USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 72
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In the spring of 1875, a city charter was ob- tained. The election for city officers having taken place, a meeting for organization was held on the 16th of March at Lyceum Hall. It was called to order by the Mayor-elect, H. Scriver, and there were present the following Aldermen: Charles S. Hulbert, C. W. Mann, A. P. Stewart, B. M. James, C. S. Farrell, J. C. Nutting, Harold Therson, and O. S. Taylor. A. P. Stewart was elected Presi-
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
dent; |W. H. Norton, Recorder; Charles Taylor, City Attorney; O. M. Meade and C. A. Wheaton, Justices of the Peace; J. L. Heywood, Treasurer; Elias Hobbs, Chief of Police. The better class of citizens have always held the offices, and the ad- ministration of the city government has been without opportunity for adverse criticism.
The present officers are as follows: Mayor, G. M. Phillips; Aldermen-First Ward, E. Lock- wood and J. Handy; Second Ward, O. T. Lysne and J. B. Hyde; Third Ward, F. A. Noble and August Ebel; Recorder, G. H. Coon; Treasurer, H. B. Gress; Chief of Police, William Russell; Fire Warden, S. S. Dickinson; Street Commis- sioner, S. S. Noteman; Justices of the Peace, T. H. Streeter and O. M. Meade; Health Officers, H. L. Coon, M. D., and J. S. Hoskins.
INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS INTERESTS.
The industrial and manufacturing interests of a community, as well as of the country, form as it were the bone and sinew of prosperous life, and like the agricultural interests, are one of the ground principles upon which depends, to a great extent, the success of all other branches of trade. The benefits arising from industrial enterprise are innumerable. It develops the various resources of the country, builds up cities and villages, and is naturally beneficial to all classes of business men -the merchant, mechanic, and laborer -- alike, and in very many instances throughout the coun- try, the rapid growth of cities and towns is due to the exclusive agency of some manufacturing en- terprise. The above is no less true in the case of Northfield; although comparatively young in in- dustrial growth, the good effects are nevertheless readily observed, and the rapid and increased growth of this particular branch of the business interests of the place is the best evidence that could be afforded in maintenance of the theory presented.
FIRST SAW-MILL .- Mr. Northi built the first saw-mill, as he states in his letter; It was an old- fashioned mill, although it had, in addition to the vertical saw, a circular that would cut a board not exceeding twelve inches wide. This mill was run in an intermittent way for about ten years by Mr. North and Mr. Ames, and was afterwards pur- chased by the latter.
A STEAM SAW-MILL was built in the spring of 1857, by Cox & Fleming. The boilers were hauled in winter by team from Dubuque. When
they arrived the event was duly celebrated by the firing of anvils-the only available cannon-and guns, aud other demonstrations of joy. It was placed up the river just outside of the village plat and run for about three years and disposed of to parties in Stillwater. The cost of operating in the hard wood lumber, it was claimed, was too great to allow a margin for profits.
VAN BUSKIRK BROTHERS' MACHINE SHOPS .- In 1876, a feed mill was established near the railroad station, but it was soon discontinued as such, and remodeled into a foundry and machine shop.
WYMAN'S SASH, DOOR, AND BLIND FACTORY .- This was erected in 1867, by Daniel Wyman, and run for about four years, when it was destroyed by fire. It stood south of the depot, where the planing mill now is. It was one of the best es- tablishments in the State and had a saw-mill con- connected with it, and a full complement of mod- ern machinery.
A sash, door, and blind factory was put up in 1859, by Pease & Clarry, down the river on the east bank. After about two years the machinery was sold and the building, after a time, was re- moved to the farm of Mr. S. Bunday.
CREAMER MANUFACTORY .- This establishment was started in 1879, for the manufacture of the " Cooley Creamer," a piece of furniture to facili- tate the handling of cream, which is made in two sizes, No. 4 and No. 6, representing the number of cans they hold. The first proprietors were Whit- tier & Hunt, but the firm soon became Whittier & Camp. In the spring of 1882, the firm was changed to Whittier & Ensign, the naines of the members being C. F. Whittier and W. E. Ensign. Its location is on Water street and employs about six men.
