History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 55

Author: John W. Mason
Publication date: 1916
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 765

USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 55

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).

7.000

Pickit block

35.000

Holmes residence 7,000

Clement & Wright block 16,000

Aberle brewery 6.000

Chase block 15,000

C. O. Wheeler residence 5.000

Masonie block 13,000

W. H. Cowing residence

5.000

Methodist church

9.000

A. I .. Cole residence

4.000

Jacob Austin residence

9.000

Davenport residence

4.000

City hall

8.600

B. A. Clark residence 4.000

J. P. Williams block

8,000

C. J. Sawbridge residence 4.000

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OTTER TAIL. COUNTY, MINNESOTA.

Denison residence 3,500 George Waters double residence 1.400

1 .. L. Baxter double residence 2,500 Steve Ire residence 1.200

J. H. Allen residence 2,500

Jacob Nelson residence 2.000

Erick Nelson residence 1,200

It is not possible to trace the growth of the city from year to year since 1883 as shown by the number of buildings erected. It may be said, how- ever, that since 1883 there has been practically no business blocks erected on Bismark avenue and that the threatened removal of the business center from Lincoln to Bismark avenue died with the man who conceived it. Since 1900 a large number of fine business blocks have been built on Lincoln ave- nue. The south side of Lincoln from Cascade to Court street is lined with brick buildings, with only two frame buildings in the two blocks. The north side of the street, for the same distance, has only one frame building on it. Some of the most notable buildings since 1900 in the city are the following : Fergus Falls National Bank, Kaddatz hotel. Federal building, Wright Memorial hospital, Elks Home, Methodist church and the Red River Rolling Mills.

While it is true that building operations in 1883 reached mammoth proportions yet the past year ( 1915) witnessed a growth which comes the nearest of rivaling it. In fact, during the past three years there have been more residences built in Fergus Falls than in any other period of the same duration. Several firms of contractors have been kept busy all the time, and new dwellings have appeared in every part of town, almost as if by magic. All this building is not a speculative flurry, but has been demanded by the steady increase of population and the fact that suitable houses for rent or purchase were entirely out of the market. Few people, even among those who live here, are fully aware of the great amount of building that has been done. The best year of the past three was 1915, and its figures are suffici- ently significant. Up to December, one hundred and forty odd building per- mits had been issued since the building season opened, which increased to about one hundred and fifty by January 1. An even hundred of these were issued for new dwellings, most of them costing from three thousand dollars to five thousand dollars each. There were in addition a number of business blocks and factories erected during the year. The building statistics of 1915 in Fergus Falls totaled a half million dollars or more.

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.

As has been previously stated, the legislative act of March 3. 1881, marks the beginning of the period of Fergus Falls as a city. The charter was a lengthy municipal law covering twenty-four pages on the statutes. ( Special Laws, Minnesota, 1881, pp. 81-105). The elective officers as pro- vided by the original charter include the mayor, clerk, treasurer. assessor, two justices of the peace, two aldermen from each ward, and also a constable

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from each ward. All of these officers except the aldermen, justices and constables were elected for one year only, the others holding offices for two years. The first election was held April 1, 1881. The village council had previously divided the village into three wards. The summary of the first city election in Fergus Falls is as follows :

For mayor-John H. Allen, 248; Jacob Austin, 196. Clerk-W. Y. Smith, 227; F. W. Burnham, 211. Treasurer, C. D. Wright, 442. Assessor, Sanford Shoemaker, 234: M. V. Austin, 201. Aldermen-First ward. Irv- ing Gage 113, J. D. Boyd 78; second ward, M. J. Morrill 140, G. W. Boy- ington 144; third ward, none elected.

The constables elected were as follow: A. A. Heusby, first ward; W. D. Hunter, second ward; John Fhyri, third ward. At the first meeting of the city council. A. Brandenberg and K. O. Harris were declared elected from the third ward. At this meeting Mayor Allen appointed D. Sullivan as chief of police, but it was not until the following week that S. Diamond was appointed a patrolman. At the meeting of the city council on April 11. the council had a long fight on the selection of the city attorney. The three candidates were J. W. Mason, E. M. Wright and H. E. Rawson. The voting started out with each candidate getting two votes, but it seemed to be a hard proposition to decide between the men. No less than fifty-eight votes were taken by the council before Mr. Mason was declared elected. George A. Burbank was appointed city engineer.

