USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 16
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 16
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Methodist Episcopal .- The first steps toward building a Methodist church at Ellendale were taken at Geneva, Minn., at a quarterly conference held at that place by Rev. Peter Clare, presiding elder, and Rev. W. I. Moore, pastor, June 18, 1901.
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At this conference R. J. Dobell, Dr. J. W. Andrist, E. O. Jones and F. G. Sloan were appointed a committee to look up the pros- pects for a building at Ellendale. This committee met at Dr. Andrist's office in Ellendale, June 19, and in addition there were present I. W. Ferguson, Ira C. Sawyer, Rev. l'eter Clare, P. E. and Rev. W. I. Moore, who were all actively interested in the project. It was decided to build a church to cost $1,200 in case $800 in pledges could be secured. A board of trustees was organized as follows: F. G. Sloan, chairman; J. W. Andrist, secretary ; R. J. Dobell, treasurer ; E. O. Jones, Ira C. Sawyer. A soliciting committee was started out, and, having met with a satisfactory degree of success, plans were procured and the contract let for a building which exceeded the first estimates by several hundred dollars, the ultimate price being about $2,000. This building was finished in July, 1902, and dedicated on the thirteenth of that month by the Rev. John M. Driver, assisted by Elder Clare and Pastor Moore. Rev. Moore served as pastor of the church until October, 1902, when he was succeeded by Rev. Frank Seeds. After seven months' service Rev. Seeds re- signed and his place was filled by Rev. S. W. Kemerer, who occupied the pulpit until October, 1904. The conference then sent Rev. G. W. Koser to the charge, which he held for two years, being followed by Rev. J. J. Lutz in October, 1906. After three years Rev. Lutz was assigned to another charge, but was taken ill at Geneva just after having packed his household goods and expired. The church is now in charge of Rev. I. W. Holman, who succeeded to the pastorate in the fall of 1909. In connection with the church is a strong and active Ladies' Aid Society which is the fountain head of its social life and the main factor in lending financial support. The society has virtually furnished the church, kept it in repair and contributes largely to the salary of the pastor.
Baptist .- The Baptist Society was organized in 1860, but was without a house of worship until 1895, when a substantial build- ing was erected in Berlin township about two miles north of the present site of Ellendale. In the summer of 1901 this edifice was removed to Ellendale, Rev. C. V. Smith being the first pastor to occupy the pulpit after the re-location of the building. About two years later Rev. Smith resigned and was succeeded by Rev. N .. E. Chapman, who served about one year and was then obliged to give up the pastorate on account of ill health. He was followed by Rev. Pettengill, who only occupied the pul- pit four times when he was taken ill with pneumonia and died. Since that time the church has been without a regular pastor, the pulpit being supplied occasionally by ministers from sur- rounding towns. The society is free from debt, the church
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building is kept in good repair, and it is expected that regular services will be resumed at some time in the near future. An auxiliary, the Baptist Ladies' Aid Society, is an active organiza- tion which is doing much to hold the society together and pre- pare it for future usefulness. The officers of the church are: F. D. Sheldon, clerk ; L. D. Lundahl, treasurer; P. J. Johnson, J. C. Nelson, C. M. Nelson, N. C. Nelson, trustees ; L. D. Lun- dahl, P. J. Johnson, deacons.
Danish Lutheran .- Rev. M. O. Block, pastor of the Danish Lutheran Church of Summit township, has his residence in Ellen- dale and holds services at stated intervals in the M. E. Church. The society has no regular organization in the village, but the nucleus thus formed will undoubtedly develop in the course of time into a strong and well organized church.
FRATERNAL SOCIETIES.
Modern Woodman .- Ellendale Camp, No. 9,666, was organ- ized in May, 1901, being the first institution of the kind in the village. At the first meeting E. M. Thompson was elected, V. C .; W. A. Gahagan, W. A .; R. J. Dobell, banker : Geo. W. Delany, clerk ; D. J. Sullivan, escort ; R. M. Curtis, watchman ; C. A. Bing- ham, sentry ; J. W. Andrist, physician; F. Kycek, J. F. Misgen. W. J. Erdman, managers. The lodge has always enjoyed a large membership, and has been very active in social life. The officers at present are : Theo. Jensen, V. C .; B. S. Ellis, W. A .; W. .. Gahagan, banker; E. M. Thompson, clerk; L. D. Lun - dahl, escort; M. A. McFarland, escort; Jas. C. Nelson, sentry ; E. Q. Ertel, physician; C. R. Langdon, E. G. Johnson, C. C. Campbell, managers.
