USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 57
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gave every other lot in the village to the railroad, as well as an extensive right-of-way. At that time the Felton farmhouse, located on about lot 4, block 1, was occupied by John McKellhier.
In the summer of 1884, A. H. Anderson, afterwards county auditor, and J. L. Borg, now a prominent resident of Delhi, reached the site of the future village. These young men had previously been farming in Carver county, and had fixed upon Delhi as the scene of their future operations.
No survey had then been made, but the two partners purchased a granary standing south of the Felton farmhouse, and, after haul- ing goods from Redwood Falls, opened a small store. This gran- ary, rebuilt and remodelled, is still standing north of Mr. Borg's present residence, and east of its original location.
J. L. Borg returned to his home in Carver county, while his brother, C. O. Borg, now of Redwood Falls, and A. H. Anderson, conducted the store. The elevator and the depot were built that fall.
The residents of Delhi during the winter of 1884-85 were C. O. Borg and A. H. Anderson, living over their store; H. J. Heath, the grain buyer, living in the Felton farm house; R. R. Hurlbut, the station agent, living over the railroad station; and John Mc- Guire, the section boss, living in the section house. Some of these gentlemen had their families with them.
J. L. Borg brought his family here Sept. 4, 1885, moved the granary to its present location north of his residence and moved into it.
The town grew slowly. The Northwestern Gazetteer gives the following business activities for Delhi in 1886: Atkinson & Hurlbut, general store and drugs; Borg & Anderson, general store; Boehm, Edward, hotel; Heath, H. J., agent for the Pacific Elevator Co .; Hurlbut, R. R., express, telegraph and railroad agent, dealer in lumber and builders' materials. The village then had a population of thirty people. It is now noted as a grain center and is widely known for its beautiful residence section.
The business directory for 1888 is as follows: Atkinson & Hurlbut, general store; Boehm, Edward, hotel; Borg & Anderson, general store; Borg, C. O., hardware; Chollar, H. D., lumber ; Heath, H. J., agent Pacific Elevator Co .; Hurlbut, R. R., post- master, lumber, general store and express, telegraph and railroad agent ; Knutson, Ole, blacksmith; M. & St. L. Elevator Co., grain; Mulford, A. D., & Co., grain; Pacific Elevator Co., H. J. Heath, agent.
In 1890 the business had increased to considerable proportions : Anderson, A. H., justice ; Atkinson, E., general store; Balis, Rev. W. E. (Presbyterian) ; Boehen, Edward, hotel and feed mill (steam power) ; Borg, C. O., hardware; Borg & Anderson, general store; Cumming, J. O., coal and wood; Cumming & Co., farm im-
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plements; Goody, P., carpenter; Interstate Grain Co., C. Alex- ander agent; Knutson, Ole, blacksmith; Lagerstrom, C., carpen- ter; Lagerstorm, J. A., hotel; McCorquodale, D., postmaster ; McLean Bros., lumber ; M. & St. L. Elevator Co., A. H. Anderson, agent, grain; Mulford, A. D. & Co., grain; Pacific Elevator Co., H. J. Heath, agent; Pierson, C. A., railroad, express and telegraph agent ; Sherwin, E. W., principal public school.
The original plat of Delhi was surveyed for Charles F. Hatch, Asa Y. Felton and Lizzie L. Felton, on Sept. 1, 1884, by W. S. Dawley, in the northwest quarter of section 17, town 113, range 36. All the streets are 66 feet wide, except Railroad avenue, running parallel with the track, which is 40 feet wide. The north and south streets, beginning at the east are: East, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and West. The east and west streets, beginning at the north are: North avenue, Vanderburg avenue, Franklin avenue and Cass avenue. Railroad avenue, bounding the village on the south, runs northwest and southeast. All the alleys are 20 feet wide.
A petition for the incorporation of Delhi village was drawn up on Oct. 6, 1902, and was signed by the following leading citizens : E. L. Chubb, H. N. Rivers, E. D. House, T. W. McKeen; George Schumm, H. Floyd, D. O. Schooley, Ed. Boehm, Thos. Steele, M. Christenson, Ole Gustafson, Ole L. Flore, A. D. McLean, H. C. Engeman, Alden J. Laidlaw, F. J. Tibbetts, J. L. Borg, Emil Borg, E. Atkinson, Henry T. Helgeson, Ole Knudson, Henry Anderson, Willis W. Creswell, Isaac Leslie, Geo. Leslie, P. H. Olson, W. H. Daylor, Knut Knutson, Charles S. Kramm and Daniel McLean.
