History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 22

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736

USA > Minnesota > Olmsted County > History of Olmsted County, Minnesota > Part 22

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).

Mr. Blake was plaintiff in the first suit brought in the courts of this state for the control of the railroads. The legislature of 1871, in which L. B. Hodges and R. A. Jones, of this county, were lead- ing anti-railroad members, passed a law prescribing the rates of freight to be charged by the roads. Blake, supported by the mer- chants of Rochester, sued the Winona & St. Peter Railroad Com- pany in 1872, in the district court, under the law, for excessive freight charged on some dry goods. The suit was prosecuted by William P. Clough, a young lawyer of Rochester, and defended by Mitchell & Gale, of Winona, the company's attorneys. The ques- tion in the case was as to the right of the legislature to fix the freight rates of the roads. The right of the legislature to control the road was denied by Judge Waterman, of the district court,

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who decided that the law was unconstitutional. 'The case was appealed to the supreme court and that tribunal reversed the find- ings of Judge Waterman and, in an opinion by Chief Justice Rip- ley, decided the law to be constitutional. This was the beginning of the control of railroads by the government, which has now be- come established. Mr. Clough, like Hodges, was afterwards em- ployed by a railroad, becoming an attorney for the Great Northern road, and moving to St. Paul in 1872, and now a prominent official of that corporation.

Mr. Blake was a delegate to the International Sunday School Convention at London, and a lay delegate to the Methodist Gen- eral Conference at Baltimore, in 1876.

In 1865 Alfred D. Leet and Stephen V. Crouch became partners in the firm of J. D. Blake & Company. Mr. Leet had come to Rochester in 1858 from Mantorville, and opened a clothing store in partnership with Jay La Due. He is a native of New York state, born in 1828. After a change in the firm he carried on a carpet store several years and is now living, having retired from business a few years ago. Mr. Crouch died in 1879. He was an excellent business man.

Elliott A. Knowlton came to work for the firm in 1867. He was born in Vermont in 1844 and came to Northfield, Minnesota, at an early age. He attended Hamline University three years and enlisted in the Seventh Minnesota Regiment, serving in the Sioux war. He has been commander of Custer Post, G. A. R. He became a member of the firm of J. D. Blake & Company in 1874.

After doing a very extensive and successful business, Mr. Blake, in 1882, withdrew and removed to Minneapolis, where he engaged in real estate business and died in October. 1906. The Rochester business was continued by the firm of Leet & Knowlton. Since the retirement of Mr. Leet Mr. Knowlton has taken in partnership his sons, George B. and Clarence E., and the firm is now the Knowlton Company, doing a very large business at the old stand.

Rochester Lodge, No. 13, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted July 31. 1861. The charter members were John D. Ameigh, Cyrenus H. Blakely. Dawson Bell, John W. Everstine and David Lesner. The first officers were noble grand, C. H. Blakely; vice grand, D. Bell; secretary, J. D. Ameigh ; treasurer, D. Lesner. In 1875 the Odd Fellows block was built by the lodge. A hand- some two-story brick building with ample lodge rooms and a few offices in the second story, and below the postoffice, Saxer's cigar factory, and the ladies' furnishing store of Misses Scott & Ever- stine. It has become an important business center and, with its income of rents, is a memorial of the business sagacity of the lodge. The membership of the lodge is now 183.

When the school section, in the heart of the city, came into

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market in 1862, the Oakwood Cemetery Association was established and forty acres of the state land was purchased for a cemetery. It has been added to from time to time till now there is seventy- six acres. It is a pretty ridge, centrally located, and aside from the proximity of the railroads, is conveniently situated. Previous to its purchase a neglected spot near the east bank of the river, on the school section, which, belonging to the state, was a "no man's land," had been used as a place of interment, and though all the bodies were thought to be removed, on the opening of the cemetery, a few parts of skeletons have been found there within a few years, in digging for building sand. The association has improved the grounds till now it is a most beautiful city of the dead. Col. George Healy, who platted it in 1863, was, during his life, deeply interested in its development. He superintended the building of a receiving vault in 1890, and presented it to the association, and in his will left an endowment of about $60,000 for the perpetual improvement of the grounds. The first sexton and watchman of the cemetery was George Tilbury, a policeman and city watchman for several years. Andrew Holm, the present sexton, has served in that capacity for twenty years, and under his tactful care the grounds have been constantly growing in beauty till now they are unsurpassed in attractiveness by those of any small city.

