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

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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 „

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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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January 21. L.A. Humason, Clerk of the County of Dodge County, died at his home in Mantorville. The remains were taken to Dodge Center, his former home, and were interred in River Side Cemetery. The funeral party was conveyed to that village by a special train on the Chicago Great Western Railroad. April 27. Henry Boge, of Mantorville, mur- dered Sophia Boge, his wife, by brutally beat- ing her with a pickax. The murderer then com- mitted suicide by drowning in the mill pond there. This is the first murder recorded in the annals of Mantorville. June 30. The population of Dodge County, according to the state census, was 12,757. September 14. Dan Patch, the greatest har- ness horse in the world, who broke the Minne- sota state record on Monday last, when he went a mile in 1:59%, and on Saturday clipped off two seconds more, making the mile in 1:57%. 1906 March. Eugene Loomis was awakened about half past one o’clock when two of his neigh- bors dogs were killing his sheep. 17 sheep in all have at this writing died, and there may be others that will not pull through. The neigh- bors shouldered the responsibility of the damage done by pay of 6 dollars apiece for the 10 old ones and 5 dollars apiece for the last year’s lambs. March 29. Ed McLaughlin sold his bakery business last week to Ed Robinson of Lam- berton, and the new proprietor, who is an ex- perienced baker, will take possession about April 1. May 24. The exercises of graduation will be held in Assembly Hall, Tuesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. There are 17 pupils graduating. October 4. Col. W.C. Greene, president of the Greene Consolidated Copper Company visited his sister, Mrs. Phoebe Chase, and other rela- tives in this county. November 8. Dodge County goes Democratic for the first time in forty years and landslide for Johnson (Governor). November 15. Miller O.C.F. Sorenson on Tuesday shipped a carload of Rockton Buck- wheat flour to Tacoma, Washington. The car contained 35,050 sacks of the pure flour and 2,500 packages of self-raising flour. 1907 April 4. A new shoe firm S. Erickson and Son have succeeded to the business of S. Erickson. 1908 May 2. The remains of Joseph Robison were brought here Tuesday morning from Pierre, SJD. and taken to Mantorville for burial. Mr. Robison came to his death by an accident which happened on Wednesday of last week. He was enroute to his claim from Midland,S.D., with a load of freight and was in the act of filling his pipe when he dropped the bag of tobacco and made a grab for it as it was falling, when he lost his balance and fell to the ground, dislocating the fifth vertebra. June 11. Three more autos have been added to the number of cars owned in Kasson, the past week. The largest car owned in Kasson belongs to Henry Otter- ness and is a 40-horse power, six-cylinder Ford. It is a shaft drive car equipped with top, Gabriel horn and windshield and has power to travel as rapidly as Mr. Otterness will care to ride. September 8-11. The annual Dodge Coun- ty Fair occurred on the grounds of the Dodge County Driving Park Association near Kasson, Minnesota. It included a Baby Show with J.V. Hicks, Superinten- dent First premium, gold-lined cup; sec- ond premium, silver lined cup; third pre- mium, silver cup. All exhibits under this head must be under one year old. 1909 Issuance and sale of bonds for construc- tion of Town Hall in Kasson. 1910 April. A Miss Baldwin came to Kasson to aid in organizing a public library. September 6. The first library board was organized, consisting of nine members. By 1911 the Village of Kasson was appro- priating $20 per month to the library. It is interesting to note that fines were 1 cent per day for overdue books. 1914 Installation of water meters in Kasson. 1918 Present Municipal Building completed in Kasson. 1920 Several young men of the community be- gan playing golf in the pasture of Henry Blanch north of the park. This group later organized and has grown to become what is now known as the Zumbro Valley Rec- reation Club. 1921 A teacher’s Normal Training Department was established under the direction of Miss Nettie Perkins. There were approximately 10 in each class and practice teaching consisted of one week in the fall to observe, one week in the spring for actual teaching. This department continued until 1938. 1927 Andrew McDonough, a graduate of Mantor- ville High School, attained the greatest speed record ever held by a human being. He re- ceived his recognition after diving in a test flight of 620 miles per hour. 1931 All elections in the village of Kasson to be held under the Australian Ballot system. The last bank operated in the Village of Man- torville. 1933 Dr. Adams, a pioneer doctor in Mantorville, was chosen “America’s typical country doc- tor” in 1933 at the Century of Progress in Chicago. 1934 October. The last train chugged out from Mantorville. 1936 An agreement was reached between the School Board and the Village Council of Kasson and P.W.A.: It was decided that the location of the swimming pool should be in the north part of town, on the school farm property. The Village Council, coordinating with P.W.A., set about the erection and construction of a park, swimming pool, and bath house on said grounds. The Village was to furnish all the material; and P.W.A., all the labor. The park grounds were substantially completed and paid for at an expense of $1,217.43. The swimming pool was nearly completed at a cost of $3,520.31. The school paid the Vil- lage $1,500.00 to help. This left the big ma- chinery for the pool and bath house to be purchased at a cost of $8,000.00, so eight $1,000.00-bonds were issued, and the pool was finished and opened in 1937. 1939 Kasson citizens greeted Crown Prince Olaf of Norway. 1940 January 1. Nation’s Elders Receive First Social 16