USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 54
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 54
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Rev. Muus now set himself to raise sufficient funds for a permanent building. Assisted by Rev. Bockman, he went about engaged in a personal canvass and in 1876 it was announced that the subscriptions had reached $22,000. The building com- mittee consisted of Rev. B. J. Muus, Prof. A. K. Teisberg. H. Thoreson, A. T. Brandvold and O. K. Finseth. The cornerstone for the main building was laid July 4, 1877. By November, 1877, the building was enclosed, and November 6 of the following year it was dedicated. The building is still one of the striking features of the landscape, being of brick, two stories over a stone base- ment. its dimensions being 101 by 56 feet. September 10. 1879. St. Olaf's School took possession of its new quarters.
A discussion of the differences of opinion in the synod which resulted in the anti-Missourian movement is beyond the scope of this work. It is sufficient here to say that from the beginning it was the intention of Rev. Muus and the incorporation of St. Olaf's to transfer the school to the synod. but the synod repeatedly refused to accept any obligation in regard to the school. When the anti-Missourians, forced to withdraw from the synod by the ascendency of the Missourians, found them- selves forced to give up their interest in the synod schools which
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they had formerly supported, they turned their attention to St. Olaf. This led to an agreement by which the anti-Missourian body agreed to contribute annually toward the school if a college department were established. Thus the long cherished hope of Muus became a reality, and in September, 1886, a begin- ning was made with a freshman class. A department was added each year, so that this class of 1890 remained the highest class in the school throughout its freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year. The class consisted of Anton Engebretson, Carl J. Rollef- son and Anders O. Sandbo. The Lutheran Divinity School was opened at St. Olaf's September 15, 1886, continued to occupy the chapel for a lecture room for four years until June, 1890, when it was consolidated with the Augsburg Seminary. The anti-Mis- sourians did a great deal for St. Olaf. They made it possible to change the academy into a college, and they supported it liberally with money and students.
When the United Norwegian Church was formed in Minne- apolis, June 13, 1890, from the Norwegian-Danish conference, the Augustana Synod and the anti-Missourians, St. Olaf College was offered to the United Church by the trustees, and accepted. Resolutions in regard to its government were adopted and all promised well. Three years later, owing to various misunder- standings which arose between the friends of St. Olaf and those of Augsburg Seminary, the resolution adopting St. Olaf was rescinded at the annual meeting held at Dawson in 1893. The college was thus left without support. But the faith of President Mohn was great, and it was decided to send out a financial agent to solicit funds. The choice fell on Prof. H. T. Ytterboe, who had been engaged as a teacher at St. Olaf since 1882. For six years he labored, and not only did he raise enough to carry on the work, but also assisted in reducing the debt. Others who did noble work at this critical time were Rev. J. M. Dahl, Rev. S. Strand, M. J. Stolee, A. R. Lavik, C. K. Solberg, H. B. Kildahl, and Professors Mohn, Fossum, Bjorneby. Lee and Felland. In the meantime the Augsburg Seminary was also dropped by the United Church. In 1898 the citizens of Northfield invited the delegates of the United Church to the number of 600 to Nortli- field, furnishing a special train for their transportation.
But the school question was again left undecided. A com- mittee, however, was appointed to look over the matter and report to the annual meeting to be held in June, 1899. The committee consisted of Rev. G. Hoyme, Rev. J. Olsen. Prof. M. O. Bockman, Prof. T. N. Mohn, Rev. J. M. Kildahl, W. F. Christian- son and Carl Raugland. June 21 to 29, 1899, a week-long discus- sion was held at the annual meeting and this resulted in the readoption of the school. St. Olaf College, by the United Church.
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The plan was prepared by the Messrs. Pattee and Bacon and passed by an overwhelming majority.
Rev. J. N. Kildahl was elected president of St. Olaf, June 29, 1899, and Prof. Mohn was elected vice-president. Prof. Mohn, who had been at the head of the school since the beginning, had risen from a bed of sickness to lead the work. Not long afterward he was again stricken and died November 18, 1899. Prof. Mohn is the protesilaos of St. Olaf College. The twenty- fifth anniversary of the college was celebrated November 6, 1899, with appropriate ceremonies.
