History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

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est to Wm. L. Rosenberger and John Rentz. In 1887 J. P. Hammerel bought a third in- terest from Rosenberger & Rentz, Mr. Rentz later selling his interest to Wm. L. Rosenberger. The following named gentle- men were at different times editor of the paper: R. Rueppling, Gerhard May, Theo- dore Bruener, H. J. Hengstebeck, Nic Boh- nen and J. L. Stagemann. On December 1, 1892, Rosenberger & Hammerel sold Der Nordstern to the Nordstern Publish- ing Company, a corporation. The first of- ficers of the company were: Rev. James Weysters, president; P. E. Kaiser, secre- tary; Frank Zins, treasurer and manager. The first board of directors were: Rev. J. P. Bauer, Rev. B. Richter and Peter Brick. The present officers of the com- pany are: Frank Zins, president; J. B. Himsl, vice-president; G. L. Rosenberger, secretary and manager. Gerhard May has uninterruptedly been the efficient editor of Der Nordstern from 1884 to this day. For the last eighteen years Carl Thiele has been the outside manager of the publish- ing company's business.

SAUK CENTRE.

Second in importance to St. Cloud have been the papers published in Sauk Centre. The first attempt in this line was made in 1866 by George Mclaughlin in the estab- lishment of the Sauk Valley News. Its life, however, was of short duration, meas- ured by months. The real editor made his appearance upon the scene in the follow- ing year, in the person of Joseph H. Si- monton. Picking up the derelict paper he started the Sauk Centre Herald, the first issue appearing on June 6, 1867. In the transfer from Mclaughlin to Mr. Simon- ton there was one asset possessed of his- torical significance. It was the press. This was the first printing press brought into the territory of Minnesota; it had formerly been the property of James M. Goodhue, of St. Paul, who printed upon it, on April 28, 1849, the first newspaper ever pub- lished in Minnesota, the Minnesota Pio- neer. Joseph Simonton was joined by his brother Samuel in July, 1867, and together they conducted the Herald until its dis- posal to Charles F. Hendryx in 1879. Hale and hearty, and in his seventy-fifth year, Joseph Simonton still resides at Sauk Cen- tre, one of the city's most highly esteemed

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

citizens. The Herald continued under the management of Mr. Hendryx until 1903, when it was sold to the Hon. Frank M. Eddy, by whom it was transferred in turn in 1907 to A. M. Welles. From the posses- sion of Mr. Welles it passed, in 1913, into the hands of Asa M. Wallace, its present energetic and popular editor ..

In 1880, Walter C. and J. V. Brower brought into existence the Stearns County Tribune, with Walter C. Brower acting as editor. The paper after a few years was removed to St. Cloud. Upon the heels of this newspaper venture, a peregrinating printer by the name of Max Nicolas estab- lished the Sauk Centre Avalanche. This paper ran a varied course. Controlled by Nicolas only a few years, it passed into the possession of E. P. Barnum by whom it was ably edited until his death. After the death of his father, F. E. Barnum man- aged the Avalanche until its disposal to J. M. Michaelson in 1901. The active ad- ministration of Mr. Michaelson raised the standing of the paper in the community to a remarkable degree, but failing health compelling him to relinquish his under- taking, it was merged with the Herald and sold to Mr. Eddy in 1903.

MELROSE.

Melrose's first paper was the Record, started in 1877 by Donald R. Macdonald and who sold it in 1881 to Charles F. Hendryx, who six months later removed it to Sauk Centre and consolidated it with the Sauk Centre Herald. In the fall of 1882 Camp- bell & Dorcy established the Melrose Sun. Dorcy sold his interest in 1884 to D. Grein, who died the following year. Dr. Camp- bell then obtained the entire ownership, and published it until 1893, when he re- moved it to Belgrade. Two years later he returned to Melrose with the paper, chang- ing its name to the Melrose Beacon. The paper was leased to Mr. Batchellor, who published it until 1897, when he was suc- ceded by Sid Hunter, for a few months. That year it was purchased from Dr. Camp- bell by J. C. Martin, who was an ener- getic newspaper man, but sold it in a short time, owing to ill health, to D. W. Bath. The latter published it for four years, and was succeeded by A. F. Steffin, who was its publisher until 1913, when he

disposed of the paper, which is now owned by Elmour D. Lum.

ALBANY.

