Renville County, Minnesota - Chapter 36: Cities and Villages, 1916 (part 1 of 3)

Chapter 36: 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 metropolitan appearance. The city has three banks, the O'Connor Brothers State Bank, the Renville State Bank and the First National Bank. Two newspapers, the Star-Farmer and the Independent are published. There are four churches, the German Lutheran, the Norwegian Lutheran, the Methodist Episcopal and the Catholic churches. Among the fraternities may be mentioned the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen, the Royal Neighbors, 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 city 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 service exclusively. Many rural telephones center here.

The present officers of Renville are as follows : Mayor, William J. Ashley; aldermen-at-large, S. A. Smith and Wesley Sanders; alderman from the first ward, J. J. Bakker; alderman from the second ward, John F. Wein ; alderman from the third ward, M. S. Jordet ; municipal judge, Robert K. Stuart; clerk, L. W. Kannenberg; treasurer, S. M. Serkland; city attorney, L. W. Kannenberg ; marshal and superintendent of gas and waterworks, John Clausen; assessor, G. J. Lee; constables, Louis Du Houx and Robert E. McKinley: 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. 0. Torgerson.

When the village of Renville was first projected, John O'Brien was living on the present village site, east of the northeast corner of the present park. It was he who set out 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 south 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 Miehaelson 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 railroad construction company conducted a store in a shack. There. too, Samuel T. Rolson also conducted a small store.

It was in September, 1878, that the site for Renville was surveyed and platted, and in October, with the coming of the railroad the town was born. The original site was laid in the township 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 Henning 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, south 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.

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. Mcintosh, 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.

B. F. Heins, in company with P. W. Heins, of Beaver Falls, engaged in the hardware business. The site is still occupied by the Heins & Co. store. B. F. Heins now lives in Bertha, Minn. He reached Renville county about Sept. 15, 1878, and lived in Beaver Falls until November 1, when, with P. W. Heins. as mentioned, 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 back 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 country. 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.

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 postmaster in January, 1879, and at that time the Wadsworth postoffice conducted by L. A. Brooks in the southern part of Emmet was discontinued. Anderson sold out to Spauldino-. who continued the drag 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.

The Methodists were the tirst religious denomination to hold services in the village. Rev. Kiugsland 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 iu 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. Heius 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 building. 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 Henning and his wife. Caroline, in whose name the business was conducted, had a store in Beaver Falls. When the railroad came 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 shack on the west side of Main street south of what is now the Columbia elevator. Then they erected a brick building south of the elevator on the site of the shack that they occupied when they first moved to the village.

C. Wadsworth as publisher. The paper was printed by C. A. Bennett at the office of the Granite Falls Journal. J. T. Brooks, upon his arrival in town in 1880, took charge of the paper and conducted it until 1881, when it was discontinued. The paper under his charge was a sharp critic of local affairs, and at one time was said to have aroused the wrath and indignation of Dr. Fleischman by rebuking him and some boon companions for creating a disturbance by tiring off their pistols promiscuously on the street.

The village of Renville was incorporated by a special act of the legislature in 1881, and an election was held March 15 at -I. T. Brooks' office. J. B. Boyd was chosen as the first president. O. Quamsoe, B. P. Heins and Philip Williams were the first councilmen, and -I. T. Brooks was recorder. W. F. Baade was treasurer. This year Judge -1. M. Dorman settled in the village to practice law. The town was well supplied now with the different professions and tradesmen, but for a time its growth was slow. The country was still thinly settled and north of the village 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 turmoil of tights 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 village 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 once commenced 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 Holland descent, but with a large sprinkling of Swedes and other nationalities. The movement was on a large scale and meant much for the village of Renville, inasmuch as it doubled its trading population and gave it an industrious, sober and prosperous people to supply, where hitherto had been waste lands.

Peter Haan, who, as local agent, played so important a part in this movement, has the following to say in regard to the movement: "The quick development of the western part of Renville county and the southeastern and southern portions of Chippewa and Kandiyohi counties, as far as tributary to Renville, com- menced in earnest with the year 1885 after the firm of Prins & Koch had bought, in the territory mentioned, about 120.000 acres of railroad and state lands. By means of judicious advertising, land seekers from many eastern states soon came in in great numbers, and only to see this wonderfully fertile and nice lying land was in nineteen cases out of twenty equal to buying. Inside of four years nearly all of the land originally purchased was sold, and a great deal more that was purchased later. The sales commenced at $8 per acre, soon rising to $10 and $12, and by 1890 had reached $15 and higher. The new-comers who settled north of Renville came for the most part from the states of New York, Michigan. Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, and were representatives of many nationalities. Hollanders and Holland-speaking North Germans were in the majority, but Belgians, Frenchmen, Bohemians. Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and frdlblooded Yankees were among the number. They, of course, belonged to different religious denominations, yet nevertheless made agreeable neighbors. Between 1886 and 1896 in this territory the settlers built no less than twelve churches, four Lutheran, three Holland Christian Reformed, two Catholic, two Dutch Reformed and one Methodist Episcopal. They also built in the same period about forty good, substantial schoolhouses, and laid over thirty bridges over the small rivers and creeks which cut through the land, besides draining it almost to perfection. The great bulk of the original settlers came from Europe and belonged to the third or working class over there. When they came here they had as a rule very little money and some of them were quite poor, but now all are independent, many well to do, and not a few may be called rich. May not a man, who came here only thirty years ago with a wife and ten children, almost without a penny to call his own, but with a debt of $700. to settle on a Tented farm, be called rich if it can be truly stated that that same man is now worth at least $30,000. There are not many who have been so successful, but there arc plenty of them who may be valued at between ten and twenty thousand dollars."

This big influx of thrifty farmers had a marked influence upon the struggling village of Renville. In 1887 the village was again represented by a newspaper, the Renville Weekly News, published by C. L. Loraine. then publishing a paper at Bird Island, and for a time edited by E. M. Clay, now a physician here. The town began to be awake to its possibilities. M. J. Dowling, at that time professor in the two-room school, had succeeded in arousing interest and enthusiasm in the cause of education, Renville's powers on the baseball field had begun to advertise the town throughout the state. The population began to increase, and in 188S a building boom was struck.

In 1889 the Norwegian and German Lutheran congregations put up a handsome church structure. Lee and Johnson built the brick building now occupied by the F. A. Schafer furniture store, the Adolph Mandel general store, Mrs. Carl Henning put up a brick block south of the elevator on Main street, Mason Brothers erected a flour mill and W. H. Gold put in a lumber yard.

The growing town spirit was shown by an attempt made at this time to capture the county seat. Bird Island got ahead of Renville and secured an election and was signally defeated, but for the first time the future metropolis of the county had shown public enterprise and enthusiasm over the town's future.

The Renville State Bank was organized during the period by O'Connor Bros., and this enterprising firm was playing an important part in the development of the village. In 1892 the second bank, the Security Bank, came into existence. Every line of business was prospering, and in the five years between 1890 and 1895 the population of the village nearly doubled.

The boom period was marked by a series of occurrences between 1891 and 1894 which were looked upon as appalling disasters at the time, but which, in the light of later developments, proved to be beneficial to the town. In November, 1891, the building, originally built by J. B. Boyd, but at that time occupied by Mayer Wolpert's general store, caught fire and was entirely consumed. The family of John O'Connor lived upstairs over the store, and they barely escaped from the burning building. The building was one of the largest in town, and its destruction was regarded as a great loss, but the following year it was replaced with a two-story, double front brick block that was a source of pride to the town. The O'Connor block, as it was called is now occupied by the State Bank and the opera house. That year saw the installation of a waterworks plant, the fire' calling attention forcibly to the fact that the town did not possess adequate fire protection. The bonds of the village were issued to erect a water tower that gives sufficient pressure to enable the firemen to effectually cope with any blaze. Feb. 5, 1893, another fire occurred that threatened at one time to wipe one side of Main street out of existence. It was at midnight that the alarm of fire was turned in. The firemen turned out with promptness, but found that the waterworks were useless, having been allowed to freeze up. There was nothing to do but confine the fire as much as possible. The blaze originated in K. Goeman Pott's hardware store, and before the flames died out that place, S. N. Olson's building, Gold's office, the butcher shop and the millinery store had been destroyed. It was in 1894 that the town suffered the severest loss in destroyed property. On Wednesday afternoon, June 27, a tornado came up from the southwest, forming in plain sight but a few miles from town. When nearing town, the ominous looking funnel dropped to the earth, sweeping a pathway through the fields until it struck Herman Haehman's residence in the southwest corner of the village. The building was torn loose from the floor and foundation and smashed into debris. Mrs. Hachman was terribly injured, but managed to survive her wounds. The storm center passed diagonally through the village park, tearing out the band stand, dodged around the Brooks and Lien residences, but tore out the barns on both places, and then swept against the Norwegian Lutheran church with full fury. The church building was literally torn to pieces by the savage force of the storm. F. H. Berning's residence was also completely wiped out of existence, and hardly a shred of the household articles was ever found. Fortunately, neither Mr. Berning nor his wife were at home at the time. The last obstruction in the path of the storm was the four-room school house, just shortly before the voters had decided to build an addition to accommodate the increased attendance. The twisting fury of the wind in a minute's time destroyed all necessity of an addition. The big four-room building was raised up and then crushed into its own basement with an irresistible force. On another page will be found illustrations of the school house and other buildings after the tornado had passed over them. Fortunately, the district carried +3,000 tornado insurance, and plans were at once prepared for a larger and more modern building. By fall an eight-room building was finished at a cost of $12,000. The members of the Norwegian Lutheran congregation suffered a heavier loss, in that they had no insurance to recompense them, and were obliged to begin anew. They bravely started the work, however, and now a larger and better building occupies the spot where the storm passed in 1894.