JESSE AMES' SONS FLOURING MILLS .- The first flour-mill built here was on the east side of the river in 1856, by J. W. North. It was a two run mill operated by water, and was run for several years by the builder, but finally sold to C. A. Wheaton who added another run of stones, and it continued to grind as a custom mill till 1864 or '65, when it went into the hands of Jesse Ames & Sons, who rebuilt and enlarged the capacity to seventy- five barrels a day and operated it as a merchant mill. The mill was thus run until 1869, since when it has been used as a custom mill, and it is now un- der the management of Felix Collett who helped
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CITY OF NORTHFIELD.
to build it and has worked there continuously ever since.
THE NEW MILL on the west side of the river was built by Jesse Ames & Sons in 1869, and was set in operation that winter with six run of stones and the ability to turn out 150 barrels in twenty- four hours. In 1875, the seventh run was put in with new bolting arrangements to carry it up to 175 barrels a day. In 1879, thirty-five feet were added to the height, making it five stories above the basement; steam power was also added at this time in the form of an Atlas Corliss engine of two hundred horse-power. At the same time a complete transformation of the grinding machin- ery was made, and to-day the establishment ex- hibits the following schedule: Ten double sets of Ellis' corrugated rolls, nine double sets of Smith's rolls, two single sets, one set of Stevens' scratch rolls, four centrifugal rolls, seventeen Smith's puri- fiers, twenty-five reels, three run of stones, with smutters, cockle machines, and the other apparatus usually found in a first class mill. It now manu- factures 400 barrels of fine flour in twenty-four hours. The water-power is derived from a head of nine feet on the Cannon River, and is trans- mitted by two Victor turbine wheels, forty-eight inches in diameter The establishment employs about twenty-five men, and the elevator capacity is 40,000 bushels of wheat; the bran house will hold about 200 tons, the storage capacity for flour is 1,800 barrels, and there is a wood yard that will hold several thousand cords. It is claimed that this mill was the first in the State to turn out the new process flour, and that the first patent flour used in St. Paul was from this establishment. Gen. Ames, one of the sons, lives in New York and handles the flour for the market. The value of such a mill to the city and country is very great.
It should be noted that at the international ex- hibition in Philadelphia in 1876, this mill received the highest marking of any straight flour at the exposition.
The personnel of the firm is Adelbert Ames, John T. Ames, and John Handy.
In connection with the mills there is a machine shop, under the supervision of Felix Collett, Jr., where repairing is done and much new machinery turned out, employing several men.
In 1880, a spur track mas built so that wheat is delivered and the flour loaded at the mill.
THE NORTHFIELD ELEVATOR was built by the
railroad company at the time of the completion of the road, and they still own it. It is 75x100 feet and handles 200,000 bushels of grain annually. It is operated by Ames & Archibald under the personal management of George Grevy.
The railroad was completed in 1865, and the present station immediately built, also an elevator which at once began to receive grain. The gra- ding was begun in 1860, but during the war work was suspended, but subsequently resumed and the tracklayers reached this point in September, and made their way towards Faribault.
CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK OF NORTHFIELD .-- This banking house was established in January, 1878, by W. H. Norton, who was president, and A. W. Norton cashier. The capital was $25,000. The present bank building was erected by Mr. Norton, the president, and in September of that year the bank was regularly organized under the State law with a capital of $50,000. In 1880, A. W. Nor- ton, the cashier, died, and he was succeeded by W. H. Norton. *
FIRST NATIONAL BANK .- This banking institu- tion was originally established with a banking capital of $50,000, which has been increased to the present capital of $100,000. This bank was the scene of the attempted robbery by the Younger Brothers gang, which is given in full elsewhere.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
There is a very efficient fire department in North- field. It was at first organized on a small scale about 1873, as a hook and ladder company, and in 1880, a force pump was procured and attached to the Ames mill, with sufficient power, with suit- able hose, to throw water as far as Dundas if necessary. The Ames mill offered to furnish power whenever it should be required for ten years. The present chief of the department is J. H. Lawrence, and James Anderson is assistant, with headquar- ters in the City Hall or engine room.
On the 12th of March, 1880, the City Council authorized the Mayor and Recorder to issue bonds to the amount of $4,500, for the purpose of pro- curing fire apparatus.
The City Hall engine house was erected in 1880. There are accommodations for the fire engine and other apparatus on the first floor and the Council chamber above. It is 20x60 feet, and in addition to the two stories has a basement, the cost being about $3,000.