It does not appear to have occurred to the citizens that the fact that Allen held a position in the government land office at Fergus Falls would debar him from the office of mayor. As soon as the government officials found out that he had been elected mayor, they notified him that he would have to resign his position in the land office if he wished to retain his office as mayor. Since the land office position furnished him the means of a livelihood, which the mayor's office did not. he promptly resigned the latter position. A special election was held at once and John W. Mason was elected. Mr. Mason was installed as mayor May 7. 1881. It appears that John D. Boyd presided as acting mayor for the two preceding sessions. Thus Mr. Mason became in reality the first mayor of the city of Fergus Falls.

It is not possible to go into detail with a history of the thirty-four annual mayoralty campaigns from 1882 to 1916, inclusive. Some of them have been marked by bitter fights, but most of them have been reasonably pacific. National politics have very seldom entered into the contest, the issues on which the candidates have stood have pertained strictly to local conditions. During the days when "license" or "no license" was the ques- tion there was probably more acrimony shown than at any other time. About thirty years ago ( April 5. 1887) there was a big fight on the licensing

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FROM UNION AVE LOOKING E, FERGUS FALLS, MINN.

UNION AVENUE BRIDGE, WHERE FIRST BRIDGE WAS LOCATED.

LYCEUM T

MILL ST BRIDGE FERGUS FALLS, MINN.

BUILT FOR BEAUTY AS WELL AS PERMANENCE.

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of saloons which resulted in a vote of five hundred and forty-two for the saloons and three hundred and thirty-two against them. On this same date as issue of railroad bonds was authorized by a vote of four hundred and forty to one hundred. This campaign of 1887 appears to have been featured by a very exciting race for mayor. a story told elsewhere in this volume in detail. Jacob Austin defeated J. A. Brown by one vote. the final result showing four hundred and forty-five for Austin and four hundred and forty- four for Brown. The complete list of the mayors of Fergus Falls from 1881 to 1916 follows ( the change in office taking place each year in April ) : John H. Allen, April, 1881: John W. Mason, May. 1881 to April. 1882; Robert Miller, 1882-83: Henry G. Page, 1883-85: C. D. Wright, 1885-87; Jacob Austin. 1887-88; H. E. Rawson, 1888-89: J. W. Earl, 1889-91: A. B. Cole, 1891-93: John W. Mason, 1803-94; T. N. McLean, 1804-96; C. L. Baxter, 1896-99: Frank J. Pfefferle, 1809-1901 ; M. T. McMahon, 1901-03: E. J. Webber, 1903-05: John 1 .. Townley, 1905-07: H. T. Hille, 1907-09; John I. Townley, 1909-10; D. M. Brown, 1910-11 ; A. G. Anderson, 1911-12; Erick T. Nelson, 1912-13; W. H. McBride. 1912-14: A. B. Cole, 1914-16; Leonard Eriksson, took office April 11, 1916.

CHARTERS OF THE CITY OF FERGUS FALLS.

The first charter of Fergus Falls, which was granted by the Legislature on March 3. 1881, was supplanted two years later ( March 6, 1883) by a new charter. This second charter. drawn by John W. Mason, who had just served as the first mayor of the city, went into detail concerning all phases of the city's government. It covers no less than sixty-two pages in the Laws of Minnesota, 1883, and was one of the most comprehensive city charters which the legislature had granted up to that time. This charter with sundry amendments remained in force until 1903. The first amend- ment to the charter was approved by the Legislature. March 4, 1885. This act dealt chiefly with the re-districting of the city into the different wards, the appointment of the city assessor. the bids of the bank for the use of the city's surplus money and the requirement of the city treasurer to make bi-monthly statements. These were the main changes, although there were a few minor ones.