For a time the Spanish war interrupted the peaceful calm that rested <m the busy village. Several young men from the village joined Company H of the 14th Minnesota in April, 1898, and served with the regiment during its term of service. The patriotic people of the village were stirred to great heights of enthusiasm and gave their representatives a rousing farewell, and throughout the summer continually sent them reminders of their good will. In the fall the regiment returned to be mustered out, but many of the Renville delegation were forced to spend many weeks in the hospitals of the South and at home fighting the typhoid and malaria contracted in Chickamauga. Sergeant J. D. Barnard came home on a sick furlough only to succumb to the deadly fever, and was buried by his sad-hearted comrades in the village cemetery.

The last officers of the village were : President, A. A. Bennett; trustees, A. R. Holmberg, L. E. Lien, Frank Rudolph; recorder. C. N. Matson; treasurer. II. X. Stabeck. These officers, held over under the city charter until March 20. 1906, when- the first city officers took charge. They were: Mayor. Timothy O'Connor; clerk and municipal judge, ('. X. Matson; treasurer, H. N. Stabeck ; justice of the peace, F. W. Mason; aldermen at large, "W. J. Ashley and W. A. Lumley; alderman from first ward. Frank Rudolph; alderman from second ward. Frank Rudolph; alderman from third ward, J. R. Butters.

A distinctive feature of the city is the Renville Commercial Club building, initiated and financed through the Commercial Club of this city. The size of the building is 40x90 feet, two stories high and full basement. The cost was $20,000. On the main floor is located A. H. Riedler's barber shop and the postoffice. In the rear is the public rest room, and the sumptuous quarters of the Renville Commercial Club. The upper floor is devoted to offices. The law offices of L. D. Barnard, county attorney, and L. M. Carlson occupy the front of the building, on the south side, while Dr. X. L. Johnson, dentist, occupies the front rooms on the north side. On the same floor, Judge Richard T. Daly has his chambers. Other offices are occupied by Harold Baker, attorney; the Northwestern Telephone Exchange; Drs. Edward M, < 'lay and I. R. Maercklein. In the basement is the banquet hall and kitchen, shower baths and a pool room.

Renville has made a steady growth and has kept pace with the settlement and development of the country surrounding. Forward is always the watchword of her citizens. Nearly every line of business is represented here. The banks are a barometer by which the business of a community is gauged. The three banks of Renville as in their reports to the bank examiners on September 2, 1915, showed an aggregate business of $970,183.77.

Heins & Co., as mentioned, started a hardware store on the corner about the time the village was first organized. The management saw very few changes in that time, until last summer, when E. H. Heins retired from the firm and was succeeded by T. B. Mcllraith. The store has an ideal location and carries a large stock of hardware and machinery.

Charley Cronek, the tailor, is one of the old-timers and is kept busy plying the needle early and late. P. Ha an is in the real estate and insurance business. He is one of the oldest in this line in the city or county.

A. Kragenbring in October, 1911, opened up a clothing and shoe store in a small way in the Kiecker building. Two years or so ago he moved into the Yescheek block and now has a neat, upto-date store and enjoys a good patronage. G. H. Swinney opened a bakery here in March, 1914. He also has a restaurant in connection. A. Mutta purchased the Palace Restaurant of C. 0. Sveiveu in July, 1914.

A. A. Doerr started in the hardware and plumbing business March 1. 1913. The firm is now Doerr & Dunwell. Mr. Doerr is a first-class plumber and gives this branch of the business his personal attention.

The Farmers" Elevator Co. was organized twenty-five years ago. It started in a small way with one horse for power in elevating the grain. It is now well equipped, built of concrete and capable of housing the capacity of 45,000 bushels of grain. It has as its stockholders some of the best farmers in the country tributary to Renville. Its manager, A. R. Holmberg, has been at the head of its business department the past ten years.

McGregor Bros. & Co. put in a lumber yard in 1886 and have been in business here ever since. August Wilckeri has been with the firm for twenty-one years, and has been the manager the past fourteen years. S. A. Smith & Son started in the hardware and machinery business in July, 1912. This firm is doing a good business. They are agents for the Ford and Maxwell cars.

In 1908 G. A. Lumley purchased the H. A. Smith interest in the furniture store and eventually became owner of the entire business by buying out his partners. Last summer in company with O. R. Smith he took over the undertaking business formerly conducted by Heins & Co.

W. H. Gold & Co. started a lumber yard in Renville about the year 1888. About twelve years ago it was purchased bjT the Jas. A. Smith Lumber Co. Nineteen years ago L. E. Lambert took charge of the yard as manager, and has remained in that position ever since. It may be said of Mr. Lambert that he remained manager of a business longer than any other citizen of Renville, consecutively.

F. A. Williams took possession of the Central Hotel in 1907. At that time it was in a run down coudition. Mr. Williams at once commenced making improvements and had the building rebuilt. He now has a most excellent hostelry with ample accommodations.

in having easy access to the mill when in need of flour or feed. In the early nineties the Renville Mill Company was organized with W. J. Ashley, manager. Along with the creamery it is one of the best assets of a town. Some two years ago A. A. Moline, a practical millwright and expert miller, was taken into the firm and is head miller.

The department store of Bottge & Hassinger is the oldest now in business in the city. It was established in 1885 in the Rolson building, and when the O'Connor block was built it occupied the room where the drug store is and when the Dale block was built it was moved to its present location. When H. J. and J. H. Dale retired to enter the banking business, the two junior partners, P. J. Bottge and M. L. Hassinger, purchased their interest in the store. They carry a complete stock of goods in their line and enjoy a good patronage.

Olson Bros, opened their general store here in 1906 in the Lee block, where they remained until about a .year ago when they moved into the Humboldt building, vacated by Mayor "Wolpert. J. S. Olson has had charge.

A. Mandel is one of the latest to launch out for himself in the general store business. He was not a stranger when he started in 1895 as the head clerk in Mayor Wolpert 's department store. In 1913 he opened with a stock of goods in the Kieker building. This was soon too small for his increasing business. When Olson Bros, moved, about the beginning of the year, he moved into the Lee block. W. Sanders & Co. are successors to one of the oldest hardware firms in the city. They purchased the store in 1908 and have built up a good trade. At that time, 0. J. Dahle, who had been an employee in the store, became a member of the firm.

The Star Farmer Co., publishers of Renville Star Farmer, W. A. Reid, editor. It has a large and increasing circulation, thoroughly covers the field, making it a most excellent advertising medium.

Al. Riedler is the oldest barber in point of service in the city. He has just moved into the new commercial building. Werner & Packer are in the meat market business. The Renville Produce Co., A. S. Brugman, manager, does a flourishing business. Orchardist and fruit grower, G. A. Anderson, living three miles west of town, raised a thousand bushels of apples for the market this year. Ogren & Peterson do a good business in grain and coal at their elevator. There are four line elevators doing business here. The postmaster is W. L. Poseley. There are five mail routes radiating from this point. Fred Scott purchased the barber shop of Werner Peterson some two years ago. H. M. Lentz recently purchased the jewelry store from J. 0. Westby and will soon go into a new building. J. 0. Westby, in retiring from the jewelry business, has taken up the sale of pianos, and expects to make that his specialty in the future. C. A. Kronlokken is proprietor of a garage. It is large, well equipped and absolutely fireproof. Repairing is a specialty with him.

The Minnesota Valley Power Company, of Montevideo, installed electricity here two years ago. Business houses, dwellings and streets are brilliantly lighted by electricity.

There is a harness shop, with Emil Swenson as proprietor. H. Goetz is proprietor of the pool hall. W. A. Goetz. recently from Minneapolis, established a barber shop in the building occupied by the pool hall. H. J. Molitor, proprietor of a drug store. is successor to G. 0. Torgersen. John Harmon, tile ditcher, does considerable work. The West Hotel, conducted by Albert Zaske the past two years, is a good hostelry. Blacksmiths, C. P. Diekow, G. A. Beltz, Carl Zabel. Ernst Beltz. Painters, John Walser, Hans Boeck. J. H. Engelking. Contractors and builders, E. M. White. 0. V. and Ed. Anderson, L. B. Welch, 0. A. Berg. Livery barns, Blaekloek & Bachelder, Anderson & Jordet. Millinery stores, Mrs. Bedeley, I\I iss Mickelson.

