USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 46
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 46
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
Faribault Council, No. 1,560, Royal Arcanum. The charter of this lodge was granted June 12, 1893, with twenty-five charter members.
Faribault Camp, No. 38, Woodmen of the World. This camp received its charter January 30, 1899. The charter officers were : Council commander, John M. Dwyer; advisor lieutenant, James Scott; banker, Niles P. Elaime ; clerk, Roscoe N. Jackson : escort, Thomas I. Wait ; watchman, Herman Holenhaus ; sentry, John Downey ; managers, Thomas 1. Wait, William Zulbal, R. A. Pomalt ; physician, R. N. Jackson.
Prosperity Camp, No. 1,888, Royal Neighbors of America. This lodge was organized November 6, 1899. The charter was granted November 24, 1899. The charter members were: Dr. R. M. Jackson, Catherine Kelley, Alicia Geiger, Mary Goodman, Maria O'Connell, Cora J. Turner, Delia Weinman, P. J. Murphy, Theresa Dulac, Mary MeNeely, Elizabeth Kenivan, A. C. Miller, H. L. Turner, Elizabeth Murphy, Isabel Mclaughlin, Theresa Roosez, Estella Huglus, Sarah Malloy, Anna Wickham, Frank M. Pierce, Mary T. Meloy, Kate Malion and Walter Goodman.
Alpha Camp, No. 274, Modern Woodmen of America. This camp was organized February 20, 1887. The first officers were : Venerable council, F. W. Winter: vice-council, F. A. Davis: clerk, A. C. Schmidt; excellent banker, T. W. Roberts: escort. T. B. Alcerk ; watchman, J. V. Winton.
Oak Grove Camp, No. 26, Woodmen Circle received its char- ter August 13, 1909. The charter officers were: Emma Kennedy, guardian ; Mary Paguett, advisor; Emma Blais, clerk: Anna Blais, banker: Addie Roth, attendant: Mary Rosett. chaplain; Viria Jairis, inner sentinel; Ella Erb, outer sentinel ; managers, Elizabeth O'Brien, Ley Comtois, and Bertine Jandso. Dr. Laura Seeley is the physician.
Faribault North Star Tent, No. 5, Knights of the Maccabees, received its charter December 3, 1891. The principal officers at the organization were: C. H. Wagner. H. E. Chase, Dwight Clark, B. A. Benham, James Mather, C. B. Dickson. Charles Sheridan and C. H. Wagner.
425
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
INDUSTRIAL UNIONS.
Cigar Makers' International Union, No. 434. This union was organized in 1903. The officers were: President, George Wes- ton ; vice-president, John Hamm; secretary and treasurer, Frank Logue. The present officers are: President, John Burmesiter ; vice-president, Frank O'Brien ; secretary, F. A. Burg; treasurer, George Scott.
Local Union, No. 21, Flour Mill Employees. This union was organized February 25, 1907. The charter members were: Donald Mckenzie, Andrew DeMars, A. F. Rainey, Philip Rainey, Swan Swanson, George Joachem, Thomas Dwyer, John Wines, George Harmon, Frank Kline, William Orne, F. Mason, Ray Smallidge.
FARIBAULT COMMERCIAL CLUB.
The Faribault Commercial Club was organized in the summer of 1902 as the result of the apparently spontaneous conviction of the leading citizens of the city that an organization which would encourage active work for the city's interests and central- ize and unite the purposes and efforts in this direction had be- come a matter of extreme importance.
The principles of the club, as stated in its articles, are as follows: "To bring into closer commercial and social rela- tions all loyal and progressive citizens; to work unceasingly for the development of the city, the state and the Northwest; to provide a cosmopolitan place of entertainment for strangers, a meeting place for all citizens interested in public work, and an opportunity for business men to assimilate with the com- mercial world. While non-political and non-sectarian, it aims to aid and encourage that which is good in municipal, state and national government, and strike at that which works to the detri- ment of American citizenship. To advance the interests of all worthy commercial and industrial enterprises desiring a location in our city."
There had been in the history of the city organizations of a like nature, which seemed for a while to thrive, and while they lasted did much for the city's growth and improvement, they lived but for short periods, and their experiences added diffi- culties and discouragements to the formation of the Commercial Club. It was said by many that this club would go as had the others, and be only a disappointment to those who were most active in its creation and who placed high hopes in its agency for good, and this argument it was, as it always is, difficult to meet ; and the feeling engendered by repeated failures made it still more difficult to maintain the club until the benefit of its
426
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
labors to the community became manifest in the location of new factories and the consequent multiplication of the opportunities for employment at home.
