McLeod County, Minnesota - Chapter 27: Miscellaneous, 1917

McLeod county has several times been visited by disastrous storms which have injured crops, done great damage to property and in some eases have resulted in loss of human life. On Thursday and Friday, April 10-11, 1902, this section was visited by a strong gale from the northwest, which drove before it clouds of dust, making it impossible at times to see more than a few rods. Banks of dirt were piled up along the roadside. The wind uncovered a great deal of grain, some of which, having been sown early in March, had sprouted. A great amount of damage was done.

The most disastrous storm in the history of the county occurred on Saturday evening, August 20, 1904. This storm traveled in an easterly direction through the county, leaving in its zig-zagged wake wild destruction beyond description. The path of the tornado crossed a section of the county visited by a similar storm on the eve of June 27, 1894, when a child of Joseph Walsecki was killed and the father sustained injuries from which he died later. The terrifying wind, vivid electrical flashes, deafening peals of thunder, and roar of flying timbers combined to make a time of horror that none will forget who Passed through it and survived. In Glencoe many trees were Up-rooted, the electric light and telephone wires were blown down in several parts of the town and a number of windows broken. The damage, however, was much worse in the country. Owing to the wires being down the citizens of Glencoe Were ignorant of the desolation surrounding them till Sunday Morning, when many left to aid the sufferers. Five persons Were killed and the extent of property damage done was enormous, Some of the farmers had their houses, barns and crops demolished and also lost all their farming machinery. Grain Stacks were blown away, horses and cattle killed or injured and a number of people only escaped death or wounds by taking refuge in cellars. Many people had very narrow escapes. The home of Chris Carstens was lifted into the air, turned over twice and smashed to splinters. Mr. and Mrs. Carstens were in the act of closing the windows when the storm struck them. When they recovered from a dazed condition they found themselves between two trunks on which the roof rested, their escape from death being almost miraculous. A young man who was closing a barn door on the farm of Gus Nemitz was blown into the air and carried 30 rods. He sustained no serious injury, but every stitch of clothing was torn from his body. Groves of trees were completely destroyed on a number of farms and barns were in one or two instances blown from their foundations. Many of the farmers sustained property damages to the extent of from $1,000 to $4,000 or more.

Fred Gross, Hassan Valley, whose buildings were shattered to piecemeal and crop destroyed, was killed by flying timbers, and his mother sustained injuries from which she died the day following.

The home of A. M. O'Donne] was smashed to pieces and the grain blown away. Mr. O'Donnel was shopping in Glencoe and Mrs, A. M. O'Donnel and her children, one a babe and the others seven and 11 years old, and her 13 year old niece, Mary O'Donnel, and Tom Doyle, occupied the house. Unfortunately they failed to take refuge in the cellar. The 13 year old girl wag blown a distance of 20 rods and instantly killed and the seven year old child received injuries from which it died the following morning. Julius Klitzke, of Penn township, was found dead in his yard after the storm had abated. At Silver Lake there was a fall of large hailstones which broke many windows but did not injure the crops much, as if was unaccompanied by wind. In other respects that village escaped damage as did also the city of Hutchinson. All, or nearly all, of the other villages or cities reported accidents following the tornado. In Hassan Valley St. John's Lutheran church and parochial school building were leveled to the ground. On Sunday evening, August 20, 1905, about 9:00 p. m., just one year almost to the hour after the cyclone of 1904, this section was visited by a severe wind and electric storm. The high wind played havoc with shade trees and caused considerable destruction through the rural districts. Extending over a strip of country about 30 miles wide, and starting a few miles south of Glencoe, its path could be discerned by scattered grain and hay stacks and lodged corn. A few barns and windmills sustained damage.

The Bergen Farmers' Club is both a social and business organization, the membership of which is kept up to 12 families, meetings being held once a month at the homes of the different families in succession. The society was organized for mutual benefit and improvement. Co-operative buying from local merchants is practiced, public improvements are promoted, or demanded when the need arises, the members themselves occasionally doing some piece of needed work rather than waiting for official action, At the monthly meetings papers are read on topics of live interest and an agreeable entertainment is always provided.

The Sunnyside Club is a purely social organization, now about a year old, which consists of about 15 members who meet at each other's residences in and around the locality known as Sunnyside.

The Swinebreeders' Association, the headquarters of which are at Glencoe, has been in operation about three years. There are branches of the association at Stewart, and other places. The main purpose of this association is the combatting of that dread scourge to the hog, cholera, which was epidemic at the time the association was founded, causing great losses to many of the farmers, some $15,000 or $20,000 worth of stock perishing. The branch at Stewart was organized in 1915, and has handled already some $10,000 worth of stock. The work of the association has been very successful and has resulted in saving many valuable animals. The concern is organized on a cooperative plan, The officers of the association at present (1916) are: Edwin Reimer, president; C. E. Walker, vice-president ; A. Dd; Herbolsheimer, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Herbolsheimer, who is instructor in agriculture at Stevens Seminary, is one of the most active and useful members both of this and the other farmers' associations.

The Biscay Holstein Community is an association of farmers in the neighborhood of Biscay who are interested especially in raising and improving the breed of Holstein cattle, keeping only that kind of stock. They have been very successful in heir work, which has attracted wide attention and has led to general prosperity of the community, the members of Which are among the wealthiest farmers in McLeod county.

J. R, Armstrong was one of the first arrivals in Helen town- Ship and was one of its leading citizens. He was elected sheriff in 1860 and in the spring of 1863, in office, was killed in an altercation with two strangers, who were lynched for the 'rime by the indignant citizens.