The census taken on Oct. 4, 1902, showed a population of 176. The petition was duly granted, and election on the proposition ordered held at the hall of the Delhi Cornet Band, in charge of Daniel McLean, E. D. House and Edwin Atkinson. Of the twenty- eight votes cast every one was favorable to the incorporation.
The first election was held in the band hall, Nov. 25, 1902, with Isaac Leslie and P. H. Olson as judges and H. T. Helgeson as clerk. Twenty-three votes were cast, the officers elected being : President, Edwin Atkinson; trustees, E. L. Chubb, A. D. McLean and Ole L. Flore; recorder, Daniel McLean; treasurer, John L. Borg; justice, D. O. Schooley ; constable, E. D. House and H. C. Engeman. The first meeting of the new council was held Dec. 2, 1902.
The present officers are: President, D. R. McCorquodale; trustees, Mad Christiansen, John L. Borg and A. L. Leonard; recorder, M. D. Woolstencroft; treasurer, H. C. Engeman; justice, H. T. Helgeson; constable, M. C. de Graff. The village has an excellent public hall, which was purchased and remodelled for its present purpose. It furnishes an ideal meeting place and is also used as an opera house.
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GILFILLAN.
Gilfillan is a neat station in section 36, Paxton township, es- tablished to provide shipping facilities for the extensive Gilfillan estate. The station and its surroundings are neatly kept, and everything in the vicinity reflects the spirit of the splendid estate from whose founder it takes its name.
Gilfillan Station consists of depot, elevator, and the home of Chas. O. Gilfillan and his manager, Casper B. Huschke. Gilfillan is the result of the labors of C. D. Gilfillan, the well-known and energetic citizen of St. Paul, Minn., who upon deciding to leave the city and establish a farm, where he could carry on farming after his advanced ideas, purchased 8,200 acres of land lying in Morgan, Sherman, Paxton and Three Lakes townships, Redwood county. It has been reduced since his death to about 7,000 acres. He enclosed the place with miles of barbed wire fence, and on this land Gilfillan annually fatted six to eight hundred head of cattle. He gradually made the improvements contemplated in his plan until today there are thirty-five rented farms where a few years ago there was but a feeding station. When C. D. Gilfillan passed away his property was taken over by his heirs, and eventually the remainder of the tract of 7,000 acres came under the control of his son, Chas. O. Gilfillan who resides on the place. Gilfillan sta- tion is beautifully situated in an artificial grove of trees four and one-half miles northwest of Morgan. The land, like all the rest around the village, is a black loam from three to six feet deep, resting on a clay subsoil, which holds the moisture. The Gilfillan ideas of farming are being introduced on the thirty-five farms of the district as fast as it can be done. Cattle, hogs, corn, clover and alfalfa are the five keys that unlock the combination. The farmers of Morgan and other townships are catching the idea and stock raising with this combination is coming in fast.
Thousands of bushels of grain, and a number of carloads of stock are annually shipped from Gilfillan station, adding materi- ally to the output of the county.
LAMBERTON.
Lamberton, the metropolis of southern Redwood county, is pleasantly located on the banks of the Big Cottonwood river, in the midst of one of the richest farming regions in southwestern Minnesota. Provided with excellent shipping facilities by the Chicago & Northwestern, it draws its trade from two counties, and is constantly increasing in size and importance. It has ex- cellent electric light service, an extensive waterworks and sewer system, a beautiful park, adequate fire protection, and a suitable city hall. The streets are broad and well-cared for, the business
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houses are substantial in structure and well stocked with modern goods, while the residences are sightly, and for the most part sur- rounded with well-kept lawns and shrubbery. The schools are of the best, being well housed and equipped, and offering ample facilities for the securing of a liberal education in many different lines. The churches are flourishing and well-supported, stately in architecture, and commodious in size. The fraternities keep alive the fraternal spirit, and contribute much to the social life of the village. The white way gives a truly metropolitan appear- ance to the business section, and adds to the pleasant impression that the stranger receives of the whole place.
The park which was donated by W. C. Brown, for many years secretary to H. W. Lamberton, land commissioner of the Winona & St. Peter Land Co., and afterward land commissioner himself, has been beautified by the village authorities, until now it is as beautiful a one-block park as is to be found anywhere. It is well laid out with attractive lawns, walks, and flower beds, ornamental shrubbery, and shaded with a wide variety of trees. The cannon, which adds a most artistic touch to the park, was presented to the old soldiers of the vicinity by the United States government.
