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

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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

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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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of retaining the county seat at MantorviUe. Rows of evergreens at the Dodge County Nursery started by WJE. Fryer (pictured right). Dodge County, having located at Mantor- viUe in November, 1855, where he remain- ed a distinguished citizen of the county until 1881. He was an able officer in the CivU War, and in March, 1881, was appoint- ed United States Senator to fill out the unexpired term of Senator WiUiam Win- dom, who had been made Secretary of the Treasury. Returning from the national Capi- tol, he took up his residence in South Da- kota, where he was afterwards appointed United States District Judge. The remains were brought to MantorviUe and interred in Evergreen Cemetery. December 8. The first passenger train over the Chicago Great Western arrived at Man- tor vUlc amid great demonstration by the citizens of the vUlage. December 20. On this date the first train was run from MantorviUe to the Twin Cities. Excursion tickets were sold at the MantorviUe station to the number of 134. 1897 February. Operations were begun by the MantorviUe Stone Company of opening their extensive quarries at LaDue’s Bluff. March 23. The Farmers’ Elevator and Mer- cantUe Company at MantorviUe was incor- porated. 1899 January 12.The Hon. A.D. LaDue died at MantorvUle and his remains were interred beside those of his first wife at Wells, Minnesota. This was the passing of a man to whom many a city and vUlage is under manifold obUgations-MantorviUe not the least. He was distinguished as a pioneer at- torney and legislator, as a promoter and buUder of railways, and as pubUsher of nu- merous newspapers. He is weU remember- ed by those who knew him as a man of conspicuous abUity and kindness of heart. July 1. Kasson instaUed an electric Ught plant. August 23. A special election was held to vote on the question of moving the county seat from MantorviUe to Dodge Center. The result was a majority of 445 in favor 1900 May 11. The remodeling of the Court House was commenced. June 30. The population of Dodge County according to the federal census was 13,340. July 30. A franchise was given C.S. Wedge Sons by the MantorviUe Common Coun- cU to instaU an electric light plant. September 25. The Board of County Com- missioners accepted the Court House as remodeled by the contractor, A.C. Tho- mas. The cost of improvements, including the instaUation of a heating plant, water works, new furniture and the grading of the grounds, was $23,229.88. 1901 February 8. The valuation of taxable prop- erty in Dodge County was $5,116,074. The vUlage of Kasson took over the old wire system of the electric Ught plant of EUza Y. Wilson, erected a new power house, instaUed new machinery and assum- ed management of the same under muni- cipal ownership. 1902 July. The MantorviUe Local Telephone Ex- change was established by the Rev. W. Howard Mears. December 15. The Farmers’ State Bank of Kasson, with a capital of $15,000, opened its doors for business. The officers were H.W. Brown, president; A A. John- son, vice president, and W.N. Parkurst, cashier. 1905 „