The founder of St. Olaf College put coeducation into the cornerstone, July 4, 1877. It was, however, felt that a separate building was needed for the girls. In 1878-79 they were admitted on the first floor of the new building. The next year the present ladies' hall was erected through the liberality of Harold Thoreson. The building is delightfully situated among the trees and is usually full.
At the annual meeting of the United Church, held in Minne- apolis, June, 1900, action was taken by which the college depart- ment of the United Church Seminary was united with and trans- ferred to St. Olaf College. By this resolution St. Olaf received a large reinforcement of teachers and students, and valuable addi- tions to the library and to the educational apparatus.
Until the fall of 1900 the college department had only a classical course. But the year 1900 marks another step forward in the history of the college by the establishment of a scientific course. In the year 1909 a classical-scientific and a literary course were added.
The scientific department was organized in 1888 by Prof. F. E. Millis, who purchased the necessary apparatus for the study of chemistry and physics with $1.000 donated by the anti- Missourians.
St. Olaf College is situated about three quarters of a mile west of the railroad stations in Northfield. The grounds embrace 138 acres of land, well wooded with native trees, and affording a roomy campus. The buildings stand on an elevation known as Manitou Heights, 130 feet above the Cannon river.
The main building and the ladies' hall have been described.
The Dormitory. The need of more room for the students has been amply provided for by the erection of a large and commodious boys' dormitory, which was completed and occupied early in the spring of 1901. It is situated directly northwest of the main building and faces the campus. It is built of red brick and consists of a central building about 112 feet long, and has at either end a wing of 105 feet in length. In the basement one of
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the wings is occupied by the dining room, the other by the gymnasium, while the center is occupied by the kitchen depart- ment (the kitchen proper is under a separate roof), and bath rooms. On the first floor are the parlor and waiting rooms and a suite of rooms occupied by the inspector and his family. The rest of the building is for the accommodation of male students. Each room is arranged and neatly furnished for two students, and the building will accommodate about 250 students. The building has all modern conveniences, and students will here find excellent accommodations at very low cost.
The Steensland Library. This beautiful building is the gift of Consul Hale Steensland, of Madison, Wis. It stands only a few steps northwest of the main building on the site selected by the donor. The foundation was laid in the autumn of 1901. In August the following year the building was finished. It is built of pressed brick, with dressed stone trimmings and orna- ments, and has a projecting portico of Ionic columns on the south side. Its dimensions are 30 by 58 feet. The basement is divided into two rooms, one of which is occupied temporarily by the museum ; the other is a spacious reading room. From the portico the main floor is reached through a vestibule, on the right of which is the librarian's office. The rest of the floor is one spacious room with the bookshelves arranged along the walls. Besides the large windows there is an ornamental skylight of stained glass under a small central dome. It is furnished with incandescent electric light and other modern conveniences. The library was first organized in 1885 under the direction of Prof. Kalheim.
The well equipped laboratory is in the main building, and the museum is in the library building.
The Hoyme Memorial Chapel. This building, erected by the United Church in memory of its first president, was dedicated on the seventh day of November, 1906. It is built about 200 feet west of the main building, in the form of a Latin cross. The basement is of limestone, the rest is of red pressed brick. The stage occupies the west end and has seats for seventy-two persons. The auditorium has a gallery extending around the three sides, and in the east end there are two rooms on the ground floor and two in the gallery, fitted up for class rooms and having rolling partitions by means of which they may be opened up towards the stage. It is furnished with 951 opera chairs in imita- tion mahogany. Heat and light are supplied from the central plant. The Gothic windows are of stained glass, those in the transepts being large windows, the north window being donated by the St. Olaf College Alumni Association, and the south
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window being a memorial window. dedicated to the late Proi. H. T. Ytterboc.
The St. Olaf Association Hospital was built in the fall of 1907. The money for this purpose was raised by members of the St. Olaf association, an organization of former students of St. Olaf College. The building is a two-story frame structure. 34 by 50 feet, with hospital rooms to accommodate ten or twelve patients at the same time. On the ground floor are found a reception hall, a parlor, a kitchen with pantry, a nurse's room, and a medicine room. The building is provided with steam heat. electric light, an electric indicator system, and a dumb waiter. A complete laundry is located in the basement.
