Kasson Mantorville High School - Komet Yearbook (Kasson, MN)

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closing the new Court House and to com- mence the inside work on the same. February 27. The total number of en- listed men from Dodge County during the War of the Rebellion was as follows: From Mantorville, 105; Wasioja, 104; Concord, 59; Milton, 58; Ashland, 40; Claremont, 38;Canisteo, 16; Ellington, 15; Ripley, 10; Vernon, 6; total, 451. April 1. Upon the death of her husband, Mrs. C.E.F. Bancroft took charge of the Mantorville Express. She was the only lady editor in the state. She successfully conducted the paper for upwards of three years. May 6. The Presbyterian Church at Kas- son was organized by the Rev. Sheldon Jackson and Elder Ncwhall, of Ashland Township. There were but three members -all females. The church was erected in 1867. July 21. The Baptist Church at Kasson was organized with a membership of eleven. The Rev. E. Wcstcott, pastor. The church was erected in 1875, and dedi- cated the first Sunday in March that year. October. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at Kasson was organized by the Rev. P.S. Ruth, rector. 1867 January 2. The County Board made an appropriation of an additional $ 1,000, to be used in the Court House building ex- penditures. March 11. It was voted by the commis- sioners to appropriate $1,007.61 with which to pay the indebtedness incurred in building the Court House, and C.S. Knceland and E.K. Proper were appointed a committee to expend $1,00.00 more toward finishing said building, provided said amount could be borrowed at 12 per cent. April 30. The first teacher’s institute in the county was held in Mantorville. Twenty-nine persons were present. May 3. The Dodge County Republican, a weekly newspaper, was established at Kasson by U.B. Shaver, editor and pro- prietor. The village of Kasson is located about six miles of the geographical center of Dodge County. It is surrounded by a beautiful and expansive prairie, gently rolling, checkered with dense groves and beauti- ful streams of pure water, adding beauty to the landscape and value to the county. It now contains of population of close to 400, and is rapidly increasing in size, wealth, and commercial importance. Choice farming lands can be obtained in the immediate neighborhood at reason- able prices. Village lots, though rising in value are not held at exorbitant prices. This is the shopping center for the county. It has a larger trade than any other town. $24,230.00 was used and 31 buildings were erected in Kasson-all residences but four. During the same year, a capital of $98,000.00 was employed in the mer- cantile, farm machinery and miscellane- ous branches of trade. The amount of wheat shipped during the year from Kas- son “foots up” on the railroad books to 250,000 bushels. Up to this time, Kasson never had a resident physician, but before the close of the year, a doctor, dentist, lawyer and printer arrived and the first drugstore opened. 1869 Kasson had a population of 800,of which 174 were between the ages of 5-20. There were the usual stores and dwellings, as well as two millinery shops, four hotels, three blacksmith shops, one plow, seeder and cultivator manufacturing company, three boot and shoe making establish- ments, one photo gallery, four whiskey saloons, one church (Presbyterian), two oyster saloons, one marble cutter, and a sash and door factory. March 22. A petition was presented to the County Commissioners and argued for the petitioners by R.A. Jones and CoL Stearns, of Rochester, and adversely by Messrs. S.L. Pierce, Samuel Lord, and Robert Taylor, asking for a division of Mantorville Township. The petition was granted, and the township of Kasson was formed, comprising Sections 23, 24, the south half of Sections 13 and 14, and the south one-third of the original township. An election was held and officers for the new town chosen, but the Supreme Court de- clared the action of the County Board r unconstitutional. July 30. The current price of No. 1 wheat at Kasson was $1.03 per bushel; barley, 80 per bushel. 