USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 57
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 57
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
DUNDAS POSTOFFICE.
In 1858 the postoffice was established and Herman Jenkins was first appointed to handle the mails. He was called the travel- ing postmaster, because he would go to Northfield, get the mail. and then deliver it to the few inhabitants in the place. In 1859 the people of Northfield raised a bonus and secured a daily stage mail on the line from Northfield to Faribault. This was con- tinued until the railroad was constructed through the place in 1864. The postoffice has in the meantime passed into numerous
530
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
hands, and finally J. M. Oliver was appointed postmaster and held the office until Cleveland's first administration, when James Campbell was appointed, and he moved the office from where it was to a block farther north on the same side of the street. In 1888 Mr. Oliver was again appointed to handle the mail and the office was moved back to its old location. In 1892 Fred Shandorf was commissioned postmaster and retained the office until after President Mckinley was elected, when A. Shabino was appointed. He moved the office to a location just east of the Chicago Great Western railway tracks, near the bridge crossing Straight river. Mr. Shabino held the office from 1897 until 1901, when he resigned and D. Donovan was appointed to take his place, which he filled until 1906. Before Mr. Dono- van resigned he moved the office to the location it had during Mr. Campbell's administration. In 1906 Joseph Herkenratt was appointed and handled the mail for a year, when he resigned and the present postmaster, Willis W. Hassan, was appointed. About two years ago he moved the office and store three doors south on the same side of the street, where it is now located. In 1901 rural free delivery route No. 1 was established. In 1905 this route was rearranged and another route added, giving the office two rural routes. The stamp sales of the office for the year ending July 1, 1910, amounted to $1.123.32.
VESELI POSTOFFICE.
The Veseli postoffice really did not come into existence until 1908. It is rather surprising to make this statement, but such are the facts in the matter. When the postoffice was established in what was then "Veseli." in July of 1879, the postmaster ap- pointed was a young man named Albert Vosejpka, who took a great deal of delight in translating the Bohemian names into English, and to do these things consistently is rather a hard matter. So it happened that Mr. Vosejpka, whose intentions were honest, set about to translate the original name of the place "Veseli" and the closest he got to it was "Wesely," so that the office was at first called the Wesely postoffice. Ten years later the village was incorporated under its right name "Veleli," but the authorities at Washington never recognized officially the name of Veseli. The similarity of names caused a great deal of trouble to the patrons of the office, the consequence being that the people petitioned the department at Washington at the late date of 1908 to have the name changed to Veseli, which was done a week after the petition was received at Washington. The office is now being supplied by rural route from Lonsdale and Webster. The following postmasters have served after Mr. Vosejpka: Frank
531
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
Vita, Joseph Topic, W. T. Shimota, M. J. Smisck and the present postmaster, Joseph A. Valesh.
LONSDALE POSTOFFICE.
The Lonsdale postoffice was established on April 1. 1903, with J. C. Drozda as its first postmaster. He retained the office for about two years, when, on account of financial troubles, he grew despondent and committed suicide. The affairs of the office, however, were in excellent shape. He was succeeded by his brother, J. M. Drozda, who still retains the office. There were two rural routes established at this office on June 1, 1905. On July 1 this office was made a money order office. The business of the office for the year of 1909 amounted to $906.05 in stamps sold and $4,728.21 in money orders issued and $934.85 in money orders paid. The office receives mail from the Mankato branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway.
WEBSTER POSTOFFICE.
This office was established in 1879, with F. Butzke postmaster, and the office at his house in section eight. Henry Sprain was appointed postmaster in 1894, and is at present time handling the mail. A daily mail was established when the Milwaukee railway built their branch from Farmington to Mankato. In 1903 a rural route was established out of Webster, and in 1905 another route was added, making two rural routes running out of Webster. The postoffice is located in Mr. Sprain's store.
NERSTRAND POSTOFFICE.
This postoffice was established in 1878 and Augen S. Brokke appointed postmaster, the office being kept at the store on section 14. The office was named by Osmund Osmundson, in honor of his postoffice in Norway. Henry N. Hegnes was appointed in 1881. In 1885 the Chicago Great Western railway was built through Nerstrand and the office was then given mail service twice a day. In 1900 rural free delivery was inaugurated at this office with two routes. In 1902 Mr. Hegnes resigned and W. F. Boelter was apointed to take his place and held the office for two years, when F. R. Kaufmann was appointed to take his place and at the present time is its postmaster. The office is a money order office.