Faribault had for many years a wide reputation for its cx- cellent schools and colleges, and this before the organization of the Commercial Club was thought by many to be its chief dis- tinction ; now, as the result of the efforts of the club, it has be- come noted as well for its manufacturing and other industries.
The membership of the club is in the neighborhood of two. hundred constituting the leading men in the business and pro- fessional life of Faribault. The club maintains large, pleasant rooms in the Opera House block, where all visitors to Faribault are welcome and will find entertainment. The club has had but two presidents, C. M. Buck up to January, 1903, and Thomas H. Quinn, elected in January, 1903, who still holds the office. The other officers are Lynne Peavey, first vice-president; S. F. Donaldson, second vice-president ; K. S. Chase, third vice-presi- dent ; L. F. Shandorf, secretary ; D. W. Grant, treasurer. Direct- ors: A. Blodgett, Jr .. E. H. Loyhed, W. S. Shaft, N. S. Erb, John Kasper, W. McC. Reid, J. W. Deverey, P. F. Ruge, E. F. Kelly, H. F. Kester, F. L. Glotzbach.
CATHOLIC SOCIETIES.
Faribault Council, No. 889, Knights of Columbus, was granted a charter May 1, 1904, with fifty charter members, and E. F. Kelley as grand knight. The other officers were: Deputy grand knight, Joseph J. Roell ; chaplain, Rev. J. J. Slevin ; chancellor, Dr. J. B. White; financial secretary, M. L. Payant : recorder, A. J. Vogelsberg ; treasurer, Charles Caron ; lecturer, P. J. Moran ; advocate, Thomas H. Quinn ; warden, James P. Kennedy : inside guard, Henry Garvey ; outside guard. James .A. Bodke ; trustees. William O'Neil, John Kasper and William Lynch. The present officers are: Grand knight, James P. Kennedy ; deputy grand knight, Martin Bieter; chaplain, Rev. J. J. Slevin, chancellor, Dr. P. A. Smith ; financial secretary, George E. Kaul. recorder, II. A. Vogelsberg : treasurer, H. Garvey : advocate, T. H. Quinn : lecturer, M. L. Payant ; warden, Frank Cromer: inside guard, Garrett Moose; outside guard. D. W. Crawford; trustees, John Kasper, E. F. Kelley and Moses Desmaris.
St. George Court, No. 551, Catholic Order of Foresters. This lodge received its charter November 11, 1895. The charter mem- bers were: Jesse W. Dunham. Godfrey Endres, Samuel D. Der- ham, William A. Beiter, John M. Vogelsberg. John A. Roell, Joseph A. McCall, James J. Keneban, Wilfred B. D. Gadbois, Michael Endres.
427
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
St. Theresa Court, No. 422, Women's Catholic Order of For- esters, was organized October 29, 1899. The charter members were Elizabeth Ford, Anna M. Emge, Mary F. Conklin, Mary T. Garvey, Anna M. Carpenter.
Division No. 1, Ancient Order of Hibernians. This division was organized June 25, 1888, by M. M. Shields. The charter officers were: President, T. J. McCarthy ; vice-president, M. J. Sheeran ; recording secretary, M. J. Byrnes; financial secretary, J. F. Comford ; treasurer, Patrick Devery.
Division No. 1, Ladies' Auxiliary, A. O. H., was organized November 7, 1897. Officers: President, Mrs. E. F. Kelley ; vice- president, Mrs. J. P. Coughlin ; recording secretary, Mrs. E. R. Thatcher ; financial secretary, Miss Mary Coogan ; treasurer, Miss Josephine C. Haain.
RECREATION CLUBS.
Tatepaha Golf Club. This club was organized in the spring of 1900, with Kelsy S. Chase as president ; George F. Foster, treasurer ; William Mills Pye, secretary. Grounds were leased in the southern part of the city and a club house erected. The grounds are pretty and picturesque, and form an ideal place for golf and other recreation. The club is the only one of its size outside the Twin Cities in this part of the country. It is repre- sented every year at the state golf tournament, and the local grounds have developed some excellent golf players. The club also has several tennis courts and many of the members are enthusiastic devotees of this game.
Automobile Club of Rice County. This club was organized some three years ago, and has done much good in educating the people of the country districts in the use of better roads. Par- ticularly has the club been successful in advocating the use of the split log drag on the roads throughout the county. The mem- bership includes the leading autoists of the county, and the offi- cers are : President, A. Blodgett, Jr., vice-president, K. D. Chase ; secretary and treasurer, Frank Klemer.