Royal Neighbors .- Fraternity Camp, No. 3,614, Royal Neigh- bors of America, was organized in January, 1904. The first officers were: Oracle, Mrs. Susie Davis ; vice oracle, Mrs. Anna Thorndike; past oracle, Mrs. Lora Campbell ; chancellor, Miss Mabel Sawyer; recorder, Mrs. Florence Ellis; receiver, Mrs. Maggie Lundahl; marshal, Miss Matie Gray ; assistant marshal, Mrs. Minnie Robbins ; inside sentinel, Mrs. Myrtle Christensen ; outside sentinel, Miss Lena Bingham ; managers, Gilbert Chris- tensen, Mrs. Hannah Nelson, A. S. Robbins. After many vicis- situdes the camp has grown to be one of the strongest civic organizations in the village and a large factor in its social activi- ties. It is now officered as follows: Oracle. Mrs. Mina Thomp- son ; vice oracle, Mrs. Fannie Stearns ; past oracle, Mrs. Caroline Jensen ; chancellor, Mrs. Lulu Randall; recorder, Mrs. Lora Campbell ; receiver, Mrs. Maggie Lundahl ; marshal, Miss Laura Caspersen : inside sentinel, Mrs. Margarite Langdon; outside
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sentinel, Mrs. Olive Gahagan; managers, Mrs. Sena Hansen, E. M. Thompson, Mrs. Mary Rezab.
Yeomen .- The Brotherhood of American Yeomen organized a homestead on May 23, 1902, with the following officers: Fore- man, A. N. Rhodes; master of ceremonies, M. J. Dunnigan ; correspondent, J. N. Vesterby ; master of accounts, J. B. Nolan ; overseer, Ole Opsahl. The present officers are: Foreman, M. J. Dunnigan ; overseer, John Wangen ; master of ceremonies, Jas. H. Burnes ; correspondent, W. E. Galloway ; Lady Rowena, Mrs. Nellie Burnes; Lady Rebekah, Mrs. Lulu Randall.
Danish Brotherhood .- D. B. S. Lodge, No. 237, came into existence on March 23, 1906, with twenty-one charter members, and at the first meeting the following officers were elected : President H. J. Peterson ; vice president, C. P. Larson; secre- tary, R. Laursen ; treasurer, Theo. Jensen; trustees, C. F. Jen- son, L. Johnson. The lodge has paid $1,000 in insurance and $53 in aid on different occasions. The following are the officers at the present time: President, H. J. Peterson ; vice president, N. Johnson; secretary, Rasmus Laursen; treasurer, C. Chris- tensen ; trustees, V. E. Jensen, M. Spurr.
THE ELLENDALE CREAMERY.
The Berlin and Summit-now Ellendale-Creamery Associa- tion was organized January 10, 1891. Previous to this time a number of meetings were held to try to organize, but without much success until Mr. Dana P. Sawyer undertook to get the farmers to sign an agreement to pledge a certain number of cows and become responsible for $3,000 to enable the association to procure funds. The first officers elected were: D. P. Sawyer, president ; Jas. Torgerson, vice president ; F. G. Sloan, secretary ; A. C. Tennis, treasurer ; U. C. Jansen, N. O. Thompson, A. F. Davis, directors. These seven directors, on their own notes, borrowed the money necessary to build and equip the creamery. There was much opposition to the project at the time and many shook their heads and solemnly pronounced it a failure before there was a stick of timber on the ground or a spike driven. Two years and four months from the time of organiza- tion the association was free of debt, and the critics were no- where to be found. June 2, 1894, the association was reorganized into a stock company, the stock being issued in shares of ten dollars each and allotted to each member in proportion to the amount cach had paid into a sinking fund which had been created by deducting 5 cents per hundred from each patron's milk. The first building was erected by H. P. Clemmensen of lumber hauled from Owatonna. The dimensions of the main
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building were 24x68 with a coal house 14x18. This creamery was burned August 13, 1896, it was replaced at once with the present structure, a brick building, 92x28, erected by W. A. Morin, of Albert Lea. The creamery began operations April 1, 1891. W. C. Lawson was the first buttermaker, and for about nineteen months milk was paid for by the hundred weight, each patron receiving the same price regardless of test. In Novem- ber. 1892, the creamery began to test for butterfat and pay for milk on that basis. The total cash receipts for the first month were only $1.649.84. As an illustration of the growth of this institution the following comparison should be noted: For June, 1891. 430.653 pounds of milk were received of a total cash value of $2,887.88. Patrons were paid 55 cents per hundred for milk and charged 16 cents per pound for butter. For June. 1910, milk and cream reduced to milk, received amounted to 688,299, of a cash value of $8.170.61. The average price paid per hundred of milk was $1.12 and patrons were charged 281/2 cents per pound for butter. From April 1, 1891, to July 1, 1910, the creamery has taken in 85.104,622 pounds of milk. From July 1, 1900, to July 1, 1910, it has received 1,590,395 pounds of cream. Reducing the cream to milk, the institution has received since the day it opened up to July 1. 1910. 96,237,387 pounds of milk, from which 4,294,040 pounds of butter were made. The amount received for this butter was $935,522.27. of which $849,846.57 was paid to patrons, the balance being absorbed by running expenses. The present buttermaker is L. C. Jensen, who has hield this position since April 1, 1898. Two of the directors elected at the time of organization are still in office, U. C. Jansen, president, who was elected first as a director, and F. G. Sloan, secretary, who has held the same position ever since organization. The other officers at present are: Martin Lageson, vice president ; G. E. Sloan, treasurer ; John Ellingson, Lars Caspersen, Nels Jorgensen, directors. The name was changed from the Berlin and Summit Creamery Association to the Ellendale Creamery Association at a meeting held at the Ellendale opera house January 2, 1906.
