USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 7
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. II > Part 7
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BUSINESS HOUSES OF 1887.
The general business of Owatonna, in the varions lines of trade, was represented by the following-named gentlemen and firms: General Merchandise-G. F. Albertus. J. Oppliger & Co., A. Kasper, Soukup Bros., Nelson & Jefts. J. C. Jahreiss, Petrich & Speckeen, M. Leary, T. H. Kelly & Co. and W. Holt.
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Exclusive Dry Goods-H. R. Moore, Jr., & Co. and J. L. Saxton. Groceries-Twiford & Sperry, E. Downie & Co., A. Mudeking, Wm. Davidson, E. W. Piper, E. W. Clarke, Stowers & Jefferson, E. F. Requa. Clothing-John Shea, II. Katz & Co. and J. Schu- lein. Hardware-E. Y. Hunnewill, Thon Bros .. Crandall & Nel- son, Parrott & Smith. A. Knobloch and N. C. Larson. Drugs- F. M. Bauter, Win. Gauswitz & Co., C. Peterson and Luers & Luers. Boots and Shoes-William Mork, Nichols & Hall, Weber & Son and J. A. Butsch. Jewelry-Henry Birkett, Julius F. Young and C. F. Warner. Lumber-Laird, Norton & Co. (George Clark, manager), J. Z. Barncard & Co. and Wisconsin Lumber Co. (McIndoe Alexander, manager). Saloons-Emil Theimer, J. Gleaser, Chas. Kenmoth, Joseph Hoffman, T. Fed- der, Bion & Hoffman, W. Watowa, Joseph Kubat, M. Ryan, Mrs. Bartsch, Anton Belina and Thompson & Wightman. Flour & Feed-J. W. Gillett. Nearly all of the grocery stores also handle flour and feed. Marble Works-Webb & Henningway, Byrne & McDonald and A. Meyer. Agricultural Implements- Buxton & Jones, MeLaughlin & Larson, R. H. Chapin, M. S. Quiggle, Crandall & Nelson, Virtue & Co. and Hotchkiss & Co. Pump Factory-Orrin Greeley. Diamond Feedmill Manufac- turers-McLauglin, Sheldon & Co. Blacksmith Shops-Brown & McRostie, Homer Wardwell, C. Zannetti, Ben. Meixner, R. Deininger, H. Cartwright. C. Hanson, M. S. Quiggle and C. F. Smith. Wagon Shops-C. Schoen, Ben Meizner. John Deeg. R. Deininger and H. Cartright. Livery-Fred Rosskopf and R. H. Chapin. Confectionery-Chas. Chenoweth, W. Dennis. Bakeries -C. Chenoweth and Mr. Brooks. Harness Shops-H. F. Luce & Son. O. Butsch, Meyer Brothers, C. Bowers and O. M. Ham- mond. Shoemakers-J. Lee, O. Searle, J. R. McLeod and J. Bartosch. Merchant Tailors-John Cottier, N. W. Hanson and D. Banks. Barbers-Jerry Pope, Parker Brothers, Boggs & Essex, N. G. Frisco and Andrew Sanderline. Books and Sta- tionery-A. M. Kinyon. Several drugs stores also handle a light stock of this line of goods. Grain-Pratt & Co., Soper & Son, J. S. Austin. Photographers-G. W. Chesley and H. Muller. Dentists-Doctors Medd, Searle and Stearns. Real Estate- B. S. Cook. Meat Markets-Owatonna Packing Company, Charles Meschke, Gus Schwanke, Boice & Forsyth and John Stranski & Co.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first white child born in what is now Owatonna was George K., a son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Green, which occurred on April 6, 1855. Dr. W. W. Finch attended and went from Judge Green's house to that of A. W. Adams in Clinton Falls
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township, where Frank, a son of A. W. Adams, was born. The first death at Owatonna occurred in August or September, 1855, and was a child of Miner Prisby. The remains were buried in the woods north of town. The first marriage of residents took place at Faribault in the summer of 1855, the contracting parties being John Wilcox and Clara Brooks, the ceremony being per- formed by Elder Town. The event was heartily celebrated by the pioneers, especially the young people. The first building erected upon the original town plat was the Winship house, built in July, 1855. The first building put up within what now constitutes the incorporate limits was A. B. Cornell's log cabin. The first store was opened by S. B. Smith and J. W. Park in the spring of 1855. The first blacksmith shop was started by John Sweat. The first frame building was W. F. Pettit's residence. The first brick building was erected by William Wadsworth in 1863. It was built for a store, but is now used as an engine house.