Central Heating Plant. All the buildings are heated from a central heating plant situated about half way between the main building and the boys' dormitory. The heating plant was erected in the fall of 1905. In connection with the heating plant is also a dynamo which produces the electric light for all the buildings of the institution.
The college catalogue contains the following: "The general aim of St. Olaf College is to give young men and women a higher education on the basis of the true Christian faith as taught in our Evangelical Lutheran Church. For it is our conviction that there is no true culture or education without personal Christi- anity. We believe that all mental training, in order to have any real value, must be blended with Christian faith and love. We are therefore desirous that all the young people of our church who get a liberal education should be under constant Christian influ- ence and be directed by the religious instruction of the church. The chief and special object of this school is to prepare young men for taking up the study of theology, in order that they may become ministers or missionaries of the church. With this aim in view, the school has steadily and quietly pursued its work, enjoying a healthy growth from its foundation until the present, and, under the protection of our Heavenly Father, we trust that it will continue a growing power for the education of coming generations."
Legacies and Gifts. The Brekken Fund-In 1895 the college received a bequest amounting to $4.000 from Even Brekken, of Holden, Goodhne county, Minnesota. The annual interest of this fund is to be used for the benefit of worthy indigent students who expect to take up the study of theology when they leave college. Hon. J. A. Johnson, of Madison, Wis., donated $1.000 to the college in 1899. The Steensland Library-In 1902 Consul llalle Steensland, of Madison, Wis., built a beautiful library for the institution. The Clarence Franklin Wing Fund-In the
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spring of 1904 Hon. O. J. Wing, of Aspelund, Minn., donated to the college $5,000 as a memorial of his son, Clarence Franklin Wing. The annual income of this fund is to be added to the fund until it is large enough to pay the salary of a teacher. The Henry Nelson Talla Fund-In 1904 Hon. O. J. Wing's children, John G. Wing, Mrs. Rev. Carl M. Weswig, Julia E. Wing, and Emma G. Wing, gave the college the sum of $4,000 in memory of their grandfather, Henry Nelson Talla. The annual income of this fund is to be divided into four equal parts and offered as scholarships to members of the junior class, the scholarship to be applied on some college bill for the senior year, exemplary Christian living and high excellence of scholarship to be the basis of reward. The Philo Sherman Bennett Fund-In 1905 the college received $500 through Hon. William J. Bryan, of Lincoln, Neb., from Philo Sherman Bennett, of New Haven, Conn. The interest on the money is to be used for the purpose of helping needy boys to get an education at St. Olaf College. Hans C. Westermo Fund-In 1907 the college received a bequest amount- ing to $1.433.87 from Hans C. Westermo, of Kenyon, Minn. The interest of this fund is to be used for the aid of needy students at St. Olaf College.
The following student organizations flourish at St. Olaf's: Religious-The Luther League, the prayer meeting and the Y. M. C. A. Literary-The Alpha Beta Chi, the Gamma Delta, the Normanna, the Phi Kappa Phi, the Delta Chi, the Manitou Debating and Literary Society, the Utile Dulci Literary Society, the Demosthenian Literary Society, the Edda and the Fram. Musical-St. Olaf Musical Union, the band, the St. Olaf Choral Union, and the Euterpean Club. The "Manitou Messenger" is published. The Oratorical Association, the St. Olaf College Debating Association, the Prohibition League, and the Athletic Union are also under the auspices of the college. St. Olaf is represented in the intercollegiate Oratorical Contest each year, and in the Carleton-St. Olaf Oratorical Association Contest.
The officers of the St. Olaf faculty are : President, Rev. John N. Kildahl; secretary, Agnes Kittelsby; registrar, Ingebrikt F. Grose ; librarian, Ole G. Felland ; curator of the museum. Paul G. Schmidt.
The board of trustees consists of: Hon. Oley Nelson, Slater, Iowa; Gudmund Skartvedt, Canton, S. D .; B. J. Borlaug, Kenyon, Minn .; Hon. Osmund Wing, Kenyon, Minn .; S. Henry Holstad, Minneapolis, Minn. Officers of the board: Hon. Oley Nelson, president ; Prof. P. G. Schmidt, secretary and treasurer.
