Nobles County MN Archives History - Books .....Chapter XIX Wilmont And Brewster 1908 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 17, 2006, 10:19 pm Book Title: An Illustrated History Of Nobles County CHAPTER XIX. WILMONT AND BREWSTER. WILMONT. Although Wilmont is one of the youngest of Nobles county towns, having been founded late in 1899, so rapid has been its growth that it now takes rank as the fourth town in size, the town of Worthington, Adrian and Ellsworth only having greater population. According to the last census-that of 1905- there were 279 people living within the corporate limits. The Wilmont townsite is located on section 36 of Willmont township and section 1 of Larkin township, and is on the Lake Park-Hardwick branch of the Rock Island railroad. It is fifteen miles northwest from Worthington. The village is spread out over considerable territory. Most of the business houses are located on Main street, a thoroughfare nearly a mile long. While there are a few brick structures, most of the business buildings are of wood. The town draws its trade from part of four townships-Willmont, Larkin, Summit Lake and Bloom-a rich and populous territory. The founding of the town was a proceeding very acceptable to the farming community of the vicinity. Before the railroad was constructed and the towns along its line were founded the people of northwestern Nobles county were a long distance from market. Wilmont, coming into existence in the center of this territory, was assured a permanent and prosperous trade. It was during the summer of 1899 that the survey for the Burlington railroad was made and during the fall of the same year that the construction of its line northwest from Worthington was commenced. During the first days of September Thomas H. Brown, the Burlington right-of-way man, selected the site where a few months later was founded the town of Wilmont. [1] This was three months or more before the road was constructed to that point, and there were no active preparations made for the building of the town for some time. The townsite was surveyed by M. S. Smith during the month of December for Thomas H. Brown; the plat was dedicated January 22, 1900, and the instrument was filed the same day. [2] Mr. Brown selected the name Wilmont for the townsite, naming it after the township. He desired that there should be a distinction between the two, however, and spelled the name of the townsite with only one L. [3] The railroad was completed to the site December 16, 1899, and, although it was in the middle of winter, the building of the town was commenced at once, and there was a rush of people to the site-people who came with the intention of at once engaging in business. The first arrivals found the site marked by a straw pile, surrounded by a stubble field, but they were men who had "studied the map" and recognized the advantageous commercial position of the proposed new town, and were not discouraged by appearances, realizing that a prosperous village was sure to result. From the day the first train pulled in all was activity. The first train took out a load of grain, which had been bought for H. N. Douglas, of Worthington. A number of farmers had their loads of grain on hand, backed up ready to load into the first car, and W. J. Corbett, buying for Mr. Douglas, was there with his check book. He was the first resident of Wilmont. The railroad company at once commenced the erection of a depot and stock yards and dug a well. A. L. Phileo was installed as agent and became the second resident of the town. Several elevator sites had been selected and preparations were begun for the erection of the buildings. Before the close of December lumber was on hand and the erection of a few business houses had begun. [4] January was a busy month. A correspondent writing from the new town about the 25th of that month said that Wilmont boasted of fifteen business houses and one dwelling-an excellent showing for a town of less than six weeks of age. [5] Among the very first business men to establish themselves in the town were C. W. Becker, who came in December and started the town's first lumber yard; Humiston & Footh, who engaged in the machine and implement business; [6] N. J. Lorge, who engaged in the hardware business; U. G. Cumming & Co., who also started a hardware store; W. H. Spong, who opened a restaurant January 18; Charles Emrich and son, who engaged in the blacksmithing business; Montgomery, Root & Co., who opened a lumber yard and engaged in the grain and implement business ; C. F. Yaeger & Co., who opened a harness shop; T. G. Connelly, who conducted the first meat market; Charles and William Barkelew, who engaged in the livery and draying business; W. J. Corbett, grain buyer; W. P. Devereaux & Co., who built an elevator and engaged in the grain business; the Davenport Elevator Co., who put up an elevator in February; George Baker, who was one of the first contractors to locate in the town; C. W. Mead, who opened a real estate office; and several others. [7] The postoffice was established in February, Mr. C. W. Becker receiving his commission as postmaster on the 13th. He has conducted the office ever since. All those who engaged in business enjoyed a prosperous trade from the start. A correspondent to the Worthington Advance of March 2 wrote: Despite the youthful appearance of our town, we are doing a business many an older town might be proud of. Forty-five car loads of the various commodities produced in southern Minnesota represented the outgoing business for the short month of February, besides much incoming business. The building operations and the establishment of new business enterprises continued through the spring months and into summer. In March Scholtes & Poort opened a general merchandise store; L. C. Long & Son founded the Wilmont Initiator; and D. A. Nye opened a barber shop. In April Mr. Rosenthall, of Pipestone, established another general store, and Stuntebeck Bros, opened the town's first saloon. Among the other new enterprises that spring were the First National Bank, which began business about May 1 with Edwin Brickson in charge; a drug store, which was opened by E. F. Pepple in June; and a restaurant by Mr. Morgan. Several residences were erected, and before the summer was past four large elevators had been constructed. In the latter part of April, 1900, a census of the village was taken, when it was found there were 196 people residing within the limits of a territory which it was proposed to incorporate into the municipality of Wilmont. [8] A petition was presented to the board of county commissioners, asking that body to grant municipal government to the new town, [9] and on April 23 the county board took favorable action. It made provision for holding a special election on May 29 at the harness shop of C. F. Yaeger & Co. to vote on the question of incorporation and named C. W. Mead, U. G. Cumming and William Finley inspectors to have charge of the election. Forty votes were cast for incorporation and only one was registered against it at the election of May 29. Another election was held June 19, when the first officers of the village were selected. The judges of the election were Charles Emrich, S. L. Long and M. Churchill, and thirty-seven votes were cast. Following is the result of this and subsequent elections held in the village: 1900-President, C. W. Davis; trustees, N. J. Lorge, U. G. Cumming, A. Shelquist; recorder, C. W. Mead; treasurer, James Montgomery; justice, C. F. Yaeger, E. Latourell; constables, Charles Barkelew, John Reilly. 1901-President, Jesse Bean; trustees, W. J. Corbett, A. Shelquist, James Montgomery; recorder, C. W. Mead; treasurer, R. F. Pepple; justice, C. W. Mead; constable, Clem Haley. 1902-President, James Montgomery; trustees, Jesse Bean, A. Shelquist, W. J. Corbett; recorder, S. L. Long; [10] treasurer, Thomas Hayes; assessor, William Tilman; justice, James Currie; constable, H. Hentrich. 1903-President, C. W. Mead; [11] trustees, W. H. Sievert, Otto Vogl, H. F. Balgeman; recorder, Edwin Brickson; treasurer, Thomas Hayes. 1904-President, Otto Vogl; trustees, James Montgomery, Peter Spartz, A. Shelquist; recorder, A. B. Williams; treasurer, U. G. Cumming; assessor, W. O. Tilman; justices, G. W. Baker, J. P. Roerig; constables, John Lebens, Charles Emrich. 1905-President, O. H. Tilman; trustees, Thomas Hayes, Peter Spartz, A. Shelquist; recorder, Edwin Brickson; treasurer, U. G. Cumming; assessor, W. O. Tilman; constable, John Lebens. 1906-President, O. H. Tilman; trustees, Thomas Hayes, A. Shelquist, Peter Spartz; recorder, J. J. Weitzel; treasurer, U. G. Cumming; assessor, W. O. Tilman; justice, G. W. Baker; constable, John Lebens. 1907-President, O. H. Tilman; trustees, Peter Spartz, A. Shelquist, Thomas Hayes; recorder, J. J. Weitzel; treasurer, U. G. Cumming; assessor, W. O. Tilman; justice, R. W. Ager; constable, L. W. Sowles. 