The history of newspaperdom in the village of Albany has had many changes in the trials of its career of nearly nine years, when the first paper was launched within its boundaries. Will R. Schutz is honored with the establishment of the Al- bany Tribune in November, 1906, which he conducted until April 30, 1909, when he sold it to Alois Lenarz, who ran the paper for some time, after which it suspended publication. Being without a paper for a short time only convinced its citizens that a town needs its local paper, and on March 30, 1910, a new sheet was born and christened the Albany Enterprise, under the management of S. D. Pierce. On Au- gust 4 of the same year found the Enter- prise without a publisher and Editor Nel- son, of the Holdingford Advertiser, was in- duced to come down to Albany and revive it. After three weeks a deal was completed whereby Editor Nelson took over the plant. He held the reins until March 4, 1912, when he disposed of the business and outfit to W. M. Kommerstad, who has conducted the paper up to this time. The Enterprise has for its size one of the best equipped plants in the county.

BELGRADE.

The Belgrade Tribune, published by W. P. Lemmer, is the representative of the southwestern section of the county. It is in its nineteenth year, according to the volume number, but the writer has been unable to obtain any information regarding its history. The Tribune of today is a well-edited and enterprising paper.

COLD SPRING.

The Record was started by Honer Broth- ers (X. A. and Peter T.) in 1899, the first issue appearing October 11. The partner- ship continued until January 1, 1900, when Peter T. Honer became sole owner, buying the half interest of his brother for $50, the field being too small for two owners. The Record, now under the continued owner- ship of Mr. Honer, occupies its own build- ing, is well equipped mechanically and is enjoying prosperity.

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

FREEPORT.

The Informant was established in 1911, and A. E. Anderberg is its editor and pro- prietor. It is an excellent local paper, and represents one of the best sections of the county.

HOLDINGFORD.

The Advertiser was established in No- vember 12, 1908, by F. O. Hanson, "who led the paper and the town a merry chase" until December 2, 1909, when he sold the plant to C. O. Nelson, who has been in command since, and has made the Adver- tiser one of the bright and sparkling papers of the county.

KIMBALL.

The Kimball Kodak was established in March, 1901, and is a worthy representa- tive of its enterprising village. Frank E. Smith is the editor and proprietor, and his popularity is attested by his appointment as postmaster, which honor came to him without opposiiton.

PAYNESVILLE.

The Paynesville Press, which is the survivor of one of the fiercest newspaper wars in the history of the county, was es- tablished by George R. Stephens Decem- ber 8, 1887. The building of the "Soo" road started a rival town to the one on the Great Northern line, and the Press was starter to boom "New Paynesville." Paynesville on the Great Northern was championed by the News, published by Krause Brothers. The Soo location proved the stronger, and soon had most of the old

town moved over to the present village site, and the News soon tired of the un- equal fight and sold out to the Press. Mr. Stephens was an excellent newspaper man, and a good business man as well, and made it a good property. The office was destroyed by fire, but no issue of the paper was omitted, being printed by the Journal- Press until the new equipment arrived. Mr. Stephens is now a resident of Okla- homa, and his successors have been Charles Henke (now publisher of the Das- sel Anchor), W. W. Holmes, of Montana; C. F. Folsom (publisher of the Wayzata Reporter), and George A. Hanna, the pres- ent owner and editor of the Press. Mr. Folsom started the Paynesville Leader in 1908, and two years later bought the Press of W. W. Holmes, publishing it under the name of the Leader-Press. Mr. Holmes retained the job printing plants of both papers. Editor Hanna purchased the pa- per of Folsom and the job plant of Holmes in 1912, and restored the original name of the Paynesville Press.

RICHMOND.

The Richmond Standard was founded by James H. O'Leary, making its first ap- pearance June 21, 1900. On September 19, 1901, J. W. Wilcox bought the paper from Mr. O'Leary and continued it until July 4, 1902, when he sold it to M. A. Bussen. On May 1, 1913, Joseph M. Bussen bought a half interest in the business from his father and since that time the paper has been published by M. A. Bussen & Son. The Standard is one of the most reliable of the county publications and is a paper of much influence.

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

CHAPTER LI.

POSTAL HISTORY.

Pioneer Mail Facilities at St. Cloud-Growth of the St. Cloud Office-County Offices - Dates of Establishment and Lists of Postmasters - By C. D. Grinols, Postmaster at St. Cloud.