The officers of the Alumni Association are: Rev. H. B. Kil- dahl, '95, president ; Rev. H. J. Grimsby, '02, vice-president ; Miss
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Georgina E. Diesen, '04, secretary ; Prof. P. O. Holland, '04. treasurer : George W. Mohn, '05, alumni editor.
The following article by the president of the alumni sums up the work of the graduates of the college :
The Alumni Association of St. Olaf College is not yet of age. When we meet next year it will be just twenty-one years old. St. Olaf graduated her first college class in 1890. That makes the association just twenty years old at this time.
When we meet on such an occasion as this, it might be well to take a look at ourselves and see what we really are. I believe there are those among us who have too insignificant thoughts about the association, because they have not stopped to consider each member of it.
Our association numbers 271, of which 11 have passed away. making us just 260 living members of the Alumni Association, of which 24 per cent are in the teaching profession and 31 per cent are clergymen. Of the male members 34 per cent are clergymen and 25 per cent are teachers.
When we stop to consider that up to the year 1899 no gradu- ating class exceeded the sacred number seven, and that up to that time our total living members were only forty-five, it seems to me that we have no reason for being pessimistic over the product St. Olaf is turning out, but rather rejoice, lift up our heads and with pride swelling our hearts point to St. Olaf College as our alma mater.
I regret very much to admit that there are only four farmers among them, and only six wives, but as the institution only boasts of twenty lady alumni and only six until the year 1906, we can conclude that at least that part of St. Olaf's product is thoroughly appreciated.
Ten of St. Olaf's sons are doctors and an equal number are lawyers. Four are dealing in real estate, eight are merchants, five are in the banking business, two are mining chemists, three are editors, sixty-three are in the teaching profession, of which eight are superintendents of schools and two are college presidents. Eighty-three are clergymen, of which six are foreign mission- aries, and one is a theological professor, one is a draftsman, one is a civil engineer and one is in charge of the grain standardization in the service of the government.
Eighteen per cent of the pastors in active service of the United Church are men of St. Olaf College, and 37 per cent of the pas- tors of our foreign missionaries of the United Church are of the alumni. The rest of our members are either taking up some sort of useful work or they are further preparing themselves in some post-graduate work for useful occupations.
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Note .- This history of St. Olaf School is compiled from an article by Prof. O. G. Felland, in a book issued under the auspices of the St. Olaf College Alumni Association, J. A. Aasgaard, editor and publisher. The book was dedicated "In loving gratefulness to the memory of the Rev. Th. N. Mohn, president of St. Olaf College from 1874 to 1899."
CHAPTER XXVI.
POSTAL HISTORY.
Complete Story of the Growth of the Faribault Postoffice- Northfield-Morristown-Warsaw-Dundas-Veseli-Lons- dale - Webster - Nerstrand - Discontinued Postoffices - Wheatland- Moland-Richland- Walcott-Fowlersville- Lester - Union Lake - Hazelwood - Berg - Trondjem - Tenod - Eklund - Wheeling - Shieldsville - Prairieville- Millersburg-Dean-Written by William Kaiser.
The postal history of Faribault dates back to the early days of the pioneer who first settled in this city. The first mail was received as early as 1853, when but a few white men lived here. The first postmaster was Alexander Faribault, the founder of this city and whose name it bears. Edward J. Crump was his deputy and performed the duties of the office. This was in the year of 1854 and the office was kept in a small log building where the Superior hotel now stands, on Central avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets. To illustrate the amount of mail carried in those days, we repeat the story told by the late John Cooper, who was mail carrier in the early days of our city. One day while bringing the mail to Faribault and while fording Streight river the mail pouch fell into the water and in order to save the mail from getting wet the pouch was opened to get the mail out to dry. It was found to contain one paper. the "New York Tribune," and one letter. This was the amount of mail received in those days when mail was not received oftener than once a week. But in the spring when the streams were high, and in the winter time they were not sure of a weekly mail. In the year of 1855 the building known as Crump's Hall was built on the west side of Central avenue. This building was later used by Mr. John Gorman as a hotel, and was known as the Northwestern Hotel, which was razed in 1909 and the New Gallagher and O'Neil building now occupies the site. The postoffice was moved into the building and remained there until after Mr. Crump's death. which occurred in 1856. In these days a mail route was estab- lished between St. Paul and Owatonna, with a weekly service. Mr. Davis was the first mail carrier, and afterwards J. J. Bracket, who was a well known character, and the story is told that for
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some time he could carry the whole mail in his pocket and that frequently Mr. Hulett's "New York Tribune" would be the only paper received. The early chronicle states that the service of Mr. Crump was satisfactory, as he was a man of education and of an accommodating disposition. After his death the office was then moved to the Moses Cole store building, occupied by Young & Faribault, on the east side of First avenue east, then known as Willow street, on the south side of Division street. Mr. Young became deputy and acting postmaster, and it is stated that he severely tried the patience of those having business with the office. He was too indolent to rise from his chair and hand over a letter, so he would declare that there was "nothing," and having thus committed himself he would stick to it until the next weekly mail came before delivering it. After a time he was removed from the office, and in 1857 George S. Skinner was appointed postmaster, and the office was moved to the west side of Central avenue, between Third and Fourth streets, where the old L. Tuttle meat market now stands. At this time a local daily mail was established between Faribault, Hastings and the East, and tri-weekly mail from and to St. Paul. Mail matter received and sent at the Faribault postoffice in the year 1857 was from 1,800 to 2,000 pieces of mail a week. This was quite a jump from two pieces received in 1853.