Bird Island Village

The extension of the Hastings & Dakota Railway from Glencoe, along its westernmost station, to Montevideo in 1878, caused many new towns to spring up along its path. The majority of these villages were of slow growth. Not so Bird Island. Prom an almost unbroken prairie it sprang up, almost full-grown, into a thriving and attractive village. As a division point of the new railroad, it presented an immediate appearance of activity and business which it has never lost. Trade that had previously gone to Atwater, thirty miles to the north, or to Beaver Falls, then the county seat, in the south, now came wending its way to Bird [sland. Men of means were attracted to the new site and the growth of the village was remarkably rapid.

The story oi' the early settlement of the farms in the neighborhood is told elsewhere by J. M. Bowler. The land appeared to be extremely fertile and its tillage promised immediate and bounteous reward to the new settlers. About one and a half to two miles to the south and west, in section 15, surrounded by sloughs, lay an island whose area extended over sixty acres. An island to the newer generations; but there in reality lay an attractive island on which grew unchecked by prairie tires tall trees - oaks, maples, hackberry - a veritable paradise for thousands of the feathered natives. From this, bird island, the township, and later the village, took its name. Settlers came from a distance to get their share of its useful and much needed timber. Since the building of the big drainage ditch, the "island" lias disappeared and only valuable farm land remains.

The first store was opened by J. W. Ladd in the fall of Ls7s and later lie built an elevator. C. C. Ladd started the first lumber yard in the same year. A. H. Reed & Co. (Axel Reed, Jos. Richardson and W. M. Holbrook) opened up a general merchandise store and the following year built an elevator. Conklin & Clark conducted the first hardware store. J. W. Fewer and Michael Murphy were the first village blacksmiths.

In LS79 Dr. J. W. Barnard established a drug store; the Renville County Bank opened for business with Mathew Donohue in the president 's office ; a hotel was begun by P. J. Martell, who sold his interests at the end of a year to Capt. J. A. King. In the same year two saloons came into existence, managed by Dana Hodgdon and Andrew Anderson, commonly called "the Elegant Swede."

The Bird Island Post was established by Wesley Moran in August, 1879. The Bird Island Blizzard began its career in April. 1881. with J. M. Bowler as editor, and J. W. Ladd. publisher. Bird Island postoffiee was opened in 1878 (J. F. Bowler, postmaster), on section 26, but was moved shortly to the store of J. W. Ladd.

-1. M. Bowler furnishes the following list of the business firms of Bird Island in 1879: J. W. Ladd, general store, postoffice, elevator; A. H. Reed & Co., general store, elevator; Hodgdon Bros., general store; Conklin & Clark, hardware; Ladd & Bowler, farm machinery; Chas. F. Arper, farm Machinery; ('apt. John King, Merchants hotel and bar; Win. P. Dinon, Bird Island house and bar; II. L. Miller, furniture and repairing; George Crouley, grocery; J. W. Fewer, blacksmith; Michael Murphy, blacksmith; Chas. C. Ladd, lumber yard; N. C. Little, lumber yard; Chas. Humboldt, livery; Jerry O'Shea, saloon; Henry Hall, druggist; Levi E. Sherwood, drayman; Thomas Commisky, drayman.

The village grew rapidly. By 1882 over 500 people were living within its confines. It had three general stores, one grocery, two hardware and two drug stores, two millineries, one furniture store, one harness shop, one wagon shop, three blacksmiths, one shoe shop, one paint shop, one barber shop, three hotels, two meat markets, two saloons, two lumber yards, three physicians, two lawyers, one bank, two elevators.

In 1885 the village of Bird Island was the metropolis of Renville county. It had a population of 567, which was larger than the combined population of Olivia, Renville and Hector. Hector was the second largest town with a population of 235, and Sacred Heart third, with a population of 207. Bird Island discarded her swaddling clothes and assumed metropolitan airs at an early age. Being a railroad division point she had an advantage over her sister towns; men of means invested there, and induced others to engage in business at that point. She drew trade for many miles and her growth for the first few years was phenomenal.

But the fifteen-year county seat war had the effect of depleting her treasury and discouraging her business men for a time. One of the heavy expenses was a building, erected by the citizens of Bird Island, and offered free to the county as a court house in the event of the removal to that place. The building

In the fall of 1887 the village received a rather serious setback by the removal of the railroad division point to Montevideo. Over thirty families of railroad employees moved from Bird Island. This checked the growth for a short while, but the village soon recovered and has made steady progress since.

Bird Island has a population of about 1,000 people and is a desirable residence and business center in every particular. The village improvements are especially attractive. A sightly city hall was erected in 1906. Aside from serving the usual village purposes, this building has a splendid auditorium for meetings and entertainments. The sewer system already covers the main street and an extension is now being constructed at a cost of between $10,000 and $12,000. The waterworks system is adequate, with a large tower, an artesian well 112 feet deep, dug about ten years ago, and power furnished by an electric motor recently put in.

The schools under Prof. J. W. Pettersen are of the best, embracing, in addition to the usual high school work, courses in manual training, agricultural and normal training. The fair grounds, where fairs have been conducted for some thirty-five years are of material advantage in increasing the importance of the village. A newspaper, the Bird Island Union, is another factor in the progress of the community. A good moving picture theater furnishes excellent diversion.

As a trading point, Bird Island offers many inducements to the farmers living in the neighboring rural districts. At one time the village handled the most freight between Minneapolis and Granite Falls.

The Masonic order, the Eastern Star chapter, the United "Workmen, the Modern Woodmen, the Modern Brotherhood, the Royal Neighbors, the Hibernians, the Catholic Foresters, and the St. Joseph Society, are well represented here.

The churches are all prosperous. Rev. Gilbert Oppen, of Renville, serves the Norwegian Lutheran church, while Rev. Anthony Scholzen serves the strong Catholic church. The Methodist Episcopal church, organized about 1881 by Rev. John A. McDonald, and the Baptist church, organized about 1880, and united under the pastorate of the Rev. I. Richard Melwaldt, and services are held at the Methodist church.

The Bird Island Commercial Club was organized in the early days of 1913 and has been an important factor in the social life of the village. The rooms are well furnished and form a popular social center. The officers are: President, H. W. Mielke; vice-president, "W. P. Lammers; secretary, Paul Kohlbe; treasurer, Christ Boehme.

The Renville County Electric Co., with a large plant at Bird Island, and with headquarters in Minneapolis, was organized as the Central Minnesota Light & Power Co., Oct. 1, 1913, with a capital of $200,000. The Bird Island plant is a large one, thoroughly well equipped. For eight years the streets of Bird Island were illuminated with acetylene gas. They are now lighted with some fifty electric lights, and the twenty ornamental light posts add much to the beauty of the Bird Island streets. W. R. Rutledge is president of the company and H. B. Rutledge the secretary. J. H. Yarnell is the superintendent. In addition to its local services, the Bird Island plant furnishes a current for Hector, Buffalo Lake, Stewart and Olivia, and will probably supply Danube in the near future.

The Bird Island Ladies' Improvement Society was organized May 20. 1910. The first officers were Mrs. H. A. Puffer, president ; Mrs. J. F. Lorenz, vice-president ; Mrs. H. C. Sherwood, secretary; Mrs. J. E. Essen, treasurer. Mrs. Essen resigned in October, 1910, and was succeeded by Mrs. Herman Koch. In May. 1911, the following officers were elected: Mrs. H. A. Puffer, president ; Mrs. O. A. Neitzel, vice-president; Mrs. Frank Murray, secretary ; and Mrs. Herman Koch, treasurer. Mrs. Puffer and Mrs. Koch resigned their offices in October and Mrs. H. C. Sherwood was elected president and .Mabel Tinnes. treasurer. In May, 1912, the following officers were elected : Mrs. H. C. Sherwood, president; Mrs. O. A. Neitzel, vice-president; Mrs. Frank Murray, secretary, and Mabel Tinnes, treasurer. In May, 1913, the following officers were elected : Mrs. F. A. Baarsch, president ; Mrs. John J. Desmond, vice-president; Lottie Sherwood, secretary, and Mabel Tinnes, treasurer. In May, 1914. the officers were the same as in 1913, with the exception of Florence Puffer as treasurer in place of Mabel Tinnes. In November, Lottie Sherwood resigned as secretary and Mrs. J. W. Petterson was elected. The officers in 1915 were : Mrs. John J. Desmond, president ; Mrs. J. G. Lyon, vice-president; Mrs. J. W. Petterson, secretary, and Florence Puffer, treasurer.

The purpose of the society is to develop and beautify the public park. This park was presented to the public by the railroad when the village was platted, but nothing was done to improve it until the ladies became interested. The improvement society secured Max Pfaender, landscape gardener, now of New Ulm, to draw up a set of plans, and these plans now hang on the wall at the city hall. Yearly the ladies do something toward bringing the park to its final perfection in accordance with these plans, and it is expected that in time the park will be one of the best in this part of the country.