St. Cloud .- The first post office in the county was established at St. Cloud Au- gust 16, 1855, with Franklin Sisson post- master. He kept the office in his clothing store that was located on the bank of the river just north of Tenth street south and east of First avenue. The building was of logs 16x24 feet in size, was lighted by four twelve-light windows, glass 8x10 inches. The mail was kept in a small box under the counter and all persons helped themselves .. Mr. Sisson was postmaster eight months. His compensation for the time was less than twenty-five dollars. The mail was carried from St. Paul in a two-horse hack and delivered semi-weekly. The hack did not cross the river at St. Cloud, but left the mail bag at a log hotel on the east bank of the river, and any per- son coming over brought the mail. The ferry-boat crossed the river at a point just east of the normal school building. The west side landing was under the high bluff. A road led along the bluff and came up from the river on what is now Tenth street south.

A very close second was the post office established at Arcadia, September 5, 1855, with Joseph Edelbrock postmaster. This was the name of that part of the present city which came to be known as Lowry's addition. The office at Arcadia was dis- continued May 2, 1856, at which date Mr. Edelbrock was appointed successor to Mr. Sisson as postmaster at St. Cloud. He moved the office up town into a small frame storebuilding situated on the south- west corner of St. Germain street and Fifth avenue. He had a case of twenty-four call boxes made and placed in the rear of the store. The mail up to this time had been delivered at Sauk Rapids, where it could be had whenever the St. Cloud postmaster felt like making the three-mile trip across the river to get it, which Mr. Edelbrock

said he did "whenever it came handy." But from the date of the consolidation of the two offices, which was brought about through the influence of Gen. S. B. Lowry, the mail was left at East St. Cloud, where, almost directly opposite the present state normal school buildings, was a log block- house, which had been built probably by Martin Wooley. The next year, 1857, frame additions were built to this by John Emer- son, and for a number of years afterward it was a stopping place for teams going to the pineries on the upper Mississippi. One of the three "swing" ferries which con- veyed teams and passengers across the river at lower, middle and upper town, was located here, and it was at this place that the stage line which carried the mails and passengers from St. Paul crossed until a bridge was built at St. Germain street.

In 1857 there was a semi-monthly mail which was carried by a man by the name of Evans-we called him "Traverse des Sioux." He carried the mail on his back and tramped from St. Cloud to a point near Big Stone lake to a place called Traverse. Camping nights in all kinds of weather, he seldom had to exceed two or three let- ters, and often none, but Gen. S. B. Lowry had a contract with the government to carry the mail on this route. In addition to his pay under the contract, he was per- mitted to enter 640 acres of land every 20 miles along the route by paying the sum of $1.25 per acre for the same. On this land he was supposed to erect stations, but it was not compulsory. It was under this mail contract law that General Lowry finally perfected his title to what is now Lowry's addition, and it was a similar mail contract that George F. Brott finally suc- ceeded in perfecting the title to St. Cloud city, Curtis survey.

About this time a mail route was estab- lished on the west side of the river, but the

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

mail continued as a semi-weekly. In 1857 a four-horse daily stage line was operated on the west side of the river from St. Paul to Ft. Ripley, but St. Cloud did not suc- ceed in getting a daily mail until the fall of 1858.

Joseph Edelbrock held the office of post- master at St. Cloud until January 22, 1859, (his first year's salary being $90.69), when Louis A. Evans was appointed to succeed him. The office was moved diagonally across the street, to the Wilson building. He was postmaster a little more than two years, his last year's salary being $252.63.

Following the election of President Lin- coln in 1861, Henry Z. Mitchell was ap- pointed postmaster April 13 of that year. He moved the office into the one-story frame building that now stands on Fifth avenue south, opposite the Methodist church. He made important improvements in the boxes, and for the first time in the history of the St. Cloud postoffice the mail was handled exclusively by the postmaster and his clerk. During his term of five years, the salary increased from' about $400 for the first year to $1,200 the last year. It was during Mr. Mitchell's term of office that several mail routes were estab- lished running into the interior of the county.

On August 21, 1866, Reuben M. Richard- son was appointed postmaster. He moved the office up street to a small frame build- ing located just south of Reichert's bakery on Fifth avenue north. Mr. Richardson occupied the building for a family resi- dence and placed the postoffice in the front room which was about 16x20 feet in size. He was postmaster a little over two years. The last year his salary was $1,500.