1870 January 1. S.T. Jones was appointed to the office of County Superintendent of Schools. January 7. Five hundred dollars was ap- propriated to be used in finishing the rooms in the Court House. A resolution was also passed by the County Board au- thorizing the county officials to furnish the wood for their own offices. February 24. An act incorporating the Village of Kasson was approved. The ter- ritory embraced within the incorporated village covered one and one-half miles, the east half of section 32 and all of 33. In accordance with the act, an election was held under the supervision of Jona- thon Owen, J.H. Kasson, and John E. Bunker, on the first Monday in April, 1870. W.L. Dibble was elected president; A. Bryan, William Wheeler and Jacob Leut- hold, trustees; Libbens White, recorder. April 3. Two young ladies, Eliza Smith and Lucy Irish, of Mantorville were drowned in the river at that place by the overturning of a row boat in charge of S.W. Hickok. May 31. Special town meeting was held at the Court House in Mantorville and by a vote of 334 to 123 a proposition carried to issue 7% coupon bonds to the amount of $50,000 as a bonus to the Dubuque St Paul Railroad Company to build a pro- posed road through Mantorville. The com- pany failed to carry its project through. June 15. Camelia, aged eleven years, daugh- ter of A.R. Cohoon, of Mantorville, was killed in a runaway horse accident. June 17. The Grinnell Wilbur Drug Store at Mantorville burned with a loss of $6,000. June 30. The population of Mantorville village was 622, Kasson 515, Dodge County 8,599. September 7. The County Board voted to erect a suitable stone building on the 10

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August 25. The County Board authorized a bounty of $2.00 on each wolf killed in the county. 1863 January 20. Dodge County was divided into militia districts and citizens eligible to serve as soldiers were invited to meet Feb. 21, following and choose their offi- cers. March 18. Thirty citizens of Dodge County joined the First Regiment of Mounted Rangers for service against the Indians on the frontier. July 14. On this date occurred the sale of school lands in Dodge County. The prices received were $5.00 per acre for prairie land and from $6.50 to $10.00 per acre for timber land. Two hundred and ninty- four acres were sold. November 28. Evergreen Cemetery Asso- ciation was organized at Mantorvillc. J.E. Bancroft, secretary. 1865 March 8. It was voted by the citizens of this county to issue bonds in the sum of $8,000.00 for the erection of a Court House. This vote was authorized by a special act of the Legislature. April 18. The Board of County Commis- sioners located the site for the erection of the Court House on Lots 1,2, and 3, Block 22, in the village of Mantorville, with the understanding that the citizens of said village would pay for and deed the lots to the county, and also that A.D. LaDue would quit claim to the county the balance of the west half of said block. C.T. Mix, of Milwaukee, Wis., was chosen as architect. Samuel Willson and Thomas Marshall composed the building commit- tee and William Collum was appointed to take charge of the erection of the build- ing, counseling with the committee. June 30. The population of Dodge Coun- ty was 6,222. September 5. William Collum, superinten- dent of the erection of the Court House, reported that he had received from the County Treasurer $6,404.50, and had disbursed on the new building $6,357.22. He returned to the County Treasurer the money remaining in his hands and re- signed, and Samuel Willson was appointed to fill the vacancy. October 13. The original plat of the vil- lage of Kasson was filed in the Registrar of Deeds office. November. The first railroad train on the Winona St. Peter Railway reached Kasson. Kasson owes its existence to the Winona St. Peter Railroad which came into the area in 1865 at a time when the Civil War was drawing to a close. Jonathon Owen, J.H. Kasson and JJE. Bunker platted the village of Kasson and together with the Winona St. Peter Railroad were joint owners. The station was named in honor of Mr. Kasson, a native of Susquehanna County, Pa., who had come to Mantor- ville Township in June, 1865. He was an Abolitionist who worked hard to end slavery in the United States. The Winona and St. Peter Railroad was completed to this point, and Jabez Hyde Kasson, John Eldridge Bunker, and Jonathon Owen platted the village, which was named Kasson in honor of the man who did much to secure the location of the depot. These three men were joint owners with the railroad company. The road was lo- cated through Kasson’s farm, a distance of one-half mile or more. For the con- sideration of $500.00, he gave the com- pany the right-of-way across his premises and an undivided half of 100 acres of land where the village of Kasson now stands. In return the railroad was to build a depot and grain elevator. Messrs. Owen and Bunker each also gave an undivided half of 20 acres to be added to the village. Since the original plat was made, Mr. Owen added 20 acres, and William Powers about 20 acres. During the first few weeks after the advent of the railroad, Mr. Kasson’s house and every other with- in reach was crowded to the utmost capa- city until Mr. Goodell built an eating house, which he soon sold to a Mr. Vin- cent. Porter Van Allen, Jacob Leuthold, and Patchen Williams built stores, stocked with general merchandise in 1865. 1866 January 3. The County Board made an appropriation of $1,000.00 to finish en- 9