1908-President, W. H. Sievert; trustees, H. W. Larson, Thomas Hayes, A. B. Williams; recorder, J. J. Weitzel; treasurer, U. G. Cumming; assessor, W. O. Tilman; justice, G. W. Baker; constable, Emory Reese. In December, 1900, just one year after the first building had been erected on the townsite, we find a village of about two hundred people, in which ,were being conducted the following business enterprises:12 One bank, two general stores, one clothing store, one grocery store, two lumber yards, two hardware stores, two machine houses, two harness shops, one millinery store, one livery stable, two dray lines, four elevators, one drug store, one meat market, three saloons, one blacksmith shop, one restaurant, one real estate office, one printing office, one barber shop, one jewelry store, one paint shop and about a dozen' men engaged in the carpenter business. There have been no backward steps in Wilmont's history. Since the year of its founding there has been no great activity in building operations or in the establishment of new business enterprises, but the town has developed into one of the substantial villages of Nobles county. Of the 279 people living in Wilmont at the time the 1905 census was taken, 129 were native born, 98 were Minnesota born, and 52 foreign born. Of the foreign born the countries of birth were: Germany, 23; Sweden, 13; Norway, 2; Canada, 11; Ireland, 2; England, 1. SCHOOLS. When Wilmont was founded it was included in one of the country school districts, the school house of which was too far away to be available. . So a building in town was rented, and in September, 1900, the first school was begun. A new district was organized in July, 1901, and on the twentieth of that month the first school meeting was held, at which C. W. Becker, H. W. Footh and C. Poort were chosen officers. By a vote of forty to nothing the electors of the new district decided to issue bonds in the sum of $2,600 for the purpose of erecting a school house. A two story building was completed in the fall, and on January 6, 1902, was occupied for the first time. R. B. Moberly was the first principal. The school now employs two teachers and has an attendance of seventy-five students. FIRE DEPARTMENT. In 1903 a volunteer fire department was organized with C. W. Becker as chief. The town had no water works at the time, and the apparatus consisted of a chemical engine only. The organization was continued up to the summer of 1907. Then, water works having been installed, the company was reorganized and new fire fighting apparatus purchased. H. W. Larson is chief of the department, which consists of nineteen members. WATER WORKS. For the first six years of the town's existence it was without adequate fire protection and had been badly in need of a system of water works. On two prior occasions the electors had voted in favor of establishing a system, but for various reasons it had not been done. On June 26, 1906, by a vote of 38 to 1, it was decided to issue bonds to the amount of $7,000 for the purpose. The bonds were sold, and on March 9, 1907, the contract for building a water works plant and installing a system was let by the village council to W. D. Lovell on a bid of $6,700. The work was completed and accepted August 3, 1907. CHURCHES. Wilmont has three church organizations, all of which have church edifices. These, in the order of their organization, are Presbyterian, German Lutheran and Catholic. Prior to the construction of the first church building religious services were held in the depot. The Presbyterian church, was dedicated, free of debt, on October 28, 1900. The Catholic church-Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel-was incorporated August 27, 1903, by Bishop J. B. Cotter, Vicar General James Coyne, Pastor Joseph Zahner, Nicholas Lorge and August Sieve. LODGES. A number of fraternal organizations have lodges in Wilmont. Wilmont Lodge No. 256, I. O. O. F., was instituted March 3, 1903, with the following charter members: A. B. Williams, Otto Vogl, U. G. Cumming, W. O. Tilman, William Wulf, H. S. Johnson, A. S. Shrauger. BREWSTER. Eight miles northeast of Worthington, on the main line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad, is the town of Brewster, a compact little city of 273 people, according to the latest enumeration. It is located on section 25, of Hersey township, and is only one-half mile from the Jackson county line. Of the smaller towns of Nobles