USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 3
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 3
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war and came to Steele county in 1893. August 26, Henry M. LaBare died at Owatonna at the age of 71 years. He was one of the older settlers of the city. September 8, the corner stone was laid for the new city and fire hall at Owatonna, Judge Littleton being the chief orator. Chief Twiford read a history of the department. September 13-15, a big street fair was held at Owatonna, with some excellent agricultural exhibits. Sep- tember 25, Governor Johnson spoke in Owatonna at a big Demo- cratic political meeting. September 28, a big street fair was held at Ellendale, with about 4,000 in attendance. November 6, the new Firemen's hall was opened at Owatonna with a big ball. December 3. Judge B. F. Hood, of the municipal court, died at Owatonna. December 22, John Schweiso died in Summit town- ship. He was born in Germany in 1818, and came to Steele county as a young man. December 28, the county commissioners set off a new school district known as district No. 90 in Berlin township. December 30, Emma Chambers died at Havana. She was born in 1842, in New York state, and came to Havana town- ship in 1857. Death was the result of an accident in falling down stairs.
1907. January 18, William II. Burdict died at Owatonna. He was born near Burlington, Vt., in 1834, and came to Owa- tonna in 1864. He was a carpenter and erected many of the older buildings in the city, including the old high school which was destroyed by fire, the First Methodist church, the pumping station and the old Hastings' mill. January 22-24, the State Dairymen's Association met at Owatonna. February 3, the store of Blume Brothers, general merchants, was burned to the ground at Bixby, entailing a loss of about $5,000. February 7-10, the State Y. M. C. A. convention was held at the First Baptist church, Owatonna. March 9, J. D. Gordon died at Owatonna. He was born in New York state in 1823, came to Steele county in 1857 and settled on a farm near Beaver Lake. He came to Owatonna in 1880. March 14, the Blooming Prairie Farmers' elevator was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of $7,000. April 4, a big public meeting held at Owatonna favored the granting of a franchise to the Dan Patch Air line. A committee was ap- pointed by Mayor Green to secure a right-of-way. April 26, the franchise offered the Dan Patch Air line was accepted by the company. June 1, Hon Lewis L. Wheelock, of the law firm of Wheelock & Sperry, died at Owatonna. His biography appears elsewhere. June 5, Samuel W. Farmer died at Owatonna. He was born in Redfield, N. Y., October 7, 1837. and came to Owa- tonna in 1857. He was a prominent member of the Methodist Church. June 26, the State Dairymen's Assocation held a picnic at Beaver Lake. July 4, a big county celebration was held at
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Blooming Prairie. July 31, the Public Service Operating Com- pany finished its gas plant and started supplying patrons. Sep- tember 12-14, the Steele County Agricultural Society held its annual street fair at Owatonna. October 5, the Firmen's hall was opened and dedicated with a concert, ball and banquet. October 12, a festival was tendered the Junior Civic League by the Owatonna Civic League. December 24, O. M. Jones died in Havana township. He came to Steele county in 1857. Dec- ember 27, Judge Buckham rendered a decision favoring the con- struction of the Crane creek ditch.
1908. Judge Jacob Newsalt died at Owatonna. He was born in Germany in 1838 and came to Owatonna in 1878. He served the city as municipal judge. January 24-29, the first show of the Owatonna North Star Poultry Association was held at Owa- tonna. February 8, Mrs. Amanda J. Munson Clefton died at Owatonna. She was born in Manchester, April 1, 1831, and was married in 1847 at Mukwonago, Wis. For the last fifteen years of her life she lived with her son, Claude J. February 20, Hon. S. T. Littleton died at Owatonna. His biography appears alse- where. February 26, the county commissioners appropriated $225 for the purpose of purchasing a piece of ordnance under the auspices of the G. A. R. for the court house grounds. March 31, Judge Buckham made a final order establishing the Crane creek ditch. The April term of the Supreme court reversed this decision. June 20, a wind, rain and hail storm did much damage in Ellendale and vicinity. June 21, Michael J. Toher died at Owatonna. He was born in Ireland in 1829 and came to Owa- tonna in 1866. He was a prominent railroad man, and ranked high in the Democratic party, serving as a member of the state committee at one time. He served as a member of the Owatonna city council and the Owatonna hospital board. During Cleve- land's second administration he was postmaster at Owatonna. From 1868 to 1876 he was sheriff of Steele county. July 5 to 11, a street carnival was held at Owatonna under the auspices of the fire department. July 14, the National Farmers' bank moved into its new quarters, at Owatonna. August 6, the annual meet- ing of the Southern Minnesota Medical Association was held at Owatonna. September 7, the Owatonna Eagles held a labor picnic at Diment's park, Owatonna. September 8, the barn and outbuild- ings with a considerable amount of hay and grain of S. Szmanski. in Deerfield, were burned to the ground, entailing a loss of $4,000. September 10-12, a street fair was held at Owatonna, under the auspices of the Steele county Agricultural Association. Septem- ber 26, William H. Taft passed through Steele county and spoke a few words at Owatonna from the rear platform of his car. October 22, August H. C. Hanson, of Owatonna, was given a
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Carnegie Bronze medal and $2,000 for heroism in saving Bertie Borden and Ilazel Shaw from drowning in Straight river. Dec- ember 11. William H. Kelley died at Owatonna. His biography appears elsewhere.
