USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 54
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On March 8. 1880, J. O. Crommett was awarded the contract for a bridge across the river on Cascade street. for the sum of one hundred and
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sixty-two dollars and fifty cents. The record for April 7, 1880, shows that this bridge was completed and accepted and an order for the payment of the contractor made. Just what kind of a bridge could be built for that amount and in that time is not made clear by a reading of the record.
PRESIDENTS OF VILLAGE COUNCIL, 1872-81.
The names and terms of service of those who held the office of presi- dent of the village council from its incorporation in 1872 until the adoption of the city charter in 1881 are as follow: 1872 to 1873, Ernest Buse : 1873 to 1874, James Compton; 1874 to 1875, Samuel H. Nichols; 1875 to 1878, H. G. Page; 1878 to 1879, Jacob Austin ; 1879 to 1881. James Compton.
FERGUS FALLS BECOMES A CITY. ..
Fergus Falls became a city as the result of the legislative act of March 3. 1881. No better picture of the city as it appeared in the spring of 1881 will ever be written than that which came from the pey of George B. Wright. His first description of the village in 1874 has already been given and his brochure of 1881 completes the history of the first decade of the town. This second monograph bears the peculiar title of "Coarse Fodder ( Bran, Chips and Sawdust mostly ), raked up by Old Settler, being Facts, Figures and Things relating to Fergus Falls. Minnesota." This ambiguously headed pamphlet gives a glimpse of Fergus Falls after ten years of growth and is here given in the exact words of its inimitable author. George B. Wright.
When ten years ago-August 19, 1870-late in the afternoon of a sunny summer day, the writer, driving a Red Indian pony attached to a wooden Red River cart big enough to make a load for six such ponies, entered the limits of the pleasant city of Fergus Falls, the "coming city" was not visible to the undressed vision. Faith alone could see its fair proportions: that faith indeed "which is the substance of things" that don't exist. That pony. that indomitable Red Indian, deserves a place in history. for he. even in his present humble sphere as motive power to a milk cart. may proudly say of the rising metropolis: "All of this I saw and part of this I was." That very morn bad witnessed his first introduction to the arts of civilization. The wild Indian of the plains when first deprived of liberty had been remorselessly dragged by Fate in the shape of an Old Settler through the deep waters and over the rough rocks of adversity at Pomme de Terre crossing: himself, harness, cart. administrators and assigns. despite his tears, protests and vigorous resistance. It took an even hour for Fate to do the job, but in that brief hour had Indian Dlek (for that was his name) learned one large chapter of the wisdom of earth-to submit gracefully to the inevitable: and when at eve the Old Settler gently requested him to cross the raging floods of Red River over the relles of which may yet be seen in the clear deep waters just above the lower dam and which was built by Ernest Buse and his neighbors at a total cost. as he once informed me. of seventy cents and five gallons of whiskey-Richard calmly accepted the responsible trust thus confided to him and trudged onward with the intrepid step of a veteran.
The heat and dust was not then insupportable, at least not any more so than it is likely to be next August.
Brick blocks. churches. schools, elevators, mills and railroads existed only in the Imagination of-well. say Buse. Dick and the Old Settler.
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But the place had all the charming picturesqueness which it still retains, added to which was a wild beauty, a bloom of nature which the rough touch of the ostensibly civilized man has swept away. From the height of upland prairie to the south, the valley spread out before the traveler two miles broad, north and south, and a hundred feet in depth; yet so broken up with knobs and ridges, with gently sloping fields and bits of lakelets, the winding river and the groves and timber borders, that the eye took little note of the depth to which the river had cut down through these hills. To the east, Nob hill shuts out the view; westward, Telegraph hill marks the lower limit of the coming city.
This, then, is the site, two miles north and south by three miles east and west along the Red River, within which distance is claimed six water powers with over eighty feet fall, and 10,000 horse-power fooling away its days and nights to no useful end.
Mother Nature's children. are all just. so fearfully. lazy and improvident, always sowing wild oats, and never putting by anything for a rainy day.
The site is a natural amphitheatre with room for 100,000 people, parquette, dress circle and galleries rising in pretty regular order one above the other. From his private box on the hills the retired citizen may overlook the play, and command a good view of all his neighbors.