In an article which appeared in the "Faribault Herald," a weekly newspaper published in this city at that time, the follow- ing appears, under the date of July 9, 1857: "Removed .- We are happy to announce at last the removal of the postoffice to a central and convenient location. We are sanguine in the trust that Mr. Skinner will give entire satisfaction." The following announce- ment appeared in the paper: Faribault postoffice. Office hours from 6 o'clock a. m. to 8 o'clock p. m. Hastings and eastern mail due daily at 6 p. m. Same return mail closes at 8 p. m. St. Paul mail due Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p. m. Return mail Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6 a. m. Dated July 23, 1857. G. E. Skinner, P. M.
Under date of September 24, 1857, another article appeared in. the "Faribault Herald," entitled "Our Postoffice": At the re- quest of a number of our prominent citizens we gladly give expression to the full and entire satisfaction given by Mr. Skinner and his clerk, Mr. Pettier, in the management of the postoffice. Their arrangements are excellent, and they have been faithful and accommodating in the discharge of their duties. With pleasure we become the organ of the community in giving this evidence of our appreciation. The first quarterly returns for the office in 1857 footed up to $246 for letters alone. On September 8, 1858, the following advertisement appeared in a local paper :
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"Lost, strayed or stolen-Military land warrant, No. 48440, for 160 acres of land, issued to Abi Deming, widow of John Deming, under the act of 1855. Was mailed at this office about October 21, 1857, to Mrs. Abi Deming, care of D. M. Cole, Elgin, III., and has never been heard from since. Owatonna. August 25, 1858. T. B. Deming."
During Mr. Skinner's administration the office was again moved to the east side of Central avenue, in the frame building where Peltier & Dring's barber shop now is, and owned by the F. H. Kiekenapp estate. This is nearly opposite to where it was.
On June 5, 1861, the following time table of the arrival and departure of trains was published in the weekly paper, and was as follows: Faribault postoffice. Arrival and departure of mails. Eastern-Arrive on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays : departs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Southern, via Owatonna- Arrives daily except Sundays at 5 o'clock p. m. ; departs daily except Sundays at 4 o'clock a. m.
In the year 1861 Mr. Skinner was succeeded by James Gibson. Postmaster Gibson caused the following notice to be published in the "Central Republican": "Special Notice .- New postage stamps have been received at this office and six days will be allowed for the exchange of the old for the new, after which time the old ones will not be received at this office."
James Gibson, P. M., Postoffice Faribault, Minn., Nov. 5. 1861. The following winter some trouble was experienced in getting the mail through on time on account of bad roads. The following article is taken from the "Central Republican," dated December 4, 1861 :
"Postmaster Frost of the Northfield postoffice is certainly entitled to the thanks of the community ; he will accept ours for bringing through on Thursday morning St. Paul mail which should have gone through on Wednesday evening, but failed to make connections with the Hastings mail. There have been several failures of this kind during the past few weeks, but we hope the roads have been improved, and as the sleighing is im- proving they may not occur again this winter. It is the least bit in the world annoying."
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