CHAPTER XVII.
MODERN OWATONNA.
"Beautiful Owatonna" .- The City of Beautiful Homes .- Ideal Situation .- Public Facilities .- Educational Institutions .- Parks and Trees .- Sidewalks .- Business Advantages .- Public Buildings .- Contributed by Hon. F. A. Dunham.
Beautiful Owatonna! Built on verdant hills, Stretching o'er the landscape, the vale and valley fills. The river, parks and woodlands enhance her beauty rare, With civic pride we call her the fairest of the fair.
Beautiful Owatonna! With the quaint old Indian name, Fairest of Minnesota's cities with ever widening fame. Beautiful Owatonna, with her schools and charming homes ; Once seen, she's ne'er forgotten, however far one roams.
Beautiful Owatonna! Here rear the stately walls Where gather youth and maidens to learn in classic halls. From village, city, prairie, they come to seek and find Equipment for life's service. Go forth to bless mankind.
Beautiful Owatonna! Home for the homeless child ; Brought from the teeming cities, brought from the prairie wild.
Here Minnesota gathers her wards from far and near In Beautiful Owatonna, the orphaned ones to rear.
Beautiful Owatonna! Her sons are widely known In halls of state and nation, their worth and wisdom shown. Forth at their country's bidding in times of direst need
They passed through death and carnage, that the suffering might be freed.
Beautiful Owatonna! Hence, sons and daughters go, On missions of peace and mercy their Master's love to show. Forth to haste the coming of the millennium to be To distant western Mesa, to lands beyond the sea.
Beautiful Owatonna! In mill and shop are made Her products eager sought for, in all the marts of trade.
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The name of Owatonna is known the world around,
It speaks for lightened labor where toiling ones are found.
Beautiful Owatonna ! Her name unsullied be, Synonym for virtue, for culture broad and free.
Beautiful Owatonna! Her citizens' joy and pride ;
Their lives extend her glory, her fame spread far and wide.
Owatonna has long been known as "the city of beautiful homes," and although the name is very true and appropriate it fails to convey a proper and complete idea of the beauty, ex- cellence, prosperity and life of the city. "The city of happy homes and prosperity" would be much more appropriate. The site for the city was selected by men of excellent judgment and foresight as is apparent to the most casual observer. The business part of the city and all connections with railroad de- pots is on level ground, with a gravel sub-soil, surrounded on all sides by low-lying hills, just rolling enough to give the resi- dence district a beautiful appearance and good drainage, without any bluffs or steep grades to inconvenience vehicles or pedes- trians. The name of the city is of Indian (Sioux) origin and signifies "straight." The proper pronunciation being "Woo- tonna."
The electric lighting plant, gas plant and central heating plant are owned by a private corporation, which furnishes elec- tric light and gas to the greater part of the city and the hot water central heating plant furnishes heat to most of the business houses and a great many dwellings, without the inconvenience and filth attendant on private heating plants.
As the population of the city is mixed it naturally follows that there are a great number of religious organizations in the city and a great number of fine church edifices and dwellings. I will mention the different denominations without regard to the number of members or the excellence of church edifices or dwellings. First Baptist; Catholic (three parishes) Bohemian, Polish, Irish and German ; First Congregational ; St. Paul's Epis- copal; Lutheran (three parishes), St. John's German Lutheran, St. John's Evangelical and Danish Lutheran; First Methodist- Episcopal; German Methodist-Episcopal; Seventh Day Advent- ist; First Presbyterian and First Universalist.
The educational system of the city is unexcelled and as each institution will be treated in detail elsewhere in this history a brief mention will suffice for the present. Pillsbury Academy is a denominational school of Baptist persuasion, for both sexes and has a main school building and auditorium, two dormitories, a gymnasium and armory, and a music hall. It is a high class
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preparatory school and is widely and favorably known through- out the Northwest. The Owatonna public school system is one of the very best in the state and is well equipped with all modern appliances and departments. Besides the high school building there are three ward school buildings and all are fine modern brick and stone structures. The Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic school for girls and is the usual high grade school of that class and in connection therewith is a parochial school for children. Canfield Business College, as the name indicates, is a school of business and is one of the best in the state. The State School for Indigent Children, with its fine buildings and beautiful grounds, is justly one of the show places of the city. It has a capacity of two hundred and fifty inmates and poor children are sent here from all parts of the state to enjoy the care and protection provided for them by the state of Min- nesota.