St. John's Catholic Church purchased fifteen acres on the school section in 1874 and has a cemetery that is prettily laid out and handsomely kept up.

George Healy was born in 1812 in the state of New York. He was brought up on a farm, but became a civil engineer and fol -. lowed that profession for several years, being engaged on the Erie canal and on the New York and Erie railroads, and acquired a competency. He came to Rochester in 1859 and engaged in money loaning. He also did some surveying as city surveyor and county surveyor. He was interested in weather observations and kept a daily record for years. He was a pioneer sheep raiser, bringing a large flock of Merino sheep here from Vermont and distributing them among farmers in the vicinity. He made a donation of $5,000 to the Public Library. He died in 1896. He was of correct business habits and strict integrity.

Henry Schuster was born in Prussia in 1835 and came to America when twenty years old, locating in Wisconsin. In 1863 he opened a blacksmith shop in Rochester and two years later he bought the brewery of William Thresher and enlarged and im- proved it from year to year, till in 1871 it was destroyed by fire. He at once rebuilt it on a larger scale and continued the business till his death in August, 1885. He was very enterprising, liberal, generous and public spirited. He served four terms as alderman.

The quality of his patriotism may be judged from the following

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extract from the Rochester Post of May, 1865: "Henry Schuster, the man who knocked down the traitor for exulting over the death of the president, runs a blacksmith shop immediately adjoining Ole Oleson's wagon factory."

Mr. Schuster left two sons, Henry and Frederick W., who, after their father's death, continued the business. Henry Schuster was born in Wisconsin in 1862 and Frederick W. in Rochester in 1863. The business has been incorporated under the title of the Schuster Brewing Company, and capitalized at $350,000. It has been pushed with great energy and developed into the largest business establish- ment of the city, with a group of substantial and handsome brick buildings, including the brewery, offices, bottling works, store- house, cooper shop and barn. The equipment is, throughout, the

most modern and up to date. Fifty men are employed, and the out- put is 10,000,000 bottles a year, of which about half is beer and by-products and half a malt tonic, sold in drug stores. These are shipped to twenty-three states, taking in the entire central, western and southern states. The Schuster Realty Company has also been incorporated and capitalized at $150,000. The Schuster Brothers are liberal contributors to public enterprises.

The first ministrations of the Roman Catholic Church in this vicinity were by Father Pendergast, who was the pastor at Winona. In 1863 Rev. James Morris became a resident priest at Rochester and established St. John's Church. Peter's Hall, the second story of the old court house, was the chapel, but Father Morris, looking to the future. bought from William McCullough the site of the present church. His health failed and he was succeeded in 1866 by Rev. Thomas O'Gorman, a young, energetic and very eloquent preacher, who rapidly built up the church. He was also pastor of St. Bridget's Church in Pleasant Grove township. The building of the church edifice was commenced under his administration in 1866 and finished for occupancy in 1872. He left in 1877 and is now bishop of Omaha. Rev. Michael A. Breeton succeeded and remained till 1881. He was succeeded in 1881 by Rev. William Riordan, the present incumbent. Father Riordan's pastorate has been a very successful one, lasting more than twenty-six years, and being the longest tenure of office by any clergyman of the city. He was born in Ireland in 1838, was admitted to the priesthood in 1869 and came to America the same year, locating in St. Paul, where he was an assistant to Bishop Grace. He went to Chatfield in 1870 and came from there to Rochester. He has had a large addition built to the church, about doubling its capacity, and it is now the largest and most substantial church of the city-of grey limestone and of graceful proportions, and has a most beautiful interior, worthy a city of twice the size. The present membership of the church is 1,500, comprising a large proportion of farmers' families.

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The twenty-fifth anniversary of Father Riordan's ordination was celebrated by the church in 1894, and the twenty-fifth anni- versary of the commencement of his St. John's pastorate was cele- brated on the twenty-seventh of June, 1906, by appropriate services at the church accompanied by the presentation of a set of elegant vestments, and at night by a banquet at Masonic Temple, at which citizens outside the church and the ministers of other churches were numerously represented ; speeches appreciative and eulogistic were made and the greatest goodwill and cordiality were shown.

