USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 40
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City and Masonic Hall. This is a pretty structure built of brick and erected in 1890. The lower floor is used as a village hall and the upper floor is well furnished and devoted to Masonic purposes. The waterworks, tower, pump and well were put in in 1901.
M. W. A. Hall and Opera House. In 1909 a stock company was formed for the purpose of erecting a building to be used for a fraternity hall and place of entertainment. The building was
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started in 1909 and dedicated in 1910. It is of briek with an ornamental front. The place is well lighted with gas, and few stages in southern Minnesota are as well equipped. The building is 100x50 feet. The auditorium is 50x66 and the stage 24x50 feet. A fine balcony adds to the seating capacity. The Woodman Hall Association was organized, as stated, in 1909. The officers were: President, E. F. Greening; secretary, W. D. Lockwood; treasurer, G. A. Wright ; directors, F. M. Higbie, C. W. Martin, Andrew Haugen, C. E. Hovda, August Biederbeck and G. G. Tor- grimson. The present officers are the same with the exception that Fred Seabern is secretary.
Fire Protection. Grand Meadow is excellently equipped to guard against fire. In the early days the village had various bucket brigades. The present Grand Meadow Hose company was organized September 18, 1894. At that meeting Il. B. Sheldon was the chairman and C. F. Greening, secretary. The first officers elected were: Foreman, W. A. Nolan ; assistant, P. Wilson ; sec- retary, John J. Weeks; treasurer, C. F. Greening; standing com- mittee, F. II. Townsend, P. MeDonough and Ed Bartlett. The present officers are: Foreman, W. A. Nolan; assistant, Theo. Bratrud; secretary and treasurer, E. F. Greening.
The Grand Meadow Cemetery is suitably located, and well cared for. On March 11, 1873, a meeting of citizens was held, and various sums were subseribed for the purchase of a eeme- tery. Temporary officers were appointed as follows: President, O. W. Case ; treasurer, L. E. Pearce ; secretary, B. F. Langworthy. A committee of three, consisting of O. W. Case, H. P. Coleman and William Lewis was appointed to draft the by-laws. The Grand Meadow Cemetery Association was then formally organ- ized, the directors being O. W. Case, B. F. Langworthy, L. F. Pearce, A. R. Austin, C. F. Greening, N. C. Markham and Wil- liam Lewis. C. F. Greening was the first actuary. The first burial was probably that of Arthur Wood, October 7, 1873. The present officers are: President, John Peterson; treasurer and actuary, C. F. Greening ; secretary, Philip T. Elliott ; C. W. Mar- tin, A. D. Moore, L. M. Lindsley and W. P. Lewis.
Grand Meadow Library. In November, 1883, the sum of $64 was raised by subseription among the citizens of the place for the beginning of a public library. Of this amount, the village council gave $10, in order to carry out the design. An associa- tion was formed, with the following officers: Rev. G. B. Caple, president ; W. W. Ranney, librarian; Mrs. II. B. Sheldon and Mrs. H. B. Martin, directors.
The library is now in a flourishing conditon, and has rooms over the postoffice. The present officers are: President, F. H. Armstrong; secretary and treasurer, A. T. Keeler; Mrs. U. P.
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Peyton, Clare Peterson, Mrs. C. F. Greening, W. D. Loekwood, Dr. R. S. Mitehell and P. F. Elliott.
Home Telephone Company. C. F. Greening, banker of Grand Meadow, was a pioneer in the telephone business. He built a little line for family use. In 1898 some of his neighbors wanted to have telephones connected to his line. Ineidentally he con- nected up a few telephones. He did not realize, at the time, that he was laying the cornerstone for the great telephone industry. He added telephones to his exchange until he had nearly three hundred telephones in Grand Meadow and Dexter. In 1906 he sold his telephone system to the Home Telephone Company, which was organized that year. C. F. Greening was elected secretary of this new company; W. H. Goodsel, president ; and Martin Axness, general manager. The company sold the Dexter exchange to the Dexter Telephone Company and the business grew so that the Grand Meadow Exchange had over three hundred telephones in 1911. The company owns half interest in the toll lines con- necting the neighboring towns: Racine, Stewartville, Spring Val- ley, LeRoy, Ostrander, Adams, Elkton, and Dexter.