county Brewster is the most substantially built. Many of the business houses are conducted in handsome brick structures, and the main street of the village would be a credit to many a town of greater population. Surrounding the town on all sides, is a level stretch of very fertile farming country, from which Brewster draws its trade. It is at the village of Hersey that we must consider the early day history of Brewster, and Hersey was one of the very first towns founded in Nobles county. When the old Sioux City & St. Paul railroad was being constructed through this part of the country in the summer and fall of 1871 the officials of the road selected three sites along the sixteen or eighteen miles of its track in Nobles county for stations. These were named Hersey, on the extreme eastern boundary of the county: Worthington, on lake Okabena; and Bigelow, on the right side of the Minnesota-Iowa boundary line, Hersey was named in honor of General S. F. Hersey, of Bangor, Maine, who was a director of the Sioux City & St. Paul road. [13] While the railroad company had made arrangements with Miller, Humiston & Co., the colony people, to build the principal town of the vicinity on lake Okabena, it was decided that the country would develop sufficiently to warrant the establishment of a small town at Hersey station, also. In the month of October, 1871, about the time the road was completed to that point, a side track was laid and a depot (the one now in service) and an agent's cottage were erected on the site of the future town of Brewster. As the road was not in operation during the winter of 1871-72 no agent was stationed there until the following spring and no further steps were taken to found the town of Hersey. Anticipating the arrival of the hundreds of colonists of 1872, the railroad company, early in the spring, had the survey of the townsite made. It was surveyed by Alex. L. Beach and was dedicated by E. E. Drake, president of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad company, on April 22, 1872; the instrument was filed in the office of the register of deeds June 10, 1872. [14] W. R. Bennett came early in the spring to take charge of the station for the railroad company, [15] and before the summer was over quite a little town had sprung up on the prairie. The first building erected on the site, after the depot and agent's cottage, was a store building put up early in the spring by J. T. Smith, of Heron Lake. A. J. Timlin had charge of the store, which had an existence of many years. A. O. Conde moved to the new town about the same time and established a lumber yard, also engaging in the grain business. Martin Heiser opened the second general store in the spring, carrying a stock of hardware and farm machinery in connection. [16] A hotel was opened July 4, 1872, by a man named Humphrey, [17] and John Iverson started a blacksmith shop the same year. During the year the Hersey postoffice was established with A. J. Timlin as postmaster. He held the office for a time and then turned it over to Martin Heiser. Before the establishment of the office the mail had been left regularly at the depot and had been distributed by W. R. Bennett, the agent. This was the extent of the improvements during the year of its birth, but the prospects seemed favorable for a rapid growth. Said a writer in the Western Advance of August 31, 1872: "Hersey is becoming quite a village or trading point, and undoubtedly has a fine future. The eye never looked upon a lovelier reach of level country than lies around Hersey and nearly every acre is as rich as a garden." Alas for the prospects of any town of southwestern Minnesota of that day! Came the terrible grasshopper days, and Hersey, in common with all the neighboring villages, had its prospects blighted. For seven years, beginning with 1873, there was no advancement in the country, but a retrogression. Settlers ceased coming, and many that had come departed. The trade territory surrounding Hersey was, especially, hard hit by the grasshoppers, and the new town suffered as a result. For several years those who had established themselves in business in Hersey remained, anxiously awaiting better times, but there was absolutely no improvement of any kind until many years later. The name of the railroad station was changed front Hersey to Brewster in August, 1880. This was brought about as the result of the taking over of the old Sioux City & St. Paul road by the