The busy actor down below may look out from his counting room, or mill, or eleva- tor, and see his home glittering like a jewel from the crest of some hill or half way up the slope. From scores of beautiful sites the whole valley may be taken in at one view. Northeasterly lies the heavy timber, the Otter Tail woods, thirty miles through, of solid hardwood timber. Southwesterly the wide prairies stretch out across western Minnesota and Dakota ; endless wheat fields, but destitute of coal, wood or water-power. Directly west, eight miles away and two hundred feet below the lowest ground here, is the great Red River valley, forty miles broad, extending fifty miles south and three hundred miles north to Lake Winnipeg, a level alluvial plain twice as large as the state of Massachusetts, and capable of growing yearly a hundred million bushels of No. 1 hard wheat.
To the northwest, southeast, and, indeed. for some miles in all directions from Fergus, extends the rolling country, part timber, part prairie, and dotted over with countless lakes and ponds which, from its picturesque characteristics, has been fitly named the Park Region of Minnesota. .
A dozen years ago, while Otter Tail county was yet an unsettled and "howling wilderness." this singularly beautiful and fertile region was far more impressive in its peculiarity than now, for buildings, fields and fences are everywhere associated in the mind with lands partly cleared and open and partly timbered. Then the lonely explorer might travel for days through a region where the work of man seemed everywhere abounding and yet where no man lived. Here and there. in groups or singly, stood broad spreading trees, such as one might see in a New England pasture. Anon, a mass of heavy woodland, rising tall and straight. sheer up from the grassy prairie adjoining; but man, his dwelling. his fields, his cattle, all swept away, and not a vestige left, save here and there on commanding hill tops the tumuli of the mound builders which are everywhere in the western states so common.
The traveler walked the fields of this deserted land amid a throng of the spirits of the past, and he heard their footsteps in the rustling leaf, and their voices in the gurgling brook. Now if he will walk those fields again. he hears in louder tones the mellifluous accent of the Norsk and the nasal twang of the Yankee of Vermont.
When the Journal set up shop in Fergus, seven years ago, the Old Settler brought in his sheaves and other "projuce." and laid them on the Journal-istic altar. He then gave some reminiscences, historical. imaginative and otherwise. Some descriptions of scenery so vivid that the attentive reader might recognize them (if labeled) and some predictions about as valuable as those of other weather prophets. But those were the
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days of faith rather than works; and if we of Fergus get out of the wilderness in less than forty years, we shall, by just so much. "beat the Jews" of old.
The Old Settler, in common with others, believes that the promised land is just before; that the "coming city" have comed, and, with your kind permission, he hopes to lay before your readers a picture of Fergus Falls as it now is, and as it may probably become."
A GLANCE AT FERGUS FALLS IN 1881.
A business directory is not ordinarily classed as a piece of historical literature and attains such dignity only after the lapse of many years. Fortunately there has been preserved a complete directory of Fergus Falls as it existed in the spring of 1881. Future generations may wonder who were the lawyers of Fergus Falls in 1881, who the barbers were, who man- aged the grocery stores, who operated the hotels, who the preachers were, the physicians, the newspaper editors, the saloon keepers, etc. The purpose of the few following paragraphs is to indicate in a general way what might have been seen in Fergus Falls in 1881.
Some wise man has said that the history of a country is the history of the men who live in it. If this be true, and it undoubtedly is, a list of all of the men identified in the business and professional interests in Fergus Falls in 1881 ought to give a good bird's eye view of the city as it then existed. Fergus Falls was incorporated a city by an act of the legislature, approved March 3, 1881, and for this reason additional interest attaches to the group of men represented in this directory of the city which appeared in April, 1881. in one of the unique brochures of George B. Wright. What a story could be written of these men of bygone days. Scores of them have passed to their reward, other scores have retired from active life, scores have left the city and are living elsewhere at the present time, and a few-very few-are living in Fergus Falls and following the same occupation today ( 1916) that they were thirty-five years ago.
As the eye glances at this list here appended, it meets the name of Cor- liss, and today the Hon. E. E. Corliss is custodian of the state capitol at St. Paul. A volume might be written if each name in this list-and they number more than one hundred and fifty -- were taken up and treated separ- atly, but space forbids mentioning but a few. A careful checking of this list shows that only sixteen of the total number are now living in the city, namely : F. E. Corliss, C. J. Sawbridge, J. O. Barke, J. W. Mason, E. J. Evans, S. S. Fagerland. Jacob Nelson, P. Oelschlager, N. J. Mortensen, G. O. Dahl, Horace Pickit, O. C. Chase, Oliver Olson, A. M. Fargeman, B. A. Clark and A. Brandenburg. In this connection, it is pertinent to remark that of the professions represented in the city in 1871 there is only one man left who has spanned the forty-five years in the city in the same profession. This one man who has followed his profession from the day he arrived in
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the little village on June 7, 1871, down to the present time is John W. Mason.
