USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 18
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The Farmers' Cooperative Creamery Co. of Sacred Heart was the first creamery in Sacred Heart and was operated for a while with varying success.
The Sacred Heart Farmers Creamery Co. was organized with I. P. Flotten, president ; H. A. Peterson. secretary, and F. O. John- son, manager. For a time it flourished and four different shipping stations were established in neighboring villages. After passing through varying fortunes, however, it finally passed into the hands of Bengt Nelson, the present owner.
The Winfield Creamery Co. was incorporated May 1, 1900, in Winfield by P. Christianson, president : Nels Swanson, seeretary ; Olaf Tatting, Albert Frankson, Frank Fonsek, directors: and Ulrick Julson. The capital stock was not to exceed $1,500.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
CHAPTER XXXV.
GOOD ROADS
Trophies Won-Grading and Ditching-Mileage-Expenses-
Levies-Increase in Importance-State Roads-Interstate Routes-Advantages-By William A. Schummers.
Miss Renville County (may her tribe increase !)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace, And saw within the moonlight in her room,
As usual rich and like a lily in bloom,
A reporter writing in a book of gold :
Great prosperity had made Miss Renville bold,
And to the newspaperman she said,
"What writest thon ?" The reporter raised his head,
And, with a glance about at her wonderful abodes,
Answered, "The names of those who have good roads."
"And is mine one ?" said she. "Nay, not so," Replied the writer. Miss Renville spoke more low,
But cheerily still; and said, "Remember then. We have some hustlers among our men."
The reporter wrote, and vanished. On a later night
lle vame again, with a great wakening light.
And showed the names whom Industry had blessed, And lo! Renville County's name led all the rest !
The year 1910 marked the rather unexpected winning of two good roads trophies in competition with a large number of other counties of the state. The first of these is a large and handsome silver loving eup, kept in the county auditor's office at Olivia, and presented to the county by Lonis W. Hill for the best county road on the M. S. A. A. Reliability Run from St. Paul to Sioux Falls, held July 22-26 of that year.
The second trophy, a beautiful French bronze statue on a base of onyx, seven feet in height, and valued at $1,500, was awarded to the county as having the best roads on the Tribune Reliability Run held in October. While in the possession of the county, this statue with its appropriate and signifieant inscription, "On the field of labor, Victory is fruitful." was kept at the courthouse. The figure is that of victorious Labor gathering the sheaves of suceess. In speaking of the contest, the Minneapolis "Tribune" said :
"That this signal honor should go to Renville county was not unexpected. For weeks automobile men of that county. headed by M. J. Dowling, have been carrying ou an active campaign and have had men and teams at work dragging the soil. In contrast to varions other counties the stretch of 55 miles within the bonn- daries of Renville showed that much effort had been put into the work. In all, nine counties were open to competition. While the roads in Renville have been little improved, that is, gravelled.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
yet they show to a marked degree what can be accomplished by intelligent work under existing local conditions. Here the roads for the distance of 55 miles had been dragged by an ordi- nary king road drag which can be built at small expense. These drags have been used extensively and have put the roads of Ren- ville in excellent condition. The ditehes have been kept open, drainage has been provided for, and the surface dragged smooth. It was a great pleasure to ride over them. With gravel surface and maintained in their present condition they present an ideal country road for travel at all seasons and weather."
A glance at a road map will show that Renville county is well supplied with roads, the total amounting to 1,648 miles. Of these 480 miles are improved roads (Jan. 1, 1915) ; about 1,448 miles are township or judicial roads and over 200 are designated as state roads. State roads are under the immediate supervision of the State Highway Commission and when completed will be fully graded, drained, and gravelled. They aim to connect all the objective points in the county and nearby counties.
The work done involves an immense amount of labor and eon- siderable expense; just how much money and labor it is impos- sible to say. The amount levied for the County Road and Bridge Fund for 1915 is $24,355.82. The work in the county is under the supervision of the district engineer, Frank M. Shephard, who is employed by the Commission for one-half the year and aets as Construction Superintendent for the county during the remainder of the time. His report shows that four and a half acres were eleared and grubbed in 1914; one mile of ditching was done: 39.5 miles of road was graded ; six enlverts installed, and about thir- teen miles of gravelling done; all at a cost of $28,882. Out of this, $22,782 of construction eost was entitled to and received state aid under the Dum law for the amount of $12,800. Like- wise, $2,867 was received from the state to apply on the mainte- nace cost of 175 miles of road amounting to $4,788. The letting of contracts for all work done is increasing in favor over the day system of labor, especially for the larger jobs.