Faribault Gun Club. This club was organized on March 20, 1905, for the purpose of promoting interest in shooting and good fellowship. The club has held several tournaments with out- side teams. It has a membership of about fifty-five. The officers of the club are the same as when organized, and are: William Drehmel, president ; John Snyder, vice-president ; John Ruge, secretary ; J. J. Rochace, treasurer, and Joseph Fredette, captain. Executive committee : William Drehmel, John Ruge, Charles Ebel, John Bekken.
428
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
LITERARY CLUBS.
Ladies Literary Association. This society was in reality the forerunner of the present federated clubs in the city. It was organized February 7, 1878, and its officers were: President, Mrs. H. A. Pratt; vice-president, Mrs. T. S. Buckham; record- ing secretary, Ada E. Hilton; corresponding secretary, Nellie Mott: treasurer, Mrs. Hudson Wilson; executive committee, Miss E. Whitney, Mrs. George B. Whipple, Mrs. A. E. Haven and Mrs. J. H. Winter.
The Samovar Club, which is associated with the federated clubs of the state, and has for its object the pursuit of general literary culture, was organized December 11, 1904, with Mrs. Brandenberg as president ; Mrs. W. H. Robilliard, vice-president. and Mrs. Walter Kilpatrick, secretary and treasurer. The pres- ent officers are: President, Mrs. George Weinberger ; vice-presi- dent, Mrs. Charles Dunham ; secretary and treasurer, Mrs. Heny Allin. The club meets Thursday afternoons at the homes of its members.
The Monday Club. This is one of the federated clubs and is limited in membership to thirty members. As its name would imply, the meetings are held Monday afternoons during the win- ter months, and papers are read on various literary and historical subjects. The subject of study for this year is Scandinavia-Min- nesota. The officers are: President, Mrs. J. D. Maxwell ; vice- presidents. Mrs. A. E. Haven, Mrs. J. H. Albert, Mrs. A. L. Keyes, Mrs. Charles Hutchinson ; recording secretary and treas- urer. Miss Fannie E. Ladd ; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Rober: Mee : federation secretary, Mrs. K. D. Chase ; parliamentarian, Mrs. B. W. Cowperthwait ; critic, Miss Louise Mott.
Travelers' Club. This is one of the federated clubs and was organized in 1892. This is the most prominent club in the city in social circles. It is unique in that men belong to the club, although the club is affiliated with the Women's Federated Clubs. Its membership is limited to thirty-two. The officers: President, Alfred H. Bill ; assistant president, Mrs. C. S. Batchelder ; secre- tary and treasurer, Miss Louise Mott; programme committee. A. H. Bill, Mrs. C. H. Loyhead, Miss Louise Mott, Mrs. H. C. Theopold and Dr. William 11. Rumphf. The present subject of study is "The Historical Place of the English Dramatists."
CHAPTER XXII.
EARLY MILLING.
The North, Ames and Granger Mills at Northfield-Exciting Conflict Waged-Archibald's Superior Flour-His Process- The La Croix Brothers at Faribault-Their inventions Revo- lutionize the Flouring Business.
Rice county early became known as an important factor in the early flouring business. The Archibald mill had a world-wide reputation when the mills at Minneapolis were in their infancy, and it was at Faribault that the La Croix brothers perfected the patents that revolutionized the making of flour, and made Minne- apolis a great flouring center.
The following article is from the Minnesota Historical Society collections :
"Two years before the incorporation of the Globe Mill Com- pany at New Ulm, John W. North founded a mill and a town at Northfield. Jesse Ames and Sons bought the mill in 1864, build- ing a new mill in 1869-70. The Ames mill was known as one of the most successful in southern Minnesota. Unlike the New Ulm mills, the Northfield mill did not have to contend with the In- dians and fire, but it did have to fight the Grangers and water.
"So impressed were the Grangers of Rice county with the success of the Ames mill that they organized a company of well-to-do farmers and built another just a mile down the stream, starting up the mill in the winter of 1873-74. Spring opened with war. The Grange mill backed its water upon the Ames dam, and the Ames mill employed its tail race as a weapon of war to no avail. The result was a battle of lawsuits and news- paper articles, which led to flowery eloquence, but not to profits in flour. It was at that time that Capt. John T. Ames achieved great celebrity, not only as a miller, but as a brilliant writer of Phillippic invective. He always maintained that the Ames mill made larger profits, and paid less for wheat after the Grange mill came into the field than before.
"On the Cannon river, only three miles from the Ames mill was the mill of the famous Archibald, the Scotchman who made Cannon river celebrated in eastern markets long before Pills- bury added fame to the upper Mississippi. Long before the new milling process was introduced in 1871, Minneapolis millers used to make trips to Dundas and peek into Archibald's mill ;
429
430
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
his flour beating Minneapolis flour $1 or more per barrel in the New York and Boston markets. Charles A. Pillsbury had an idea that the difference in the flour was due to the quality of the wheat. So he managed one day to put in his pocket a handful of the Ames and Archibald wheat; but when he got home he found the Cannon valley wheat no better than that in his own hoppers.
