falls & Dakota railroad, a branch of the Northern Pacific, is finished from Little Falls to Morris in Stevens county, a distance of eighty-five miles. In addi- tion to the mills connected with the water power there is also a steam saw- mill."
The dam of this company is now one thousand four hundred and fifty feet long and twenty-two feet high. The power generated is ten thousand hydro-electric horse-power.
PINE TREE LUMBER COMPANY.
The Pine Tree Lumber Company is the largest enterprise found in the city of Little Falls today. This company was established at Little Falls in 1891-92, by a number of lumber kings throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota -the lumbering section of the middle West. Here more than sixty million feet of northern pine is cut into lumber annually, besides ten million lathis. This mill is what is termed the three bands and horizontal re-saw, modernly equipped throughout. The planing mills are equipped with fourteen mills, of a capacity of three hundred thousand feet per day. The saw and planing mills, lumber sheds and yards cover over fifty acres. The lumber yards are divided into alleys with tail alleys between them which are from twelve to (13)
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eighteen feet wide, giving plenty of light and air, which insures perfect dry- ing of the lumber stock. Two years ago this great mill gave constant employment to four hundred men during the sawing season. The season usually lasts for seven months. The logs are harvested from Aitkin, Cass and Hubbard counties and are hauled by rail to Little Falls. where they are dumped into the spillway, holding twenty-five million feet. One of the specialties of this mill is its box lumber. used in all box factories throughout the country. The short mill-wood has a local sale, while the four-foot edg- ings and slabs find ready sale to industrial plants and brick factories, where they are used for fuel.
This mill is run by steam power, and the present officers of the con- pany are : President C. A. Weyerhaeuser : vice-president. F. S. Bell : secre- tary and treasurer, R. D. Musser ; general manager, C. A. Weyerhaeuser.
Besides holdings at Little Falls, this company and some of its stock- holders have other extensive saw-mills in the far West in Washington. Ore- gon and other points. The list of organizers of this gigantic milling project included the Weyerhaeusers and Mussers, whose estates are still included in the stock of the company, and represented by sons and other relatives.
FLOUR-MILL INDUSTRIES.
Among the early pioneers was A. Tanner, who engaged in mercantile pursuits at Little Falls, and was early interested in the possibilities to be derived from water-power in several nearby streams. He built and devel- oped a flouring-mill plant on the Swan river, five miles below Little Falls, the same being a "run of stones," by which a fair grade of flour was mann- factured after the old methods. The wheat came in by team for a radius of thirty miles. Later he leased the Little Elk mills, a water-power plant with a fifty-barrel daily capacity, three miles northwest of Little Falls, and thus supplied the demand for flour in this community for many years. Upon the development of the water-power at Little Falls, Mr. Tanner leased a site in the manufacturing district of the city, moved a part of the Little Elk plant down to Little Falls, and, under the name of the Little Falls Mill- ing Company, continued the milling business, but on a much larger scale. The old machinery was discarded and replaced with new, improved machin- ery and the best methods then known for making flour were adopted. A grain market was thus established at Little Falls that drew wheat for many miles around. From that date Little Falls has been a thriving flour center and bears an enviable reputation as a market city.
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L. V. Tanner, second son of pioneer A. Tanner, took up the mill busi- ness with his father soon after he finished in the high school. Later he was joined by his elder brother, H. H. Tanner. The two sons assumed the business in 1903, at which time the father, A. Tanner, retired from active business. This partnership continued until 1909, when H. H. Tanner sold his interests to L. V. Tanner, who has assumed the management ever since.
It may be stated that these mills were established at Little Falls in 1880, by A. Tanner. They are now run by electric current from the water- power of the Mississippi river. Fifty horse-power is used in running eight double stands of rolls, producing one hundred and twenty-five barrels of flour daily. It is largely sold in central and northern Minnesota, and includes the favorite brands of "Gold Bar," "Sunrise Select Patent" and "Sunrise Cereals."
Specialties of this mill are flour, feed, cereals, in mixed car shipments ; also rye, graham, buckwheat breakfast food flour. They also make buck- wheat flour and cornmeal. This mill in 1913 made forty thousand barrels of flour, twelve thousand tons of ground feed and employed twelve men. Two elevators were being operated, and a farmers' feed mill was in opera- tion. Many days one thousand dollars was paid out for wheat by this firm.
Another immense milling plant is that of the Northwestern Milling Company, one of the oldest concerns in northern Minnesota. It was estab- lished in 1893, and has a daily capacity of six hundred barrels, doing an annual business of one million dollars. "Gold Dust" and "King of Minne- sota" are among its fancy brands. It is sold as far away as West Virginia and New Jersey, Massachusetts and other New England places. The ele- vator has a capacity of thirty-five thousand bushels, and is combined with the four-story milling plant. Twenty-seven men are constantly employed. The master hand and expert miller of this concern, as noted by reference made in 1913, was John W. Stephenson.
HENNEPIN PAPER MILLS COMPANY.
Another of the big industries in Little Falls is the Hennepin Paper Mills Company, makers of news-print paper from spruce pulp. It has a daily output of about thirty tons. The equipment contains a one-hundred- and-twenty-inch machine, six pulp grinders. The mill is operated by water, electricity and steam power. The plant and yards cover over five acres of ground. Annually, almost one-half a million dollars' worth of paper is made. This industry was established in 1891, by B. F. Nelson and T. B.
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Walker. The material comes from northern Minnesota. About ninety men are constantly employed. The product of these mills is sold largely in the southwestern territory. The officers in 1915 are: B. F. Nelson, president : G. W. Walker, vice-president ; W. Ed. Nelson, secretary, and W. J. Walker, treasurer.
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