The waterworks and sewerage system has reflected the growth of the village. Originally private wells were the only supply of water, and there was no fire protection. Later a cistern for fire protection was installed and a city well constructed. In time the present adequate system was adopted. The old windmill which once pumped the city water, and which was long a feature of the village landscape, is now gone, and in its place a modern pump- ing station, operated by electricity, has been installed. The water supply is derived from an eight-inch well, which draws its water through an open end from a gravel bed nineteen inches thick, sixty-four feet below the surface. The water rises to a level, thirty feet below the surface. When the well was completed in 1901 it was tested for thirty-six hours continuously at a rate of sixty gallons a minute, and at present it is pumped at about thirty-five gallons a minute. The water is hard. Some 10,000 gallons is consumed daily. Private wells, which furnish the sup- ply for many of the families, have an average depth of about forty feet and their yield is somewhat dependent upon the amount of rainfall. The sewer system extends through the business streets and also through some of the residence districts.
The Peoples Light & Power Co. not only supplies the current for illuminating the streets, business houses and residences, but also furnishes power for the pumping station, and provides illumi- nation and power for many of the surrounding villages.
The village hall, which is the old schoolhouse moved and re- modelled, provides a meeting place for all village purposes, and
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also houses the fire apparatus. The fire company is in charge of George Nigg.
The churches are of the English Methodist Episcopal, German Methodist Episcopal, English Lutheran, German Lutheran, Cath- olic and Congregational denominations.
The leading fraternities here are the A. F. & A. M., the K. of P., the I. O. O. F., the M. B. A., the W. O. W., the C. O F, the Re- bekahs, the Eastern Star and the Royal Neighbors.
The rails for the Winona & St. Peter, now the Chicago & Northwestern, were laid through the southern part of Redwood county in 1872, the first construction train reaching Marshall on Oct. 12, 1872. The winter was long and hard, and railroad work was entirely suspended during the winter months, and it was not until April 14, 1873, that a train passed through Redwood county in the spring.
When the railroad reached section 20, Lamberton township, in the fall of 1872, A. A. Praxel, from near New Ulm, and Frank Schandera, from St. Clair, formed a partnership and opened a general store just south of the railroad track. Charles Bennett, who had a farm nearby, opened a boarding house. A postoffice, called Charlestown, was established there, with A. A. Praxel as postmaster, and hopes were entertained that the embryo village would become the biggest town on the line west of New Ulm.
But the railroad authorities decided upon section 23, as the site of the future village. There C. R. Kneeland erected a building in 1873, opened a boarding house and hotel, and was appointed postmaster, the name of Lamberton, which had already been given to the railroad stopping place, being likewise given to the post- office. In 1874 Praxel & Shandera moved their store from Cotton- wood Crossing and established themselves at Lamberton.
Mr. Kneeland opened his store in the first house in town, which was used as a boarding house and hotel. It stood where the flour house of the Farmers' elevator now stands. In addition to his other business, he added that of lumber and building supplies. He sold out and went to Wisconsin, where he lived for a few years. He came back again and went into the lumber business. He lived here from that time until he died. Mrs. Kneeland, the widow, now lives at Marshall, Minnesota.
Hopes of a speedy success were blasted by the grasshoppers, and the business did not grow to any important extent. In 1877, the last year of the grasshopper ravages, the business interests of Lamberton were represented by Praxel & Schandera, general merchants; W. E. Golding, blacksmith and wagonmaker; Adolph Graumann, harnessmaker and saloonkeeper, and N. P. Nelson, dealer in lumber, grain and agricultural implements.