The Bird Island Roller Mills constitute one of Bird Island's important industries. The company makes the excellent and wellknown "'Golden Cut'' brand, engages in the general flour-milling business, manufactures flour and feed, and deals in wheat and grain. The building Mas erected some thirty years ago, and was then two stories high. Another story has now been added, so that there are now three stories and the basement. About 1900, F. W. Baarsch bought the mill from W. E. Coles, Jr. The company was incorporated in 1901, with F. W. Baarsch as president, F. A. Baarsch as secretary and Otto Baarsch as treasurer. The capital stock of the company is $20,000. The present officers are : President, Mrs. F. W. Baarsch; secretary and manager, W. F. Lammers; treasurer, Christ -Jensen. The mill has a capacity of about seventy-five barrels a day.

The history of the Bird Island postoffice is an interesting- one. The first postmaster was J. M. Bowler in 1878. He resigned and J. W. Ladd was appointed. Since then the postmasters have been: 1884, C. L. Lorraine; 1886, F. Hodgdon; 1888, Albert BroWn; 1890, L. E. Sherwood; 1894, D. J. Deasy ; 1898, I. S. Gerald (resigned) ; 1900, Amund Dahl; Sept. 10, 1906, J. H. Feeter ; Nov. 1, 1915, Joseph Haggett. Rural routes 1 and 2 were established in 1900. and route :! some six years later. G. H. Bowler, the first carrier on Route 1, is still serving.

The village was incorporated under special act of the legislature, approved March 4, 1881, the site being located on land owned by the Bird Island Town Site Company, in the southeast quarter of section 14, several additions being made later. The following officers were appointed to serve until their successors were elected on the first Tuesday in April following and duly qualified: Mathew Donohue, president; W. M. Holbrook, J. W. Ladd, Charles C. Ladd, J. W. Barnard, and E. II. Keenan, councillors; I). D. Williams, recorder; T. M. Paine, treasurer; Wesley Moran and Fred. Hodgdon, justices; .1. II. Feeter, street commissioner; W. H. Lewis, marshal: G. II. Megquier, attorney.

At the meeting of March 26, 1881, this council ordered the first annual election to be held at the schoolhouse in District 64. At this election on April 5, following, these officers were elected : M. Donohue, president; W. P. Dinon, J. W. Ladd, R. C. Eddington, W. M. Holbrook, and M. R. Murphy, councillors : W. P. Fowle, recorder; T. M. Paine, treasurer; J. M. Bowler and C. F. Arper justices. The council at its first meeting appointed F. A. Merrill village attorney; J. H. Feeter street commissioner; W. H. Lewis, marshal ; Hiram Sherwood, pound master; Dinon, Eddington, and Ladd, together with Attorney Merrill, were appointed a committee to draw up a set of rules. And the recorder "was asked to request the county treasurer to pay into the village treasury that portion of the liquor fines collected from Bird Island since organization." The village was reincorporated in 1905.

The present officers of the village are : President, John M. Olson ; recorder, C. A. Strom ; treasurer, Herman Mielke ; purchasing committee, John M. Olson, C. A. Strom ; street committee, Jess. Carney, Frank Portly, A. J. Richardson ; board of health, Dr. R. C. Adams. Oscar Johnson, Ingwar Ibsen; cemetery board, Henry Arnsdorf, W. T. Bower, J. H. Feeter; park board, Howard A. Puffer, Paul Kolbe.

Buffalo Lake Village

Buffalo Lake is a well-laid-out village and has waterworks, sewer, electric lights (put in late in 1914), a white way, a park, a bandstand, two banks and a newspaper. It is situated on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, seventy-five miles west of the Twin Cities, which afford a good and easily accessible market. The town is surrounded by the richest of agricultural countries. The prosperity of the business enterprises, while bespeaking the progressive enterprise of the business men, reflects also the prosperity and thrift of the farming community round about. As a trading and marketing center, Buffalo Lake serves the needs of the farmers over a large area and has a reputation as a firstclass business town. The magnitude of the business conducted by the several firms in different lines, the prosperous and businesslike appearance of their places of business, their up-to-date stocks, their courteous treatment of customers and, in fact, the whole business spirit of the town is pleasing and attractive. With two banks, two large general stores, two hardware and implement firms, a grocery, a clothing store, harness shop, furniture store, jeweler and photographer, a sanitary meat market, two garages, drug store, restaurant, hotel, livery, feed mill and flour depot, two lumber yards, a new and model creamery, two produce stores, a well equipped blacksmith and machine shop, three privately owned grain elevators and a farmers' house that carries a sideline of machinery, there are no business needs of the farming community that cannot be well cared for. The village has an excellent school that includes in its curriculum two years of high school work and is successfully presided over by a corps of five teachers, of whom Jos. E. Reichert is superintendent. The size of the classes that graduate annually on the strength of state credits received is sufficient testimony of the thoroughness of the work the school is doing.

There are three churches, the Methodist Episcopal, of which Rev. Allison Barnard is the recently appointed pastor ; Zions Lutheran church, which has been under the pastorate of Rev. R. A. Schmidt for a great many years, and the Evangelical church, of which Rev. Max Wordelman is the present pastor. Besides the churches, schools and business places there are church and other societies, clubs, a village band, a baseball association, and the like. The Odd Fellows, the Woodmen, the Royal Neighbors, the Modern Brotherhood, the Sons of Herman and the auxiliary of the latter, have lodges here. There is an active Commercial Club that takes in hand the management of all fairs and celebrations and public attractions of a general nature. Then, too, the Commercial Club is a sort of standing committee of the whole to see that municipal matters that need attending to are not neglected. The streets are kept always in good repair, clean and attractive concrete sidewalks in every part of the village and numerous other improvements that help to make a village an attractive place to visit or to live in. There is a complete system of sewers and municipal water supply, and an electric service, which furnishes current for lighting the streets, business places and residences as well as for power for those who choose to avail themselves of it, with all the modern conveniences hitherto found only in the larger cities. Buffalo Lake is a pleasant and congenial place to live ; wideawake, progressive and thrifty.

One of the attractive features of the village is the White Way. consisting of twelve ornamental posts, on each of which is a cluster of five large lamps. This White Way gives to the village a truly metropolitan appearance and is a tribute to the progressive spirit of the inhabitants. The village water supply is received from two wells about 400 feet deep. The village owns both a gasoline and a steam engine and the water system is excellent.

One of the first questions strangers ask is one that is prompted by the name of the town itself, "Where is the lake.'" A halfmile north of the town is a small lake from which the village derived its name. In the early days this was a stopping place for troops and stage wTagons crossing from Fort Ridgely on the Minnesota river to Hutchinson, on the edge of the timber settlements. There are still, on the south bank of the lake, traces of where the soldiers had one of their outposts after the massacre. The lake itself, though small, is picturesque and attractive.

The two best lakes of the county are five miles north and east, Preston Lake and Lake Allie. Beautiful lakes they are, indeed ; deep, clear water, firm, sandy bottom, with just a fringe of native trees along the shores to mark their boundaries. The lakes are about the same size, each about two miles across.

Turning again to the agricultural phases of the country, we find therein the foundation for the prosperity of the villages and towns and their business enterprises. From Buffalo Lake, live rural mail delivery routes extend, making a total of about 140 miles. Besides the delivery of mail, the country is strung with telephone lines till the farm house without a phone is the rare

The fire department is well equipped and does excellent work whenever the occasion arises. Peter Fischer is the chief, Fred C. Eiselein the secretary and Frank Prelvitz the treasurer. The company has a chemical engine, hook and ladder, hose cart, and other equipment.

There have been three important tires in Buffalo Lake, but outside of these the village has been remarkably free from fire losses. The Buffalo Lake Manufacturing & Supply Co., operated for a few years as a foundry and machine shop, and was burned Oct. 5. 1900, entailing a loss of about $9,000. The Monson & Gerber grain elevator and warehouse was burned Jan. 30, 1901. entailing a loss of some $8,000. The O. T. Ramsland & Sons' general store was burned Dec. 31, 1904, the loss being estimated at some $6,000.

The mill has been an important factor in the growth of Buffalo Lake. The mill was started by Green & Dahms, who moved from Biscay, near Hutchinson, in the nineties. They sold to Ilaag & Flor, of New Plm. Flor sold to John Noonan and the firm became Ilaag & Noonan. Haag & Noonan sold to J. E. Stiles and August Yoeks and the firm became Stiles & Yoeks. Voeks sold to Clans Grelk and the firm became Stiles & Grelk. Otto Grelk entered the firm and the name was changed to Grelk & Son. Next John Lockway obtained an interest and the firm became Grelk & Lockway. Then the Grelk interests were sold to Michael Lehrer, of Springfield, and the firm became Lockway & Lehrer. This company operated it for a long period. It is now owned by the Berry Brothers.

Centering at Buffalo Lake are three farmers' associations which have been of much benefit to the community. The oldest is the Buffalo Lake Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Co. The risks it carried last year aggregated nearly two million dollars, according to the report submitted by the secretary, Frank "VYallner. Next, there is the Equity Elevator. This organization deals in grain, fuel, farm machinery, etc. The third, the Buffalo Lake Equity Stock Shippers' Association, has handled for two years past practically all the stock shipped from this place. To this list might well be added the Boon Lake Co-operative Creamery Co.. which lias been a signal success through the several years of its existence.