"The difference was that Archibald was his own scientific and practical miller. He dressed his stones with greater care, did better bolting, and used less pressure, and more even, in grind- ing, so that a whiter and purer flour was produced. He was also progressive, being among the first to use the new middlings purifier in 1871, and the roller process in 1880. A staff corre- spondent of the 'Northwestern Miller,' March 24, 1876, then pub- lished at La Crosse, spoke of Archibald as 'the man or firm who takes the leading place among the flour makers of this country or of the world.'
"The year 1870 stands as a landmark in the history of mill- ing because that was the year when Edmund N. La Croix, of Faribault, went to Minneapolis and introduced the middlings purifier into the 'Washburn B' mill, thereby increasing the value of Minnesota flour $1 to $2 per barrel, and the value of Minne- sota spring wheat ten to forty cents per bushel.
"For nearly three generations the American millers had made little advance on the milling system invented by Oliver Evans. It was he who invented the American automatic mill. He made it possible, by the use of the elevator and conveyor and other appliances for a bushel of wheat to make the rounds of a two to seven-story mill without the aid of a human hand from the time the grain was dumped by the farmer into the hopper at the platform until it reappeared as a barrel or a sack of flour. The dusty miller might swap stories over the farm wagon, visit the neighboring inn, or go a-fishing, and the okl mill and babbling brook would pursue the even tenor of its way and grind the grist with business-like precision. From the inventions of Oliver Evans down to 1870, about the only improvements were the sub- stitution of a French buhr stone for the granite, a silk bolting cloth for wool, with some advancement in cleaning the wheat and dressing the stones.
"For a hundred years the ambition of American millers was to emulate the mills of the gods and grind 'exceedingly fine.' and likewise grind all the flour possible at one grinding. The mill-stones were set close together and run at as high speed as practicable, with the idea of reducing the grain into flour at one grinding. This was the fast reduction and low grinding process. Middlings or meal from that part of the berry which lies beneath
431
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
the bran covering and the starchy center was a thing to be avoided, for the old fashioned miller did not know what to do with them.
"It was the mission of the 'new process' to make middlings the most valuable part of the product. The middlings purifier, with its horizontal shaking screen and air blast for cleaning and separating the middlings, preserved for re-grinding that which for bread-making was by far the best portion of the wheat. Gluten, which not only gives bread its rising power or strength, but is the most nutritious quality in wheat for sustaining life, lies in the hard exterior of the kernel just beneath the bran cov- ering, and therefore is contained in the middlings. Flour made from the purified middlings, according to the new process system, immediately commanded in the bread-making markets of the East from $1 to $2 per barrel higher than other Minnesota flour.
"The result was a revolution in flour manufacture. Instead of making as little middlings as possible, the aim became to make as much as possible. To do that, instead of grinding as much flour as possible at the first grinding, the aim became to grind as little flour as possible at the first grinding. So, instead of running the stones at the rate of 250 to 300 revolutions per minute they were run at 100 to 150. Instead of being set low or close together, they were set high, so as to simply crack the berry at the first grinding for the liveration of the bran covering. Instead of reducing the kernel to flour at one grinding, the cracked chop was put through two or three grindings. Low and rapid grinding by the old process made of hard spring wheat dark and specky flour. Pressure and speed generated heat, which made dark and pasty flour, damaged in both color and quality. The new process required more time and labor, but the far higher price repaid the extra effort handsomely."
The effect upon wheat and flour production in the United States was marked. The wheat product rose from 287,000,000 bushels by the census of 1870, or 7.5 bushels per capita, to 459,000,000, or 9.2 per capita, in the census of 1880. Specially notable was the increase in yield in the Northwest, which pro- duced hard spring wheat, rich in gluten and middlings. Minne- sota spring wheat, instead of standing low in the market, because of the large amount of dark middlings flour which it carried by the old process of milling, at once rose to the top of the market, because of the large proportion of fancy middlings patent which it yielded. In the ten-year period of 1870-80, Minnesota's whcat crop rose from 18,000,000 bushels to 34,000,000, nearly doubling, and the mills multiplied from 216 to 436. The capital invested in Minnesota mills rose from less than $3,000,000 in 1870 to over $10,000,000 in 1880. The sum paid by the millers to Minnesota
432
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
farmers for wheat increased from $6,000,000 to $37,000,000, multi- plying sixfold, and the wages paid to mill employees grew from $293,000 to $1,371,000, while the value of flour produced rose from $7,500,000 to $41,000,000. The newly discovered wealth in the production of spring wheat on the prairies of the North- west brought to Minnesota and the Dakotas a vast pilgrimage, and the blossoming of farms, railways, towns, and cities.