Omaha road. There was a station named Hersey on the line of the latter road in Wisconsin, and to avoid confusion the railroad changed the name of the Nobles county station. There is a conflict of authority as to the origin of the new name. E. F. Drake, who was the president of the Sioux City & St. Paul road, said:, " . . . In consequence the village in Nobles county was changed to Brewster, after a director of the Omaha road." A booklet giving the origin of the names of places on the Northwestern system, recently issued by that corporation, gives another version. It says: "The present name was given it in honor of Brewster, a town in Barnstable county, Massachusetts, which was named in honor of Elder William Brewster, one of the first settlers in the Plymouth colony." For a number of years the railroad station was known as Brewster; while the postoffice and village retained the name of Hersey. This unsatisfactory state of affairs was remedied, in March, 1886, when the postoffice name was changed to correspond with the name of the station. Even after the grasshopper days the little village did not advance. We find that in 1885 the business town, consisted of only one general store, a hotel, depot and school house. No permanent advance was made until the latter half of the nineties. Up to that time Brewster was simply a little trading point, making no pretense of taking a prominent place among the municipalities of Nobles county With the rapid development of Nobles county farm lands, beginning in the middle nineties, came prosperous times for Brewster. Then the country round about received the settlement and development that had been expected over twenty years before, and Brewster built rapidly into a town of importance. Many new enterprises were established and all prospered. In the fall oŁ 1898 it was found, that the village had a population of 180, and it was decided to begin municipal government. A petition was presented to the Nobles county board of commissioners, asking for incorporation. [18] On this the county law making body took favorable action and named December 14, 1898, as the date for holding an election, when the voters might decide whether or not the village should be incorporated. Peter Geyerman, Joseph Ebert and Otto Berreau were named judges of election. Of the twenty-eight votes cast on the question only one was against taking action that would bring about municipal government. The articles of incorporation were filed with the register of deeds on December 19, 1898, and on January 9, 1899, the first meeting of the village council was held at R. J. Beaton's hotel. Following is a list of Brewster's citizens who have held elective offices since incorporation: 1899-President. Leon Morris: trustees, F. L. Hagerman, Otto Berreau, R. J. Beaton; recorder, B. T. McChesney; treasurer, F. R. Geyerman; justices, Peter Geyerman, James McConkey; constable, T. M. McCall; assessor, J. L. McConkey. 1900-President. Charles Wagner; trustees, F. L. Hagerman, J. L. McConkey, John Silver; recorder, D. V. Lees; treasurer, John Wahl; justices, E. L. Kelly, Albert Severson; constables, Frank Duba, John Weaver. 1901-President, R. J. Beaton; trustees, F. L. Hagerman, J. L. McConkey, John Silver; recorder, D. V. Lees; treasurer, Leon Morris; justices, Otto Knuth, C. F. Boettcher; constables, L. H. Schultz, J. P. Hein; assessor, A. W. Weinandt. 1902-President. S. M. Stewart; trustees, D. H. McKellar, N. Weinandt, B. T. McChesney; recorder, John Rabenan; treasurer, George Voak; justices, Charles Warner, James Ebert; constables, John Sorenson, John Hein. 1903-President, D. H. McKellar; trustees, B. T. McChesney. A. P. Jacobs, G. E. Hagerman; recorder, John W. Rabenan; treasurer, A. W. Ebert; justices, John Wey, T. T. Strand; constables, Dennis Silver, John Hein; assessor, A. W. Weinandt. 1904-President, D. H. McKellar; trustees, John Silver, John Meier, Leon Morris; recorder, C. R. West; treasurer, T. T. Strand; justice, E. Y; Wilson; constable, Ernest Phillips; assessor, Michael McCall. 1905-President, C. R. West; trustees, Frank Wells, B. T. McChesney, Leon Morris; Recorder, Otto Knuth; treasurer, T. T. Strand; justices, J. S. Randolph, John Wey; constables, Charles Harthun, D. V. Lees; assessor, Michael McCall. 1906-President, D. V. Lees; trustees, John Meier, Frank Duba, F. L. Hagerman; recorder, Otto Knuth; treasurer, G. W. Voak; justice, A. W. Ebert; constables, Charles Harthun, T. J. McCall; assessor, Michael McCall. 