An act approved March 15. 1889. prescribed the duties of the city assessor and also fixed his salary. Another act of the same date divided the first ward into two wards. Another act of this Legislature gave the city council the right to appropriate money for the best interest of the city to aid in the development of the water power of Red river within the city limits. It provided that the management of such an undertaking should be entrusted to the chamber of commerce of the city or to a special board

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of saloons which resulted in a vote of five hundred and forty-two for the saloons and three hundred and thirty-two against them. On this same date as issue of railroad bonds was authorized by a vote of four hundred and forty to one hundred. This campaign of 1887 appears to have been featured by a very exciting race for mayor, a story told elsewhere in this volume in detail. Jacob Austin defeated J. A. Brown by one vote, the final result showing four hundred and forty-five for Austin and four hundred and forty- four for Brown. The complete list of the mayors of Fergus Falls from 1881 to 1916 follows ( the change in office taking place each year in April) : John H. Allen, April, 1881: John W. Mason, May. 1881 to April, 1882; Robert Miller, 1882-83: Henry G. Page, 1883-85: C. D. Wright, 1885-87; Jacob Austin, 1887-88; H. E. Rawson, 1888-89: J. W. Earl, 1889-91: A. B. Cole. 1891-93: John W. Mason, 1893-94: T. N. McLean, 1894-96; C. L. Baxter, 1896-99: Frank J. Pfefferle, 1800-1901; M. T. McMahon, 1901-03; E. J. Webber, 1903-05: John L. Townley, 1905-07: H. T. Hille, 1907-09; John I. Townley, 1909-10; D. M. Brown, 1910-11 : A. G. Anderson, 1911-12; Erick T. Nelson, 1912-13; W. H. McBride. 1912-14: A. B. Cole, 1914-16; Leonard Eriksson, took office April 11. 1916.

CHARTERS OF THE CITY OF FERGUS FALLS.

The first charter of Fergus Falls, which was granted by the Legislature on March 3. 1881, was supplanted two years later ( March 6, 1883) by a new charter. This second charter, drawn by John W. Mason, who had just served as the first mayor of the city, went into detail concerning all phases of the city's government. It covers no less than sixty-two pages in the Laws of Minnesota, 1883, and was one of the most comprehensive city charters which the legislature had granted up to that time. This charter with sundry amendments remained in force until 1903. The first amend- ment to the charter was approved by the Legislature. March 4, 1885. This act dealt chiefly with the re-districting of the city into the different wards. the appointment of the city assessor. the bids of the bank for the use of the city's surplus money and the requirement of the city treasurer to make bi-monthly statements. These were the main changes, although there were a few minor ones.

An act approved March 15. 1889, prescribed the duties of the city assessor and also fixed his salary. Another act of the same date divided the first ward into two wards. Another act of this Legislature gave the city council the right to appropriate money for the best interest of the city to aid in the development of the water power of Red river within the city limits. It provided that the management of such an undertaking should be entrusted to the chamber of commerce of the city or to a special board

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of trustees created by the city. Nothing appears to have been done toward taking advantage of this act.

The government of the city since 1903 has been based upon the home- rule charter adopted in March of that year. This charter was drawn by a charter commission appointed by the district judge, the members of the com- mission being as follow: John W. Mason ( president of the commission ). William L. Parsons, Frank J. Evans, John H. Grass, E. J .. Webber, A. Brandenburg, J. O. Barke, W. P. Bayley, John F. Nangle, Haldor E. Boen, Elmer E. Adams, E. E. Corliss, Charles D. Wright and Chauncey L .. Bax- ter. All of the committee signed the report to the mayor with the exception of Haldor E. Boen, who refused to attach his signature for the reason that certain socialistic provisions were not approved by the commission.

This commission was appointed by the district judge on July 1, 1902, and drafted a charter for the city in accordance with the provision of chapter 351, General Laws of Minnesota, 1899. The charter is what is known as a home rule charter, and is a flexible instrument which allows the city to draw its own ordinances and laws, the only limitation being that they do not conflict with the constitution or laws of the state. The original draft of this charter was made by the president, John W. Mason, after which it . was submitted to the commission for their approval and was duly approved by its members on December 26, 1902. The charter was later ratified by vote of the people of the city.

GAS AND WATERWORKS.