The seven churches of the city in 1881 have grown to seventeen in 1916. The population of 570 in 1875 increased to 1.213 by January 1, 1880, and by April 1, 1881, when the appended directory was issued, it was estimated at 2,100. The election of November. 1880, showed 376 voters. and by February, 1881, the number had increased to 451, although the poll lists bore over 500 names.
Every occupation represented in 1881 is found in Fergus Falls in 1916, with one exception-the saloon has disappeared. Many occupations listed in the directory of today were unknown in 1881, and undoubtedly when the directory of 1951 is issued, as many more new occupations will have come into existence during the succeeding period of thirty-five years. One can- not help but notice the way representatives of some of the professions of 1881 have disappeared. It looks like the irony of fate to see that all the physicians have died, and that the only undertaker of the town has gone likewise; the ten saloon keepers have handed their last glass of beer across the bar ; the barbers will talk to no more customers; the baker, Lowry, will no more have fresh bread for sale daily ; not one of the five blacksmiths will shoe another horse; neither of the two restaurants of 1881 are ladling out any more soup ; the one dentist has pulled his last tooth; not a hotel of 1881 is now giving out poor quarters for good dollars. Truly has time wrought great changes.
This interesting list of the business and professional men of 1881 will revive the memories of many of those still living who know them. The total number listed is one hundred and sixty-two; of this number it is known that sixteen are living in Fergus Falls at the present time, twenty-three are living elsewhere. while, of the remainder, the great majority are deceased. The list follows :
Attorneys-Corliss & Sawbridge, E. M. Wright, J. O. Barke. C. L. Lewis, H. E. Rawson, Williams & Chapman. P. O. Noben. J. W. Mason, E. J. Evans. J. M. R. Williams. Bank-First National Bank of Fergus Falls.
Bakery-M. R. Lowry.
Barber Shops-Emerson & Kaufer. Fred Rollins.
Billiards-Fred Rollins. James O'Brien. Gray & Latb, Captain Dampier.
Books and Stationery-W. J. Hall.
Boots and Shoes-George B. Martin, dealer: George Kissinger. manufacturer: S. S. Fagerland. manufacturer.
Breweries -- P. Oelschlager. Brown & Company.
Blacksmiths-Shaver & Eshelman. A. F. Shellman. J. P. Sherman. Blake Orr.
Brick Yards-Jake Nelson Brothers. Anderson & Bearbeau.
Carriage Shops-A. C. Cooper. M. H. Woolsey.
Carding Mill-A S. Anderson.
Cabinet-making-Mr. Beck.
Churches-Presbyterian. R. N. Adams, pastor: Methodist. Peter Clare, pastor: Con- gregationalist. W. L. Sutherland (supply ) : Episcopalian. G. E. Swan. rector: Swede
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Baptist, without pastor ; Norwegian Lutheran (conference), N. Iverson, pastor; Nor- wegian Lutheran (synod ), O. N. Fosmark, pastor.
Clothing-1. J. Brinn & Company.
Confectionery and Fruit-M. R. Lowry, manufacturer; W. J. Hall, Fred 'Rollins, M. V. Austin, G. C. Waters, J. Pickit.
Contractors and Builders-Irving Gage, J. W. Spendlove. J. O. Crummet. McGregor & Anderson, stone masons; A. A. Iluseby, stone mason ; R. C. Hammond, plasterer ; Stan- ford Brothers, M. H. Woolsey.
Dentist-R. H. Phalon.
Drugs-George (. Miles. Nelson & Mortensen. A. L. Shore, J. B. Northrup.
Dry and Fancy Goods-1. J. Brinn & Company.
Elevators -- Pillsbury & Company, A. G. Tod & Company, Adams & Company.
Flour and Feed-C. F. Clark, Clarke & Winther. Red River Roller Mills, C. H. Goodsell, L. J. Morrill.
Flouring Mills-Red River Roller Mills: Austin & Newcomb, Fergus Flour Mills, under construction.
Furniture-E. J. Woodham, manufacturer and dealer; Fred Gesswein, dealer.
General Stores -- O. J. Sundhal, G. O. Dahl. J. W. Van Dyke, Knudson & Skavelem, Bertha Zaiser, Horace Pickit, O. C. Chase. P. Prinzi. H. F. Heitsch.