1907-President, D. V. Lees; trustees, F. L. Hagerman, Frank Duba, John Meier; recorder, Otto Knuth; treasurer, G. W. Voak; justices, J. S. Randolph, B. T. McChesney; constables, Ed. Olson, F. R. Geyerman; assessor, Michael McCall. [19] 1908-President, D. V. Lees; trustees, John Meier, F. L. Hagerman, Nick Kaufman; recorder, Otto Knuth; treasurer, G. W. Voak; justice, John Wey; constables, Ed. Olson, John Meier, Jr.; assessor, Ed. Tjossem. Since incorporation Brewster has had a steady growth. The census of 1900 gave the town a population of 234, and this was increased in 1905 to 273. Of this latter 96 were native born, 134 were Minnesota horn, and 43 were foreign born. Of the foreign horn population Germany furnished 19; Sweden, 1; Norway, 1; Canada, 1; Ireland, 1; Denmark, 7; England, 1; Scotland, 4; Austria, 7; other countries, 1. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. For many years Brewster has wrestled with the question whether or not to establish a system of water works. Many times has the question been fought at the polls and each time has the proposition been defeated. Sometimes a majority of the voters has decided in favor of bonding for water works, but the necessary five-eighths majority was lacking. On May 11, 1902, the vote was 36 for to 50 against bonding for $5,000; March 8, 1904, it was 39 for to 30 against; April 28, 1904, it was 43 to 31 in favor of bonding for $7,000 for water works and electric lights; May 13, 1904, the proposition to bond for $7,000 for water works alone was carried, 45 to 31; April 17, 1905, $7,000 bonds for water works and a drainage system were defeated by 34 to 39; July 17, 1905, the proposition to bond for $7,500 for the same improvements was carried by 37 to 27; May 25, 1906, $9,000 bonds- $6,000-for water works and $3,000 for a drainage system-were defeated by a vote of 29 to 31. A drainage system was finally completed in the spring of 1907. Bonds to the amount of $3,000 for the improvement were voted-42 to 14-at a special election held June 25, 1906. One of the village improvements in which the people take great pride is the public park, located in the heart of the city. The town's sidewalks are nearly all of cement, over a mile of that kind of pavement having been put in during the past year. SCHOOL. For the size of the town Brewster has one of the best public schools in Minnesota. In the school are eleven grades, taught by five teachers. This gives a complete high school course with the exception of the last year's studies. CHURCHES. Brewster has five church organizations, all of them having edifices of their own. They are Methodist, Presbyterian, Norwegian Lutheran, German Lutheran and Catholic. The German Lutheran church was incorporated July 15, 1886, and the first trustees were Charles Mortensen, Charles Leistico and Albert Leistico. The Presbyterian church was incorporated September 9, 1893, with the following board of trustees: D. McNabb, Roscoe Williams, John Moffatt. Rev. Sulzer was the first pastor. LODGES. Only one fraternal order, the Modern Woodmen of America, maintains an organization at the present time. In the early days many of the first settlers of Hersey and the country surrounding were veterans of the civil war, and one of the first organizations there was a strong Grand Army post, which, however, went out of existence before many years had passed. Sibley post No. 19 was organized February 15, 1875, with twenty-three charter members and the following officers: Post commander, Otto Berreau; senior vice commander, G. R. Perry; quartermaster, Martin Heiser; officer of the day, J. W. Miller; officer of the guard, D. Haffy; adjutant, C. A. Barrows; chaplain, O. Chapman; sergeant major, F. Fitzgerald; quartermaster sergeant, Mr. Ebert. ENDNOTES [1] This week parties purchased of R. Pritchard the southwest quarter of section 36, Willmont township, for the Burlington road, where a townsite will be located. This will be about three and one-half miles from St. Kilian."