1909. January 11, Ludwig C. Welk died at Owatonna. He was born in Germany in 1824 and came to Steele county in 1867. January 22-23, the Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society held its sixteenth annual meeting in Owatonna. January 26. Judge Buckham of the district court decided that the Creamery Package Company of Owatonna had violated the anti-trust laws of Minnesota. The company was therefore prohibited from doing business in the state of Minnesota. February 4, Frank Steele died in Berlin. He was born in Bunker Hill, Penn., in 1855 and was brought to Steele county by his parents when a small child. February 5, Judge Buckham rendered his decision in favor of the Crane creek ditch known as judicial ditch No. 1. March 17, Mrs. Zeda Marie Janssen died at the age of 84 years. She was born in Germany and came to Steele county in 1868. She took up her residence in Owatonna in 1885. March 20. Adolph Knob- black, Sr., committed suicide by hanging. He was born in Germany in 1831 and came to Steele county in 1861. March 28, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Nelson died in Havana. They came to Steele county in 1864. May 7, the Supreme court sustained Judge Buckham's decision ordering the construction of the Crane creek ditch. May 13, James A. Cotter died in Owatonna. He was born in Walworth county, Wis., in 1849, and came to Steele county in 1864. June 31, the third annual meeting and picnic of the Minnesota State Dairymen's Association was held at Beaver Lake in Berlin township. July 5, the Eagles were in charge of a celebration in Owatonna. August 12, the store of Frank J. Kubicek, of Summit, was struck by lightning and burned, causing a loss of $2,000. August 13, Owatonna suffered from a severe storm. Bridges and many culverts were washed out. The house of Rev. Klein was struck by lightning. Sep- tember 16-18, the Steele county fair was largely attended at Owatonna. September 29, a big street fair was held at Ellen- dale. October 8, the house of J. E. Cady was burned at Medford. loss about $2.500. December 28. James Peachy died at Owa- tonna. He was born in England in 1823.
1910. This year the city council of Owatonna was largely occupied with the matter of the lighting franchise. This is treated elsewhere. January 5, George Coward died at Owa- tonna. He was born in England in 1840, and after living in various places in America came to Owatonna and engaged in the coal and wood business. March 14, Edward P. Morton died at Owatonna. He was born in Maine in 1845, served in the Civil
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war and came to Owatonna in 1870. engaging as a contractor and house builder. April 26, Mrs. Clara Amelia, wife of S. J. Zamboni, died at Owatonna. She was born in Merton town- ship in 1881 and engaged as a school teacher until her marriage in 1904. She was a prominent society and church worker. April 23, Andrew J. Thamert died in Owatonna at the age of 80 years. He was born in Prussia in 1829 and came to Steele county in 1876, locating in Owatonna in 1900. May 24, Judge Hosea F. Luce died at Owatonna. He came to Owatonna in 1877 and served a number of terms as municipal judge. May 30, was cele- brated at Owatonna with appropriate services in charge of the G. A. R. June 20, Owatonna was designated as one of the cities to have a $58,000 post-office building, in a bill passed by con- gress. June 31, the Farmers' elevator was burned to the ground entailing a loss of about $20,000.
CHAPTER XII.
DAIRY INTERESTS.
Early Attempts at Cheese Making .- Individual Ownership of Gathered Cream Plants .- Introduction of the Co-operative Creamery Plan .- Individual Ownership Vanishes .- Number of Creameries Multiply .- Importance of the Industry .- Vol- ume of Output .- Conclusions .- By. Hon. John R. Morley.
