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

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within her present boundaries. Naturally, a region so well watered and with so rich a soil, must produce rank growths of her age and the wonderful luxuriance of the wild grasses, both in slough and on prairie, won the admira- tion in early days both of the pioneer and the sight-seer. For a time it was feared the cultivated grasses would not succeed, but time has demonstrated that they thrive equally well as those to “the manor bom.” A half-mile above Mantorville is a natural exposure of forty feet on the north bank. The upper twenty are composed of a compact rock in thick beds, yellow in color, wearing away very evenly by weathering, and in a castellated manner. Below it the rock wears much more un- evenly and is grayish. Between these lies a thin, soft layer which wears away much more rapidly than the others. It is pro- bably a clay shale. A few rods from this an everflowing spring is caused by a layer of green shale just below it. The quarries of Mantorville are among the best in the state, very convenient of access and easy to work. Indeed, the lack of railroad trans- portation alone prevents their being worked on a large scale. Even with the present facilities, many of the public buildings and works, business and private houses, in the neighboring cities and vil- lages of Southern Minnesota, and many railroad and highway bridges have been in whole or in part constructed of stone from these quarries. It is also extensively used in cemetery and monumental work, and is especially prized, says Prof. Win- chell, in the report referred to, for the following reasons: 1. It is evenly bedded and can be got out in good shape. 2. There is little grit or flint in it to take off the edge of tools. 3. It hardens after exposure. 4. The color is yellow or light blue, and is pleasing. 5. There is little iron it to cause discolored spots. Good sand for building purposes is found in various parts of the county. Gold is said to be found in small quantities in parts of the Zumbro Valley. 1886 May 20. The Dodge County Republican reported as follows: “The Colorado beetle, which has been destroying the potato crop in the states south and east of here the past years, has made its appearance in this county in considerable numbers. Farmers and other growers of this staple article of diet are taking measures to pre- vent the further spread of this pest.” 1887 July. Wheats, oats and barley were terri- bly ravaged by chinch bugs all through Dodge County, reducing the quality and quantity of the crop fully one-half from the usual yield. 1888 April 13. The iron bridge spanning the Zumbro River at Mantorville was wrecked and sunk in the bed of the stream by the high water and running ice. The bridge was erected in 1882 at a cost of $2,200. April 20. An epidemic of diphtheria ap- peared in Milton Township from which five children died within a week. September 23. After a painful illness of two months, Peter Mantor, the founder of the village that bears his name, died at Mantorville, aged 72 years. 1889 November 5. At a special session of the District Court, Judge Buckham appointed the following to appraise the Chicago Northwestern Railroad right of way from Kasson to Mantorville: W.A. Coleman, L. H. Mann and L.B. Cooper. This branch was completed at about this time. December 20. McDonough Co., of Wi- nona, purchased the Pioneer stone quarry of Hook Willson, at Mantorville. 1890 June 1. The Federal census gave Dodge County a population of 10,864. August 15. Frank Roth started his large shop at Mantorville. Most of the freight for Mantorville was hauled by team from Wasioja, the then terminus of the C.G.W. branch line from Eden. 1891 February 23. The Bank of Mantorville was organized with a capital of $25,000, by Samuel Willson, President, and F.S. Haines, cashier. June 22. Jabcz H. Kasson died. 1892 July 4. The name of the Mmnesota Northwestern Railway was changed to that of Chicago Great Western. December 2. A large number of meteors fell in this section of Minnesota. 1893 September 16. The Eureka House at Kasson was burned. The fire was believed to have been of incendiary origin. The building was very old,it having been built for a hotel in the little village of Sacramento in 1856. It was moved to Kasson 1866 and named the American House, but soon afterwards was christened “Eureka House.” December 31. The County Attorney reported to the Attorney General that there were twenty-five criminal cases prosecuted before the District Court during the year, resulting in eighteen convictions, three acquittals, and four pending. 1894 April 19. Theodore Noska, convicted in the District Court of rape, and awaiting the sen- tence of Judge Buckham, jumped from a third story window of the Hubbell House, and fled to the south side of the Zumbro River, where he was found seriously injured and nearly dead from exposure. He died soon after being car- ried back to the hotel. The Coroner’s jury rendered a verdict that he came to his death from congestion of the lungs. July 2. The Eureka House, of Kasson, having been rebuilt, opened for business. July 23. The National Bank of Kasson was organized and succeeded to the business of the First National Bank of Kasson. The offi- cers were T.S. Slingerland, president; E.E. Fairchild, cashier, and Hy. Ramberg, assistant cashier. The capital was $50,000. August 15. The $12,000 flouring mill of O.C.F. Sorenson at Kasson was put in operation. October 18. The number of children of school age in Dodge County was 2,542. November 2.The water works of Kasson was put in operation.