The departure of the grasshoppers and the return of pros- perity to the agricultural regions brought a great boom to Lam-
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berton. The village was platted in 1878 and incorporated in 1879, and when the Northwestern Gazetteer was issued early in 1880 it showed Lamberton as a busy place, with heavy exports of grain, butter, eggs, hides and wool, with Methodist and Congrega- tional churches, a good school, a newspaper, and many business houses. The possibilities of the undeveloped waterpower are mentioned, and the opportunity for a grist or woolen mill is stated. A semi-weekly stage was then running to Windom. The directory of business activities showed the following names: Anderson, Hogan, wagonmaker; Berry, C. W., railroad agent; Broer, Henry, wagonmaker; Clausen, R., hotel proprietor; Cran- dall, F. U., physician and druggist; Fuller L., general store; Gun- san, Rev. John (Methodist) ; Grobuer, J., boots and shoes ; Hackey, W. A., justice of the peace and flour and feed ; Holder, Rev. George (Congregational) ; Horton & Co., lumber yard; Junnel, F., hotel and saloon; Larson, John, hardware; Letford, E. J. furniture; Letford John S., express agent and general store; Madigan, M. M., lawyer; Nelson, N. P., live stock dealer; Nelson, N. P., lumber, grain and farm implements; Praxel & Shandera, general store; Reed, Wm., grain dealer; Roth, John, blacksmith; Shandera, F., live stock dealer; Terry, George, hotel proprietor; Whitten & Judd, grain elevator; Yarham W. W., editor and proprietor Lam- berton Commercial
The Gazetteer for 1882 shows the following activities: Ander- son, Hogan, wagonmaker; Anderson, O. A., blacksmith; Chester Bros., general store ; Clauson, R., saloon ; Crandall, L. S., physician and druggist; Devine, H., barber; Fuller, L., general store; Hackey, W. A. justice and flour and feed dealer; Herrington, Rev. J. H. (Methodist) ; Holder, Rev. George (Congregational) ; Hor- ton & Co., lumber dealers; Jurmel, F., hotel and saloon ; Larson, John, hardware; Lawer, John, meat market ; Letford, George, ex- press agent; Letford, J. S., furniture and general store; Libby, George, lawyer; Madigan M. M., lawyer; Morton, Richard, hard- ware; Nelson, N. P., farm implements; Oleson, R., meat market ; Orker A. W., general store; Peterson, S. D., farm implements; Pierce, John, hotel proprietor ; Pievee, P. L., hotel proprietor ; Praxel & Shandera, general store and grain dealers; Roth, John, blacksmith ; Shandera, F., live stock dealer; Smith, A. J., railroad agent; Thorp & Whitney, lawyers; Whitten & Judd, grain eleva- tor ; Yarham, W. W. editor and proprietor Lamberton Commercial.
The original plat of Lamberton was filed August 19, 1878. The land was surveyed for Henry W. Lamberton on July 1, 1878, by T. G. Carter, surveyor, in the west half of section 23, town 109, range 37. There were ten blocks, all full blocks, each containing 12 lots. All the streets were 70 feet wide, except "D" street, which was 80 feet wide, and First street, which was also 80 feet wide. The alleys were 20 feet wide. The streets running north and south,
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starting at the west, were A, B, C, D, E and F. The streets run- ning east and west, starting at the north, were First, Second and Third.
The plat of Grimm & England addition to Lamberton was filed March 6, 1915. The owners were Mr. and Mrs. George J. Grimm, Mr. and Mrs. H. M. England, Ed. Arnsdorf and Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Asmus. The plat of M. L. McGee's addition to Lamber- ton was filed June 24, 1892. The land was owned by M. L. and Irene McGee. The plat of Lamberton & Sykes' first addition to Lamberton was filed June 7, 1893. This land belonged to Henry W. Lamberton and M. L. Sykes.
The plat of H. W. Lamberton's second addition to Lamberton was filed on August 26, 1903. The plat of H. W. Lamberton's addition to Lamberton was filed December 22, 1900. The plat of Lamberton & Sykes' second addition to Lamberton was filed July 12, 1897.
Lamberton was incorporated by act of the Legislature, ap- proved March 1, 1879 (Chapter 8, Special Laws of 1879), under the provisions of Chapter 139, of the General Laws of 1875. J. S. Letford, Frank Schandera and N. P. Nelson were named as com- missioners to perfect the organization.
According to the History of the Minnesota Valley, published in 1884, an election was held at the schoolhouse March 17, 1879, thirty votes being cast and officers elected as follows: President, J. S. Letford; trustees, N. P. Nelson, William M. Reed and L. S. Cran- dall; recorder, Frank Schandera; treasurer, W. E. Golding; jus- tice, M. M. Madigan ; constable, J. A. Letford.
According to the village records, a meeting of the electors was held March 31, 1879. Dr. L. S. Crandall was appointed temporary chairman. The meeting then organized with M. M. Madigan as president, W. E. Golding as recorder, and J. Maybury as treasurer. The minutes of April 14, 1879, Would indicate that N. P. Nelson and William M. Reed were then the trustees. L. S. Crandall was also a trustee. J. S. Letford was constable. There appears to have been a constant change in the recorder's office, William E. Reed, N. C. Nelson, Fred C. Gley, L. S. Crandall, C. A. Lambert and Marion Crandall all signing the minutes at one time or another during the first eighteen months of the village's existence.
After the village of Lamberton was incorporated only routine work was done. The council met from time to time, transacted business and adjourned. After one or two small fires occurred in the village, on January 2, 1889, the council bought the first fire engine. It was a hand-power affair and cost, complete, $575.
When the engine arrived the town called a mass meeting, which took measures to organize a fire company. On February 11, 1889, this company was organized with twenty-five members. In looking over the list of members in the old records, will be found nearly
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all the names of the prominent first settlers. Joseph Libby was elected foreman and Frank Schandera assistant foreman.