In giving a brief history of the creamery industry of Steele county it is necessary to go back to the early history of the county and thereby get a knowledge of the various attempts at factory manufacturing of dairy products. Everything goes to show that while the early attempts at factory manufacturing were fairly satisfactory nothing seemed to be on a permanent basis until the farmers built and operated their own creameries on the co-operative plan.
In 1869 a cheese factory was built at Owatonna by a gentle- man from New York, who furnished the farmers, when desired, with money to purchase cows provided they delivered the milk to his factory; charging them 12 per cent on the money, and giving them time to get the proceeds from the sale of cheese, many farmers who had not the means to purchase cows took advantage of this opportunity to stock up with milch cows, and some went quite extensively into the cheese-making business. This was probably the first cheese factory built in Minnesota, and the first attempt at commercial dairying. It proved a good thing for the county as it demonstrated the fact that dairying could be profitably conducted in our state. Prior to this time it had been thought that wheat raising was the only branch of farming that could be profitably conducted in Minnesota. The results were very satisfactory and a good grade of cheese was made in paying quantities, notwithstanding the fact that wild grass was entirely relied upon both for pasture and hay. The factory was well patronized from long distances, and the results were quite satisfactory to the farmer from a financial standpoint. Heretofore the only outlet for the milk of the herd was the home making of dairy butter which was sold to the nearby grocer in exchange for groceries for family use. This factory was run successfully until some time during the later seventies when it was abandoned.
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A cheese factory was built by Orlando Johnson at Medford in 1872. This was run profitably both to Mr. Johnson and the farmers in that vicinity until the year 1890, when the farmers conceived the idea of organizing a co-operative creamery and manufacturing their own product, following the example of other localities in the county farther south. Mr. Johnson at this time retired from the business, but not until he had planted the seeds of good dairying in that locality. This creamery is now running and has always been profitable.
Further attempts at cheese making were made at Owatonna in 1882 when Dr. L. L. Bennett, president of the Farmers' Na- tional bank, built a cheese factory at Owatonna. There was also built and put in operation in the spring of 1883 a gathered cream plant at Owatonna, which sent out wagons through the territory to obtain cream of the farmers, buying the cream by the inch. An inch of cream in a can of the desired size was supposed to equal a pound of butter fat. The cheese factory built by Mr. Bennett was subsequently sold to the Potter Lucas Company and run for a time as a combination butter and skim milk cheese plant. Potter Lucas Company installed a centrifugal cream separator and made both creamery butter and cheese. This plant was run on this plan until the winter of 1893. It had then become unprofitable on account of territory being restricted by the building of co-operative creameries in different directions from Owatonna.
In 1891 Pratt Creamery Association was organized and a creamery built at Pratt station. In 1892 the Golden Rule Cream- ery was built five miles west of Owatonna and in 1893 the Clinton Falls creamery was built at Clinton Falls five miles north of Owatonna.
In February of 1893 the farmers in the vicinity organized a co-operative association called the Farmers' Gilt Edge Creamery Association, and purchased the Potter Lucas plant, and con- menced operations immediately on the co-operative plan. The first officers of this association were, president, E. P. Norton ; secretary, Wm. T. Glasgow ; treasurer, C. P. Sahler. It became necessary at this time for the gathered cream plant then owned by Mr. Mckinstry, of Winnebago City, to discontinue business as the milk all went to the farmers' creamery. The run was very small and many predicted the enterprise would be a failure. But to the contrary, the Gilt Edge creamery is now the second largest creamery in the county, exceded only by the creamery at Blooming Prairie in amount of business, paying to the farmers upwards of $6,000 per month for butter fat for the months of May and June, 1910. C. P. Sahler is the present president and manager, J. R. Morley, secretary, and R. A. Pratt, treasurer.
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A fourth cheese factory was built on section 19, town of Mer- ton, in 1890. Various attempts had been made to organize the farmers in this town and build a co-operative cheese factory prior to this time. but the attempts had been unsuccessful. In this year Messrs. J. Virtue, W. H. Wilson, D. E. Virtue and N. O. Partridge built the cheese factory, giving the patrons the privi- lege of buying it at any time. July 7. the building was completed and they commenced to make cheese. During that year 272,880 pounds of milk was received. In January, 1893, they changed it to a creamery, and during that year made 1,363 tubs of butter. In March, 1894, the farmers organized and bought the creamery and commenced operation on the co-operative plan. This was the last of individual ownership of creameries in Steele county. In the year 1909 it received 3,083,874 pounds of milk and made 130,000 pounds of butter. The first board of directors were N. O. Partridge, president ; E. J. McGrath, vice president ; F. C. Carlton, secretary ; Alfred Wilson, terasurer. The Merton creamery is now making very fine butter and is one of the best in the state for quality.