The first step towards building a permanent road is a sys- tem of permanent drainage. Tile drainage is apt to prove most satisfactory. The chief difficulty lies in seeuring a proper outlet.
Next to drainage comes grading. Some roads are too wide. The narrower the roadway, the needs of traffic and the passing of vehicles provided for, the easier to keep the road from soaking full of water. The surface must be rounded sufficiently to shed water. Rnts must be filled as fast as formed. An ounce of gravel by way of prevention is better than a pound of eure thrown into a later mudhole. Dragging regularly a short while after rains has given us the best roads in the county, excepting gravelled roads.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
The latter are the ideal country roads. Clay and gravel paek together well and form an excellent surface. They will bear heavy traffic if the erust of clay and gravel is of sufficient thick- ness. Comparatively little gravelling was done during 1914, the available funds having been used mainly for the grading up of a large number of bad pieces of road: a great amount of this work is planned on for the near future. Gravel pits are so dis- tributed that the average haul for state work is about four miles. The county owns one gravel pit, north of Olivia, and gravel can be bought from private owners for from ten to twenty-five cents the load. The county has a set of graders, scrapers, and King drags, numbering about one hundred pieces in all.
The sentiment for good roads over the county is very strong and is increasing as the road work advances. The general cry is for permanent roads which will stand up regardless of weather conditions. The total annual expenditures for roads and bridges during the last six years afford an intelligent index: 1909, $2,784.90; 1910, $6,416.35; 1911, $16,501.62 ; 1912. $23,686.46; 1913. $25,879.76: 1914, $53,193.55. With the abundance of gravel in the county and the inereasing appreciation of good roads brought on by the more increased use of the automobile, the day cannot be far distant when the main thoroughfares will resemble city boulevards.
Perhaps no class of people is more interested in the matter of good roads than farmers. Located in the central part of the state and at an average distance of only 100 miles from important markets, good roads become a necessity if farm products are to he marketed at opportune times and with the lowest expense. The farmer's hanl the country over is about nine miles. The average cost of hauling farm produee to market is $2.09 per ton, or about 23 cents per ton per mile, figuring in the eost of men and teams and wear of vehieles. This is three times the eost along European roads. Railroads hauled fourth class freight at an average of one cent per ton per mile. With better roads the local expense of marketing should be cut in two.
There are fifteen roads in Renville County designated as state roads, with a total length of 203 miles, not ineluding about 14 miles of roads lying within corporation limits. Road No. 1 runs north and south through Morton and Olivia to the county limits. It is gravelled almost the entire twenty and one-half miles and in some respeets is probably the most important road in the eounty. Number 2 runs from the west county line to Hector. passing through five villages on the way ; length, 37 miles. Num- ber 3 runs from the south county line through Fairfax, Hector and Buffalo Lake towards Hutchinson, its length being 30 miles. Number 4 runs through Morton, Franklin and Fairfax; length, 14.5 miles. It is gravelled between the last named towns and
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
this part is exceptionally fine. Number 5 runs from Franklin northward through Bird Island to the county line with a length of 22 miles. Number 6 extends from a point 11/2 miles south of Buffalo Lake southward to the county line; length, 2 miles. Num- ber 7 is a half-mile streteh in the southeastern corner of Preston Lake on the "Yellow Trail." Number 8 is 131% miles long, run- ning north and south to the county lines and through the village of Sacred lleart. Number 9 runs from Heetor to the north county line, length, 9.5 miles. Number 10 runs north from about the center of Boon Lake to county line towards Intehinson and is 3 miles long. Number 11 is 3 miles long, from state road Number 4, 2 miles east of Franklin, south to the Minnesota river. Number 12 is seven miles long, running from Danube to the north eounty line. Number 13 is 15 miles long, running from Danube south to county line. Number 14 is 17 miles long; runs from north to south county lines through Renville. Number 15 is 8.5 miles long, running from state road Number 5 to state road Number 3 through Eddsville. These state roads are so laid out that they take care of all the principal lines of travel to and from the vari- ous villages in this and adjoining counties, there being one east- and-west and one north-and-south state road through each village in the county.