The Buffalo Lake Industrial Mercantile & Trading Co. flourished for a while. G. K. Gilbert foreclosed the mortgage, and the elevator was later demolished.

The Buffalo Lake Farmers' Elevator Co. was incorporated in 1906. The first officers were : President, M. B. Foster; vice-president, Darwin S. Hall; secretary. F. G. Nellermoe; treasurer, Eugene Eiselein. The first directors were : M. B. Foster, John Keitel, J. A. Burgstahler, William Fluck, Eugene Eiselein, J. K. Landy, B. F. Sheppard, I). S. Hall and F. G. Nellermoe. The building is now occupied by the Equity & Trading Co.

The Buffalo Lake Equity & Trading Co. is one of the leading institutions of Buffalo Lake. The latest annual meeting was held Jan. 15, 1916. The annual report on the business dime, through the association during the past year showed a considerable increase and indicates that the association is in a prosperous and thriving condition. A total of 100 cars of stock wen- bandied for the year as against 74 in the year previous. Though the fact that most of the hogs shipped this year were lighter than a year ago reduced the relative gain in weight from what the number of cars would indicate, there was. however, a very substantial gain in gross weights. Given in round figures, the association handled stock to the value of $16,000. Of this, approximately $10,000 was paid over to the farmers who shipped. The balance went for freight, commissions, and other expenses.

The following were elected directors: F. B. Judd, Brookfield; G. C. Henke, Hector; John Klucas, Grafton; Theodore Byhoffer, Boon Lake; Fred Henschke, Martinsburg; N. L. Monson, Preston Lake ; A. M. Anderson, at large. The directors met and chose as officers. F. B. Judd, president; John Klucas. vice-president; N. L. Monson, secretary and treasurer.

For several years after the railroad came through, the preseut site of Buffalo Lake remained a marsh with no indication of a village. Trains stopped at Monson 's Crossing, not far away, to let off passengers bound for the locality. At that time John C. Riebe owned a farm here. As a reward, it is said, for work done in connection with the county seat contest, the railroad company agreed to plat a village here. The village was accordingly platted in 1881 and named from the body of water some half-mile away. That year, F. C. Hamilton opened a place of refreshment on lot 9, block 11.

Early in 1882, John C. Riebe, who owned the farm home not far away, erected the present Buffalo Lake Hotel on lots 11 and 12, block 11. This was sold afterward to "Wm. Goebel. It was conducted by the Goebel family until the spring of 1915, when Mrs. Goebel, the widow, retired from active life. Soon after the hotel was put up, J. E. Lewis opened a general store on lot 18, block 11. He disposed of the place to C. A. Peterson. The build-

Late in 1882, Fred C. Riebe opened a place of refreshment on lot 12, block 10. This place developed into a hardware store and was destroyed by fire. Fred C. Riebe, a man with a wooden leg, was a notable character. From here he went to West St. Paul and there conducted a boarding house. Then he went to Cripple Creek, Col., where he met his death.

Village lots in Buffalo Lake were first assessed in 1882. The principal owner was D. A. Riebe. Those who had already secured lots were: Mrs. H. Hayden, lot 10, block 10; Geo. Painter, lot 18, block 10; J. E. Lewis, lots 17 and 18, block 11, lot 1, block 12.

About 188-4, Charles and Louis Pretre opened a general store on lot 8, block 11. Walter and Henry Fauss bought the place. Henry Fauss sold his share to Charles Fauss. Walter Fauss also sold his share to Charles Fauss, who, in 1890, started a hardware store.

The depot was erected in 1882 and soon thereafter the St. Croix Lumber Co., with Fred Krueger as manager, opened what is now the Stearns Lumber Co. yard, and Constant Steinkopf and John C. Riebe started buying grain in a flat house, where the Monarch Lumber Co. is now located. Krueger married Laura Riebe, a daughter of John C. Riebe. He left here in 1893 and located in South Stillwater.

A German Lutheran church, the present building, was erected in the early days, and a parish schoolhouse was erected back of the church. The story of the church is told elsewhere.

R. E. Sell who. until recently, was the oldest settler still in business, arrived in 1891 and opened a meat market on lot 14, block 10. where he was located until early in 1915. When he arrived, nearly all the business was in block 10. In block 11 were the hotel, a store and a club house. The street between the two blocks was a mud hole and there were no sidewalks.

F. G. Nellermoe. the banker, has the record of antedating all the men now engaged in business in Buffalo Lake. Peter Fischer, the blacksmith, and John Quast, the undertaker and furniture dealer, were here when Mr. Nellermoe arrived, but were not engaged in their present business.

Buffalo Lake was incorporated in April, 1893. The first officers were: President, John C. Riebe; councilmen, C. A. Peterson, A. C. Stucke and August Klitzke ; recorder, Fred Krueger;

The present officers are : President, J. W. Rusch ; couneilmen, J. II Sander, Fred 0. Eiselein, Walter Berry; recorder, W. I). Wallner; treasurer, Herman Yunker; justices of the peace, Charles Werner. Herman F. Moede and J. Fred Siats ; constable, Clans Grelk; marshal. Cecil Michaelson; assessor, W. 1). Wallner.

Danube Village

Tourists on their way westward along the famous well-traveled "Yellow Trail" through Renville county, after making an abrupt turn northward about five miles out of the county seat, suddenly come into view of the pleasant little village of Danube. Lying midway between and but a few miles from Olivia and Renville, it presents a surprising picture of quick development, considering its nearness to its older neighbors and its rather unpromising beginnings. Even a casual glance, however, at the gradually rolling land, the fertile fields, and the prosperous farmsteads in the vicinity, reveals the secret of its growth and the logic of its location.

As early as 1S76 settlers laid claim to the surrounding country. In that year John Stange took a homestead of 80 acres just north of the present village: in May. 1878, John Kuether tiled on land in section 32 and was followed soon after by William Bede and Henry Henricks. Many other settlers came, and trade took its natural course to the nearby villages. For many years the railroad map indicated only that the company had a stopping place near the present site of the village, where gravel was taken on and known as "Gravel Pit Station."

With the increase of the farming population and with the poor roads leading to the nearby markets, many settlers believed thai a nearer and more accessible market would be exceedingly advantageous. At the time of the county seat removal fight, a petition was circulated, asking the railroad company to give the people a station, to be known as "Miles." As the acquiesence of the two neighboring villages would have to lie secured for the purpose, the petition lay in a dormant state for some time, as naturally neither Renville nor Olivia countenanced the idea of seeing a rival market Indue established. However, as the county seat tight waxed fiercer, the consent of the two towns was secured through the time honored "log-rolling" method, and Miles was given a place in the railroad "sun." In their anxiety to secure the station, a number of farmers had organized a company and had built a co-operative elevator, the first building on the present site of the village. No side-track being secured, no grain was bought the 'first year, and the building was sold to H. H. Neuenburg, who later disposed of it to the Crown Elevator people, who now hold it.

With the concession of the station immediate growth followed. William Terry, of Bird Island, built and conducted the first general store in the spring of 1899 where the Beck blacksmithy now stands. August Sommerfield, appointed first postmaster in

1899, soon removed the office from its little shack to the Terry store, Air. Terry being appointed assistant. The next year H. W. Shoemaker, of North Redwood, erected a building and opened up the second store on the spot where he now conducts his mercantile business. At the same time Philip Fabel anil J. W. Beck built a hardware which they later converted into the first hotel. Herman Roepke, of Buffalo Lake, opened up a harness shop the same year.

In 1901, in order to better control the liquor traffic, the village was incorporated. The name of "Miles" was dropped as it was found to give rise to considerable confusion owing to the existence of other villages in the state by that name. Why the new name was adopted is not known on good authority. As the story goes, it appears that the additional stop at Miles was not particularly pleasing to the railroad men at that time and the official name was not heard as often as other utterances, "not loud, but deep." These latter expressions to an innocent bystander might have sounded somewhat like, "Dan-ube, " although that was not the exact wording of the phrase. Be that as it may, it is not here vouched for as a fact, but merely adverted to, for the sake of being precise and authentic. At any rate Danube is the name given to the place by the railroad company and accepted as the name of the newly incorporated village.

The' first council meeting, November :!() of that year, consisted of P. A. Schroeder, president; Fred Sausele, Chris. Schmidt and John Fischer, councillors; and Jas. J. Moughan, recorder. Schroeder, Schmidt and Fischer constituted the first board of health. Ordinance No. 1 was passed relating to the licensing of saloons.

The original owner of the village site was August Summerfield who disposed of it to F. A. Schroeder. The site was wellchosen, the land lying high and being well drained.

In the same year a system of waterworks was installed, consisting of an excellent well, tower with tank of 242 barrels capacity, and a large gasoline engine, at a cost of between three aud four thousand dollars. There are now about seven blocks of mains.