So far we have given the history of the proprietary plants, and the way they were gradually absorbed by the farmers. And all due credit should be given these carly pioneers in the dairy business, the last one disappearing when the farmers bought the Merton creamery. But the history of co-operation in the county begins in the southern part.
No proprietary plants were ever built there, but a co-operative creamery was built at Coolyville on the town line between Ber- lin and Summit townships in 1890 and was called the Berlin and Summit Creamery. This is now known as the Ellendale Creamery. The following year, 1891, the Pratt Creamery was built. Subsequently the old building was replaced by two new brick structures of the most modern type, Creamery A located at Pratt station and Creamery B five miles east. Following the building of these two creameries came others in the southern part of the county. The Berlin Creamery built near the Berlin post office. H. A. Finch was the first manager. The Lemond Creamery, built in Lemond township, Lemming Hansen, was the first secretary and manager. Somerset has two creameries at River Point and Steele Centre. Oak Glen Creamery at Bixby has a fine brick creamery. In the centre of Blooming Prairie town- ship is the Union Creamery, organized on the co-operative plan. Nels Nelson was the first manager. Blooming Prairie village has the creamery doing the largest business in the county. E. Morton is the president. Summit Creamery is in the town of Summit, Mr. Kubicek, manager. Midway Creamery at Hope station, J. B. Pike, manager. Southwest of Owatonna, five miles,
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is the Crown Creamery. This completes the list in the south part of the county.
West of Owatonna on the C. & N. W. Ry. is Meriden Creamery at Meriden station. H. J. Rosenan has been butter maker since the creamery started and has been one of Minnesota's best butter makers. In the northwest part of the county, in Deer- field township, is the Deerfield Creamery. A brick creamery has recently been built.
Havana Creamery, five miles east of Owatonna, was organized in 1893. John Morton was the first manager, the farmers buying the old plant of L. A. Disbrow. This was subsequently de- stroyed by fire and immediately rebuilt. The Moland Creamery was built in the extreme northeast part of the county and in the town of Merton. H. Ruen is the present manager.
The county is now thoroughly organized so that every farmer in Steele county has easy access to a co-operative creamery. And while there is no parent organization which covers the whole system, the creameries of Steele county are working in har- mony and all practically working on the whole milk plan and making a uniformly good quality of butter.
The work along co-operative lines in Steele county, when we take into consideration the past attempts at factory manufac- turing by individuals, have proven the means of building up the dairy industry, until Steele county ranks as one of the first in the state both as regards quantity and quality of her product. She has twenty-three prosperous co-operative creameries, the output of which in 1909 was upwards of 3,000,000 pounds of butter and sold for $716,000. No other one source of income is so great as that from the sale of butter. Credit must be given to the farmers for the building up of the co-operative ercameries. The results in every case have been due to the individual and collective efforts of the farmers, and in no case has outside business men or men of other pursuits invested any money in the capital stock of these creamerics.
The co-operative creamery as well as the dairy industry have come to stay. The original first plants are being replaced with modern, fire-proof buildings. Nothing has added so much to the permanent prosperity of Steele county as the building of the co-operative creameries. With the advent of dairying came diversified farming and uniformly better crops. And no one thing has contributed so much to bring about these results as co-operation among the farmers.
J. R. Morley.
CHAPTER XIII.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
State System Inaugurated .- First School House Erected in Steele County .- Other Schoolhouses Soon Built .- Word Picture of Pioneer School .- First County Superintendent Appointed .- List of His Successors .- Owatonna Schools .- Early Meetings of the Board .- Grammar School Established. -High School Course .- Modern Modifications and Addi- tions .- Present Buildings, System and Officers .- List of City Superintendents .- Contributed by Professor Philip J. Kuntz.
In treating the subject of education, or of the public schools of Owatonna, but little more than half a century of time is in- volved. While nothing pertaining to the long ago will be really necessary, still, in order to lay a good foundation for our work, it will seem best to consider a wider field than even Steele county.