Groceries-Justus Pickit. Wick & Wessberg. Elden & Rhinehart, Austin & Hilton, Martin Linder, A. B. Ilnave & Company.
General Jobbing-J. HI. Baker.
Guns and Sportsmen's Goods-George L. Nichols, agent.
Hardware-Liedl & Evans. W. H. Cowing, L. Goodsell, Wright & Cockroft, Johnson & Dahl.
Harness Makers-S. Terwilliger. Kaufer & Son.
Hotels-Bell's hotel. D. Bell: Occidental hotel. Jay Near: Cataract House. J. J. Schey ; Farmer's hotel. J. G. Johnson: Minnesota House, Simon Olson : Central House, Martin Fybri: Union House. Vike Brothers: Skandinavian hotel. Alexander Johnson.
Insurance Agencies-Mason & Lowry. P. O. Noben, H. A. Hamlin. Williams & Olson. W. J. Holmes. Corliss & Sawbridge.
Iron Foundary-Dakin & Smith.
Jewelry-Anderson & Fargeman. J. Back.
Livery-C. F. Clark. Sullivan & Sundhal.
Lumber Yards-George R. Wright. B. A. Clark.
Machine Shops -- C. M. Breuer. A. F. Shellman.
Music Dealers- W. J. Holmes.
Machine Agents-Earl & Hanson. Springen & Company. A. O. Roise. Coats & Sundhal, A. Brandenburg. Cold & Shatto. K. O. Harris.
Meat Markets-Olson & Johnson. Harris & Roise, Jacob Frey.
Merchant Tailors-H. Pickit. R. R. Christlock. Quamme & Haakons.
Milliners-Mrs. George A. Burbank, Mrs. C. W. Smith.
Newspapers-Fergus Falls Journal, Fergus Falls Advocate. Normanna Banner. Ninety-nine Cent Store-George C. Waters.
News Agencies -- J. A. Flick. Hall's Bookstore.
Plow Works- - George Babcock Smith.
Paint Shops-Maynard & Dwyer. J. W. Quick.
Physicians -- R. M. Reynolds. T. J. Hutton. W. C. Bedford. H. C. Leonard.
Photographers-Hardy & Denison.
Real Estate-George R. Wright. S. Shoemaker & Company. R. Miller. Head & Cut- ler. C. J. Wright.
Restaurants-M. R. Lowry. M. L. Bank.
Saw and Planing Mills-George R. Wright, E. J. Woodham. Y
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Saloons-Gray & Laib. Jay Near, Matthies Brothers, Ingstrom & Nelson, James K. ('Brien, Captain Dampier, HI. F. Heitsch.
Sewing Machines-W. J. Hohues. W. H. Cowing. W. C. Hurd, W. J. Hall. Undertaker-E. J. Woodham.
The material prosperity of Fergus Falls and its rapid growth in the early part of the eighties may be traced to a variety of causes. It is undoubtedly true that its change to a city form of government in the spring of 1881 stimulated growth in all lines. The citizens took pride in the fact that they were no longer a mere village, but that they were now really . entitled to the name of "city." The Great Northern, then called the Minne- apolis, St. Paul & Manitoba, had reached here in December, 1879: in 1880 and 1881, the Northern Pacific was building its line through from Wadena to Breckenridge: a branch of the same line was going north from Fergus Falls to Pelican Rapids: there was even talk of other railroads reaching the city. The very air seemed surcharged with prosperity and every one felt that the "coming city," so-called a decade previously by George B. Wright, had about "come." During the first part of the eighties, and especially from 1880 to 1883. building operations assumed startling proportions. A fine court house was in process of construction. Scotch interests invaded the city with apparently unlimited capital at their command, and started invest- ing in real estate, commenced erecting buildings and spending money with such a lavish hand that the citizens of the infant city fairly gasped. To think of a hundred-thousand-dollar hotel in a village where but a few years before, considerable less than ten. that amount of money would have bought the whole townsite and every house on it. George B. Wright was planning a hotel of even greater proportions, but abandoned his enterprise after seeing that the Scotchmen were intent upon building their hotel. Instead of build- ing a hotel. Wright interested himself in trying to make Bismark avenue the business part of town. Frequent references have been made elsewhere in the history to the factional spirit which was all too prevalent in the early history of the town, and which, it may be said, may still be observed in the city. Apropos of this factional feeling. the history of the early eighties would not be complete without mentioning the effort to divert the business part of town from Lincoln to Bismark avenue.
LINCOLN AVENUE VS. BISMARK AVENUE.