There are three inter-state roads crossing the county, the prin- cipal one of which is the Yellowstone Park Trail which erosses the county From east to west, passing through Buffalo Lake, Hee- tor, Bird Island, Olivia, Danube, Renville and Sacred Heart. This trail originates in Chicago and runs west through Yellowstone Park to Seattle and the Pacific Coast. The road next in impor- tance is state road Number 1. running north and south across the county through Morton and Olivia. This road is the main tray- eled road from the central and western parts of lowa to the cen- tral and northern parts of Minnesota. As affecting real estate values this road is probably the most important in the county ; it is graded in good shape and is a good token to the land- seekers from lowa as to the prosperity of the county. Because farm products can be hauled to market over this road under all conditions of weather, it has led to many real estate transactions and has helped boost the price of neighboring land. The other important cross-country trail, known as the "Black and Yellow," runs east and west across the southern part of the county, through Fairfax, Franklin and Morton. This is one of the main trails from the Twin Cities to Southwestern Minnesota and South Dakota.
The best way to advertise Renville county is to maintain the important trails in the best condition and let the thousands of tourists over these trails know that the residents of Renville county are prosperous and progressive.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
The Minnesota river is well bridged in this county. One bridge is abont to be built in Hawk Creek. There are two in Sacred Heart. Of the two in Flora one marks the site of the old Vicks- burg ferry. There is one connection at Beaver Falls township with North Redwood. Birch Cooley township has two bridges, one near Morton and one south of Franklin.
CHAPTER XXXVI. CITIES AND VILLAGES
Inception, Growth and Modern Progress of the Business Centers of Renville County-Renville the Only City-Bird Island- Buffalo Lake-Danube-Fairfax-Franklin-Hector-Morton -Olivia-Sacred Heart.
Renville is an attractively located city on the H. & D. division of the C. M. & St. Paul in the northwestern part of Emmet township. It is the only city in Renville county, and with its well-laid-out streets, sightly residences, well-kept lawns, numerous shade trees and hustling business center presents a truly metro- politan appearance. The city has three banks, the O'Connor Brothers State Bank, the Renville State Bank and the First Na- tional Bank. Two newspapers, the Star-Farmer and the Independ- ent are published. There are four churches, the German Lutheran, the Norwegian Lutheran, the Methodist Episcopal and the Cath- olie elmurches. Among the fraternities may be mentioned the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen, the Royal Neigh- bors, the Rebekahs, the Ladies of the Maccabees and the Catholic Foresters.
The city has waterworks, sewer, electric power furnished by the Minnesota Valley Power Co. at Montevideo, a sightly eity park, a city hall, a fire department, a city gas plant, and other improvements. The Northwestern telephone Furnishes local and long-distance service, while the Tri-State furnishes long-distance serviee exclusively. Many rural telephones center here.
The present officers of Renville are as follows: Mayor, Wil- liam J. Ashley ; aldermen-at-large, S. A. Smith and Wesley San- ders ; alderman from the first ward, J. J. Bakker ; alderman from the second ward, John F. Wein; alderman from the third ward, M. S. ordet ; municipal judge, Robert K. Stuart ; clerk, L. W. Kannenberg; treasurer, S. M. Serkland; eity attorney, L. W. Kannenberg ; marshal and superintendent of gas and waterworks, John Clansen ; assessor, G. J. Lee; constables, Lonis Du Houx and Robert E. MeKinley : justices of the peace, David Benson and Peter Haan; park board, Patrick O'Brien, L. E. Lambert and Samuel W. Bierlien ; board of health, Dr. E. M. Clay, Fred A. Leistekow and G. O. Torgerson.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
When the village of Renville was first projected, John O'Brien was living on the present village site, east of the northeast cor- ner of the present park. It was he who set ont the trees which now adorn the park. Southwest was the home of John Cole. He set out many trees, and a part of his farm is still known as Cole's grove. Just sonthi of the original plat was the vacant home of Thomas Foster. This place was afterward acquired by John Barnard, and some of the sightliest residences in the city are now erected on additions that have been platted from the Barnard farm. Southeast of the Foster place was John Kronlokken. Still further east was John Lee. East of the prospective village was the farm of R. Michaelson. Directly north of Michaelson was Espen Hanson. Northwest of the prospective village was the Bennison farm. The land to the north was owned by the railroad and for a considerable distance was unoccupied, except that an eccentric character named Jessup was on what is now the Daly- Barnard farm.