-Worthington Advance, Sept. 8, 1899. [2] Additions to the original, townsite have been platted as follows: Bremer's-Surveyed Jan. 20, 1900, for Henry B. Bremer; dedicated Feb. 12, 1900; filed Feb. 28, 1900. Second-Surveyed for N. J. Lorge; dedicated Jan. 30, 1901; filed Feb. 2, 1901. Keller's-Surveyed for Gustav A. Keller; dedicated July 10, 1901; filed July 31, 1901. First Railway-Surveyed for Thomas H. Brown in October, 1899; dedicated April 27, 1901; filed Aug. 20, 1901. Block 2 of Bremer's Addition-Surveyed for Barney Bremer; dedicated July 27, 1903; filed July 30, 1903. [3] Por the derivation of the name Willmont see chapter 6. [4] When the town was first started there were a great many prophesies made by different people. Some made the remark that the townsite would be for sale before two years for a sheep pasture; others asserted that within five years Wilmont would be the second town in Nobles county. But they were both exaggerations."-Wilmont Initiator, Dec. 14, 1900. [5] "There were certainly some enthusiastic scenes in the town in those days. In one instance, of which we were an eye witness, a man jumped off the train at noon, and, running to a lumberman, shouted in a loud voice what he wanted in the lumber line, and then shouted for help (carpenter help), and, loading a sill on his shoulder, proceeded to the lot he had purchased, followed by half a dozen carpenters. At nightfall the building was up. It was men of such get-up-and-dust that founded Wilmont."-Wilmont Initiator, Dec. 14, 1900. [6] The business was managed by Henry Footh, who made his first sale January 9. Mr. Footh erected the first residence in Wilmont. [7] The first lady to locate in the village was Mrs. Henry Footh; the second was Mrs. A. L. Phileo; the third, Mrs. N. J. Lorge; the fourth, Mrs. S. L. Long. [8] Included all of section 36 and the east half of section 35, Willmont township, and the north half of section 1 and the northeast quarter of section 2, Larkin township. [9]The petition was signed by Henry W. Footh, Sidney Long, C. W. Becker, W. M. Finley, Charles W. Mead, E. Latourell, Christian F. Yaeger, U. G. Cumming, N. J. Lorge, Ed. G. Werner, C. W. Davis, G. V. Scholtes, M. Doty, J. S. Edelstein, William Emrich, Charles Emrich, John Reilly, John Miller, W. H. Spong, Hugh Reilly, W. H. Barkelew, William J. Corbett, M. N. Schares, Jerry Dirks, A. R. Priest, Henry Christianson, John Burke, Robert Walsh, J. J. Weitzel, A. Shelquist, Gus Grant, George J. Backer, Joseph B. Mackay, Theodore Henner, Charles Alvord, George Geisel, J. P. Spartz, John Lebens, Peter Spartz. [10] S. L. Long and Edwin Brickson each received 33 votes in the election. The choice was then made by drawing lots. [11] Resigned May 7, 1903, and was succeeded by James Montgomery. [2] Wilmont Initiator, Dec. 14, 1900. [13] General Hersey died in Bangor early in 1875. [14] Additions have been platted as follows: Berreau's Subdivision of Blocks 10 and 11 -Surveyed by Edward Berreau for Otto and Rudolph Berreau; dedicated Dec. 30, 1892; filed Sept. 9, 1893. Berreau's-Surveyed July 17, 1899, for Otto and Rudolph Berreau; dedicated Aug. 25, 1899; filed Sept. 6, 1899. Beaton's-Surveyed May 28 and 29, 1900, for R. J. Beaton; dedicated June 28, 1900; filed July 14, 1900. Auditor's Subdivision of Blocks 1, 2, 8 and 9-Surveyed by order of the county auditor for Otto Berreau, G. W. Patterson and others; filed Sept. 20, 1902. Tracts A to I in SW 1/4 Section 25, T. 103, R. 39-Surveyed March 1, 1905, for John S. McCarvel and Frank L. Hagerman; dedicated March 11, 1905; filed March 19, 1905. [15] Mr. Bennett served until the spring of 1873, when he moved to Worthington and took charge of the station there. He was succeeded at Hersey by Frank Weston, and he by a man named Kennedy. [16] The Heiser store was the predecessor of the present day Geyerman department store. Peter Geyerman purchased the store from Mr. Heiser in November, 1881. [17] George Perry took the management of the hotel in the fall of 1872. He was succeeded in the management by Mrs. Watson, and she in 1876 by Dr. Louis Gotthelf. [18] The petitioners were F. R. Geyerman, F. G. Myers, Ed. Manuel, George Nelson, P. T. Geyerman, Ed. Berreau, Ed. Geyerman, Leon Morris, J. E. Geissel, John J. Gray. Otto Knuth, Peter Geyerman, Sr., John Wahl, W. H. Shively, John D. Weaver, B. T. McChesney, John Silver, T. J. McCall, Frank Duba, David V. Lees, John Meier, W. J. Adkins, Ross Nelson, R. J. Beaton, P. Nielson, J. L. McConkey, John Meyer, Otto Berreau, Ole J. Berg, Charles Hogan, William Nielson, Pat McCall, F. L. Hagerman, Joseph Ebert, A. W. Ebert, J, P, Hein, Mike McCall and E. C. Taft. [19] At the election of 1907 the question of licensing saloons was decided in the affirmative by a vote pf 46 to 22. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/history/1908/anillust/chapterx27gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 31.9 Kb