The Nolan Auto Company is one of the important coneerns of Grand Meadow. It is said that the company sells more auto- mobiles than any other agency in this part of the state. An excellent garage and warehouse is maintained, and the members of the company have put much energy and ability into its man- agement. The officers are: President, W. A. Nolan ; secretary, G. T. Torgrimson ; treasurer, G. A. Wright.
The Farmers' Grain Company. This company, which does a general grain, eoal and feed business, was organized March 16, 1907, and purchased the old Ripley elevator building. The first officers were: President, C. L. Schroeder; vice president, Henry Corcoran; secretary, G. A. Wright; treasurer, R. E. Crane; A. Lybeck, HI. Neuman ; F. M. Hligbie, George W. Coon, Jr. S. V. Moen was the buyer. The present officers are: President, F. M. Highie; vice president, M. H. Corcoran; W. H. Goodsell, C. L. Schroeder. Edward Christgan is the buyer.
Grand Meadow Cooperative Butter and Cheese Association. This ereamery is one of the oldest in Minnesota. It was organ- ized March 14, 1889, and built a ereamery at onee. The first officers were: President, A. D. Moore; vice president, William Seabern; secretary, O. E. Low; treasurer, E. Torgrimson; H. J. Lockwood, L. M. Lindsley, O. K. Lestrud, P. E. Peterson, C. J. Higbie. The present officers are: President, A. G. Dalen; vice president, L. N. Lindsley ; secretary and treasurer, G. A. Wright : George F. Brown, S. J. Olson, W. H. Goodsell, John Krause and John Joyee, Jr. The creamery does a large trade and enjoys a wide patronage.
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Grand Meadow Creamery Association. This organization was perfected February 4, 1882, with A. B. Lindsay, president ; C. F. Greening, treasurer; H. M. Lovell, secretary. Business was started with a stock capital of $3,000. A suitable building was at once erected, and furnished with the most approved machinery, run by a steam engine of fifteen-horsepower. In the autumn of 1883, a feed mill was added, at a cost of $500. A dividend of 10 per cent was declared on June 1, 1884, leaving a sufficient capital to carry on the business. In 1883, from the milk of about seven hundred cows, were made 90,000 pounds of butter, which was sold for $21,000. This association did not prove a success, and the building is now used by Lars Frankson as a feed mill.
GRAND MEADOW HIGH SCHOOL.
Independent School District, No. 77, was organized in 1872. The first schoolhouse was built in the southeast quarter of block 25, Proprietors addition to the village, and at the present time the district owns the whole block. The first site was donated to the district by the townsite proprietors, so long as it shall be used for school purposes. The balance of the block has been acquired since at various times by purchase. The original school house was a one-story, 14x20, frame building without ceiling or plaster, and unpainted. This was used for the first year and the first teacher was Lizzie Anker, of Frankford township. In 1863 a new building was erected at a cost of $2,000 by G. W. Lore and Louis Lutenberger, under contract between District 77 and D. B. Colman, and was paid for with district bonds drawing twelve per cent interest. The building was used until 1894, when, becoming overcrowded, it was sold to John Hudson, who moved it down onto Second street, where it was burned in the great fire of 1900. A new building was erected during 1894, of four rooms, by John Kingsley, of Chatfield, was occupied the same fall, and was burned January 24, 1895, the fire originating in the hot air pipes. School was in session at the time and the flames and smoke developed so suddenly that had it not been for the splen- did discipline and fire drill of the scholars, under Prof. P. C. Tonning (now assistant state superintendent of schools), many of the pupils must have been injured, if not killed in escaping from the upper rooms. As it was, most of the furniture, books and supplies were destroyed. With the energy and resourceful- ness of Professor Tonning, the school was in session again three days after, in the town hall and two churches (Methodist and Congregational), as though nothing had happened. Another building was erected on the same site and of the same dimensions as the one burned during the summer of 1895, and school again
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opened in September of that year. This was operated until 1903, when, it beeoming so crowded, a special school meeting was called February 20, for the purpose of voting on the question of organizing as an independent school district. Out of fifty-five votes cast, but two were in opposition.