Things moved along slowly but surely after that, the village growing more and more, until five years later the village of Lam- berton began to take on metropolitan ideas, and the agitation for waterworks and sewer commenced. After much talk, pro and con, the council authorized the building of a waterworks plant, adver- tised for bids on August 27, 1894, let the contract for a waterworks system that cost $5,043.
After this work was started the need of a main sewer developed and after advertising for bids, the council let the contract for a main sewer to cost $1,850. This contract was let on September 10, 1894.
The present officers are: President, G. A. Keonig; recorder, A. J. Praxel; trustees, Thomas Masterson, Charles A. Lauer and Emil Gerth; treasurer, George R. Kluegel; justices, L. A. Gooter, C. M. Herrman; constables, Michael Moore and Harry Beaty; assessor, William Miller.
The first schools in Lamberton were opened in the summer of 1875 by Louise Kelley, teacher, with 16 pupils. The school was con- ducted at the residence of J. H. Abbott. The first school house was built that fall. It was a small affair and is now used by Mr. McGee as a granary. The first school board was composed as fol- lows : Director, W. W. Kelly ; treasurer, J. S. Letford; clerk, W. E. Golding.
The next school house was the two-story building erected on lots 4, 5 and 6, block 6, in the village of Lamberton, in the year 1891. This building was purchased by the village of Lamberton from the shool district on March 27, 1907, and is now being used for a village hall and for housing the village fire company apparatus. The next school building was built in 1892 and was used for a third school room in addition to the two in the last named school house. This little building is now a part of the Methodist Epis- copal church in Lamberton.
Independent School District No. 31 was organized July 28, 1894, and the following year the first directors were : R. Clauson, H. H. Dahl, Fred Koenig, P. Hayes, C. F. Waterman and Frank Clague. The school site where the brick grade building is situated was erected November 13, 1894. Contract for building this brick school building was let July 8, 1896, for $12,800, for which the school district issued bonds for $15,000 and the first tax levy was $3,100.
The dedication of the building was held January 6, 1897, the principal speaker being S. R. Van Sant. The first superintendent in the new school building was E. K. Greene, and his assistants were Miss Addie Hugenin, Miss Grace Jewison and Miss Tena Nel- son. The heating plant in this building was originally a hot air
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affair, but in 1909 a complete steam heating plant was added to the building.
The present Consolidated School District No. 31 was organized November 28, 1914, on which date the voters from school districts Nos. 41 and 91 voted on the matter at the school house in Lamber- ton. Forty-two votes were cast, of which twenty-nine were in favor of consolidation and thirteen against. The school board of Independent School District No. 31 the same evening passed a reso- lution consenting to the consolidation and the county superinten- dent made the formal order on December 1, 1914.
On February 3 the voters of the Consolidated School District voted on the issuance of bonds in the sum of $45,000 and the same was carried by 105 in favor to 11 against. The school board let the contract for the new school building on April 5, 1915, for $46,963. This new building was occupied November 15, 1915.
The present number of teachers employed is seventeen, as fol- lows: Superintendent, Herman N. Bergh ; principal, N. N. Steven- son; assistant principal, Alice E. Wilkinson; high school and librarian, Eda Zwinggi; normal training department, Eulalia F. Weisend; agricultural department, Adolph H. Reuhl; domestic science department, Mary Sweeney; manual training department, L. B. Graves; eighth grade, Pearl E. Poorker; seventh grade, Valeria Bellig; sixth grade, Zelphia Bellig; fifth grade, Anna M. Ekholm; fourth grade, Evelyn Daly ; third grade, Lena Enns ; third grade, Katherine Haas; second grade and music, Zelma C. Linde- man ; primary, Mae Erickson.
The present school board is composed of the following : A. H. Enersen, L. Redding, George J. Grimm, G. A. Koenig, Edwin An- derson and D. V. Gleysteen.
The vicinity of Lamberton has been known since the earliest days. Before the massacre, Charles Zierke, known as Dutch Charlie, settled a few miles to the eastward, near the creek that now bears his name.
In 1862 J. F. Bean came as a soldier during the Indian war, and looking over the country, decided to come back, which he did in 1866, bringing with him Hogan Anderson, father of the brothers, Edwin and A. C. Anderson. Returning, he brought his family here in 1867, and with him came Guli Peterson and wife, Ole Peter- son and wife, Carolius Peterson and family, Joseph Christenson and family and Charles Porter with his family. Together they built a house on the highest point of land in section 25, of what is now known as township of Lamberton. This building was placed on the high land for fear of the Indians. The six families moved into this house and lived there for one year, or until each one had built their own home. About 1870 Mr. Bean moved to his other holdings, several miles southwest of Lamberton.
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