One month and one day after General Grant was inaugurated president of the United States, April 5, 1869, he commis- sioned Josiah E. West postmaster at a salary of $1,600 a year. At that time the postmaster was required to pay the rent of the office building, to pay his clerks, and for light and fuel, and also furnish the post- office boxes and furniture of every descrip- tion. Mr. West purchased the frame build- ing of C. F. & W. Powell that is still standing on the northwest corner of Fifth avenue (then Washington avenue) and First street south (then Lake street). He discarded all the old boxes and furniture

and installed a case of 300 call boxes and 26 lock boxes, with a new distributing table, at a cost of about $400. The boxes were located about 40 feet back from the front door, and the front part was occupied by a stationery store and news stand. The back part of the building was partitioned off for West's real estate and insurance office, where the postmaster and the clerks in the insurance office could be easily called to asist in distributing the mail and to take the clerk's place at meal time. Henry J. Emmel (twice since then elected to the legislature from a district in the western part of the county), was West's frst clerk. He was in the office from 6 o'clock a. m. until 9 o'clock p. m. He slept in the office to receive and give out mail, as the mail stages arrived and departed at all hours day or night. This one clerk made up and stamped all the mail, regis- tered letters and packages, issued money orders and attended to the delivery. He was frequently called up in the night to give some one the mail. For all this he received $50 a month. In 1873 J. E. West was reappointed. The salary had been in- creased to $1,700. In 1878 he was again re- appointed postmaster. During this term, at the expense of $1,850, he fitted up the building now occupied by the Fifth Avenue hotel, with modern postoffice furniture, with Yale lock boxes, and moved the office to that location. St. Cloud then had the best equipped third-class office west of Chicago, and it is doubtful if there was any its equal in the United States. The salary was increased to $1,800, with no allowance for rents, clerks, light or fuel. After pay- ing the expenses of running the office and a small allowance for wear and damage to furniture, there was not to exceed $300 a year for the postmaster.

In 1882 he was again appointed. The business of the office had increased to the extent that at the next readjustment of salary the St. Cloud office would have been named second class, with a salary of $2,000 and allowance for rent and clerk hire, but just at that time, in 1883, letter postage was reduced from three cents to two cents per one-half ounce. This kept the office in third-class and reduced the salary to $1,700.

In 1883 Mr. West moved the office into the south rooms of the West House. In January, 1886, the post office was made

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

second-class with a salary of $2,000 and some allowance for rents and clerks.

A change of administration having taken place, President Cleveland, March 1, 1886, appointed Joseph Edelbrock, St. Cloud's second-almost first-postmaster, to the position after an interval of thirty years less two months. Mr. Edelbrock moved the office into the building now occupied by B. F. Carter for a drug store. He pur- chased the boxes and office furniture of Mr. West, and was the first St. Cloud post- master to get the benefit of the allowance made to second-class postmasters, as Mr. West only had the office three months after it was made a second-class office. It was during Mr. Edelbrock's administration, October 1, 1889, that the mail carrier sys- tem was established at St. Cloud, with three carriers-George A. Dickinson, who had lower town; Michael B. Miller, who had upper town, and J. J. Jackson, who had the east side and the reformatory. Today seven carriers are employed, the three above named being included in the number, their services having been contin- uous during this quarter of a century. Then the salary was $600 per year, now it is $1,100 for the older carriers, new ones starting in at $800, with an increase of $100 per year until $1,100, the maximum, is reached. Three of the carriers have wagons, Mr. Jackson having had one from the beginning for his long route.

J. E. West was again appointed Febru- ary 25, 1890. He then built a brick build- ing 33x80 feet with a good substantial fire- proof vault, with steam heat and electric lights, and leased this building to the post- office department for the post office. It was located on Fifth avenue, where J. P. Bisenius' plumbing establishment now is. He personally re-purchased the postoffice boxes and fixtures, and they were his per- sonal property. During this term of four years the salary was increased to $2,400, with rent of building and an allowance for clerks.

The Democratic party having returned to power, Andrew Henneman was ap- pointed postmaster April 23, 1894. He purchased the boxes and furniture and fixtures, but soon afterwards sold them to McDonald and Howe, who leased to the postoffice department one side of the building known as the Times building,

with the postoffice boxes and furniture, and Hennemann moved the office to that loca- tion.