DISCONTINUED POSTOFFICES.
Wheatland Postoffice. This luxury was early obtained for this settlement, that is, in 1857. The postmaster was Peter O'Brien, who opened the office at his store in section 19 and
532
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
held it there for two years; then Patrick Cody got the appoint- ment and the office went over to his house in section 32. where it remained up to 1876. Then Thomas Plaisance took the office to his place in section 26, and he continued to handle the mails until George E. Bates was commissioned in 1880. He kept it one year and then C. A. Remillard was appointed, and he moved the office to his store in section 33. After Mr. Remillard came Peter Fabre as postmaster, and he was followed by Frank Bar- nett. When the county system of rural free delivery made its appearance in Rice county in June, 1905, the office was discon- tinued and the former patrons in the village of Wheatland are now receiving their mail by rural free delivery from Lonsdale, Route No. 1.
Moland Postoffice. This postoffice was established in 1875 in the store of Nels N. Kvernoden, on section 36, in the town of Richland, and at that time was called Urlund. In 1879 Hagen O. Naeseth became postmaster and held the office until 1881, when he sold his business to Peter Lund, who then became postmaster. In June, 1882, the office was discontinued, but later in the same year it was re-established and was called Moland. Peter Lund continued as postmaster. In 1893 George E. Strandemo was appointed as postmaster. On July 1, 1901, it was made a money order office. Mail was received daily, except Sunday, from Fari- bault by star route. This was discontinued May 24, 1905, and the mail was then received from Kenyon. On October 31. 1905, the office was discontinued, mail being delivered to its patrons by rural free delivery from Kenyon.
Richland Postoffice. This office was established in the year 1878 and was located in the store of T. Larson, on the northwest corner of section 22. Mr. Larson was appointed postmaster. In the year 1881 he sold his place of business to S. G. Nolan, who was appointed postmaster in his place. Mail was received by star route from Faribault office each day except Sunday. The office was discontinued October 15. 1901. J. A. Coleman was postmaster at the time the office was discontinued. After the office was discontinued the mail for its patrons was delivered by rural free delivery from Faribault.
Walcott Postoffice. The first postoffice in the town of Wal- cott was established in 1855. It was on the northwest quarter of section 33. M. Richardson was its first postmaster. In 1858 William Babcock was appointed postmaster. Mail was brought by a stage which ran between Faribault and Owatonna. In 1862 the office was discontinued. In the year 1890-AApril 25- the office was re-established on the southeast corner of section 17. with 11. W. Dieke as postmaster. On July 1, 1893, L. B. Knudson was appointed. The office was supplied with a daily mail. except
533
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
Sunday, from Faribault. On January 31, 1901, the office was dis- continued. Myra Butterfield was postmaster at the time. Mail for the patrons of the office is now being supplied by rural car- rier from the Faribault postoffice.
Fowlersville Postoffice. This office was established in 1856. in Erin township, with Bartholomew Foley as postmaster, and the office at his house. In 1857 John Smith was appointed postmaster and the office was removed to his house in section 18, where it remained for eight years, until Charles Cooke became postmaster, when it was again changed and kept in Bernard Tague's house in section 16. Here it was kept for a short time, when Edward Carroll was made postmaster, and it was removed to his resi- dence in section 8. Four years later Edward Kiernan was ap- pointed to the office and the name changed, to be finally in 1880, discontinued.
Lester Postoffice. This convenient office was established in 1871. at the instigation of J. W. Thompson, and was situated on the southwest quarter of section 8, in the northwestern part of the town. The office was very useful to the settlers in this vicinity and undoubtedly supplied the largest number of inhabi- tants of any country office in the county. In 1878 J. W. Thomp- son was appointed first postmaster, and retained the office to the satisfaction of his constituents for a number of years. The office was discontinued in 1901 and its patrons are supplied by rural free delivery from Dundas. G. O. Persons was its last post- master.
Union Lake Postoffice. This was the first office established in the town of Webster, having commenced its existence through a petition to congress in the winter of 1856. Henry Humphrey was the first postmaster, with the office at his house in section 35. This gentleman was the incumbent until 1873, when George Prunk was appointed to handle the mail. The office was dis- continued later on.
