Comfrey City

Comfrey City

In 1910 Comf rey had a population of two hundred and thirty-eight. It was incorporated in March, 1900, and its first officers were: Eugene Fernholtz, mayor; Charles A. Nelson, recorder; C. H. Bradbury, treasurer. The following have served as mayors to present date: Eugene Fernholtz, O. W. Cooley, Oscar Erickson, F. W. Renner, Martin Windschill. The 1916 officials are : Martin Windschill, mayor; G. W. Schaffer, recorder; C. E. Armstrong, C. H. Bradbury and A. M. Johnson, councilmen.

The village installed a waterworks system in August, 1907, costing six thousand dollars. There are now about twelve hundred feet of water mains, conveniently located.

In 1914 an electric lighting plant was installed here, costing nine thousand dollars- A volunteer fire brigade guards well the village fire interests, with the aid of six hundred feet of hose and a cart. Water is furnished from the fiftythousand-gallon tank surmounting the one-hundred-foot tower. The Catholic church bell is used for fire alarm purposes. Aside from the eight-thousand-dollar electric-light bonds issued by the village, it is out of debt.

Business Interests In 1916

Auto garage, E. Valentine ; barber shop, Michael Hamilton; banks, State Bank and Farmers State Bank; attorney, August G. Erickson; blacksmith, Wenzel Schoedl; creamery, Comf rey Farmers Creamery Association, finishing an eight-thousand-dollar building at this time; drugs, A. J. Yackel; dentist, F. M. Robinson, D. D. S.; elevator, Comfrey Farmers Elevator Company; feed store, Comf rey Elevator Company; grocer, E. P. Lilla; general dealers,

G. Simmer, C. E. Armstrong; jewelry, A. W. Mueller; lumber, Youmans Lumber Company; livery, Peterson & Norell; millinery, Mrs. P. J. Miller; meat market, H. G. Schotzko ; newspaper, Comf rey Times, W. A. Brooks, proprietor ; physician, A. W. Eckstein, M. D. ; restaurant, A. R. Furch; real estate, August G. Erickson; stock buyer, Bean & Carlson ; photographer, George Roe ; harness, P. J. Lilla; cement worker, Schutt & Hurst; tiling, T. F. Kelley, general contractor ; hotel, Hotel Comf rey, C. A. Wall, proprietor; hardware and furniture, Adams & Redding; hardware, stoves and tinware, with a stock of groceries

The postoffice transacted a business of eighteen hundred dollars during the last fiscal year, under postmaster A. J. Yackel. There are two rural routes out from Comfrey.

Burnstown is located in the western part of Brown county. It is bounded on the north by Redwood county, on the east by Leavenworth township, on the south by Bashaw township, on the west by North Star township. Its population in 1890 was five hundred and seventeen ; in 1900 it was five hundred and ninety-one, and in 1910 it was five hundred and ninety-six. It embraces all of township 109, range 34 west. The Chicago & Northwestern railway traverses the township from northeast to southwest, with Springfield as the only station in the township. Boy's lake is found in the northeastern part of this township. This township is in the heart of a thickly settled and well cultivated portion of Brown county, having a thrifty, happy and contented population.

The history of this township dates from the first meeting which was held at the house of pioneer J. F. Burns, October 14, 1871 ; officers elected were : E. L. Cady, chairman; J. A. Potter and R. M. Johnson, supervisors; John Boyes, clerk; David Eshbaugh, assessor; Tedman Gullick, treasurer; A. B. Hubbard and Peter Moe, justices of the peace; P. Cutland and Peter Sist, constables.

The First Comers

The band of settlers which first dared to brave the hardships in this wild, undeveloped section of Brown county, in 1857, included the family of Jonathan F. Brown, who made a claim in section 22. The family was killed by the Indians in 1862, while trying to escape from the township. In the spring of 1858, J. F. Burns, for whom the township was named, E. Otto and a Mr. Webb arrived. J. F. Burns and his brother, Daniel, were the only ones of the early settlers who returned after the Indian War of 1862 ; they returned the fall of the same year.

Other pioneers included A. E. Aarans, of Norway; P. F. Altermatt, from Wisconsin; James Arnold, of Ohio; John Bagen, a son of the Emerald Isle; H. Bendixen, of Prussia; Thomas Brophy, of Ireland; Anton Crone, of Chicago; Lucas Fecker, a German; Charles Gamble, of Wisconsin; Walter Henderson, of England; Dr. H. A. Hitchcock, of New York state; M. Howard, an Irishman; Adam Kalzenberger, a German; H. Knudson, a Dane; L. A. Larson, of Norway; John Lau, a German; Orlin Laughlin, of Wisconsin ; Peter McKeever, an Irishman ; J. Paule Nuessle, a German; J. J. Ray, of Canada; John Roth, a German; Chris Schewe, a German; Wolfgang Schmid, a German ; A. Wangerin, born in Milwaukee ; H. C. Warnke, of Wisconsin; G. C. Wellmer, of Prussia; A. E. West, of Wisconsin, and J. D. Yaund, of Pennsylvania. These include several in Springfield.

The first birth recorded in the township was that of Henry Hughes, born in 1869. The first marriage was that uniting Ida J. Scott and J. F. Burns, October 20, 1870.