The history of artificial gas in Fergus Falls may be briefly told. In the spring of 1883 an eastern promoter by the name of Carroll E. Gray came to Fergus Falls with sufficient financial backing to establish a gas and water- works plant in the city. He had little difficulty in inducing the city council to grant him a franchise, and the ordinance of April 19, 1883, marks the beginning of the gas and waterworks history of the city. This ordinance granted to Carroll E. Gray, his associates or assigns, certain privilege for the purpose of "establishing, maintaining and operating gas and waterworks in the city of Fergus Falls." The promoter immediately began to install the waterworks plant, but did not receive sufficient encouragement to pro- ceed with the gas plant. In the fall of the same year Gray disposed of his gas franchise, and an ordinance of the city. passed September 14, 1883, sets forth that Gray had transferred his right to establish a gas plant to the Fergus Falls Gas and Mill Company. This new company was composed of two local capitalists. C. D. Wright and F. W. Burnham, and three of Minneapolis. A. T. Rand, Samuel Hill and J. W Griffin. The company built a gas plant on the banks of Red river where it was crossed by the Northern Pacific railroad, laid their mains in the fall of the same year and

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continued to manufacture gas until the latter part of the eighties. They installed street lights and a number of private consumers also had their houses piped for lighting purposes. Shortly after the electric light plant of 1887 went into operation, the use of gas was discontinued. The old gas plant is now occupied by a broom factory.

As has been stated. Gray retained the water franchise in 1883. He disposed of his interest in the company which he represented to N. W. Little- john in October, 1880. None of the capital in the water company was owned in the city. Littlejohn. as local representative of the eastern capital- ists, continued in charge of the waterworks until May, 1894. At that time the company passed into the hands of the receiver, and the court appointed C. D. Wright to take charge of the affairs of the company. Mr. Wright continued as receiver of the company from 1894 to December 16, 1895. During the latter part of this period the bondholders were endeavoring to reorganize the company, but it was not until December 18, 1895. that they took charge of its affairs. It was in the hands of the bondholders from that date until November 5. 1896, at which time the Fergus Falls Waterworks Company, which had been recently organized, with C. D. Wright as presi- dent, assumed control of the waterworks. Mr. Wright was the only local stockholder in the company. This latter company operated the plant until it was sold to the city, February 25. 1907. for the sum of seventy-seven thousand dollars.

The experience of the city in handling the plant has not been as satis- factory as it might have been. As soon as it was purchased. the city issued bonds payable within twenty years to cover the indebtedness, and in 1913 additional bonds to the amount of fifty-five thousand dollars were issued for repairs and additions to the system. The Hoot lake project, which was put into operation in 1914, has given the city one of the best methods of supplying an abundance of water to be found any place in the state. The Hoot lake project is explained under the discussion of the Otter Tail Power Company, with which company the city has an agreement to furnish the water for distribution. The city owns its own mains, pumping station and a concrete reservoir on top of the Spickerman hill, which has a capacity of seven hundred and fifty thousand gallons. The top of this hill is on a level with the top of the state hospital, and thus permits of the distribution of water over the city by the gravity system.

The city has a unique system of distributing water. The pumping station is at the intake, a mile and a half up the river from the city. Accord- ing to the present arrangement the pumping can be done either by' steam or electricity. It is possible, during part of the year, to operate the pumps only eight hours a day and yet during this time there will not only be suffici-

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ent water pumped over the city, but at the same time an amount will be pumped into the reservoir sufficient to supply the city for the remaining six- teen hours of the day. The city has had a flat rate since it took charge of the plant until the present time, but it is now making arrangements to install meters. At this writing ( April, 1916), there are a number of meters in use and the city is trying to determine the average amount of water used by their consumers in order to establish just and equitable water rates. The city has eighty-nine hydrants, so placed over the city as to provide ample fire protection for all sections of the corporation. At this point may be given a brief history of the fire department of the city.

FIRE DEPARTMENT OF FERGUS FALLS.

Fergus Falls is fortunate in many ways, but there is no department of its municipal affairs which fits in so readily with the natural topography of the location of the city as does the fire department. With the river running in various directions through the city. up, down and across its limits, with a large lake in nearly the center of the corporation, with adjoining hills on which reservoirs may be advantageously placed, no city lends itself so readily to fire protection more easily. Back in the seventies, when a stiff breeze might have burned the whole village to the ground in an hour or two. George B. Wright installed a fire pump at his dam, In the latter part of the seventies the village purchased a hand drawn engine, but it does not appear to have been of much value for protection.