In 1861, Alexander Faribault, founder of the Minnesota town named after him, sent to Montreal for Nicholas La Croix to build for him a mill. La Croix came, and with him his brother, Ed- mund N., and his son Joseph. After building the mill for Fari- bault, the La Croixs, in 1866, built at Faribault a mill for them- selves. They were educated men, skilled millers and engineers, the two brothers being graduates of the "Ecole des Arts and Metiers" in France. Familiar with French milling and engineer- ing works, as well as with French machines and processes, they began to experiment, and in 1868 made a draft of the middlings purifier patented in France by Perigault, August 16, 1860, and described in the French work by Benoit in 1863. They then con- structed from this draft a machine with which they experi- mented at their Faribault mill during the next two years. But a freshet carried away their dam and they gave up their mill, Edmund N. La Croix moving to Minneapolis in 1870.
La Croix visited the millers of Minneapolis and told them of the wonderful results which could be obtained from Minnesota spring wheat by his process. Some thought him visionary, and others feared he was insane. But George H. Christian, who was more of a student and had greater interest in scientific matters than most business men, had faith enough in La Croix and his project to give him opportunity to put a machine into the "Big Mill." the "Washburn B," which Christian was then operating. La Croix worked on his machine for a good part of a year, and with some late modifications it was a success. The machine was built in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Iron Works, owned by C. M. Ilardenburgh & Co. It cost only $300, but it increased the price of Minneapolis and Minnesota flour from $1 to $3 per barrel. The success of the middlings purifier at the "Washburn B" soon spread ; and Pillsbury. Archibald, Ames and other enter- prising millers rapidly got the new machines.
The fate of the La Croixs is that of many inventors. They realized nothing from their study and enterprise. After intro- ducing the new milling system into many Minnesota mills, Ed- mund went to Rochester, N. Y .. and Nicholas to Milwaukee, where he suddenly died in 1874. Edmund followed his brother to the grave a week later. Nicholas left a widow, three daugh- ters, and a son, Joseph. in strained circumstances. Joseph got
433
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
together the various improvements inaugurated by himself, his father, and uncle, and secured patents, and then interested capital to manufacture the La Croix machines. But meantime the greed of the patent sharks had resulted in the formation of a gigantic combination, which crushed La Croix and left him bankrupt, with three helpless women to provide for.
When the purifier combine attempted to levy upon the mill- ers of America a royalty tribute that would have reached millions of dollars, and relied upon the La Croix patents in order to per- fect a complete monopoly, the La Croix family stood by the millers in their fight and refused from the combine at one time a one-sixth interest in the proposed monopoly, and at another time a gratuity from the combine of $10,000.
CHAPTER XXIII.
NORTHFIELD BANK ROBBERY.
Younger and James Brothers Enter the State-Failure at Man- kato-Advance on Northfield-Heroic Defense by Allen, Wheeler and Manning-Events Inside the Bank-Heroism and Death of Heywood-Bunker, Wounded, Escapes-Death of Gustavson-Stacy Takes Part in the Battle-Stiles and Miller Killed-Pursuit-Bandits Captured-Policeman Acci- dentally Killed-Trial and Conviction-Petitions for Par- don - Bob Younger Dies - Release of James and Cole Younger-James Younger Suicides-Cole Younger Pardoned and Exiled.
The Northfield Bank robbery is an event which cost the lives of six persons, and for over three decades has been known on account of the daring atrocity of the enterprise, the fiendish bru- tality of the robbers, and the heroic defense of the citizens. Un- fortunately, in later years, a mawkish sentimentality developed which not only condoned the crimes and murders committed by the robbers, but actually made them heroes to such an extent that the state legislature passed a law which apparently had for its purpose no other object than the pardon of these murderers.
In the late summer and fall of 1876 the James and Younger gangs, whose depredations had aroused a nation, made their appearance in southern Minnesota, following their usual tactics of disguise. The gang at that time consisted of Jesse James and his brother Frank ; Thomas C. Younger (commonly known as Cole Younger) and his brothers James and Robert : William McClelland Miller (commonly called "Bill"), alias Clel Miller ; Bill Chadwell, alias William Stiles, and Charlie Pitts, alias Sam Wells. All but the last two named were formerly Missouri guerrillas and bushwhackers. William Stiles was a native of Minnesota. Sam Wells was a Missouri man.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.