ELEVATORS.
Among the first buildings to be erected in Ellendale were two grain elevators, each of about 30,000 bu. capacity. One was erected by the Sheffield-King Elevator Co., of Minneapolis, and the other by the Western Elevator Co., of Winona. Gilbert Christenson was installed as agent for the Western Elevator Co. and occupied the position for a number of years, when he re- signed to go into business for himself at Castle Rock, Colo.
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Several buyers have held the position since then and the ele- vator was closed a part of the time. It is now under the man- agement of Jas. E. Lageson, an old resident of this section who recently took up his home in the village. The Sheffield-King Co.'s house was managed by H. L. Dolge until its sale to the Farmers' Milling & Elevator Co., September 16, 1904. For some time the farmers of the neighborhood had been dissatisfied with the old line houses and the agitation for the organization of a local company to engage in the grain and feed business became so persistent that it finally culminated in a meeting being called August 22, 1903, to determine whether or not the sentiment was sufficiently strong to warrant such a project. U. C. Jansen was elected chairman and R. J. Dobell secretary of the meeting, which was well attended by farmers and business men. It was decided to go ahead with the enterprise and $6,000 was the figure esti- mated necessary to carry it through. To prevent the shares of stock from eventually concentrating in a few hands it was voted to prohibit the issuance of more than twenty of the $10 shares to any single individual. Geo. Sloan, John Peterson and U. C. Jansen were named as a committee to investigate cost of build- ing and equipment and the following were named as a committee to solicit stockholders : D. J. Sullivan, Chas. Lonergan, Martin Lageson, Halvor Thompson, F. G. Sloan, I. W. Ferguson, U. C. Jansen, A. E. Lageson, Nels Jorgenson, H. P. Clemmensen. The soliciting having progressed satisfactorily, a meeting was held September 26, at which it was decided to incorporate, and G. E. Sloan, And. Lageson, R. J. Dobell, Chas. Lonergan and John Peterson were appointed a committee to draw up articles of incorporation. At this meeting the following directors were elected: U. C. Jansen, G. E. Sloan, Svend Svendsen, Frank Bunnell, And. Lageson, Maurice Lonergan, F. G. Sloan. The first of October following, a meeting of stockholders adopted articles of incorporation and fixed the capital stock at $10,000, of which $6,000 was to be paid up. The matter of a suitable site and building being brought up, a portion favored making an effort to purchase one of the old line companies' plants, while others wished to ignore them entirely and proceed with plans for a new house. Not being able to arrive at an agreement it was decided to let the directors be governed by their own judg- ment. October 6 the directors held a conference with W. B. Parsons, president of the Western Elevator Co., relative to buy- ing the property of his company, but were unable to agree on a figure. November 19 a site was applied for on the Rock Island Ry. immediately south of the Sheffield-King elevator. January 13, 1904, the regular annual meeting was held and the board of directors elected at the September meeting of the previous year
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were retained in office. A payment of 50 cents on each share of stock was called for to pay for incorporation expenses. The directors reported that they had not yet secured a site from the railway company, but had made some progress. They were instructed by the meeting to get the site as quickly as possible, and proceed with the building as soon as spring opened up. The amount of stock subscribed being short of the required amount by nearly $1,000, the following committee was appointed to make further solicitation: R. H. Reynolds, L. J. Brynestad, N. C. Newgard. August 27 a special meeting was called to decide whether to build or to purchase one of the existing properties, the Sheffield company having made advances which were thought favorable to a purchase. The directors were instructed to pur- chase the Sheffield property if offered at a reasonable figure. September 16, 1904, a price of $4.650 was agreed upon for the Sheffield elevator, which included a roller feed mill, and the property was transferred to the Farmers' Milling & Elevator Co., of Ellendale, which has operated the business since that time. II. L. Dolge was retained as manager, but on November 14 he resigned and was succeeded by Chas. O. Roe, of Kenyon. In September, 1905, after nearly a year of successful manage- ment, Mr. Roe resigned and his place was filled by Geo. Stearns, of New Richland, who has managed the business in a highly satisfactory manner up to the present time. During the whole period C. R. Torgerson has been the assistant and he has become an expert at the business and an invaluable employe. The company has been very successful. Besides establishing a mar- ket which is second to none in this section, it has been able to pay its stockholders 10 per cent on their investment each year and has accumulated a surplus of $6,200. That the excellent management which it has enjoyed is not unappreciated is evi- denced by the fact that practically the same board of directors control its affairs as at the beginning. They are: G. E. Sloan, president ; A. E. Lageson, vice president ; F. G. Sloan, secretary ; U. C. Jansen, treasurer ; D. F. Harty, B. O. Flesche, II. P. Clem- mensen, directors.