Owatonna is the principal city and county seat of Steele county, one of the very best dairy and diversified farming dis- tricts in the United States, and as a result of the prosperous con- ditions existing very generally throughout this region, the city is prosperous. Not with the transient prosperity of a boom, but with steady, normal and healthy business conditions, that will prevail as long as Mother Earth continues to produce, and that is one of the reasons, among a number, that causes this city to be an absolutely safe place to make an investment.
Great quantities of sand and gravel are available for street use, and, as a result of the continued and systematic use of such material, the fifty miles of streets within the corporate limits are uniformly in good repair. On all of the residential streets are to be found great numbers of beautiful trees, of every known variety, thus making of the city, especially in the summer time, a veritable forest and giving the whole residence district the appearance of a beautiful park. In this parklike region are a great number of elegant modern homes, few of which are imposing or ornate, few are old or dilapidated, thus producing a uniformity and symmetry in the dwellings that is very pleasing, and would lead a person to believe that all of the buildings had been designed by some competent architect. The general condition and appearance of the homes denotes very accurately the financial condition of the citizens generally, there being few very rich and few very poor people in this city.
For several years the city has required the use of stone, brick or cement in the construction of sidewalks, and as a result, the thirty miles of sidewalk in this city is fully 95 per cent of such material and in connection therewith there are miles and miles
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of well-kept boulevards with neat stone or cement curbing and cement or cobble stone gutters.
Owatonna is peculiarly well situated from a business stand- point, being located in a prosperous region and having excellent railroad facilities. It is located at the junction of three great railway sytsems, viz .: Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago & Northwestern lines, sixty-seven miles south of St. Paul, and with forty trains daily has direct, ready and convenient connection with all points north, east, south or west. On account of the location, railroad facili- ties and good homes, a great many traveling salesmen make this city their home. Straight river runs through the city and is a beautiful little stream. It is not large enough to be of any material advantage for power purposes but furnishes ample drainage facilities.
In the population of 6,500 to 7,000 people may be found a wonderful mixture of races with no one nationality predominat- ing, thus causing a natural rivalry of races that makes for the success of any community.
The business part of the city resembles somewhat the form or shape of a hand ax. Broadway and Bridge streets, each of one solid block, being the blade, and Cedar street, of four blocks, being the handle, with Central Park as the eye of the ax, as it is the eye of beauty of the city. In the retail business sec- tion are one hundred and four retail business houses, of which ninety-eight are of stone, brick or cement, and of which four- teen are double store buildings. In addition there are twenty- two retail business places which are usually found in frame buildings in any small city, being the lumber yards, blacksmith shops, coal and wood yards, etc.
Practically all of the retail business buildings are modern and in good repair and many are deserving of special mention. The National Farmers' Bank building is one of the very best in the Northwest. The Kelly building; the Parrott & Smith building ; the Owatonna Hotel ; the Auditorium building and the Crandall building are all fine three-story brick and stone build- ings of more than ordinary excellence.
The city is provided with all modern conveniences usual to a city with a much greater population. The water system is the property of the city and has proven to be a paying investment. The profit therefrom being about two thousand five hundred dol- lars annually, besides furnishing all the water for city use without charge or tax, thus making a total saving of about eight thousand dollars annually to the city. With fifteen miles of water mains and twelve miles of sewer mains the greater portion of the city is supplied with water and sewer service.
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Owatonna is justly proud of its parks, and Central Park, located in the center of the city, adjacent to the business dis- trict, is the subject of favorable comment from all who see it and is indeed "a thing of beauty." Mineral Springs Park, located within a mile of the city, was beautiful in nature, but owing to the care and attention it has received it is now a beauty spot far surpassing most public parks.