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as a poet of the day, furnished a poem entitled “Centennial Ode”. September 1. A time lock, costing $400, was installed on the safe of the First Na- tional Bank at Kasson. 1877 February 22. The “Blue Glass Fad” made its appearance in Dodge County. The pro- moters of the theory advanced the idea that invalids, by remaining in a room light- ed by blue glass windows, would speedily be cured of the diseases of which they were afflicted. Many residences in the county were equipped with this supposed curative appliance. May 4. Saloon licenses were advanced to $65 instead of $45, the generally prevail- ing amount required at that time. July 22. The farmers of Dodge County commenced the harvesting of a wheat crop that broke the record of all former years for quantity and quality. This bountiful harvest, however, was not an unmixed blessing, as many farmers, in- fluenced by the glowing prospects of fu- ture prosperity,launched into enterprises which ennumbered them with debts se- cured by mortgages on their lands. The crops of the immediate succeeding years being poor, these debts could not be dis- charged, and many homes were lost as a consequence. The County Commissioners authorized a bounty of 15 each on poc- ket gophers killed in the county. A short- hand writer was appointed by Judge Lord to report the proceedings of the District Court.The first windmill in Vernon Town- ship was invented and built by K.K. Thoe. 1878 The DODGE COUNTY REPUBLICAN reports: Two passenger trains each way daily now. Prairie schooners pass through the village almost every day enroute for western Minnesota and Dakota. Last Saturday we noticed eight covered wagons western bound. 1879 1879. By this time a definite denomina- tional picture could be seen in the county. There were then twelve churches. The more than 1700 church members belong- ed to following denominations, in order of membership totals: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist Episcopal, Congrega- tional, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Presbyterian, Evangelical, Baptists, Pro- testant Episcopal. August. A new brick school house, cost- ing $15,000 was erected at Kasson. 1880 February 12. The Hon. Samuel Lord, Sr., Judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Minn, died at his home in Mantorville, age 49 years. His great ability as a jurist was generally acknowledged by the bench and bar throughout the state. July 12. Elbert, youngest son of Teunis Slingerland, was drowned while bathing in the Zumbro River near Sacramento village. Dr. Huntley, President of Law- rence University, from which the deceased had but recently graduated, officiated at the funeral. The whole class of which the deceased was a member was in attendance. 1881 January 1. The Federal census bulletins gave Dodge County a population of 11,344, divided as follows: as to sex, males, 5,947; females, 5,397. As to birth, natives, 8,867; foreign, 2,657. As to color, white, 11,337; colored, 7. March. Gen. A.J. Edgerton, of Mantorville, was appointed U.S. Senator by Governor Pillsbury, to fill the vacancy caused by William Windom’s appointment as Sec. of the Treasury, in the cabinet of President Garfield. April 4. The village of Mantorville held its first election under the amended charter, which allowed the question of granting liquor licenses to be voted upon annually. The result was a majority of sixty-nine in favor of granting license. August 2. The Kasson post office was burglarized by unknown robbers, who secured $3000.00 in currency and $500. in stamps. September 19. All the newspapers of Dodge County were dressed in mourning and devoted considerable space to the an- nouncement of the death of President Garfield. October 28. Marcellus Edison suddenly emigrated from this county, leaving his many friends and creditors behind him to mourn his absence. November 1. HA. Smith and C.L. Lorraine succeeded J.S. Shuck in the ownership and management of the Mantorville Ex- press. 