Another special meeting was held April 27, 1903, for the pur- pose of voting on a proposition to build an addition to the present sehool and to inaugurate the state high school system. The vote stood fifty-six for and fifty-four against the proposition. It was then voted to issue $6,000 of sehool bonds for the purpose of erecting the new building. The vote stood fifty-two in favor and eight against the proposition. Plans were drawn and the eon- traet let to Tosten A. Stenvig, of Harmony, Minnesota, for the sum of $3,450, the basement for $583, and the steam heating plant for $1,965, or a total of $5,998. The building was completed in time to hold the fall term of school as a state high school, and has so continued to the present time. The value of the school property at the last annual meeting was something over $14,000. All the high school branches are now being taught, with a corps of eight teachers. Under the able management of Prof. W. A. Alexander, an agricultural eourse has been added to the regular studies, and for all of the drawbacks from the dry season, our students carried off many prices at the county fair in 1910 for their garden products. The present school board consists of Hon. W. A. Nolan, president ; Philip T. Elliott, secretary ; C. F. Green- ing, treasurer (for last thirty-five years) ; S. P. Hambleton, Martin Sorom and G. T. Torgrimson. The faculty consists of the follow- ing: Superintendent, Prof. W. A. Alexander; principal, Villa Harris; assistant principal, Gladys Putnam; eighth grade, Nellie Keenan; seventh grade, Irene Warren; fifth and sixth grades, Grace F. Leonard; third and fourth grades, Emma Warren ; first and second grades, Eva Barber; janitor, Anton Odden. Nine months sehool is always held, with an average attendance of about 200. Grand Meadow is justly proud of her high school.
SOCIETIES.
Booth Post No. 130, Department of Minnesota, G. A. R. January 23, 1885, sixteen of the "old boys" met in the skating rink and organized as a Grand Army post. Lieut. W. W. Ranney, Capt. Albert Swift, and Alfred Lounsbury, of Post 11, Brownsdale, acted as mustering officers, and Booth Post 130 was duly instituted, and added to the department rolls. W. W. Ran- ney being a resident of Grand Meadow, brought his transfer card and was duly mustered in as one of the charter members. Booth Post was named after one of the boy soldiers of Hamilton,
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in Fillmore eounty, who went to the war, and gave his all, his life, for the country. The charter members are as follows: H. B. Sheldon, Company I, First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry ; A. J. Seribner, Company I, Sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry ; W. W. Ranney, lieutenant, Company A, Twenty-sixth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry ; James F. Carson, Company -, Fourth Mas- saehusetts Cavalry ; Oliver Lewis, Company K, Forty-ninth Wis- consin Volunteer Infantry; C. F. Greening, Company A, Elev- enth, and Company H, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infan- try ; R. A. Donaldson, Company K, First Minnesota Heavy Artil- lery ; H. H. Hartley, Company E, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; J. W. Farquar, Company C, Twelfth United States Infantry, and Company D, Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cav- alry ; C. P. Gladen, Company -, One Hundred and Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry; A. J. Stewart, Company A, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; Benjamin Wright, Company C, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry ; E. O. Hovda, Com- pany K, First Minnesota Heavy Artillery; C. N. Bostwick, Com- pany C, Ninth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry; Nels. Seaverson, Company K, First Minnesota Heavy Artillery ; N. S. Green, Com- pany A, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Of the above named sixteen charter members, all have answered the "last roll call" exeept four-Lieut. W. W. Ranney, A. J. Serib- ner, C. F. Greening, and Benjamin Wright. The following wera the first officers of the post : Commander, H. B. Sheldon ; senior viee commander, C. P. Gladden; junior vice commander, R. A. Donaldson; adjutant, W. W. Ranney; surgeon, A. J. Seribner ; chaplain, C. N. Bostwick; quartermaster, C. F. Greening; O. D., A. J. Stewart; O. G., Benjamin Wright; S. M., N. S. Green ; quartermaster sergeant, H. H. Hartley.