The public buildings of the city are an expression of the general desire of our citizens to have the best things obtain- able for home or public use. The Steele county court house is a fine three-story brick and stone building surrounded by a beauti- ful lawn and many fine shade trees. The Steele county jail and sheriff's residence is a modern brick structure containing all modern conveniences. The city hall, fire station and firemen's hall is an elegant three-story brick and stone building equipped with modern fire fighting apparatus, convenient city offices and the third floor, devoted to the use of the Firemen's Relief Asso- ciation, finished and furnished by such association, is the most beautiful and well appointed hall in the state. The Owatonna public library, an elegant brick building, surrounded by a wide lawn, is a handsome structure, the city hospital has an ideal situation and surroundings, while the churches are all notable examples of ecclesiastical architecture, the Universalist church being especially notable for its pleasing design.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OWATONNA COMMERCIAL MEN.
Coming of the Railroads .- Race for Supremacy .- Owatonna Be- comes a Pioneer Distributing Point .- Traveling Men Begin to Settle Here .- Reasons for Their Choice .- Social and Municipal Advantages .- Owatonna Council, No. 85, United Commercial Travelers .- First Officers .- Prominent Mem- bers .- Contributed by W. B. Clarkson .- Owatonna Hotels. -Old Winship House .- Pioneer Hotel .- Central House .- American House .- Old Owatonna House .- Norsk Hotel .- Scandinavian House .- German Hotel .- Arnold House .- Tremont House .- City Hotel .- Peachey House .- Robinson House .- Merchants' Hotel .- Commercial Hotel .- Church's Hotel .- Kaplan House .- Owatonna House .- Smaller Hos- telries.
The month of August, 1866, saw the beginning of a new era for the village of Owatonna, that being the year when the Winona & St. Peter, and the Minneapolis & Cedar Valley rail- road construction crews were pushed to their limit of speed in a race for the crossing at Owatonna. Tradition has it that the first named crew hauled materials and laid a long stretch of track in the blackness of a dark night without the aid of artificial lights. So quietly was the work performed that the opposing crew knew nothing about the operations until the morning light of the following day revealed their rivals in possession of the coveted ground, and it is stated that for several days the oppos- ing camps maintained a continual warfare until the matter was finally settled by the principals getting together in an agree- ment. This incident is related to mark the beginning of Owa- tonna as a popular headquarters for commercial travelers. From this point they pushed out across the vast wilderness to the west and northwest, taking orders for goods and supplies at the vari- ous settlements and trading posts, and these goods were shipped from the trade centers of the east by rail to Owatonna where they were transported to destination by wagon and team.
In the spring of 1867 the Winona & St. Peter railroad was completed to St. Peter, and later the Minneapolis & Cedar Val- ley was absorbed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system and completed southward, but Owatonna continued to hold its
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position as a popular headquarters for the pioneer travelers of that day, primarily because of its fortunate position at the junc- tion of these railroads. It soon became apparent, however, that for other and more weighty reasons the travelers selected this city as a permanent headquarters, and Owatonna has continued to increase in importance as a traveling men's home.
The traveler is in a large measure a roving free lance as re- gards his home, and this is more from business necessity than from choice. When a change of territory requires him to select a new place of abode for his family, where they may be in reach of his business operations, he proceeds to consider the relative attractions of the various towns in his route. If he is to make weekly trips in covering his territory, the matter of adequate railroad facilities is perhaps of first importance in his thoughts, in order that his outgoing and homecoming may be as easy as possible. But even in this case, and especially when longer trips are made, the vital matter of accessibility sinks into secondary importance when considered in connection with the all important question of public health and morals, which is irrevocably bound up in the matter of a healthful location, added to the important question of a wise and farsighted civic government, good schools, and church, and a clean social atmosphere. These are of vital importance in the upbuilding and future contentment of any citizenship.