1882 April 14. The construction of a new iron bridge across the Zumbro River, at Mantor- ville, was commenced. May 26. The School Board of Kasson awarded the contract for rebuilding the schoolhouse, lately gutted by fire, to Noonan Stallwag- ner, of Winona. 1883 July 21. A cyclone passed through this coun- ty, killing William Duntlcy,near Mantorville, severely injuring his wife, and destroying several thousand dollars worth of buildings and livestock. The court house was partially unroofed. August 21. At about 5 o’clock p.m. just a month after the above mentioned cyclone had created its havoc, a second cyclone, much more destructive than the first, passed through the townships of West field, Hayfield, Vernon, Ashland, and Canisteo. It seems to have started on Section 12, of Westfield Town- ship, and, rapidly increasing in violence, sped eastward, toward Rochester, Minn., where it practically destroyed that city. Farm build- ings, trees and fences went down before its onward sweep like grain before the reaper’s blade. Herds of cattle and other livestock, grain in the shock, and, in fact, everything movable or inanimate, were hurled through the air by the infuriated elements, and drop- ped to earth again far from their owner’s con- fines. Six lives were lost to this storm mon- ster in Dodge County, and so quickly was their taking off, that relatives with them at the time, could not determine the moment nor the method of their departure to the great beyond. The writer and a friend were at the farm of E.P. Candee, on Section 7, of Canis- teo Township, and were eye-witness to many of the incidents noted. The killed were Mrs. F. Helmbrecht, aged seventy years; Mrs. Ole Molde, aged eighty-two years; Mrs. Chris Ol- son and babe; Ole Johnson and Mrs. Knute Giristopherson. Many others were more or less seriously injured, and the property loss, in this county, was estimated at $100,000. The time consumed by the cyclone in passing through this county was about twenty minutes, and such a scene of death and destruction as lay in its track was never witnessed before in this region. 1884 In regards the geographical position of Dodge County is peculiarly interesting. In the first place it occupies a nearly central position in the triangle formed by the Iowa line, the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers, and which by its wonderful fertility and produc- tiveness, in the first quarter of a century of the history of the State, did more than all others to give Minnesota its worldwide fame as one of the great wheat graineries of human race. In the second place, Dodge County is, in a small way,a “Mother of Rivers”-the water shed for a large part of the interior of the above mentioned triangle. The Zumbro, the Root and the Cedar Rivers have their sources 12

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Kasson water tower built in 1895 by E. A train is passing through Kasson as resi- Hotel. The Eureka House can be seen on the Huelster, a local contractor for $6,000. dents are on the porch of the Walker other side of the tracks. 1895 June 30. The state census gave Dodge County a population of 12,753. September 23. The Mantorville Railway and Transfer Company was incorporated with the following officials: AX). La Due, president; B. Kundert, vice president; Frank Roth, treas- urer ;F.L. Willson, secretary; and M.G. Peters, superintendent. October 16. The Walker House at Kasson was 14 destroyed by fire at a loss of $ 12,000; in- surance , $ 6,000. The building was erected in 1875. 1896 May l.The Dodge County nursery, situated on Section 21 of Mantorville township, was started by W.E. Fryer on twenty acres of land. In 1899 ten acres more were added, and in 1904 an additional forty acres were secured to meet the necessities of this rapidly growing enterprise. This beautiful nursery spread out like a metropolitan park on either side of the highway between Kasson and Mantorville, where it was viewed daily by hundreds of travelers who never failed to ex- press astonishment and admiration at the beauty of its well kept grounds. August 9. Gen. A J. Edgerton, U.S. District Judge for the District of South Dakota, died at his home in Sioux Falls, S.D., aged 69 years. Deceased was the first practicing attorney in