The growing business of the community soon demanded a local clearing house and in 1902 T. O'Connor, of Renville, established a bank, under the direction of F. A. Schroeder, president; Fred

In 1904 the "Danube Herald" made its appearance. It was printed at Buffalo Lake by J. R. Landy and mailed to its subscribers at Danube. Later a printing plant was established at Danube in charge of A. E. Hill, of Morton. After a fitful existence of a few years, the spark of life went out. In November, 1911, the "Danube Review" was issued by E. C. Wallner, and continued by him until the summer of 1915, when C. A. Heilig, former principal of the public school, became its editor and proprietor. It is an enterprising publication and deserving of the hearty support of Danube citizens.

The first church services were conducted by Rev. Green, a Presbyterian, the next by the German Evangelicals in the town hall. A church was built in 1904. Rev. F. F. Arndt is the resident pastor. The German Lutheran congregation built about the same time, but have no resident minister, services being conducted by Rev. II. II. Hupfer, of Olivia.

The present village contains about three hundred inhabitants, in the main of German extraction. They are a thrifty class, homes are neat and grounds well kept, and the general appearance of the village speaks well for its industrious people. The latter are firm believers in education and the school building is, perhaps, the most prominent of all. In 1914 the two rooms were increased to four, modern conveniences were installed as to heating and sanitation, including steam heat, ventilation by fan, toilets, and septic tank; a gymnasium built in the basement, and the building and equipment improved in every respect. Besides the regular eight grades, two years of high school work is now carried on. It is tin- aim of the board of education, now made up of Adolph Wallert, F. A. Schroeder ami Ed. Grunnert, to have such a department of domestic .science that every child in the village or community may have the benefit of a good, practical common school education without the necessity of leaving home. A. M. Taylor is principal of the school, with four teachers in the grades and one special instructor for the domestic science course.

The village council at present consists of F. A. Schroeder, president; Henry J. Stange, recorder; N. T. Knott, H. F. Bruss and L. C. Hendricks, councillors; "William Finley, justice. F. A. Kenmitz is constable; Dr. William C. Dieterich, William Voelz and Gus. Miller make up the board of health. The latter is also street commissioner. An adequate fire department has been established with E. C. Wallner as chief.

Danube lias three general stores, one furniture store, one bank, two churches, one newspaper, four elevators, one hotel, one livery, one drug store, one hardware, one blacksmith, one creamery, one restaurant, one produce station, one cement tile factory, two pool halls, one barber shop, one millinery, one harness shop, one lumber yard, and one doctor. Bonds of .$2,500 were voted in the spring of 1915 to bring the electric current from Bird Island in order to give the live little village a satisfactory system of lighting its broad streets, snug homes and enterprising business places. Contract has been let for a county ditch to be built on the south side of the village which will provide a sewerage outlet for the village.

In the fall of 1899, H. W. Shoemaker and wife arrived. Mr. Shoemaker says: "When we located here there were a few buildings here wdiich had been started in the fall of 1898, when I made the basement for my store. One elevator was built but we had no side track ; then in the year 1899 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul put in their first side track. In this same year Herman Lindeman came from North Redwood and started a lumber yard and also bought grain. Later on this yard and elevator went by the name of H. H. Neuenburg & Co., who sold the elevator but retained the yard which is still in operation.

"In 1898 August Sommerfeld built the first building, a 10 by 12 postoffice. In the spring of 1899 P. H. Fabel and Jacob Beck started a hardware store, Herman Roepke a harness shop and Thomas Slough a saloon. C. Riebe built the second elevator on the north side of the track which burned down, and then built

In 1901, Mr. Shoemaker was appointed postmaster, and held the office until 1915. The oldest settlers now in the village are Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker and Mrs. P. Hinrichs.

Lots in the village of Miles (now Danube) were first assessed in 1899. The principal owner was August Sommerfeld. Those who had already secured lots were: Carl Sausele, lot 1, block 1; Louis R. Gemmett, lot 2, block 1 ; H. H. Neuenburg et al., lots 3, 4, 13, block 1; F. A. Schroeder, lots 7 and 8, block 1; Win. F. Terry, lot 9, block 1 ; lots 1, 3, block 2 ; Thomas Slough, lot 10, block 9; Jacob W. Beck, lot 11, block 1 ; P. H. Fabel, lot 12, block 1; James McCormick, lot 2, block 2; Chas. Braun, lot 4, block 2; Christ Blume, lot 5, block 2; F. Hinricks, lots 8 and 9, block 2; lot 3, block 5 ; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, block 6 ; J. H. Engeman, lot 10, block 2 ; Herman Roepke, lot 2, block 5 ; August Nere, lot 4, block 5; Herman Lindeman, lots 5 and 6, block 5. From 1906 on this town has been assessed as Danube.

Fairfax Village

Fairfax is located on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway, about eighty-eight miles southwest from Minneapolis. It is situated in the southeastern corner of Renville county and lies about seven miles north of the historic site of old Fort Ridgely. which has now been set ;iside as a state park and which was formally dedicated and turned over to the State on August 22, 1914, witli fitting ceremonies.

The township of Cairo, in which Fairfax is situated, was one of the earliest in the county. It is located in one of the best agricultural regions in the state and it is the trade and business headquarters for one of the most enterprising farm communities found in any part of the country.

In 1880, the M. & St. L. railroad reached Winthrop where it halted for a year, but the officers of the road, during this year of inactivity, selected townsites along the line and among the ones selected was the present site of Fairfax.

As the site selected was within the township of Cairo it was natural that the people residing in the neighborhood of the proposed new village should desire that it should bear that name. An examination of the postoffice records, however, developed the fact that there was another postoffice in the state with a name that so nearly approached "Cairo" that the postal authorities declined to accept that as the name of a new office which necessitated the selection of a new title. There were several names suggested and quite a little feeling developed as to who should have the honor of christening the new town. The matter was finally compromised by leaving it to Eben Ryder, at the time president of the M. & St. L. road, to make the selection. Mr. Ryder was a Virginian, a native of Fairfax county, and so he bestowed upon the newly organized village the historic name of "Fairfax."

On August 22, 1882, the town was platted, and shortly afterwards the Government instituted the postoffice, with L. C. Grady as postmaster, and Fairfax was officially placed upon the map of Minnesota.

Early history shows that St. Andrew's parish was the first religious institution in Fairfax. In fact, it may be said to have become a distinctly local house of worship in 1875, at which time a frame building used for services was removed from Fort Ridgely to within a short distance of where Fairfax now stands. The building was afterwards moved to East Fairfax and used for social gatherings.

At that time the judicial seat of Renville county was located at Beaver Falls, 22 miles across country, while the nearest banking point was Gaylord, in Sibley county, 25 miles distant. Improved land in this community was selling at that time at from $15 to $20 while unimproved land could be purchased at from $9' to $12 per acre.

Though the railroad company picked out anything but a favorable site for their station in Fairfax, business houses of various kinds were started immediately.

Fairfax has long been recognized as a leading business point in Renville county. It is also fully as good a town as there is anywhere along the St. Louis road, the aggregate freight and passenger business at this point approximating fully $50,000 per year.

The population of 815 as shown by the census of 1910 does the village an injustice, because the outlying precinct of "Hoboken" which abuts right up to the village is a part of the town for all intents and purposes save and except that they do not have the village tax to pay. The total actual population of Fairfax and Hoboken is at least 1,100.

Fairfax was incorporated as a village in 1888, M. D. Brown was elected president of the village council. The village has had many efficient men on its council ami under their direction many public improvements have been made. The village owns its village hall with a seating capacity of 600 in the auditorium on the second floor, with smaller halls for lodge and other purposes on the first floor.

The town has one of the best electric light systems in the state. The current is generated by the Crescent Milling Company and wholesaled to the village which retail the juice to the residents. Continuous service of the best possible light at a reasonable cost helps to make Fairfaxans contented and happy.

Fairfax has an adequate water system for fire protection and a well organized fire department fairly well equipped. The water is of the best but only a small percentage of the people use the supply from the village for domestic purposes.

The telephone exchange is owned and controlled entirely by Fairfax capital, as are the rural lines reaching out in every direction from the village. The equipment is of the best aud the service continuous. Long distance connections are made with both the Tri-State and Northwestern lines.

Among the fraternal organizations may be mentioned the Masonic organization, the M. B. A., the M. W. A., the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Lady Foresters, the Sons of Herman, and numerous church societies. The G. A. R. post and the Ladies of the G. A. R. are also flourishing organizations.

The present site of Fairfax was originally an island. This island occupied all of section 2. the east half of section 3, and the west half of section 1, in the original plat of Fairfax, as well as the southern part of section 8, and a corner of section 5, in Klasen's addition. It also extended south of the track and terminated in a ridge extending southeast. This island was surrounded with sloughs, swamps, and swales, filled with muskrat houses, the haunt of numberless water fowl.

John Welsh had a farmhouse forty rods south of the present depot. Part of the village is platted on his land. One-half a mile west of the site was Hugh Carson. One-half mile east of the site was Edmond O'Hara. It was on his land that East Fairfax, now known as Iloboken, was platted. One-half a mile south of the site was Nels Peterson. A half a mile north of town was James O'Hara. The nearest road was the old road east of the village, the main road between New Ulm and Fairfax.

