Revere City

Revere City

Revere was platted in 1886 and incorporated in 1899-1900. The village had its start when the railroad put into use two box cars, one as a station and the other as a freight house. About 1899 Bingham Brothers built a flat house for the storing of grain. Norman T. Nelson started buying grain. Later Hans Nelson was the buyer. D. S. Cantine started dealing in live stock. The first store was that of Louis J. Rongstad & Co. In this store was the postoffice, with Mr. Rongstad as postmaster. Mr. Rongstad 's partner was A. 0. Anderson, who seems to have been the financial backer.

When the Northwestern Gazetteer was issued in 1896, Revere was a thriving point, and these business activities for that year are given: Anderson, Ambrose, shoemaker; Bingham Bros. (H. Nelson, agent), elevator; Cantine, D. S., live stock; Dahl Bros., general store, grain and live stock ; Dahl, 0. H., hotel ; Dahl, H. H., postmaster; Nelson, Hans, grain; Nicholaison, Jens, carpenter; Parsons, W. B. (0. H. Dahl, agt.), elevator; Rasmusson Bros., blacksmiths; Revere Co-operative Creamery Co. (James J. Lawrentzen, manager) ; Young, George H., tanner and glovemaker.

In 1898 these business activities are shown in the Gazetteer: Anderson, Ambrose, shoemaker; Bingham Bros. (H. Nelson, agent), elevator; Bridley, A. H., general store; Dahl Bros., general store, grain and live stock ; Engen, J. J., fuel ; Lohre & Munsen, hardware ; McDougal, W. D., railroad, express and telegraph agent; Munsen, Albert, hotel; Nicholaison, Jens, carpenter; Rasmuson Bros. (Emil C. and Louis P.), blacksmiths; Revere Creamery Assn. (H. H. Dahl, manager) ; Parsons Grain Co. (0. H. Dahl, agent), elevator; Schultz, John, hotel and dray line; Standard Lumber Co. (0. H. Dahl, agent), elevator; Turner, F. E., general store ; Weldon, Arthur, confectionery.

The original plat of Revere was filed on May 26, 1886. The land a part of the northwest quarter of section 25, town 109, range 38, was surveyed by John E. Blunt for the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company on April 30, 1886. There were two unequal blocks. The east and west streets starting at the north were First and Second, each being 80 feet wide. The north and south streets, starting on the west, were Cottonwood, 80 feet wide; Main, 100 feet, and Oak, 80 feet wide.

The plat of blocks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 addition to Revere was filed Nov. 19, 1901. The owners were the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company. The plat of the first railroad addition to Revere was filed Aug. 30, 1898. It belonged to the Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company. The plat of the Hirschfeld Park addition of Revere was filed Dec. 20, 1901. The land belonged to Eugene and Hannah Hirschfeld.

The election on the question of incorporating was held at the schoolhouse, Feb. 17, 1900, in charge of Oscar Kempe, C. L. Newhouse and Hans Nelson. All the thirty votes cast were in favor of the proposition. A short time later the first election of officers was held, resulting as follows: President, Emil C. Rasmussen; trustees, Martin Wentz, W. B. Leo and Anton Schiller ; recorder, Oscar Kempe; treasurer, A. H. Bridley. The first constable was John Schultz. The first meeting of the new council was held March 15, 1900. The present officers are : President, C. C. Engen; trustees, A. V. Pearson, Charles Wilbur and Fred Sixbury; recorder, F. B. Grinde ; treasurer, Chris Nielsen ; justice, H. R. Pantier; assessor, E. M. Walker; marshal and street commissioner, Ed A. Nelson.

A short sewer system was installed in 1914. The volunteer fire department has ample equipment, including a Waterous gasoline engine, and is in charge of E. A. Nelson. There is a splendid wild park of eleven acres on Pelt creek, which is a favorite resort of outing parties. The Norwegian Lutheran congregation has am excellent church here. Electric power from Lamberton was installed in the fall of 1916, furnishing light for the streets as well as for the business houses and residences.

Rowena

The original plat of Rowena was filed March 24, 1902. It was surveyed by F. R. Kline for the Western Town Lot Company on Jan. 28, 1902, in the north one-half of the southeast one-quarter of section 27, town 111, range 36. It contained two full blocks, and also two unequal blocks. The streets were 70 feet wide, except Main street, which was 80 feet wide, and Front street, which was 66 feet wide. All the alleys were 20 feet wide. All the streets are parallel with the town line except Front street, which runs parallel with the railroad track. The north and south streets beginning at the west are Oak, Main and Pine. The east and west streets running due east and west, beginning on the south are First and Second.