* This last sentence should read: "In 1880, W. H. Norton, the cashier, died, and he was succeeded by A. W. Norton."
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
POLICE FORCE.
Of course while Northfield was still a town the constables, or a deputy sheriff, if there happened to be one in town, were supposed to be the official guardians of the peace and the preservers of law and order. When the village government was in- stituted, the marshal was supposed to stand be- tween the people and the elements of turbulence. When, however, Northfield became a city, that metropolitan luxury, a police force, made its ap- pearance, and it has existed ever since. The force, as at first organized, consisted of a Chief and Assistant. The first Chief was John R. Horner, the next was Elias Hobbs. The present Chief of Police is William Russell, with two Assistants in the persons of R. C. Ingalls and William Campbell.
POST-OFFICE.
In the fall of 1855, a Post-office was established about a mile and a half west of Northfield, called "Fountain Grove." Charles Wheeler, who was the second Sheriff of the county, was the Postmaster. After some months it was removed to Northfield. Charles Knight was afterwards Postmaster. It was kept in a shanty on the land now owned by William Childs, and remained there until the sum- mer of 1856, when it was removed into a "lean-to" connected with Jones' store, and John E. Kennedy was commissioned to handle the mail. Mrs. Hat- tie Kingsley was next in order and held the office for a number of years, and then J. W. Sebherson and afterwards Cutlaf and S. H. French, the latter of whom is the present Postmaster.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school opened in Northfield was in the fall or winter of 1856, and it was called to order by Rollins Olin, who had twenty-five scholars in the little frame building put up for the purpose that year. This building was made to answer the requirement with considerable pressure up to 1861, at which time another was put up at a cost $6,000, on the same site, and which was the envy of neighboring districts for a wide range. Six lots were bought and both buildings were used as there were a sufficient number of children to fill them. This consolidated school lasted until the building was sold to the St. Olaf College. It was used as a school for about two years when it was moved over to their place and is now one of their halls.
In 1874, an Independent school district was or-
ganized and a large commodious building erected at a cost of $30,000. It occupies a place on a whole square, next to the public park, and is a fine appearing building of pressed brick, three stories high, and a liberal basement story. It is sufficient to state that it has all the modern school improve- ments, and standing as it does near the Congre- gationalist church, and not far from the college buildings, it does not suffer in comparison with them, but is a worthy companion for those stately buildings alike devoted to educational purposes.
The contract for the erection of the edifice was awarded to James Boyd, of St. Paul, who did all the carpenter work for $12,114, and to J. E. Boyd, & Co., of Minneapolis, who were to do all the mason work for $8,494.50; the aggregate amount for these two principal items in the construction of the building being $20,608.50.
Tke present school officers are: Directors, O. F. Perkins, President; J. T. Ames, Treasurer; W. S. Pattee, and A. F. King; Secretary, A. Noble.
The teachers are: Principal, S. F. Brady; As sistant, Miss Williams; Miss Della Parks, Miss Hattie A. Field, Miss Catharine Bingham, Miss Jameson, Miss Agusta Riddle, Miss Wheeler, and Miss Leota Bailey.
ST. OLAF'S SCHOOL.
A school adapted to the purpose of educating the Scandinavian youth who may desire it in this community, was started early in the seventies in this city and kept for three years. A building was then erected which now stands on a command- ing eminence near the western boundary of the city. It was built by subscription, and is of stone, visible at a great distance. The cost was $18,000, and it is still unfinished, although it is in good condition to accommodate the 100 pupils who are in attendance. In addition to the college build- ing there is what is known as Ladies' Hall, a structure 45x55 feet, and devoted to residence as well as instruction purposes. The college was opened in 1874. The management is vested in thirteen trustees. The following are the officers of the institution: President, Rev. B. J. Muus; Vice- president, N. A. Quannen; Treasurer, B. J. Muus; Secretary, T. N. Mohn.
Mr. Mohn is the principal of the school and the manager of the institution, residing within its walls. The assistant teachers are Rev. O. G. Fel- land and A. Egge, A. B. Vocal and instrumental music, Miss M. O'Brien.
40
CITY OF NORTHIFIELD.
The following from the announcement of the Institution will show its objects and aims.
COURSES OF STUDY.
"The school is especially adapted to the purposes of the American youth, of Scandinavian parent- age, who desire a thorough practical education and hence the following branches are predominant:
English language and literature.