The village of Fairfax dates from 1882, when the townsite was platted. After it became known that the railroad was to establish a village here, there was considerable doubt as to whether the new settlement would be located on the farm of John Welsh or on the farm of Edmond O'Hara.

For a time the O'Hara farm seemed the probable site, and quite a settlement sprang up there, known both as East Fairfax and as Iloboken. Uriah Tibbetts came to East Fairfax in the fall of 1882 and opened a saloon eighty rods west of Ed. O'Hara 's house near the railroad. On the rear of his lot he erected a home. A frame building originally located at Ft. Ridgely ami later moved near the old cemetery, north of the present village, and used for Catholic church services was later moved to East Fairfax and long remained a social center.

Luke T. Grady was the first merchant on the site of the present village. He had been a pioneer merchant in Hector in this county and from there had moved to Arlington. "When the railroad was projected through this part of the country he built a shack and started selling goods on the northeast corner of section 10. This was in 1881. About August, 1882, he came to the present site of Fairfax and moved his shack to a place near the middle of Second avenue, in front of lot 15, block 3. To this shack he built a canvas addition in the form of a tent and there lie started selling provisions and liquors. Soon afterward he erected a new store on lot 15, block 3, where lie continued for several years.

Soon after Mr. Grady's arrival, the influx of business began. Many of the early business men came from Sleepy Eye, and several of them had been friends before coming here.

Henry Hauser came from Sleepy Eye in the late summer of 1882. and opened a lumber yard under the firm name of Miller, Christenson & Hauser. This yard occupied the present site of the wood yard of the Midland Lumber Co., east of the street and south of the track. The first carload of lumber received by this yard was sold to Posen & Anderson, the second to Charles Schutnick and the third to Phillip Kipp. Tins lumber company continues in business to the present time, now being known as the Hauser Lumber Co. C. A. Lammers and G. A. Rieke are now associated with .Mr. Hauser in the business. The yard is now located on lots 1 and 2. block 3.

John C. Brennescholz opened a lumber yard at practically the same time that the Hauser yard was opened. It occupies a place south of the tracks and west of the street, the present site of the office of the Midland Lumber Co.

Posen & Anderson, from Sleepy Eye, opened their store early in the fall. It was located on lot 8. block 2. Mr. Anderson was then single. The Posen family lived above the store. Emil F. Sell bought out Anderson and the company became Posen & Sell. Later the firm became Sell & Nelson. Next Euiil F. and Gustave C. Sell conducted the firm under the name of the Sell Brothers. Gustave C. Sell died, and his interests were purchased by J. W. Schramm. The firm then became Sell & Schramm. The firm was likewise interested in the State Bank of Fairfax. Then the two partners divided, Mr. Sell taking the store and .Mr. Schramm the bank. The business is still at the same location. It is known as the Fairfax Department Store and is owned by August F. Rieke, Richard G. Rienke and the estate of Emil F. Sell.

Charles Schutnik came from Sleepy Eye in the early fall of 1882, and erected a blacksmith shop on lot 6, block 2. He brought his family and moved them into a house which he had erected beside his shop. This was the first dwelling on the village site.

Phillip Kipp came from Sleepy Eye at practically the same time and opened a wagon shop on lot 5, block 2. He spent most of the winter here and in March, 1883, brought his family. Mr. Kipp is still a resident of the village.

About this time a flathonse was opened for the purchase of grain, the buyer being Nels Nelson. The fl.ath.ouse was located on the east side of Second street south of the railroad track, between the Hauser Lumber Co. and the railroad.

About the first snow fall, the Dodge Brothers moved into Fairfax, and located on lots 10 and 11, block 2. They moved their building to the back of the lot, and started erecting a new building for a saloon. The new building was completed enough to be used before winter.

Sylvester Turner, who had formerly been a farmer, opened a livery stable on the alley in the middle of block 2, near lot 15. This was late in the fall of 1882.

The original depot was erected on the same sit'.' as the present station during the fall of 1882. Some years ago this station and a nearby elevator were burned. The present station was at once erected. A new station has for some time been advocated by the Fairfax Commercial club, but this far without results.

Thomas Welsh opened a hotel in the winter of 1882-83, its location being lot 10, block 1. His sister, Mrs. Ellen (Welsh) O'Neill, kept house for him.

Nelson & Peterson, of Red Wing, who had a branch store at Hector, came to Fairfax in the winter of 1882-83 with Amund Dahl, the present county treasurer as partner, and opened a hardware store where the Farmers Cooperative store is now located.

Village lots in Fairfax were first assessed in 1883. Eben Rider and Bridget Welsh were the principal owners. Those who had already secured lots were: H. L. Ihles, lot 9, block 1; Thomas Welsh, lot 10, block 1 ; John Buhler, lot 11, block 1; Chas. Thomas, lot 12, block 1; Phillip Kipp, lot 5, block 2; Chas. Schuknecht, lot 6, block 2 ; Robert Mahl, lot 7, block 2 ; B. L. Bird, lot 9, block 2 Theodore Crone, lot 10, block 2; Dodge Bros., lot 11, block 2 Henry Offerman. lot 12, block 2; Henry Hauser, lot 13, block 2 F. W. Keeling, lot 15, block 2 ; C. H. Nixon, lot 9, block 3 ; Cath

Village of East Fairfax. A man whose name is given as Rudolph owned nearly all of the lots assessed in 1883. Those who had secured lots were: Iver Gunderson, lot 3, block 1; James H. Smith, lots 12 and 13, block 1 ; Albertine Sell, lot 12, block 3 ; Wm. Comme, lot 4, block 4 ; lot 27, block 4.

Toward spring in 1883, Charles Bird erected a. store in Fairfax where the postoffice now stands, and lived overhead. He planned to open a saloon but gave up the project.

There were few children in Fairfax during the spring of 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Kipp had a son, Charles M. Mrs. Ellen O'Neil had three children, Frank, Nellie and Mary. Mr. and Mrs Charles Schutnick had a son, Edward. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Caton had several children. This constituted the young life of the village that winter. Many of the pioneers were unmarried, and most of the families were living in the buildings which housed their business establishments.

The biggest fire in the history of Fairfax was that of Sept. 17, 1895, when the northeast corner of block 6 was wiped out, taking the Methodist parsonage, the J. C. Fullerton mill and other structures.

Fairfax was incorporated in 1888. A petition was presented to the county board, praying for the incorporation, dated Nov. 21, 1887, and signed by M. D. Brown, Dr. H. E. Lucas, Luther Nichols. C. Hornberg, Horatio Werring, A. M. Londe, 0. H. Jertsen, B. S. Martin, A. Hinderman, J. W. Gruber, Andrew Nelson, Gustav Sell, Ernil F. Sell, A. A. Grueke, N. D. Lorge, Johan Lorge, W. A. Burchfield, C. N. Hickox, August Thiele, Louis Thiele, J. Hirsh, Frank Bregel, J. J. Pokock, L. McBride, Otto Lundquist, Ole H. Grassmoen, J. C. Brennesholtz, G. E. Clark, M. W. Welter, Charles Thomas, M. Classen, Albert Runge, W. H. Bird, Charles Lammers, Thomas Greer, Phillip Kipp, H. H. Hindermann, John Cretty, Alois Huskamp, Henry Hauser and W. Knapp. At that time the official population of the village was 192.

The petition was favorably acted upon by the commissioners Dec. 2, 1887, at Beaver Falls, and an election ordered held. The election was held accordingly on Jan. 5, 1888, at the office of Martin D. Brown, lot 4, block 2, in charge of Martin D. Brown, Horatio Werring and Frank Bregel, Brown and Bregel acting as judges and Werring as clerk. It was duly decided to incorporate, but through some curious oversight the vote is not given in the village records.

The first election of officers was held at the office of Mr. Brown Jan. 18, 1888, and resulted as follows : President, M. D. Brown ; councilmen, Alois Huskamp, M. W. Welter, and J. C. Fullerton; treasurer, Henry Hauser ; recorder, Horatio Werring ; justices of the peace, Phillip Kipp and Thomas Greer ; constable, Louis Thiele. Fifty-seven votes were cast.

The first meeting of the council was held Jan. 19, 1888. Oaths of office were administered and the bonds of the various officers accepted. No further business was transacted.

The present officers of the village are as follows: President, ('. \V. Heimann; council. E. H. Brown, H. F. Dickmeyer, J. C. Grams; recorder, A. E. Carver; treasurer, H. E. Grasmon; justices, J. F. Russell, M. D. Brown; assessor, John Meyer; village attorney, Frank II. Hopkins; constable. Frank Pullen : marshal, Frank Willett : chairman of the board of health, Or. G. H. Walker.

A water supply for fire protection was first considered Jan. 15, 1888, when the council determined to erect a tank in the alley in the middle of block 2. John Donahue dug the cistern, Andrew Hinderman built the shed, and Hinderman & Shipplach set up the tank. A small hand engine, or force pump, was provided for getting the water from the well.

Tlie next move toward fire protection was made by the council April 19, 1889. when it was determined to lease a well from Dodge Brothers, in the rear of lots 10 and 11. block 3. A windmill was erected soon after by the Phillips Well ifc Windmill Co. There was also a hand pump for use when the windmill failed.