Fully 90 per cent of the commercial travelers of today are heads of families, and with these it may be truthfully stated that among no class of men are these questions held to be of greater importance. Owatonna is extremely fortunate above many other places in its possession of all of these attractions to a marked degree, thus it is easy to find the reasons why it is attractive to the traveling fraternity as a home or headquarters town. Situ- ated as it is, on high rolling ground, gently sloping each way from a valley through which Straight river wends its course to the northward, the site on which the city is built is ideal, and the wisdom of its founders has been well demonstrated by the lapse of time. On a stretch of table-land to the east of the river stands today the business section of Owatonna, with the main residence district occuping ground to the east and south, which gradually rises until it reaches an elevation which averages about fifty feet above the level of the business district, and seventy- five feet above the river bed. Across the river immediately west of the business section of the city is a level stretch of land a few feet above high water mark, occupied by the depot and yards of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad, and just west of the depot is a rise of perhaps forty feet sloping upward to the west until it reaches State avenue where the ground
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stretches away in gentle waves of rolling green. Here is found another beautiful residence district where many fine homes are located, bounded on the north by the splendid grounds of the state public school, and on the west by magnificent lands occu- pied by the Clinton Falls Nursery Company, one of the largest business enterprises of its kind in the world.
From the foregoing description one can see that a perfect sewerage system may be built and maintained at a minimum cost, and this has been an accomplished fact for many years. The surface soil of the city is a fine mixture of clay, sand and gravel, in just the right proportion to form a solid surface for the streets, (which are all of good width,) and each heavy rain that comes washes the streets clean, thus insuring perfect clean- liness, that is unknown where deep mud abounds after the rains. Beautiful shade trees line the avenues everywhere, and the city water supply comes entirely from deep wells which have been sunk to a depth of about seventy-five feet to a rock foundation, giving forth an abundant supply of pure soft water, sufficient at all times to maintain a population many times the present size of Owatonna. Located just outside the corporate limits is the Springs park where the famous Owatonna vichy water bubbles out of the ground in an inexhaustible supply which is bottled and shipped in large quantities.
When it is stated that the sewerage tax of Owatonna is one mill, from which a fund is raised to maintain the system, be- sides providing a sinking fund with which to replace or add to the system as needed, and the further fact that the present extent of the system is twelve miles, and that the city charter limits the levy for all municipal purposes to twelve mills, (and this has been found to be fully ample to cover the needs of the city,) it may be seen that this place will appeal to the average traveler as an ideal spot in which to make his home. These, in fact, are some of the reasons why Owatonna has always been popular with the travelers, and the continued increase of this class of its population is the best evidence of its superior advantages.
One of the first travelers to cover this territory is the present postmaster of Owatonna, James M. Diment, who first came to this country thirty-eight years ago, and continued in this voca- tion for many years, until he became associated with others in the Owatonna Flouring mills, when he discontinued his road work and permanently identified himself with the future destiny of Owatonna, in the development of which he has been one of the leading factors. That Mr. Diment ably filled his place as a public-spirited citizen is well attested by his present popularity and the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens. Mr. Diment states that thirty years ago Owatonna boasted of hav-
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ing from 125 to 150 traveling men among its citizenship, many of whom have since become prominent elsewhere, but where one has moved away, two have taken his place, until at this time there are approximately 250 to 300 men who make this city their home and whose vocation leads them out on the highways of commerce.
This chapter would not be complete without mentioning the existence in Owatonna of Owatonna Council No. 85, United Com- mercial Travelers of America, which is a branch of the strongest fraternal traveling men's order in existence. This order was founded at Columbus, Ohio, in 1888, and its rapid growth is evidenced by its present membership of over 60,000, with grand councils maintained in nearly every state in the union and the provinces of Canada. The present membership of Owatonna Council No. 85 is one hundred and fifty-five, and when it is tin- derstood that the constitution of the order limits its membership to commercial travelers, city salesmen and merchandise brokers selling articles of merchandise at wholesale, and excludes all that large class of men who are engaged in selling insurance in its various forms, buyers, canvassers, peddlers and many other traveling vocations too numerous to mention here, it can be seen that the membership of this order can only represent about 50 per cent of the total popitlation who follow the vocation of traveling in all its forms.
At the present time there are about five hundred local coun- cils of the Order of United Commercial Travelers of America scattered about throughout this mighty nation and the Dominion of Canada, at all of the principal trade centers and many of the smaller towns where travelers are making a home or head- quarters in any considerable numbers, and Owatonna has the distinction of being the city in which the largest local council membership in proportion to the total population of the city, is maintained, in comparison with all other towns in which councils are located, and this is in addition to the fact that it was the sixth council instituted in the Northwest, being preceded only a few months by the councils of Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Grand Forks, Fargo and Winona.
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