The first representative to a state encampment was C. P. Gladen. John Espenseheid, who was one of the early recruits to the post, was the first member to answer the "last roll call." He passed away on November 10, 1885. The first memorial serv- ices were held in the Methodist church on Sunday, May 23, 1887. Rev. Allen delivered the address, assisted by Rev. Colwell, of the Congregational church. Memorial Sunday has been kept ever since, first by the Methodist society, and then the Congrega- tional society, alternately. In the fall of 1889, the mothers, wives and daughters of soldiers organized a Woman's Relief Corps, Booth Corps No. 62, and justly proud the post is, of that splendid auxiliary. Their main aim seems to be to aid the suffering and needy. August 17, 1891, it was decided to build a home for the post and corps. A subscription list was circulated, and in to: days $523 had been secured. The building was started, and the beautiful little home was completed and occupied the same fall.
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That noble body of women composing the W. R. C., donated the sum of $115 towards the new home. At the first meeting in the new building, it was unanimously voted that the post hall should never be used for any purpose except for the meetings of the post and corps, so long as the post survived. That agreement has been religiously kept, and will be kept so long as the post exists, and thanks to the W. R. C., we have the neatest and cleanest post hall in the state that we have seen. On the comple- tion of the building it was found that we were free from debt, and no debt has ever been held against the post. With no rent to pay, we have always had a niee balnce in the treasury, both general and relief funds. At a meeting of the post in January, 1906, the question was discussed as to what should be done with the hall when the post ceased to exist. It was unanimously voted that the trustees of the post should at onee execute a deed of the property, running to the trustees of the W. R. C., and their successors in office, as a mark of love and esteem to that band of women who had been our helpers for so long. The deed was duly executed and is held in escrow so long as the post holds its organization. And when the numbers are so few that the post ceases to exist, the survivors are to place the deed on record and deliver to our successors, the Woman's Relief Corps, to do with as they may deem best, well knowing that the little home will never be disgraced or used for a wrong purpose. There have been associated with the post during its twenty-six years of life, sixty-three members, twenty-eight of whom are known to have died, twenty-one have been granted eards, or have moved away, and fourteen still remain in good standing. C. F. Greening has been its quartermaster for the whole twenty-six years, and in 1908 was elected at the state encampment to the office of senior vice commander of the Department of Minnesota. The post meetings are held the first Saturday of the month, in the after- noon. The W. R. C. meets every other Saturday. The present officers are: Commander, Benjamin Wright; senior vice com- mander (vacant, by the death of J. W. Farquar, in December, 1910) ; junior vice commander, A. W. Thornhill ; adjutant, M. B. Johnson ; quartermaster, C. F. Greening ; surgeon, A. J. Scribner ; chaplain, D. C. Sanborn; O. D., George Nugent; patriotic in- structor, M. B. Johnson; O. G. (vacant, by death of Amirand Finhart) ; S. M., G. D. Pierce ; quartermaster sergeant (vacant, by death of G. W. Hayes).
Meadow Camp, No. 1918, M. W. A., was organized February 14, 1893, with the following officers: George A. Correll, V. C .; William J. Smith, W. A .; clerk, K. J. Weeks; banker, John J. Weeks, Jr. The other members. L. D. Bentler, F. L. Dean, Dr. F. O'Connor, HI. A. Phillips, F. H. Townsend and T. M. Stewart,
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also held minor offices. The present officers are: V. C., W. A. Alexander; W. A., A. F. Dettloff; C., W. Higbie; B., G. T. Tor- grimson ; physician, R. S. Mitehell.