Following the election of a Republican president in 1896, Harvey G. Wire was appointed postmaster, March 31, 1898. At this time the McClures fitted up the Mc- Clure block and put in new postoffice furni- ture complete and leased the building furnished to the postoffice department. Wire then removed the office to that loca- tion. Mr. Wire was postmaster for nearly seven years, and during his term the gov- ernment completed the handsome granite building as a permanent home for the postoffice and for the land office until its removal to Duluth. It was also during this time, February 1, 1902, that the rural serv- ice was established at St. Cloud. Rural route No. 1 crossed the Tenth street bridge, passing by the state reformatory into the Cater district, returning by the river road to the bridge. Mrs. Leslie W. Allen was the first carrier and continuing in the service until quite recently. There are now six rural routes from the St. Cloud office.

James A. Martin was appointed January 30, 1905, serving for a little more than a year and a half.

He was succeeded August 29, 1906, by Clinton D. Grinols, who has completed his second term, and has entered on his third, awaiting the appointment of his Dem- ocratic successor. (This appointment has since been made, March 13, 1915 .. Joseph D. Kowalkowski being the appointee.) The salary of the postmaster at St. Cloud is now $2,900 per year.

Much credit for the efficiency of the office is due Frank J. Bach, who began January 1, 1880, when a mere boy, as a clerk under J. E. West, and has been almost continually in the service ever since, having for a number of years past filled the office of assistant postmaster.

The first domestic money order was issued July 7, 1865, to Henry W. Weary, and was payable to the Rock River Insur- ance company at Rockford, Ill .; amount, $8.50; fee, 10 cents. At that time this was the minimum fee for any postal order; now it is 3 cents. During July of that year but 9 orders were issued, and in August only 28. At the present time as many as 126 are issued in a single day. The first

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

domestic order paid at this office was issued at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, July 7, 1865 (the same date on which the first order was issued here) in favor of J. E. Putnam, of Big Lake, and was paid July 19th.

The first foreign money order was - issued June 13, 1874, to C. Schulten, $20.00; fee, 50 cents (present fee, 20 cents), drawn on Germany and payable to F. Schulten. Only 4 foreign orders were issued up to February 1, 1875. The average issue of this office is now 80 per month. The foreign orders drawn on the St. Cloud office from 1874 to 1880 would indicate that it was during these years the only foreign money order office in this part of the state, as orders were paid to persons whose address was Perham, Litchfield, Big Stone Lake, Long Prairie, Morris, Rush Lake, White Earth, etc. In the earlier years the larger proportion of foreign orders were received, but now they are sent to various countries in the old world, showing how conditions have changed.

The St. Cloud postoffice has always stood high with the postoffice officials at Wash- ington, and strangers visiting St. Cloud have often spoken of it as one of the best conducted offices in the country.

During the past 60 years the St. Cloud postoffice has grown from a small box under a counter in a small log building to its present magnificent home, and the receipts of the office have increased from $90.69 (which was all paid to the post- master the first year) to the sum of $41,- 438.75, for the calendar year ending Decem- ber 31, 1914.

This much space has been given to the St. Cloud office because of its importance and because the material was available.

Following is a list of the postoffices of Stearns county, together with a list of the postmasters who have served, together with the dates of their appointment. In some instances, the dates of the establish- ment and discontinuance of the offices is also given.

Albany .- Isador Obermiller, (established) Dec. 30, 1870; Joseph Zeis, May 19, 1873; Carl Herberger, June 26, 1874; Joseph Kraker, Oct. 22, 1874; Geo. Winner, Jr., Feb. 6, 1882; Frederick Weitzel, Jan. 23,

1883; Joseph Weitzel, Jan. 23, 1890; Thos. Schultz, Jan. 9, 1894; Joseph Weitzel, Dec. 6, 1894; Geo. A. Garreis, July 14, 1896; Nicholas Young, Sept. 20, 1898; J. B. Pallansch, Feb. 10, 1909; Henry J. Schafer, Jan .. 8, 1915.

Arban .- Henry Stoetzel, (established) Apr. 29, 1895; Henry Backer, Dec. 17, 1898; discontinued, Feb. 28, 1905.

Arcadia .- Joseph Edelbrock, (estab- lished) Sept. 5, 1855; discontinued, May 2, 1856.

Avon .- Wm. Murphy, (established) Apr. 1, 1873; Discontinued, July 20, 1874; re- established Aug. 25, 1874; Wm. Murphy, Aug. 25, 1874; J. W. Eich, Aug. 17, 1882; Thos. Hussey, Feb. 18, 1886; Elizabeth A. Eich, Nov. 20, 1889; T. F. Roche, Nov. 21, 1893; John Schneider, July 19, 1897; Wm. S. Bartholomew, Mar. 15, 1899; John Grutsch, Dec. 19, 1914.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110