At the formation of the union, and later, when the federal government was established, there was no definite line of action as to public education, although at the same time that the Con- stitution was adopted the last session of the Continental Con- gress was being held in the city of New York, and the Ordinance of 1787 was passed, regulating the affairs pertaining to the North- west territories, including a portion of Minnesota, that portion lying east of the Mississippi river. In this Ordinance much attention was given to the question of education, and of pro- viding a means for public education, by giving one section in each congressional township for educational purposes. Later, when the purchase of Louisiana was effected, and Minnesota sought admission into the union, still further provision was made for education by giving two sections in each congressional township for such purposes. This gave impetus to the natural tendency toward educational matters, and we find that one of the first efforts in the new settlements was to prepare to educate the children. The church and the school building, when not one and the same, were practically always found side by side. The hardy pioneers of the Great Northwest-of which Minnesota was a part-did not wait even for a territorial government, but set to work at once to establish schools. The first one in
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Minnesota, for the education of white children, was organized by Dr. Williamson, at the present site of the city of St. Paul. We are told that investigation demonstrated that there were about thirty-six children in the settlement, who might attend a school. A log house, 10x12 fect, covered with bark, and chinked with mud, previously used as a blacksmith shop, was secured and converted into a school house, and taught by Miss Bishop. Here, then, while the United States troops were gaining such signal success in the war with Mexico, was begun the system of education which has become one of the best in this great nation. In this same little school house in November, 1849, was held a meeting for the purpose of establishing a system of public education, based upon the congressional act of March, 1849, establishing Minnesota territory. Alexander Ramsey, of Pennsylvania, was appointed governor, and proceeded at once to assume the duties of his office. In his first message to the territorial legislature, in the fall of 1849, he emphasized the need of wise measures looking to the establishment of a system of public education in these words: "The subject of education, which has ever been esteemed of first importance in all new American communities, deserves, and I doubt not, will receive your earliest and most devoted carc. From the pressure of other, and more immediate wants, it is not to be expected that your school system should be very ample, yet it is desirable that what- ver is done should be of a character that will readily adapt itself to the growth and increase of the country, and not in future years require a violent change of system."
In response to this appeal for legislation in school matters we find that a committee on education was appointed, and a very able report was made by the chairman, Hon. Martin Mc- Leod. This report was formulated into an act relating to public schools in Minnesota, which act was passed on the last day of the session, November 1, 1849. It organized the territory into districts, of which the township was the unit, and provided that if a township had within its limits five families it should be considered as one district, but if it contained ten families it should be divided into two districts. Tax levy was provided, and a system of management arranged. The first superintendent of common schools for the territory was Rev. E. D. Neill, who served till 1853. His salary was one hundred dollars a year.
About 1853 we find the first authentic record of people com- ing into what was afterward called Steele county, and the first settlements were made near Medford and on the present site of Owatonna. Not until 1855 did there seem to be a sufficient number of children to begin educational work, and then the present Steele county, and a portion of what is now Waseca
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HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES
county, constituted one township, according to the meaning of the territorial plan. During the summer of 1855 a few of the settlers got together and built a kind of shed, and covered with boughs, on the present Albertus site on North Oak street, which was the first schoolhouse, and which school was taught by Helen Holbrook. Two of the student children in attendance upon this school were the mother and aunt of Grace Farmer, at present a teacher in the Lincoln school, Owatonna. The next year a log house was built, and served as a school house, church and general meeting place for public business. This building was erected near the present Lincoln school building. Here we find the children of the hardy pioneers attending school and receiving their first, and in many cases, their only educational training. At about the same time that these events were tran- spiring in Owatonna other settlements in Steele county were establishing schools. In the same year, namely, in 1856, Medford built a school house, and there began a kind of rivalry between the two places, with the odds for some time seemingly in favor of Medford. Clinton Falls and Havana followed in rapid suc- eession, and it soon became necessary to plan a county system of education. Permit me here to present a picture of a winter day, say in 1858 or 9, at school. (This is a reproduction, so far as I can remember, of the school as given me by a dear departed friend, A. W. Jones.) A log school house, with an old Franklin stove set in a box of brick in the center of the room, door at one end, and two windows on each side, chinking of mud between the logs, the master's desk in one corner of the room, home-made desks for about fifteen to twenty children around the outside of the room, the dinner baskets on the floor in a corner most distant from the stove, wraps hanging about the room, and a rousing wood fire in the stove. At 9 o'clock the master calls school by rapping on the window sash and giving expression to the then commonly used expression, "Books." Then the work of the day begins.
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