In January, 1908, Rev. John A. Commiskey, from St. Paul, was appointed a colleague with Rev. Riordan and is now acting in that capacity.

A convent was established by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1877, under the charge of Mother Superior Alfred, and the Academy of Our Lady of Lourdes was established in 1878. Both of these and St. Mary's Hospital are under the management of the sisters. Mother Alfred died several years ago and is succeeded by Mother Superior Matilda, who is now the local head of the organization. The convent had at first about sixty sisters and has now 160. The academy has 160 scholars and is very ably conducted. The convent building, in which is included the academy, has been twice enlarged and now is an imposing pile of brick trimmed with stone, covering nearly an entire city block.

Mother Superior Mary Alfred was born in Germany in 1829 and died at St. Paul in 1899. She was a most efficient business manager and her able administration of the convent, the academy and St. Mary's Hospital and that of her successor, Mother Matilda, are fine examples of the capacity of women for the management of large business enterprises.

The Cascade water power. on that stream within the city. was improved in 1864 by John S. Humason and Gilbert Smith building a mill with two run of stone. About 1868 Captain Harkins became the proprietor, and about 1871 it was sold to Lyman Tondro, who came from Iowa. He had enlisted in the Union army in that state and was wounded in battle by a shot through both hips, from which he has never recovered and often experienced much suffering, but was unusually active and energetic in business. He was elected alderman in 1884 and represented North Rochester in the council six years continuously. In November, 1889, he was appointed post- master and held the office till March, 1894. After his service as postmaster he went to Alaska and has spent several years there. He is now in California temporarily. The mill has been in disuse several years.

The first passenger train from the East on the Winona & St. Peter railroad, now the Chicago & Northwestern, came into Rochester October 12, 1864, and with it came a new era of development for the little city and the whole county. The first conductor was George

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Shannon, who, after years in that service, moved to Washington territory, where he died several years ago.

The first three station agents in succession were : James McGrath, Charles Case and John C. Hamilton. After them George W. Van Dusen had charge of the station and the elevators, buying grain, till the merger of the Winona and St. Peter with the Chicago & North- western Company, when, in 1874 Van Dusen bought the elevators and the grain business along the line of the road, and Charles Van Campen was appointed station agent, and is still in that position, having held it for the very long term of thirty-four years.

Charles Van Campen was born in New Jersey in 1843 and was taken with his father's family to Illinois and brought up on a farm. He served in an Illinois regiment in the War of the Rebellion and carries a wounded arm as a badge of his service. He has been prominent in city affairs. He was alderman one term and a mem- ber of the Board of Education. He was for ten years from 1882 the official secretary of the County Agricultural Society, and was two years president of the International Ticket Agents' Association.

The population of the city, which in 1860 was 1,200, was in- creased to 2,633 in 1865, more than doubling in five years.

The Rochester Iron Works or foundry and machine shop, was established in 1865 by Edward .Chapman and William M. Purcis, who came from Plainview. They sold to Dexter Livermore, who was succeeded in 1869 by his son, Frederick D. Livermore, who built up an extensive business in the manufacture of engines and the making and repair of agricultural machinery. He was born in New York City in 1841 and was an expert book printer. He came to Rochester in 1856 and worked on the Free Press and afterwards, at times, on the Post. When the Chicago Great Western railroad was built his iron works were sold to the company and demolished. The present freight office is on their site. He then retired from business and died in July, 1903.

The Rochester Library Association was organized in December, 1865, with J. D. Blake as president. A subscription of $1,000 was raised for the purchase of books. The highest subscription was that of J. D. Blake for $500. The other subscriptions ranged from $25 to $100. Among the contributors were: O. P. Whitcomb, W. D. Hurlbut, Dr. W. W. Mayo, Chadbourn & Whitney, Leonard & Booth, J. B. Clark, J. R. Cook, L. Walker and O. P. Stearns. It had a feeble existence for some time. After a few years the sub- scriptions by which it was supported failed and the books were kept in W. W. Ireland's store.