The principal road in this vicinity before the village was platted was the north and south road, extending from the Willmar settlement south to the ford near what was then the village of Vicksburg.
When the roadbed of the railroad was graded through this part of the county there was for a time considerable doubt as to where the city was to be located. For a time it appeared that the site was to be a quarter of a mile west of the present site. There, just across the track from the old Bennison farm, the rail- road construction company condneted a store in a shaek. There. too, Samuel T. Rolson also conducted a small store.
It was in September, 1878, that the site for Renville was sur- veyed and platted, and in October, with the coming of the rail- road the town was born. The original site was laid in the town- ship of Emmet, in the southwest quarter of section 5. It was for a number of years called Renville Station.
The village presented a scene of busy activity. Work was commenced on the Griffin-Stevens elevator and lumber yard, on the Samuel T. Rolson store, the Boyd & King store, the Carl Hen- ning store, the Dodge & McIntosh hotel and the railroad station.
The Griffith & Stevens elevator, now known as the Columbia elevator, is still standing on the west side of Main street, sonth of the railroad property. It originally stood in the street, but has been moved west to its present location. East of it was the office of the lumber yard. In it Geo. C. Stevens lived with his family, and Charles S. Griffin boarded with them.
J. B. Anderson, the first station agent, kept the office for a while in a box car. During the winter of 1878-79, the present station was erected.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
The firm of Boyd & King, consisting of J. B. Boyd and John King, started the first general store on the site of the present Renville State Bank building. Mr. Boyd moved a small shack from Willmar and the firm sold goods in it while their store was being built.
Mr. and Mrs. G. L. Dodge and S. M. MeIntosh, a school teacher who had lived with them on their farm in section 30, Emmet township, opened a hotel, the old American House, on the present site of the Kronlokken garage.
Lars Pederson started a blacksmith shop abont midway be- tween what is now the store of Heins & Co. and the First Na- tional Bank.
B. F. Heins, in company with P. W. Heins, of Beaver Falls, engaged in the hardware business. The site is still occupied by the Ileins & Co. store. B. F. Heins now lives in Bertha, Minn. Ile reached Renville county about Sept. 15, 1878, and lived in Beaver Falls until November 1, when, with P. W. Ileins. as men- tioned, he opened a hardware store in Renville village, then called Renville Station. They built a little store about 16 by 40, with a shed roof, and lived in the baek part the first winter. Mr. Heins is sure that people in a new country such as Renville in those days enjoy themselves more than in an older settled coun- try. B. F. Heins remained in business in Renville until Jan. 20, 1901, when he sold out to Ed. Heins. Previous to this, F. M. Rich had also been a member of the firm for awhile.
Samuel T. Rolson opened a store in 1878 in a shack about on the present site of the new Commercial club building.
A little later in the year. W. F. Baade came in from Vicks- burg, and erected the block still known as the Baade block on Main street.
J. B. Anderson formed a partnership with W. D. Spaulding and opened a drug store on the present site of the First National Bank, opening in December, 1878. Mr. Anderson became post- master in January, 1879, and at that time the Wadsworth post- office conducted by L. A. Brooks in the southern part of Emmet was discontinued. Anderson sold out to Spaulding. who con- tinned the drug business.
A school building was erected in the spring of 1879 at a cost of $500, and 10 per cent bonds were issued to pay for it. S. N. Olson was the contractor who erected this edifice, which was 20 by 24 and one story high. This building has been used as city hall and jail and is now the west half of the city hall. The first school board consisted of R. Michaelson, John F. Smith and John King. Mrs. George Mix was engaged as the first teacher. at $25 a month for a three-term school.
Lots were first assessed in the village of Renville Station in 1879. Those assessed were: O. N. Olson, lot 13, block 3: Thomp-
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
son & Wilson, lots 9 and 12, block 3; Samuel T. Rolson, lots 5 and 8. block 3. In 1880, there were added to this list: Anna Wilson, lot 6, block 9; Julia I. Patterson, lots 7 and 10, block 19; George C. Stevens and Charles S. Griffin, lot 18, block 2: Caro- line llenning, lots 1 and 4, block 3, lot 10, block 9; Emery Tram, lot 10. block 12; Thos. Hargrove, lot 10, block 2; P. W. Boyd, lot 15, block 2: Samuel Karnes, lots 2 and 3, block 3; Selma Til- lisch, lot 5, block 4: Peter Parqueth. lot 9. block 4; Tollef Olson, lot 20. block 4. Jot 3, block 11; W. D. Spaulding, lots 1 and 4, block 8: Lars Pederson, lots 13 and 16, block 8, lot 5, block 11; B. F. & P. W. Heins, lots 17, 20. 21 and 24, block 8; C. Kannen- burg, lot 11, block 9; August Peck, lot 14, block 9; J. T. Brooks, lot 18. block 9: Richard Randall. lot 19, block 9; O. Nelson and Nels Olson, lots 22 and 23, block 9; M. L. Anderson, lot 2. block 12.