Hardly had the village been incorporated in 1871 when a volunteer fire brigade sprang into existence, the progenitor of the present volunteer system. One of the first ordinances of the city, passed April 19, 1881, established fire limits and prohibited frame buildings from a certain district. In August, 1882, the city purchased a Silsby fire engine and two hose carts. together with one thousand feet of hose, the total expenditure amounting to five thousand one hundred and fifty dollars. The Fergus Falls Journal. in its issue of August 22, 1882, rejoiced in the beauty of the new "steamer." as it called the new fire engine. "Our property owners will welcome this new visitor and then with the old fire pump at Wright's dam we shall have two first-class engines for prompt use in the business portion of the city. The new steamer can be drawn anywhere with the aid of a pair of good horses and can throw water from any well, cistern, lake or slough to the top of any sized building."

This same engine is still in use by the city. It has been r . in recent years by adding a Fox boiler at a cost of one thousand one hun- dred dollars. In 1909 the city purchased a combination chemical engine and hose wagon at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars. The engine always carries a forty-gallon supply of a mixture which has proved very

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efficient in extinguishing fires. This chemical is a combination of bicarbon- ate of soda, sulphuric acid and water. It is estimated by the present fire chief that at least sixty per cent. of the fires are extinguished by the chemical engine. In addition to the two engines the city has four hose carts, a hook and ladder wagon with a fifty-foot extension ladder, three thousand feet of hose, a sleigh for the use of the chemical engine during the winter and, finally, a recent purchase, a lung motor. Very few people have been drowned in the river or lake, but it was felt that the city should own such an instrument for use in any possible contingency. It cost one hundred and fifty dollars. All of the fire equipment is stored in the city hall on north Mill street.

The fire department is a volunteer organization of twenty-seven men. This includes the chief, an engine company of six and two hose companies of ten men each. Durkee Prentiss, the present chief of the fire department, who has held this position for the past six years, has been connected with the department for the past seventeen years. In addition to these twenty- seven men, the city employs a driver for the engine. The driver, John Harry, receives a salary of one hundred dollars per month. He furnishes his own team, which, when not in use by the fire department, is employed on the streets. The driver gives all of his time to the city, the only man connected with the department in any capacity who is employed all the time. The fire chief receives a salary of seventeen dollars and fifty cents per month and the engineer twelve dollars a month. The firemen receive pay for only such fires as they attend. They are allowed one dollar for the first hour's attendance at a fire and in the day time they receive fifty cents for each additional hour : at night they receive seventy-five cents for each hour after the first. Arrangements are made in the city hall for sleeping quar- ters for six men, but ordinarily only four men sleep there. In case of fire the alarm is sent to the central telephone station and the chief operator then, by an ingenious arrangement, presses a button which sends an electric cur- rent to the city hall. This electric discharge releases a weight attached to the bell, thereby starting the latter to ringing. The firemen on hearing the fire bell run to the nearest telephone to inquire of central where the fire is located. Then they either report to the city hall or go direct to the fire. The service on the part of the telephone company is gratuitous.

The last published report of the city fire department to the state fire department shows that there were thirty fires last year, with a total loss of $13.710.67. The insurance premiums paid amounted to $41.044.31; two per cent. of this amount went into the relief fund-a total of $820.89. The cost of the department to the city was $960. Fergus Falls has never been visited with a devastating fire such as has swept so many other cities in the

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state. Not a life has ever been lost by a fire in the city and not as many as two adjoining dwellings have ever been burned at the same time. The heaviest 'loss sustained at any one fire was occasioned by the burning of the Red River Roller Mills on March 10, 1915, the insurance in this fire amount- ing to $64,000. Probably the most threatening fire was the one which burned all the buildings on the corner of Lincoln and Court in 1910. At that time a book store, two saloons, a millinery store and a grocery store were burned. One of the hottest fires was the casket factory fire of 1902. Among the fires of note may be mentioned the two high school buildings, Methodist church, Northern Pacific station, Occidental hotel. the H. G. Page flouring-mill, the saw-mill of George B. Wright and the fire of Febru- ary 12, 1913. when Hunt's cigar factory and the grocery store of John Meyer were consumed.

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History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 55

Author: John W. Mason Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Number of Pages: 765

Author: John W. Mason
Publication date: 1916
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 765