In 1875 the ladies of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union took charge of it, and in 1883 the library association was reorgan- ized as the Free Library and Reading Room Association, and Mrs. John Edgar was president several years. Other ladies prominent in its management were: Mesdames W. D. Hurlbut, Frances Cook,

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C. H. Chadbourn, E. W. Cross, H. W. Garrett, Mrs. Sanford Niles and Miss Marion Sloan. A little money for its support was raised by entertainments. In 1886 the common council voted an appropria- tion of $200 for its support, and this sum was voted annually till 1891, when $300 was voted and the library was made free. The city now appropriates $2,500 yearly to its support.

The library association was incorporated in 1885 and became a city institution with a board of trustees appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. The board appointed in 1895 by Mayor Allen was Burt. W. Eaton, president; T. H. Titus, Mrs. John Edgar, Walter Hurlbut, Mrs. E. W. Cross, E. A. Knowlton, Mrs. H. C. Butler, T. H. Bliss and Mrs. H. W. Garrett.

New life was put into the library by a bequest of $5.000 by Huber Bastian. He was a native of Philadelphia, born in 1844. He enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment at the commencement of the Rebellion, was promoted to lieutenant, adjutant and aide de camp, and was wounded in the battle of Ball's Bluff. He con- tracted consumption and came to Rochester in 1867 in an enfeebled condition, but improved so in health that he lived till 1892. He possessed a competency, was well educated and of artistic tastes and was an excellent amateur painter and socially popular. He also bequeathed $1,000 to the Episcopal church.

An interesting episode in the history of the Library occurred in 1895. The Library was in need of money, as libraries always are. Col. George Healy, a Rochester resident of considerable wealth, had been solicited to make a donation to it. This he consented to do, but, being a free thinker, made it a condition of his gift that there should be liberality in the choice of books purchased as the result of his bounty. He offered, in writing, to donate $5,000 with the proviso that $500 of that amount should be applied to the purchase of books selected by him and that $50 should be expended every year for the purchase of books of the same character. The proposition was neither accepted nor rejected by the library board, but a committee was appointed, consisting of Burt W. Eaton, Timothy H. Bliss and Walter Hurlbut to confer with the colonel and see whether he would not modify his terms. The matter became a subject of public discussion. The churches generally were opposed to allowing the admission of heterodox books to the library. Rev. William Riordan, pastor of the Catholic church, and Rev. John Pringle, the Presbyterian minister, not only preached against, but. also. opposed it in the newspapers. Rev. Pringle was the leader in opposition to it. Rev. George P. Avery, Methodist minister, preached against it. Rev. E. P. Robertson, the Methodist presiding elder. objected only to the works of Paine and Ingersoll; Rev. L. D. Boynton, Universalist minister, favored acceptance of the gift.

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The result of the conference with the committee was that Colonel Healy withdrew his first offer and made another written offer, somewhat modified and dropping the requirement of the yearly expenditure of $50. In it he said "I desire that the Library shall also contain books and reading matter of a liberal nature for the benefit of those who may desire to use them * * * This dona- tion is made upon these conditions. First, that no literary work or book of any kind shall be barred or excluded from the Public Library of the city of Rochester by reason of its religious teachings, doctrines or views, if such books are not immoral * * It * is my desire that as a part of the books to be purchased by your board with the money which shall be donated by me, there shall be included the works of Thomas Paine, Robert G. Ingersoll and works of a similar nature."

The Library board was so evenly divided that the donation was accepted by only one majority on a vote by the full board. The affirmative votes were by Burt W. Eaton, T. H. Bliss, Walter Hurlbut, Mrs. H. C. Butler and Mrs. E. W. Cross; the negative votes were by E. A. Knowlton, T. H. Titus, Mrs. John Edgar and Mrs. H. W. Garrett.

The money was paid over to the board and the community, ap- parently, does not care what kind of books are in the Library if only there are plenty of novels.

The Library building, at the corner of Zumbro and Main streets, is one of the most beautiful public buildings in the city ; a modern two-story brick structure, thoroughly adapted to its users and handsomely finished externally and internally. It cost $15,000, of which all but the $5.000 Bastian bequest was appropriated by the city. It was opened and dedicated in March, 1898.

The Library now includes 10,000 volumes. The present libra- rian is Miss Louise Fernald, a graduate of the Pratt Institute, of Brooklyn, and the assistant librarian, Miss Edna Emerick, a daugh- ter of John P. Emerick, deceased, a pioneer carpenter of the city. She has been a librarian of the Library for twenty-five years.