SCHOOLS.
Ellendale is in school district No. 67. At the time the village was platted the school house was located at Cooleyville and Levi Sanders was the teacher. With the establishment of the new town greater facilities were needed and a building erected by Andrew Gregerson for a carpenter shop at the corner of Second street and Fourth avenue was rented and the primary grades established therein, with Miss Anna Dunham as teacher. The higher grades were taught at Cooleyville by Mr. Sanders.
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These rather doubtful accommodations were made to suffice the first year. June 16, 1902, a meeting was called for the purpose of designating a site for a building and to authorize the issuance of bonds to purchase it and erect a building. A majority of the voters of the district not being present, this business could not be transacted and the meeting was adjourned until the follow- ing evening. The required number being present at that time the trustees were instructed by a two-thirds vote to purchase a block of land on the east side of the railway tracks and author- ized to negotiate bonds to the amount of $5,000 to pay for the site and the erection of a suitable building. There was a strong controversy as to the location of the site and much dissatisfac- tion as to the choice. Many claimed that they did not under- stand the question when it was put and had voted for the location when they had intended to vote against it. On July 26, 1902, the directors invited bids for the new school building. When the bids were opened it was found that not enough money had been voted to erect the building contemplated and another meeting was called for Saturday, August 2, to authorize an additional issue of bonds to the amount of $1,000. The proposition failed to carry and the directors, not believing it possible to build economically with the amount authorized, concluded to bridge the necessities of the situation with a makeshift and postpone building operations until a more favorable time. With this plan decided upon, a block of land was purchased east of the railway tracks in September and the old school building, which had scen many years service at Cooleyville, was moved upon it. Along side of it a one-story frame building was erected at a cost of $1,000. These two buildings were made to answer the purpose for eight years, when their lack of capacity and un- sanitary condition became so notorious that there was a strong probability of the district losing its share of state aid on that account. Spurred on by this state of affairs as well as by the desire for a better school, the directors caused a clause to be inserted in the notice for the annual meeting to be held July 17, 1909, stating that a vote would be taken at that time on the proposition of voting bonds in the sum of $8,500 for the erection of a new school building. This brought to the front the old con- tention relative to the site and those favoring a change to the west side determined to oppose the whole project in hopes of holding it up until they could secure the change of location. For this reason the majority in favor of bonding was very small, the vote being 45 "for" to 42 "against." The opponents of bonds, still continuing their activities, found a technical error in the holding of the first election and succeeded in having it voided and a special election called for Saturday, August 14, at
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which they hoped for a decisive vote in the negative. Con- trary to expectations the vote was still stronger in the affirma- tice, being 83 to 60. The matter was then allowed to rest until the middle of March, after the contract for the new school build- ing had been let, when another effort was made to change the site by the petition of ten freeholders for a special meeting to be held April 12, 1910. The proposition to be voted on was the exchange of the site on the east side for one on the west side, the district to be relieved of all cost by the interested parties who had deposited $1,000 in the Security State Bank as a guar- antee. This proposition hardly received a vote on its merits. There was some question as to whether or not the acceptance of the offer would invalidate the contract with the builders and result, if in nothing more serious, in the delaying of building operations for another year, and therefore it was rejected by a vote of 55 to 79.