The Methodists were the first religious denomination to hold services in the village. Rev. Kingsland was holding services at the schoolhouse in Emmet at the time the village was started, and in 1879 he was moved to Renville. The first services were held in the Griffin elevator office in that year, and continued to be held in private houses and business places until the year 1885. A Sunday school was organized and of this B. F. Heins was superintendent for a number of years. In 1885, under the pastorate of Rev. Neary, the first church building was erected on the site of the present buikling. The town was supplied with a physician from the start, in the person of a Dr. Fleischman, a German doctor, who was here until 1880, when he was replaced by Dr. Willis Clay.
Carl llenning and his wife, Caroline, in whose name the busi- ness was conducted, had a store in Beaver Falls. When the rail- road canie through they moved their store to a shack about a mile and a half east of the present site of Renville. This shack was burned late in 1878, and in 1879 they moved to Renville and located in a shaek on the west side of Main street south of what is now the Columbia elevator. Then they erected a briek build- ing south of the elevator on the site of the shack that they ocen- pied when they first moved to the village.
The newly-born village was ambitious enough to start a news- paper in 1879 called the Renville Station Weekly News. with D. C. Wadsworth as publisher. The paper was printed by C. A. Ben- nett at the office of the Granite Falls Journal. J. T. Brooks, upon his arrival in town in 1880, took charge of the paper and con- ducted it until 1881, when it was discontinued. The paper un- der his charge was a sharp critic of local affairs, and at one time was said to have aroused the wrath and indignation of Dr. Fleisch- inan by rebuking him and some boon companions for creating a disturbance by firing off their pistols promiscuously on the street.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
The village of Renville was incorporated by a special act of the legislature in 1881, and an election was held March 15 at J. T. Brooks office. J. B. Boyd was chosen as the first president. O. Quamsoe, B. F. Heins and Philip Williams were the first coun- cilmen, and J. T. Brooks was recorder. W. F. Baade was treas- urer. This year Judge J. M. Dorman settled in the village to practice law. The town was well supplied now with the differ- ent professions and tradesmen, but for a time its growth was slow. The country was still thinly settled and north of the vil- lage there was still an almost unbroken prairie. Sacred Heart was ahead of its neighbor to the east and Bird Island surpassed it on the other side. Like most frontier towns, there was a large rough element in the village that kept the little town in a tur- moil of fights and brawls. The old-timers have many stories to tell of the pranks and escapades of some of the transient citizens, who made up a large element of the population. The town grew slowly, however, and the influence of the better class of citizens gradually made itself felt and the moral tone of the community grew better with succeeding years.
In 1882, Renville was already a flourishing village. A review of that year gives the following business activities: "The vil- lage has a population of about 275, and consists of the following business houses : three general stores, two hardware stores, one millinery and one drug store, one meat market, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, one harness, one shoe, one wagon and paint shop, two saloons, a lumber yard, one real estate and loan office, one lawyer, two physicians : two elevators, capacity about 45,000 bushels."
In 1884 an incident occurred that made a radical change in the development of the surrounding country, and incidentally of the village itself. In that year the land firm of Prins & Koch bought 35,000 acres of railroad land in Winfield township and in Kandiyohi county. Their agent, P. Haan, located in Olivia in 1885, and in the fall moved to this village. This firm at onee commeneed to pour trainloads of settlers into the country between Willmar and Renville, and soon peopled the wild prairies with hundreds of thrifty farmers, principally from Holland or of Hol- land descent, but with a large sprinkling of Swedes and other nationalities. The movement was on a large scale and meant mueh for the village of Renville, inasmuch as it doubled its trad- ing population and gave it an industrious, sober and prosperous people to supply, where hitherto had been waste lands.
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