The Library was again benefitted by an endowment of $20,000 from the estate of Walter Hurlbut, who had been a director in the Library board a number of years, and its vice president, and who died in California in 1905, while visiting there. He died without making a will, but his widow, Mrs. Ella Hurlbut, who was his sole heir at law, notified the Library board that, knowing that it had been his intention to bequeath $20,000 to the Library, she would carry out his wishes the same as if he had made the will; and she has done so.

Walter Hurlbut was the son of William D. Hurlbut, a prominent early settler of Rochester. He was born in Ohio in 1847, and came to Rochester in 1858. He was assistant cashier in the First

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National Bank and became cashier. He went to Minneapolis and was there three years as manager of the National Bank of Com- merce. Returning to Rochester he was cashier and vice president of the First National Bank, from which he retired in 1899, after thirty-four years in the banking business. He was a member of the Library board from 1895 till his death. He had leisure and literary tastes and was devoted to the Library.

The Norwegian Evangelican Lutheran church was organized March 9, 1865, with Rev. L. Steen the first pastor. He was suc- ceeded in 1869 by Rev. J. A. Thorson, who was also pastor of St. Olaf's Church, in Rock Dell. He was followed in 1879 by Rev. O. Felland, and he in 1883 by Rev. O. T. Winter. In 1894 Rev. J. A. Linedwold came, and in 1902 Rev. A. G. Kuamen, who resigned January 1. 1908. The membership of the church comprises twenty families. A lot, at the corner of Zumbro and Franklin streets, has been purchased for the erection of a handsome new church.

The Zumbro river indulged in one of its worst freshets the first week in August, 1866. A few days of continuous rains had raised all the tributaries and the stream itself for above the banks, and after a heavy rain all night the flood came. The flat on the west side of the river, now Mayo Park, after lying unsettled for years and apparently above any probable rise of the stream, had that season been built on and three comfortable houses were occupied by families well satisfied with their homes, but in the night the waters surrounded them and by morning had flooded their houses and they were all compelled to take refuge in the branches of the big oak trees near the houses and were found there by neighbors in the morning. They were John Sullivan, his wife and two chil- dren, Owen and Margaret; Thomas Carroll, his wife and his sons, James, Charles and Thomas, and Chauncey Williamson and wife and daughter, Mary. They were all rescued in boats, but the homes were ruined and the flat ceased to be a residence district and was again devoted to pasturage. Williamson died some years ago. Mr. Carroll was for years postmaster at Carrollsville, where he died. and John Sullivan was for years baggage master at the Chicago & Northwestern depot and is still living.

A single case of Asiatic cholera has been known in Rochester. A Norwegian immigrant, passing through here, was attacked with the disease in August, 1866, and died at the City Hotel.

The Federal Union was established in November. 1866, with H. S. Knapp, from Ohio, as editor. He conducted it till 1869, when he was succeeded by Nelson D. Porter, from Ohio, who was suc- ceeded in about a year by H. H. Young, who came from Le Seuer. In 1874 it was consolidated with the Minnesota Record.

A city ordinance was passed in 1866 prohibiting the erection of wooden buildings on Broadway, between College and Fourth streets.

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In the fall of 1866 the Union and Turnverein were organized by a few German residents of the city. In 1872 the Social Turnverein was consolidated with the Union, under the name of the German Library Association. The first officers were William Oker, B. Schwartz, L. Harris, J. G. Karlen, H. Kalb, H. Schuster and E. Neumann. The society has very pleasant rooms in Rommell's Block, on Broadway, including reading room, billiard room, recep- tion room and a large hall, which is perhaps more used for dancing than any other in the city.

The social features of the association, which include an annual masked ball and a family Christmas celebration, are marked by genuine German sociability.

The library includes 2,500 volumes, nearly all standard German works. It is expected that it will soon be merged with the Public Library.

William H. Dodge, a native of New York state, was born in 1821. He came to Rochester in 1867 and established a lumber yard in partnership with E. E. Youmans, whom he bought out in 1869. He built up a large business and was highly esteemed. He was an alderman for two terms and four terms a member of the Board of Education. He died in February, 1907.

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History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 22

Author: Joseph A. Leonard Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Number of Pages: 736

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736