Meadow Lodge, No. 121, A. F. and A. M., was organized by dispensation in 1875. The first officers were M. O. Wilsie, W. M .; C. F. Greening, S. W .; S. S. Bacon, secretary; W. II. Bentley, treasurer; F. R. Warner, S. D .; A. Keith, J. D. A charter was issned and the lodge constituted February 11, 1876 .. M. O. Wilsie was master until 1879. Following him in order came: F. E. Minier, M. O. Wilsie, Geo. F. Goodwin, M. O. Wilsie, W. F. Bent- ley, J. W. Barber, W. A. Nolan, G. W. Day, Geo. A. Correll, G. A. Wright, M. O. Wilsie and E. F. Greening. The present officers are: M. W., E. F. Greening; J. W., Erick Lund; treasurer, Philip Schleiger; secretary, P. F. Elliott; S. D., C. E. Martin; J. D., Angust Dettloff ; S. S., C. W. Higbie ; J. S., F. H. Townsend ; tyler, A. J. Biederbeek.
Mecca Chapter, No. 162, O. E. S., was instituted in December, 1904, and is in a flourishing condition. having been of much mate- rial assistance to the Masonic body here.
The ladies have a flourishing W. C. T. U. lodge here. The I. O. O. F. lodge has surrendered its charter, and the members now affiliate with the lodge at Racine.
RELIGIOUS.
The first sermon in the village was preached in a saloon by Rev. A. Oleson, Norwegian Methodist minister. At a subsequent date a sermon was preached in Coleman's drug store by one Elder White, an eccentric man, of what denomination cannot now be stated. For some time religions exercises were held in the railroad depot.
First Congregational Church. This church was organized April 15, 1878, and the church was built in 1885, the parsonage being erected just ten years later. The first pastor was the Rev. Cyrus Stone. Following him came H. J. Colwell, A. L. Brown, D. E. Smith, Mrs. H. M. Mullenix, T. W. Minnie, Benjamin James, James Oakey, E. C. Lyons, C. E. Bain. The present pastor is the Rev. John A. Hughes, who also served the congregation at Dexter. The clerk of the church is E. J. van Bronkhorst. The deacons are E. F. Greening. W. D. Lockwood and L. M. Lindsley. The treas- urer is E. F. Greening and the Sunday school superintendent is Mrs. W. A. Nolan.
First Methodist Episcopal. The Methodists agitated the sub- ject of building a church at an early day, but took no active measure until 1883, when they purchased a lot at a nominal price and proceeded to collect the necessary funds for building. They
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then had a convenient and comely house of worship. Rev. W. II. Barkaloo, 1877-78; Rev. Mr. Mattson, 1879; Rev. W. R. Wash- born, 1880; Rev. W. Copp, 1881-82, and Rev. G. R. Caple, 1883-84, were among the early pastors. A parsonage was ereeted some fifteen years ago. The present pastor is the Rev. E. L. Quien, who also serves the Hoppin church, so called.
St. Peter's German Lutheran Church. German services have been held in this vicinity sinee the earliest days. In 1903 the church incorporated and purchased a church building from the Norwegian Lutherans. The congregation is in a flourishing con- dition and is served by the Rev. Bernard Thier, who is also pastor of the German church in Racine township.
Grand Meadow Catholic Church. The Catholic church was erected in 1879 under the care of Father Hurley, of Austin. The first religious services for Catholics in Grand Meadow were held by Father Pendegast in 1858, in seetion 13, at the house of Arthur MeNally, in section 13. Fathers MeDermott and Keller served in the early days. The present pastor is Rev. Henry Germinder, of Spring Valley. Plans are now under way for the ereetion of a fine new church. The building committee consists of John Ra- hilley and Thomas J. Grimes. The trustees are Henry Corcoran and James MeDonough.
The Grand Meadow Evangelic Lutheran Church had its begin- ning in the early seventies when meetings were held in the village for the benefit of families who had moved in from the Bear Creek church neighborhood. The church was organized March 26, 1876, at the house of Jens Jorgensen. A church was built a short time afterward. The first preacher was the Rev. P. G. Ostby from Austin. The organizers of the church were: O. E. Loe, Jens Jorgensen, O. B. Larson, C. Anderson, H. C. Anderson, A. D. Samso, A. Hansen, Peter Clausen, Peter Nilsen and Peter Mad- sen. The directors were Jens Jorgensen, O. E. Loe, and A. D. Samso. Interest in this ehurch waned. June 7, 1893, a corpora- tion was formed with A. E. Hovda, secretary, P. E. Peterson, treasurer, and John Skyburg and A. D. Samso directors. This corporation purchased the old church. Services were held in this edifice until 1902, when it was decided to sell it to the German Lutherans. The present church was dedieated in the fall of 1903. The pastor of the church is the eloquent and able Rev. A. H. Gjevre, of Bear Creek. The church holds a school one month dur- ing the summer. and has a fine Sunday school and Ladies' Aid so- ciety. The present officers are: Secretary, C. E. Hovda; treas- urer, E. E. Myhre; directors, T. M. Lokke, Andrew Myhre and II. A. Boe.