Some of the material was already on the ground and after the meeting was held building operations were prosecuted with vigor by the contractors, Hammel & Anderson, of Owatonna, and the school house was ready for occupancy in the fall. When completed the building represented an expenditure of $12,000. It contains four large rooms and is modern in every respect. It is heated by steam, is supplied with city water and a complete system of plumbing has been installed, including toilet rooms and sanitary drinking fountains. The basement contains two good sized playrooms for boys and girls, and the whole building represents the highest development, the latest thought, in school architecture. The school directors are: A. M. Lerberg, F. G. Sloan and U. C. Jansen.
BEAVER LAKE.
Three miles from Ellendale is Beaver Lake, one of nature's beauty spots and a resort rapidly growing in favor with the public as an ideal place for the summer outing. The lake is something over a mile in length and about three-quarters of a mile wide. It is noted for the clearness of its waters and their great depth, the sounding line running out in places nearly 100 feet. Its shores are heavily timbered with large oak trees and afford the most delightful picnic grounds imaginable, while its waters abound with black bass, pickerel, crappies and sunfish, offering a pleasure ground which attracts enthusiastic fishermen from all quarters. Ellendale is the railway station for this summer resort.
CHAPTER XIV
OWATONNA CHURCHES
Baptist - Congregational - Episcopal - Universalist - Cath- olic - Methodist - German Methodist - Danish Lutheran - German Lutheran - Seventh Day Adventist.
The city of Owatonna has fourteen churches: The First Baptist Church, organized in 1857; the First Congregational Church, organized in 1857; the St. Paul's Episcopal Church, organized in 1860; the First Universalist Church, organized in 1867 ; the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, organized in 1867; St. Joseph's Catholic Church, organized in 1891; St. Hyacinth Polish Catholic Church, organized in 1903; the First Presby- terian Church, organized in 1859; the First Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1856; the German Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1875 ; the Danish Lutheran Church, organ- ized in 1885; the First St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, organized in 1876; the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, organized in 1876, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church, or- ganized in 1886.
First Baptist Church of Owatonna .- The Baptist Church of Owatonna was organized June 27, 1857, with the following mem- bers, who were admitted upon letters from other churches to which they had previously belonged: Adolphus Town, Ann Town, Albert D. Low, N. O. Low, J. M. Finch, R. J. Tousley and Win. H. Woods. Some time in the fall L. B. Town, Daniel Burch and S. W. Breese were also admitted by letter. The first Baptist meeting held in Owatonna, or Steele county, was on a Sabbath about the last of April, 1856, at the residence of A. B. Cornell, about fifteen persons being present, and Rev. A. Town preached the sermon. Meetings were held in the little log schoolhouse. In the autumn of 1857 Elder Knapp, one of the noted evangelists of that period, came to visit a daughter then residing here, and being invited, willingly consented to go into the little log schoolhouse, and there preached some of his wonderful sermons, with such power that many believed and were added to the church. In the winter of 1858 the pastors of the different churches (Elder Town at that time being the pastor of the Baptist Church) decided to unite in union meetings, and a large number were converted. The services were held in the
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only public building in those early times-the little log school- house, 16x26 feet in size; but many were the earnest hearts that gathered there from day to day and week to week. On September 11, 1858. the churches of Ashland, Wasioja and Fari- bault met with the Owatonna church, and organized the Min- nesota Central Baptist Association, which reported at that time 120 members. In 1859 Elder Town resigned the pastorate, and Elder Edgar Cady, of Lake City, was chosen to supply the place. IIe was followed in 1860 by Rev. A. D. Low, who acted as pastor until February, 1861, when, in consequence of a differ- ence of opinion among the members, a vote was taken in one of the church meetings to disband the organization, and a por- tion of the members left and effected another church organi- zation. Those who remained chose Elder Town as their pastor, and regular meetings were held until October, 1863. In the meantime in 1858 preliminary steps had been taken toward building a church, and during this church difficulty it had been left untouched. Early in the sixties, however, while Elder Town was pastor of the First Church, the building was com- pleted, and on October 13, 1863, was dedicated : the dedicatory sermon being preached by Rev. D. S. Dean, of Illinois. Mr. Dean accepted a call to the pastorate of the church, and re- mained until April, 1865, when by mutual agreement the two churches united.
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