Hazelwood Postoffice. This office was established in 1857. one year later than the above, with J. W. Doyle postmaster. Mail was then received once each week and later it arrived on Tues- day and Saturday of cach week from Northfield. James McCabe was later appointed postmaster and E. W. Parker mail carrier. the office being kept at Mr. McCabe's store in the eastern part of section 12, in the town of Webster. Mr. McCabe held the office for forty years, until it was discontinued in June, 1905, to have its patrons supplied by rural free delivery from Webster.
Berg Postoffice. This office was established July 26, 1889, in section 27, in the town of Webster, with Peter Olson as post- master. Mail was supplied from Northfield. The office was dis- continued in June. 1905, to be replaced by rural free delivery.
534
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
Trondjem Postoffice. This office was established on section 30, in the town of Webster, about 1890, with Peter Anderson as postmaster. Mail was received from Northfield. Mr. Anderson held the office until it was discontinued in June, 1905, to make way for rural free delivery, which is received from Lonsdale.
Tenod Postoffice. The exact time of the establishment of this office canot be learned. The last postmaster was J. O. Severson, who had the office in his farm house, on the east side of section 32 in the town of Northfield. The office was discontinued in 1901 and its patrons supplied by rural free delivery from Northfield.
Eklund Postoffice. This office was at first called Dodge, and was located on the east side of section 36 in the town of Wal- cott. It went by this name until the year 1897, when it was changed to Eklund, on account of the trouble in having a great deal of the mail meant for Dodge sent to Dodge Center in Dodge county. Ole Verness was postmaster in its early days. In 1897 Nels Kvernodden was commissioned postmaster and held the office for six years, when he resigned and Anton Nordahl was appointed to take his place and held the office for two years. The mail for the office was received from Faribault six times a week by the Moland star route. In June, 1905, the office was discon- tinued and mail was delivered by rural free delivery.
Wheeling Postoffice. This office was established in 1860 or 1861 and named Wheeling, in honor of the town. Rev. Sebastian Weiss was first appointed postmaster and kept the office at the parsonage. Jacob J. Bosshart was the mail carrier, coming once a week from Faribault, and he succeeded the former postmaster. John B. Berges followed Mr. Bosshart. On December 26 George Knoph was appointed postmaster and the office was moved three miles northeast of the old location. The office was later discontinued.
Shieldsville Postoffice. The records of the office are hard to obtain, but from what can be learned the office was established early in the sixties. Joseph Haggerty was one of its carliest post- masters and in 1873 he was succeeded by Mathew Brown, who, in turn, was succeeded by Thomas Coleman in 1878. Later on Patrick McKenna was appointed postmaster and the office was removed to his hotel. Mr. McKenna was followed by John C. Carpenter, who was the postmaster at the time the office was dis- continued and the postoffice had been removed to his store. Mail was received by star route from Faribault six times a week. In June, 1905, the office was discontinued and mail was delivered to the people of the village by rural free delivery from Faribault.
Prairieville Postoffice. This was established in 1858. with W. B. Spencer as manager, in a little board building which Spencer had erected. The first mail received consisted of two
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES 535
letters. Among the proprietors since have been Daniel Russell, John Bailey, Charley L. Lowell, Isaac Hamlin, Henry Hile, Mr. Alther and Mr. Brockman. The store and the postoffice were discontinued on October IS. 1876. In April, 1878, it was again re-established, with Mr. Alther as postmaster, and was continued for a little over a year, when, on July 30, 1879, the office was discontinued for good, and the mail for that office was delivered at Faribault. At the present time the people of the village of Prairieville are receiving their mail by rural carrier from Faribault.
Millersburg Postoffice. This postoffice was established in 1859, and was located in the village bearing the same name. George W. Miller was the first appointed to handle the mail. He held the office for a number of years, and his son, George A. Miller, was the next postmaster. He was followed by C. F. Cushman. The office was discontinued about 1901 and the patrons received their mail by rural free delivery from Dundas.