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■ W' -- ■ I 'i i ifigi W0m H, mkt i s hSP'? vy ■'! i '■ ff Ft ' i T HUBBELL HOU: »m-r v of M. S. K.t —AT THE— Court ZIouso Hall, in Mantorvlllo, —ON— Tl iii‘gcUiy Kvcinng, ] ovcniber 23, 1833. Floor Managers: N. A.Crittenden, F.N. Adams, G.D. Shlutes. w Music by the Rochester Cornet Band. Supper at Hubbell House. Tickets, §2.00. J. F. WRIGHT, Proprietor. A Court House grounds for use as an office for the Registrar of Deeds. The building was never erected. 1871 May. The County Board raised the price of liquor license from $25 to $ 100. A few months later it was reduced to $25 again. September. The Court House was finished at a total cost of $15,000. October 13. The Mantorville Express of this date published the following telegra- phic news of the great Chicago fire: “Chi- cago is in ashes. Miles of business streets are turned into a smoking solitude. Over two thousand lives lost. Financial losses are estimated at over $500,000,000. Large quantities of shipping burned. 1872 January 22. The Mantorville High School opened in the two-story stone building. Prof. B.F. Jenness was principal. March 4. The number of children of school age in Dodge County at this time was 3,241. June 21. The current price for wool in the Mantorville market was 55 cents per pound. 1873 June 23. Capt William McMicken, of Man- torville, was appointed Surveyor General for Washington Territory by President U.S. Grant. Twenty-four miles from north to south and 18 miles wide, Dodge County is situ- ated in the southeastern part of the State of Minnesota. An early account says: The surface of the county in the northern and central parts is high and rolling, and well drained, being as well suited for grain raising as any land in the state; while the southern part of the county is rather flat and wet, and admirably adapted to grazing and stock raising. The soil is rich, dark loam, varying in depth from two to five feet, and yields large crops.. .There is con- siderable timber in the northern part of the county ... the southern townships are desti- ned to become the most fertile part in time. Dodge County has sand and rock for building purposes in plentiful amounts. The stratum of rock concealed in some of the townships in pioneer days lay open in such other town- ships as Wasioja, Canisteo, Milton and Man- torville. The Mantorville quarries have been of easy access, famed for their quality, and once were a considerable enterprise when large shipments were made to cities and other points of outside use. This stone was favored for its building and trimming qualities, was found in layers up to three feet thick and and any dimension desired. 1874 August 4. The First National Bank of Kasson was organized with a capital of $50,000. The officers were David Anthony, pres; E.E. Fairchild, cashr. Upon the death of David Anthony in 1877 Tcunis S. Slingerland suc- ceeded to the presidency and continued in that capacity until this bank was succeeded by the National Bank of Kasson in 1894, of which he was also chosen president. August 7. President Grant appointed Peter Mantor to the position of Registrar of the U.S. Land Office at Bismarck, Dakota Territory. September 11. Dr. Josiah R. Dartt, the first practicing physician to settle in Dodge Coun- ty, died at Mantorville, aged 50 years. Twelve hundred persons attended his funeral, which was held under the auspices of Mantorville Lodge No. 11, A.F. and A.M. 1875 March 9. The question of granting licenses to sell intoxicating liquors in Mantorville town- ship outside of the village was submitted to the people of the township and defeated by a vote of 138 to 118. 1876 March 6. Pioneers of Dodge County organiz- ed the Old Settlers Association. March 31. Curtis Ostrander published the first map of Dodge County. May 14. A cloud burst occurred at Mantor- villc, raising the Zumbro River to unprece- dented height, causing it to break through the dam and dyke, and inflicting much dam- age to roads, bridges and private property contiguous to the river. July 4. The Centennial celebration was held at Mantorville under the auspices of the Old Settlers’ Association. The attendance was one of the largest ever seen in the county, and though the exercises were somewhat long, all passed off without a jar, and it is seldom that so large a crowd holds together so well or gives such earnest heed to all that is said and done. Rev. Chas. Shedd of Waseca, formerly of Sacramento, one of the earliest pastors in the county and founder of three of its churches, acted as chaplain, Gen. Edgerton read the Declaration, and Miles F. Bancroft, eldest son of the pioneer editor of the county, 11