A Scandinavian Methodist church was organized in Grand Meadow township in 1866, by Rev. P. A. Birch. About eight fam-
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ilies composed the congregation. A church and parsonage were built at a cost of $1,200. This congregation has gone out of exist- ence and the church edifice is now used as a residence.
CATASTROPHES.
During the years in which this village has had an existence, it has been visited by several destructive fires. The losses by the first ones were a railroad tank in 1873, a house owned by Robert Magary, occupied by M. F. Vining, and a barn with horses owned by R. McCloskey. The next was much more serious, and resulted in losses as follows: F. M. Pierson, dwelling, $800, no insur- ance; Geo. F. Goodwin, office building, $150; F. M. Pierson, saloon building, $200; Daniel Heising, saloon building, $1,000; R. Dunbar, postoffice building, $300; J. C. Easton, meat market building, $100; August Fischer, dwelling and shops, $300; P. A. Huss, building and household goods, $800; S. S. Baken, building, $1,500, and a portion of stock, probably $1,000; M. II. Fjelstad, building, $1,500; W. W. Ranney, a portion of stock and house- hold goods, probably $1,500. There were various smaller losses, probably footing up another $1,000, making a grand total of $10,100 swept away in an hour. Of this about $6,000 was covered by insurance.
Grand Meadow was visited by a serious fire May 16, 1900. The loss was about $25,000, partly covered by an insurance of $10,000. the losers being C. F. Greening, W. A. Nolan, P. Schleiger, John Lindelin, A. D. Moore, C. T. Bussell, C. E. Lawrence, Geo. F. Barnard, John Criswell, Johnson & Jones, E. W. Bartlett, N. El- liott, H. C. Thiel, S. E. Ellesson, G. Hestad and M. David. The fire was discovered by George Goodsell, but had obtained such headway that it was impossible to check the blaze even by the use of dynamite. The buildings destroyed constituted the prin- cipal business portion of the city. This has been completely re- built with good substantial brick buildings.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
RED ROCK AND BROWNSDALE.
Red Rock Township-Early Settlement-First Events-Organiza- tion-Brownsdale Village-Organization-Early Business- Serious Water Spout-Brownsdale in 1871-Brownsdale in 1885-Modern Brownsdale-Fraternities, Churches and Indus- tries-Edited by Hosmer A. Brown.
Red Roek township lies in the second tier from the north and west. The township is well watered, three sufficient streams sup- plying an abundance of that needful element. Roberts creek enters the town from Waltham, in section 3, runs in its tortuous course through sections 4, 5 and 6, from where it leaves the town- ship. The north branch of Dobbins creek finds its way to the township in section 13, runs in its varied course through sections 24, 23, 22, 15, 16, 21, 28, 29, 30 and 31, from which section it enters Lansing township. The south branch of Dobbins creek rises in section 26, runs in a sonthwesterly course through sec- tions 35, 27 and 34, and leaves the town at section 33, re-enters the township in the same section, running through section 32, and leaves the township at the southeast corner of section 31. The natural timber follows the course of the streams, but so many groves have sprung up, under the fostering care of the settler, that the general appearance is of a well wooded country. The general inclination of the land is rolling, and is usually good arable land. Whatever land there is that is low and wet fur- nishes such long succulent grasses, making fine pasturage for stoek, that but little, if any, land can be called waste. The soil is generally a dark sandy loam with a clay subsoil, and contains all the elements of fertility to a very large extent.
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