Mathematics.
History.
Geography.
Natural sciences.
Music, (vocal and instrumental. )
Latin.
Bookkeeping.
German language and literature.
Norwegian language and literature.
EXPENSES.
Fall Term. - Two months. - Begins second Wednesday in September.
Tuition 6 00
Board. 14 00
Room rent 2 00
Total $22 00
Winter Term. - Five months. - Begins first Wednesday in November.
Tuition $15 75
Board
36 75
Room ren 5 25
Total $57 75 Spring Term .- Three months .- Begins March 31st.
Tuition
$ 8 25
Board
19 25
Room rent 2 75
Total $30 25
Expenses to be paid at the beginning of each term. Winter term paid in two installments, the last, January 15th.
Music and the use of instrument, $14 a term- twenty-four lessons."
CARLETON COLLEGE.
Carleton College owes its origin, primarily, to Mr. C. M. Goodsell, late of Northfield, who came to Minnesota with the purpose of establishing somewhere within its limits a Christian College- a sort of Northwestern Oberlin. That purpose was made known to several of the older clergy-
men, some of whom had thought much upon the subject and were deeply interested. These minis- ters, among whom Revs. Charles Shedd, Edward Brown, Charles Secombe, Richard Hall, and David Burt should be specially named, consulted to- gether, and in 1864, the State Conference of Con- gregational Churches, in accordance with a resolu- tion drawn by Mr. Brown, appointed a committee to consider the feasibility of founding such an in- stitution. Two years later, after having visited the several places which had sought to secure tho location of the proposed college within their limits, the committee reported unanimously in favor of Northfield.
Here, in this beautiful town, situated on the Cannon River and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, the college was located on a com- manding eminence overlooking a picturesque val- ley and rich surrounding country. The grounds donated by citizens of Northfield embraced nearly twenty-five acres, which, together with the money raised by them, represented about $25,000. A large building that had been used as a hotel was purchased and fitted up for the immediate use of the preparatory department, which was opened on the 25th of September, 1867, under the charge of Horace Goodhue, Jr., a graduate of Dartmouth College. For three years the school went on, the trustees of the college, which had been incorpo- rated, laboring with great zeal for its advance- ment. Pecuniary pledges in various parts of the State had been made to the extent of $12,000‘, but a sum larger than could possibly be realized was required to meet the current expenses which had been already incurred. There were no funds for new buildings, the students were few. Mr. Good- sell had died in May, the seeking for a man from the East to take charge of the school had been in vain, and the prospect of raising up an institution here that would fulfill the hopes of its friends and projectors secmed unpromising.
In September, 1870, the trustees proceeded to open a collegiate department, and elected Rev. James M. Strong, the pastor of the Congregational church in Faribault, as President. He had been from the first one of the trustees, and knew its past history and present wants. On the 13th of October another meeting of the board was held, and there were several noted clergymen present who were in attendance upon the Congregational Conference. A number of them were called into
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
the council in relation to the college, they were Rev. Dr. Ray Palmer, Rev. Dr. Clapp, and Rev. Dr. William Barrows. Mr. Strong concluded to accept, and on the next day the meeting of the conference was devoted to the young college, and to show the situation of affairs, and under what circumstances this college was started we will allow an eye witness to tell the story.
WONDERFUL MEETING.
"It was a wonderful meeting. So soon as the decision of the trustees was announced in Con- ference, the Holy Spirit seemed to take possession of the assembly. Men prayed that that border land, not far as yet from wigwams, might be dedi- cated to Christian learning; and that farms and ballots and juries might come up under the sun- light of the decalogue. These prayers wandered off into blessed visions. Then remarks grew out of the prayers, that they must raise up, on the ground, the ministry and the intelligent and vir- tuous merchants, farmers, and mechanies, that the new country needed. Some one mentioned the little beginnings, right among the Indians, of Old Harvard and Dartmouth, and it gave such courage, that poor men became rich, in faith, and women broke forth into singing.
Between the songs and the prayers short speeches were filtered in,closing with subscriptions -the very best figures of speech for such an oc- casion. Men of Amherst, Yale, Dartmouth, and Williams said that they must plant as good a col- lege there, and named their subscription. The meeting increased in wonder, and we of the East were amazed at the broad views, long forecastings, and exurbent benevolence of those men and women of the prairies. It does make some differ- ence in a man's views whether the next hill is the Rocky Mountains, or just over the brook back of the red schoolhouse. Thirty-seven donations were made, and their hearty consecration to learning made each a little fortune.