The principal business street of Fergus Falls at the present time is ' Lincoln avenue, on the north side of the river. Many fine brick blocks are on Bismark avenue, on the south side of the river and thereby hangs a story. These buildings were erected in the eighties, and the reason for their exist- ence is a phase of early history, which created much interest in the "coming city." and showed the selfishness of "business."
The first stores were erected on Lincoln avenue in 1871. By common
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consent that was to be the center of the mart of trade. For a time in that year Wright & Mendenhall gave lots to any one who would sign a contract for the same. agreeing to erect a building on the lot so donated. As may be imagined. these lots were promptly taken, so that by 1880 Wright & Mendenhall had practically disposed of all their lots on the street. It was filled with a rather inferior class of frame buildings, constituting the busi- ness portion of the town, and these buildings and their stocks represented the total earthly possessions of those pioneers who had come and invested their all in the place. The benefit to the donors of these lots came in the way of the "unearned increment." which attached to the great holdings of the proprietors of the town. Business property, as a matter of course, con- stitutes the greatest value, and there was nothing remaining unsold on Lin- coln avenue belonging to Wright & Mendenhall.
At this time, and under these conditions, the proprietors of the town, and still owners of practically all the property on Bismark avenue, com- menced to carry into effect the scheme which had doubtless been their inten- tion from the beginning. That scheme was to make Bismark avenue the business street of the town.
When this object became manifest, it is not at all strange that the men who had invested all they possessed on Lincoln avenue should look with alarm on such a project. They had struggled along for years: withstood the ravages of grasshopper raids and other hardships incident to the pioneer. and the calamity which now threatened was the most disastrous of all.
There had been, from time to time, rumors in the air that such a move was the intention of George B. Wright, but these rumors were said, by the "Wright faction." to have originated in the fevered brain of the "Austin fac- tion," and were the vagaries and hallucinations of a turbulent opposition. When it was not long, the time came, before the people realized that the rumors had actually come true.
The first move to make Bismark avenue the business street of the town and to enhance the value of the Wright's holdings was the erection of a large. three-story brick block. with a seventy-five foot frontage on Bismark avenue, and about one hundred and twenty-five feet on Cascade street, with fine store rooms in the first story. Across Bismark avenue from this brick block, a nephew of George B. Wright erected a large brick hotel. Other friends of Mr. Wright's were induced to construct fine brick buildings on Bismark avenue between Mill and Cascade streets, all containing rooms for stores in the lower story.
In addition to these, Mr. Wright excavated for a large hotel at the corner of Bismark avenue and Cascade street, across from his brick block. About this time the local agents of William Taylor and other Scotch capital-
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ists commenced the erection of the Grand Hotel on Lincoln avenue and Vine street in the western part of the town. This was a three-story. modern, brick hotel, in which was invested about one hundred thousand dollars. The influence of these capitalists, to enhance their investments in the western part of the town on the north side of the river, procured the removal of the Great Northern Railroad passenger station from the south side of the river, west to Vine street, which location was quite to one side of the town, not far from the Grand hotel.
These circumstances, together with the death of Mr. Wright in 1882, changed the aspect of the situation, and ended any successful attempt at making Bismark avenue the main business street of Fergus Falls.
The investments so made on Bismark avenue all proved unremunerative. About four years ago, the large brick block erected by Mr. Wright, as a cost of some thirty-five thousand dollars, sold for the sum of ten thousand dol- lars. The Stanford block on Bismark avenue, resulted in the bankruptcy of its builders, and it is safe to say that none of these investments ever paid a living interest on the original cost.
The climax of this growth reached its height in 1883 when the total amount of improvements in business blocks and dwellings went far beyond the half million mark. No less than eight large building blocks were erected during that year; the city started work on .the waterworks plant to cost ninety thousand dollars, and a gas plant. to cost thirty-eight thousand dol- lars. Nor were manufacturing interests neglected, as may be seen by a fifty- thousand-dollar paper mill which arose along the banks of Red river. This plant, by the way, is now occupied by the Fergus Manufacturing Company. The present city hall was built in this year, at a cost of eight thousand six hundred dollars. The following table, which appeared in the Fergus Falls Weekly Journal in its issue of November 13, 1883, gives a list of the largest building projected that year. This totals six hundred twenty-two thousand nine hundred dollars for the year, and this amount does not include numer- ous smaller dwellings or additions to residence and business buildings already standing. The table follows :
Waterworks
$90,000
Austin block 8.000
Paper mi
50.000
Hoyt block
7.000
Gas works 38,000
Stanford block
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