Tutchinson Co-operative Creamery Association. The movement which resulted in the establishment of the first plant of the Hutchinson Co-operative Creamery Association of Hutch- inson, Minn., was initiated by a meeting held at the engine house in the village of Hutchinson on the 10th of February, 1894, at which the subject was discussed and at which reports were made of successes in that line elsewhere by officers and patrons of established institutions of this kind. At this meeting so much interest was manifested that a second meeting was arranged for, to be held on February Ist at the same place. Mr. Willis Moses was selected as chairman of this first meeting and Edwin Moffett secretary. The meeting was addressed by Carl Hagen, of Biscay; T. C. Wakefield, of Hutchinson; R. C, Dwinnell, of Sumter, and W. T. Higgins, of Hassan Valley, on the advantages of a co-operative movement along this line. A committee consisting of T. C. Wakefield, E. A. Tews, Jas. Wilson, Andrew Anderson and W. N. Moses were appointed to arrange for the succeeding meeting and to draft a set of articles of incorporation and by-laws to submit to the association, if formed, at a later time. At the meeting which was held on the Zist of February, 1894, an association was formed and more speakers were present to outline the results which right be expected from such a move, as they had learned from practical experience. Mr. W. W. Pendergast, who had had wide experience, was present at this meeting and addressed the assembled farmers and dairymen, The result of the meeting was that the association was formed which has meant so much to Hutchinson milk producers ever since and the first board of directors chosen were as follows: M, H. Smith, president; E, A. Tews, vice-president; William Tomlinson, secretary ; W.N, Moses, treasurer; T. C. Wakefield, Andrew Anderson and [. K. Peterson. The first skimming station or creamery was built that year at a reported cost of $4,700, and in March, a year later, was receiving 4,000 pounds of milk per day from something like 380 to 400 cows. The organization, as first formed struck some hard sledding after the first enthusiasm had died and subscriptions to stock languished for awhile, but Prof. Simpson, expert cheese maker from the State Agricultural College, Prof. Graham, of the State Dairy Commission, and Prof. Haecker, of the Live Stock Department of the State Agricultural College, were secured to make talks to the farmers and were able to stir life into the dying project to the extent that the old Huderle & Company building located down near what is now Nightingale's saw mill, was purchased for $125 and P. W. Simpson hired to install machinery and act in the capacity of cheese-maker for the summer. Milk was first taken in on the morning of Monday, May 21, 1894, and Chedder and Edam cheese were made until some time in the fall when the new brick building on the present site was finished and the manufacture of butter begun. The price announced for butterfat payments the first month was 18 cents, which would seem indeed a low price today. Many members have since those days worked hard and long in the interests of this company, among whom were the late Oliver C. Pierce, of Acoma, E. A. Tews, of the same town, and A, N. Smith, of North Hutchinson, Many are yet patrons who have stood by the institution all these years and are working just as faithfully today, with the result that the institution has grown to a grand importance and size in the affairs of this community. Those who started hauling milk on that morning in May so long ago are as follows: M. H. Smith, 10 cows; J. Hanson, 7; D. Lind, 5; N. OL son, 6; W. N. Moses, 15; J. Erickson, 4; C. J. Johnson, 12; Simeon Lauzer, 10; J. Anderson, 5; W. W. Pendergast, 30; D, A. Fickling, 5; G. P. Jensen, 6; I. K. Peterson, 6; J. A. Wilson, 11; F. J. Tange, 8; W. M. Leslie, 6; L. Johnson, 5; T. C. Wakefield, 12; Hans Jorgenson, 10; F. J. Zila, 6; E. A. Tews, 10; J, Rickeman, 15; J. Zak, 4; J. Underwood, 7; N. Benson, 5; Peter Weese, 6; M. Westerholm, 8; O. P, Nelson, 2; P. Morten, 2; W. T. Higgins, 10; C. Christenson, 2; B. Ingebretson, 10; T. Steenberg, 2; S. P. Peterson, 4; C. Jorgenson, 6; C. Olson, 6; A. Thompson, 6; P. Christenson, 6; H. H. Bonniwell, 15; N. R. Benson, 8; S. Dearborn, 10; M. C. Hanson, 7; R. G. Benjamin, 5; Dr. J. Benjamin, 15; H. P. Christenson, 6; S. Jessen, 8; C. Jackson, 4; H. Jorgenson, 10. Changes and improvements have been made almost yearly and the original plant and machinery bear little resemblance to the fine structure filled with the latest up-to-date Machinery you see today and which turns out a variety of Products besides butter; among which is casein, just lately added to the list of products. The creamery contains comfortable rooms for the helpers who are obliged to sleep on the premises and are equipped with shower baths and other modern improvements for the comfort of the employees. The Whole ig equipped with steam-heating plant and running Water. There is a commodious ice-house north of the creamery proper, and store rooms for butter tubs, salt, butter package material, color, etc. The present officers are: M. C. Han- Son, president; P. T. Mullen, vice-president; S. S. Beech, treasurer; E. O. Quenvold, secretary and manager, who have been at the helm for several years and who have been largely 'nstrumental in the great increase of business handled in recent years, Other members of the present board of directors are Fred Zavoral, A. W. Tews, M. Westerholm and L. A. Tange. The present value of the machinery plant and buildings is approximately $15,000 and the following items of interest from the report of the secretary at the last annual meeting will show how the affairs of the company are conducted:

This creamery has had for three years a government contract for furnishing butter for use in the U. S. Navy and elsewhere in government operated institutions and for several years more has had a large contract annually from government officials who contracted on their own account for butter for their private consumption and for which they were willing to pay a fancy price to insure their getting Something gilt-edged.