Dean Postoffice. Little can be learned of the history of this office. although it was established in the fifties, when Cannon City was a rival of Faribault for the county seat. We have been unable to learn who the early postmasters were. The office at this time was called the Cannon City postoffice. It was discon- tinued September 17, 1880. On December 29 of the same year the office was again re-established under the name of Dean post- office. William F. Kiekenapp was appointed as postmaster. The mail was received by Star Route six times a week from Fari- bault. Adolph Ludwig was appointed postmaster and served for a time. At one time Miss Lizzie Jahn was appointed postmistress, and during her term of office her brother, Henry Jahn, published and mailed a paper from this office called "Cupid's Column." In pay for his paper he received a great many stamps. The re- sult was that the cancellation of the office far exceeded the sales, and the postoffice department thought there was something wrong and ordered an investigation, which soon solved the mys- tery of the large cancellation. After the establishment of rural free delivery at the Faribault office, this office was supplied by a closed pouch from the Faribault office delivered by rural car- rier, doing away with the Star Route service. On July 31, 1901, the office was discontinued and the people of the village of Cannon City had their mail delivered by rural carrier.
CHAPTER XXVII.
NEWSPAPER HISTORY.
Story of the Various Newspapers Which Have Sprung into Ex- istence in Rice County, Their Struggle for Existence, Their Influence and Importance, and in Most Cases Their Final Discontinuance-Story of the Present Day Papers-The Faribault Republican-The Faribault Pilot-The Faribault Journal-The Faribault Democrat-The Morristown Press -The Northfield News-The Northfield Independent-The Norwegian American, Edited by A. W. Mckinstry.
In the development of the Northwestern wilderness, the Church, the School and the Press have been kindred agencies which were established at a very early period after the settlers had entered upon the possession of the land. This might readily be expected of the pioneers of Rice county, which numbered in its pioncer population a predominant infusion of the New Eng- land element which had been reared under the influences of these institutions.
Rice County Herald. The year 1856 marks the beginning of the Church, the School and the Press in Faribault. The First Congregational Church was erected during the summer, and at about the same time a commodious school house was built. Near the close of the year. the "Rice County Herald" came into existence, under the proprietorship of F. W. Frink. The faith and energy required for the establishment of a newspaper may be inferred from the following description by Mr. Frink of the conditions presented in the year preceding :
"I approached the town from the cast, coming down the hill by the Front street road, now Division street. this being the only road opened to the ford of the Straight river before the Cooper ravine road was opened in 1859. Looking across the valley, the most conspicuous objects that met my sight were numerous scaffoldings, elevating by rude pole structures ten or twelve feet above the ground, the bodies of dead Indians, accord- ing to the custom of the Sioux, to help their departed warriors on their way to the happy hunting grounds. All along. up and down the river, were the tepees of the Wah-pa-cou-tas (Wapakoo- tas), far more numerous than the habitations of the white man,
536
537
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
and the intermingling of tepees, log cabins, frame houses just begun, with four or five steam sawmills plying a busy trade in their midst, and the rude monuments of an Indian cemetery in the background, pictured a blending of civilization and bar- barism never again to be seen on this continent." Mr. Frink, in his personal reminiscences, says: "It cost something more to establish a printing office then than it does now. I paid $1 per hundred pounds, just for hauling the outfit from Hastings, while I believe the freight from Galena, where I bought press and ma- terial, was $25 per ton. I walked all the way from Hastings to Faribault to save expense, although I sent the foreman whom I had hired in Galena through by stage, costing $5. I had great difficulty in securing an office. Boom times were on then, and buildings were scarce." Other incidents are given in the same number, illustrating the trials of the pioneer editor in those days. On unpacking his outfit, two of the cases of type were pied, and the first experience of the publisher in the printing line was obtained in distributing the pi. A partial offset to his sacrifices and tribulations was experienced on the publication day of his first issue, when he says, "I stood at my office window and saw, lining each side of Main street, men, women and children, each carrying a copy of the first paper issued in Rice county and intent on its perusal." The paper was a six-column folio and carried at its head a pledge of independence in