The first fire engine for use by the village of Fairfax was ordered by the city council April 12. 1890. the cost being $1,700. On the same date a committee, consisting of Luther Nichols, Phillip Kipp and Charles Laminers was appointed to go to New Ulm to investigate the proposition of village cisterns. A shelter for the engine was erected on the railroad right of way, on the south side of Second avenue, and south of the alley which divides block 2. The present engine house occupies the same site. May 6, 1890, two bills from Henry Hinshen for constructing two 500-gallon cisterns were accepted. June 2, of the same year, it was voted to dig a ditch from the old Dodge Bros.' well to one of the cisterns. These cisterns were located where First and Second streets cross First avenue.

1, 1890, after the engine had been purchased, a staff was appointed as follows : Engineer, Fred Chambard, first assistant, L. McBridge ; second assistant, George W. Chambard; third assistant, John Calland. Albert Hornberg was appointed chief of the tire department. The department, however, at that time

May 5, 1891, this organization was abolished, the village voted to purchase considerable tire apparatus, and the Fairfax Fire Department was regularly organized as follows: Chief engineer, Fred Chambard ; assistants, G. W. Chambard and L. McBride ; hosemen, A. Hornberg (chief), John Cretty, C. Lammers. E. F. Sell, W. B. Dodge, B. Marty, Peter Springer, Joseph Kelfgen, W. A. Burchfield and Luther Nichols.

At a special election held March 9. 1897. the voters decided in favor of issuing certificates of indebtedness to the amount of $4,000. The council took the necessary steps and the bonds were issued. The purpose of the issue was to pay for the fire engine and to purchase other apparatus.

A waterworks system was first publicly advocated at a mass meeting held at the schoolhouse April 11, 1892. April 12, 1892, Carson & Greer were given the contract of digging a well on or near the railroad right of way, southeast of lot 8, block 1. June 21. 1892, the council, then consisting of Luther Nichols, president; "W. A. Burchfield, John Cretty and Henry Hauser (Thomas Greer being the recorder), let a contract to H. II. Harrison & Co. for constructing a system of waterworks for $4,068. The mass meeting held had seemed favorable to the project, but there had been no vote of the citizens authorizing such an act on the part of the council. Work on this contract was started at once. The system with trifling exceptions was accepted Aug. 31, 1892.

As the next move in the waterworks situation an entirely new board was elected in 1893, consisting of Paul Albrecht, president, Phillip Kipp, Wenzel Frank and Antone Alt man.

This board on July 8, 1893, passed a resolution repudiating the work done by H. H. Harrison & Co.. disavowing any obligation or debt on the part of the village toward that company, and ordering the company to remove the watermaius, windmill, and the like, already erected.

This system consisted of a windmill and tank at tbe old village well, and three blocks of watermains. The matter whs taken into court and the village won its contention.

July 12. 1894, a special election was held to decide the question of issuing $4,500 in bonds to buy the waterworks from the Harrison Company. In the meantime Harrison had placed his price at $5,200, and had received village orders, later repudiated. for $5,043. He now offered to compromise for $4,000. The result of the election July 12, 1894, is not recorded in the village

At the same meeting it was decided to build two cisterns for the village, of 500 barrels capacity each. One was to be on block 5, mi the village property, and the other in the street opposite J. P. Mondloh's in Brown's addition.

A special election was held July 30. 1895, and the citizens again voted on the question of issuing bonds to the amount of $4,500 for the purchase of waterworks. The proposition carried by a vote of 63 to 20, four other votes being spoiled.

Efforts were at once made to issue the bonds. Oct. 2, 1895, the waterworks were accepted from H. H. Harrison & Co., the purchase price being $5,500, a sum considerably in excess of Harrison's previous offer. The bonds were not sold and were readvertised. A vote was passed Jan. 7, 1896. in which the council reaffirmed the acceptance of the waterworks:

In the fall of 1896 a tubular well was put in by Palmer & Dickmeyer. On the same date it was decided to buy a gasoline engine, and extend the mains, and erect a pump house, the contract being awarded to O Tiara. Dickmeyer, Dieter and Palmer.

The work was accepted Fell. 15. 1897. The well and pump house were located on the village property, where the present plant is situated east of the village hall. The water was pumped through mains to the tank southeast of block 1.

At a special election held iu August, 1897, it was voted to issue $4,000 bonds to extend the waterworks. The bonds were issued and sold to Cliff W. Gress.

The proposition of erecting a new tower and water tank came before the people at a special election March 11, 1902. Bonds were to be issued to the amount of $3,000. The proposition was defeated, 45 voting in its favor, and 82 against it.

Again the question of a new water tower came before the voters Aug. 27, 1907. the proposition being to issue bonds of $8,000 for the purpose. The proposition was favorably acted upon by a vote of 32 to 16. Bonds of $12,000 were issued, the extra $4,000 being for the purpose of refunding the bonds of 1897.

The tower and tank were erected on the present site, in the spring of 1908 by J. F. Johnson, some trifling details, however, remaining unfinished for over a year.

The original lock-up was erected in 1888, the contract being awarded April 16, 1888, to Henry Hauser at $174. It was located on the railroad right of way, across Second avenue from lot 15, block 2.

Theodore Edwin was burned to death in this lockup in the fall of 1897. He had been arrested for intoxication and had been put in the lockup without being searched. In some way he managed to set fire to himself and to the building, in the front part of which were stored many inflammable substances belonging to the village. After some delay the young man was taken from the building but life had already departed.

March 10, 1903, at a regular election, the voters by a vote of 98 to 68 declared themselves in favor of bonding the village to the amount of $20,000 for the erection of a city hall and the installation of an electric light system.

The action of the voters was rescinded by the council, April 18, 1903, and a special election of the voters held May 5, 1903, to consider the two propositions separately. At the election in question the two propositions were defeated. The electric light proposition received 87 ballots and only 68 ballots were cast against it. but the majority was not great enough. The proposition to build a village hall was defeated by a vote of 84 favorable votes and 70 opposing votes. The proposition has involved the issuing of bonds of $8,000 for the electric light plant, and of $12,- 000 for the village hall. A two-thirds vote was necessary to carry the proposition.

At the regular election held March 8, 1904, the proposition to bond the village to the amount of $10,000 to build a village hall was considered. The vote was 83 for and 74 against and the proposition was rejected.

Feb. 18, 1905, a number of voters presented to the council a petition asking that bonds of $7,000 be issued to erect a city hall and engine house. The council rejected the petition.

Feb. 13, 1906, at a special election, by a vote of 90 to 7, it was at last decided to issue bonds to the amount of $6,000 for village hall purposes.

The old schoolhouse was purchased March 5, 1906. was moved' to the site of the village property, and was extensively repaired and renovated. This is the present village hall, a sightly structure, amply adapted to its various needs.

The village hall was formally opened on Tuesday, May 28, 1907, by a dramatic production, "A Noble Outcast," given by the Fairfax Dramatic Club, the cast including A. M. Wallace, Philip V. Ploof. Ben. Mamer, Attains Madden, Alma (irasmoen (Mrs. Carsten O. Broughton), Lizzie Frank and Mrs. Jessie Paul. The entertainment Mas for the benefit of the high school piano fund. The next night East Lynn was given by the same cast. The scenery for the hall was selected by the Dramatic club, and for several seasons the club continued to give theatrical entertainments in the new hall.

The village hall question settled, the electric light question continued to agitate the minds of the people. At a special election held Feb. 8. 1910. by a vote of 98 for to 25 against, the voters decided to issue $5,000 bonds for the purpose. Aug. 17. 1910, a contract was let to the Western Electric Co. for installing poles, wires, and the like, and mi Sept. 15, 1910, a contract was made with the Crescent Milling Co. for furnishing the power.

The electric light current was turned on for the first time Wednesday evening. Dee. 7, 1910. This was for residence and business nse. The street lights woe turned on the next evening. For a year and a half, however, there was considerable difficulty in furnishing continuous service, and during that time the company received no pay for the current.

The proposition of establishing a village park on an available site in the part of the village known as Brooklyn came before the voters March 10. 1914, ami was defeated. Out of 204 votes cast for officers only ISO were cast on the park question. Of these only thirty-seven favored it, no less than 133 being against it. Telephone service in Fairfax is furnished by the Fairfax Telephone Co. The officers .ire: 1'resident, William Dickmeyer; vice president, Paul Albrecht : secretary and treasurer, H. G. Lammers; manager. A. E. Fenske. The Renville Rural Telephone Co. also centers here and uses the same exchange. Long distance service is furnished by the Tri-State and the Northwestern. The Fairfax company succeeded the Minnesota Central Telephone Co., and obtained a franchise March 5, 1906.

Oct. 7, 1897, permission was given to the Western Minnesota Telephone Co. to erect poles in the village for the purpose of opening an office and transacting long-distance telephone business. The city was to have free use of the wires for city business. Nov. 2, 1897, the Sibley County Telephone Exchange Co. was granted the privilege of setting its poles and stringing its wires in the village.