The miscellany of donors was typical of a wide interest. Four of them were women, two were families, three handled land, others handled goods or mechanical tools, or agricultural, and one fresh meat. Seventeen of them were ministers, and mostly missionaries, and about as rich as Peter and John when they went to a prayer meeting once and met a lame man. How we all wept when one man, who had better gifts than that of public speaking, with a choked utterance, pledged twenty
dollars, and said it was for his boy in heaven who died in the army. One stalwart missionary, who told me his family burials had kept pace with his field all the way from Ohio to Minnesota, said he had no money, never expected to have, and the brethren knew it; but he could not lose his chance in so splendid a work. He offered a fine colt, that was entered at forty dollars-more than the sheep given to Cambridge College its second year. The new president quietly remarked that no boys would be allowed to ride a "pony" on college grounds. Another brother, so good, hard-work- ing and poor, whose parish I have seen east of the Merrimac and west of the Missouri, offered his twenty dollars in three annual payments. He knew of the logs and spades around the founda- tion of Illinois College. Vanderbilt, in his dona- tions, never came up to that twenty-dollar man in proportion to his property. Then how we took heart and sung and offered thansgiving when six thousand dollars were pledged. One church was pledged for one hundred aud six dollars, while a modest lady, through her husband, put down five hundred. Scores of thousands, and the name of the college followed that donation, in good family descent. A young missionary offered twenty-five dollars out of the closing quarter of his scanty salary. Just over the river from his hired log parsonage was the Indian. He said the logs, shy of each other, left the cabin well ventilated, and the puncheon floor yawned with cracks, but neither he nor his young wife had any jewelry to lose through; and his four chairs were stout and good if they were borrowed; and as he would never have another chance so favorable to found a college, he must take part. A secretary, private agent to get rid of "unabridged" money, deprived the happy subscriber of the luxury of paying the amount.
So we went through the meeting and took the thirty-seven subscriptions, and when the close came, the people were too happy to take the bene- diction and separate.
Probably there have been few meetings beyond the Alleghanies more joyful or devout, or more fruitful for Christ's kingdom. When the meet- ing opened, the total property of the institution was estimated at $15,000, and the subscriptions of that afternoon were $16,446. True, that sub- scription would easily disappear in the high, ar- tistic finish and furniture of a room or two in some
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CITY OF NORTHFIELD.
eastern balls of learning, benevolently built, but it went very far toward putting, already hundreds, and by and by thousands of youth, well trained in letters, the sciences, and morals, into our young and gigantic West."
President Strong at once bent all his energies to the work of putting the College on its feet, and during that fall came the earnest of future gifts in the form of eighteen hundred dollars from Mr. William Carleton and Miss Susan Willis, both of Charlestown, Massachusetts, who had be- come interested in this young College of the Northwest. Their interest seemed to be greatly increased by President Strong's providential pres- ervation from death by railroad accident, at Hart- ford, Connecticut, in December of that year. Soon after sufficiently recovering from his injuries to reach his home, in the spring of 1871, he re- ceived for the college from Mr. Carleton the uncon- ditional gift of $50,000. This princely donation at once insured the success of the hitherto struggling institution, to which, in grateful acknowledgement, and by unanimous vote of the Board, the donor's name was given. A subsequent gift of ten thous- and dollars from Miss Willis, was acknowledged by calling the central college building "Willis Hall."
These early, and at that time unprecedented, gifts to the college were supplemented by many others, both at home and abroad. In 1872, nearly nine thousand dollars were promised by the churches of the State; and from the same sources came, in 1875, for the endowment of the Chair of Physical Science, pledges amounting to over twenty thousand dollars. Of this amount the cit- izens of Northfield, who have from the first cher- ished this institution with singular civic pride, gave more than one-third. The gifts of Minne- sota to the college have aggregated over one hun- dred thousand dollars, and nearly one-half of this amount has been received from Northfield. Fif- teen thousand dollars were raised in New Eng- land, in 1875. Thus the funds of the college steadily increased, enabling it to enlarge its edu- cational facilities, and attain a commanding posi- tion among the institutions of learning in the West.
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