a poetic motto. The "Herald" was launched into existence with very meagre facilities. The press was a small, No. 4. Washington, worked by hand. The office equipment, so far as made by wood, was largely the product of local mechanics. Some of the cases were of oak plank, perforated with two-inch auger holes for the type compartments. Mr. Frink published six numbers and then sold out to M. N. and I. S. S. Pond. How unwillingly he did this, is told in his reminiscences. He jokingly accepted an offer, the conditions of which he was sure the Ponds could not fulfil, and when they stood ready to keep their part of the agreement hie was forced to keep his. The new proprietors engaged R. A. Mott as editor, and he conducted the paper for them until De- cember 17, 1856, when he, with his step-brother, James Lucas, purchased the entire outfit, the firm name being Mott & Lucas. The name of the paper was changed to the "Faribault Herald." In June, 1858, the paper was sold to H. M. Holley and Orville Brown. The former was a civil engineer engaged in railroad operations, and took no active part in the management. The paper was edited by Mr. Brown, who assumed the entire charge. On June 23, 1858, the name "Faribault Herald" was changed to the "Central Republican," as indicative of its central position between the Iowa line on the south, the mouth of the Minne-
538
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
sota on the north, the Mississippi on the east and the Minnesota on the west. September 1, 1858, the paper was enlarged to seven columns. It was conducted by Mr. Brown. who became its sole proprietor until December 27, 1865, when it was purchased by A. W. Mckinstry, its present proprietor. In 1870 he changed the name to the "Faribault Republican." Since the purchase in 1865, Mr. Mckinstry has continuously conducted the paper. He was ably assisted by C. D. MeKellip until his death, December 8, 1906. after nearly forty years of service. May 7, 1884, the paper was enlarged from eight to nine columns to the page. Mr. Mckinstry, the present editor, entered as an apprentice to the printing business in the office of the "Censor," Fredonia, N. Y., in June, 1844. He became assistant editor of that paper in 1851. and has thus been engaged sixty-six years in the printing busi- ness and fifty-nine years in editorial service.
The Faribault Democrat (old). This paper was established April 17, 1868, by C. F. George & Son, who removed the plant of the "Owatonna Register" to Faribault. The paper failed to receive the support expected, and after nine issues it was dis- continued, June 17, 1868.
The Northern Statesman and Western Farmer was estab- lished in Faribault, November 12, 1861, the editors and proprie- tors being Johnson and Willis. Alexander Johnson was in charge. The paper was Democratic, "as expounded by Jefferson and Jackson." It was suspended in March, 1862, and Mr. John- son went to St. Paul.
The Faribault Democrat. This paper has faithfully chron- icled the events of Rice county since its first issue, September 8, 1871. In that month, Haven and Stephens purchased the old "Faribault Leader" from Dr. L. H. Kelley & Sons, and changed the name to its present appellation. Mr. Stephens soon sold his interest to A. E. Haven, by whom the paper has since been ably conducted. It is a four-page, eight-column paper, well filled with domestic, national and foreign news.
The Faribault Pilot, one of the ably edited papers of the county, was started in Faribault, December 20, 1888, by M. M. Shields and C. J. O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien dropped out one year later, and Mr. Shields has since continued as editor and pro- prietor. Politically it is Democratic.
The Faribault Journal was established October 26, 1879, by H. G. Rising and Son. Later the senior Rising dis- posed of his interest to his son, H. P. Rising, who dis- posed of it to Harry B. Smith and I. N. Stewart. In the fall of 1903, William Kaiser, Joel P. Heatwole and I. N. Stewart organized the Faribault Printing Company and pur- chased the "Faribault Journal." The same year, Mr. Stewart
539
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
sold his interest and retired. In November, 1903, the "Faribault Daily Journal" was started and continued until April 14, 1906; Mr. Kaiser purchased the stock of Mr. Heatwole and others and became sole owner. He now conducts the "Faribault Journal" as a weekly.
The Jeffersonian was published from 1887 to 1900 by Capt. J. R. Lowe. On its discontinuance, the plant was removed to Madison Lake, Minn.
The Faribault Leader was established in July, 1870, by Dr. 1 .. H. Kelley & Sons. It was continued as a weekly until Sep- tember, 1871, when it was sold to Haven and Stephens. It is now known as the "Faribault Democrat," and edited by A. E. Haven.
The Referendum, devoted to the interests of the Socialist party, is published weekly at Faribault. It was started June 11. 1899, by E. B. Ford, and has continued under his management to the present time. The paper is a five-column quarto, 26 by 40.
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.