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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
345
December 11th, Decorah State Bank opens for business.
December 21st, Rev. H. B. Woodworth, pastor of Decorah Congregational
church from 1872 to 1882, dies at Grand Forks.
December 23d, Reed & May's implement stock in J. J. Marsh
building, Decorah, burned. Loss about $7,000.
Record of deaths of pioneers during the year 1896 as follows:
January 25th, Nels N. Quandahl, Sr., Pleasant, 1856.
January 31st, Joel Dayton, Decorah, 1856.
February 5th, Mrs. A. K. Bailey, Decorah, 1860.
. February 18th, Grandma Torgrimson, Springfield, 185I.
February 19th, E. T. Ytterboe, Springfield, 1854.
March 3d, Anders O. Lomen, Springfield, 1850.
.March 8th, John Ammon, Decorah, 1854.
April 19th, E. E. Lomen, Springfield, 1850.
April 29th, Mrs. Eunice Cooney, Fort Atkinson, 1854.
May 21st, William McMullen, Canoe, 1854.
June 9th, D. N. Hoyt, Freeport, 1854.
August 3d, Mrs. J. M. Green, Decorah, 1856.
August 16th, A. A. Benedict, Springwater, 1856.
August 19th, George Pennington, Decorah, 1858.
August 24th, Mrs. Signe B. Christen, Decorah, 1854.
August 30th, A. H. H. Perkins, Decorah, 1854.
September 11th, Mrs. James Sharp, Hesper, 1853.
September 12th, Mrs. S. S. Wade, Burr Oak, 1852.
November 2d, George Bolles, Bluff ton, 1857.
November 9th, H. S. Tucker, Canoe, 1855.
November 17th, Mrs. Maria C. Daniels, Frankville, 1852.
November 30th, Wm. McLain, Canoe, 1857.
December 14th, Mrs. S. C. Treat, Decorah, 1857.
1907
January 7th, James A. Watterson, brother of the late Bishop Watterson
of the Catholic church, and cousin of Henry Watterson of Louisville
Courier-Journal, dies at home of his son-in-law, J. P. Wangler.
January 10th, Prof. Elmer L. Coffeen, a Decorah boy, chosen as
superintendent of the Lyman School for Boys at Westboro, Massachusetts.
This school is a reformatory for wayward boys and the selection
of Professor Coffeen as superintendent marks him as one of the
foremost workers in the "boy movement" in America.
January 14th, King Haakon of Norway confers degree of Knight of
St. Olaf upon B. Anundsen, editor of Decorah Posten.
February 15th, O. P. Thompson, retired merchant and one of Decorah's
best known citizens, died.
February 14th, Judge Hobson sentences Ambrose Duffy to forty years
in the Anamosa penitentiary. Duffy confessed to assault upon a
prominent lady of the county and of burglary at Immaculate Conception
Academy, Decorah.
March 8th, K. I. Haugen celebrates thirtieth anniversary as Decorah
mer-
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESBIEK COUNTY
346
chant. The retirement of C. N. Goddard leaves Mr. Haugen as the
ranking pioneer.
March 21st, secretary of treasury selects the Levi Bullis office
corner as site for new federal building in Decorah.
March 24th, the foundation of big dam built by Upper Iowa Company
in Glenwood township proves defective and the structure is undermined
and demolished. Loss upwards of $40,000.
April 13th, the Colonel Taylor cabin in Canoe burned, For many
years it was the summer home of Col. J. W. Taylor and contained
many relics of the war.
April 25th, James Porter, Mrs. Susan Johnson and Mrs. Barnes,
all old residents of Burr Oak, die within the week.
April 28th, new Synod Lutheran church in Madison township dedicated.
May 28th, Prof. Thron Bothne and Prof. Lyder Siewers die a few
hours apart. They had been co-workers as teachers at Luther College,
and at the time of their deaths were both doing editorial work
on Decorah Posten--both men of unusual talents.
May 25th, fire and water cause loss of $25,000 to stocks of Larsen
Brothers and A. Niesh & Sons, Decorah.
June 13th, C. J. Mills, Ossian's postmaster, dies.
June 23d, Sheriff Qualley catches Harry F. Kurb, who passes worthless
checks in Decorah. The fellow proved to be a noted check forger.
Kurb got ten years.
June 27th, Rev. H. A. Stub, one of the founders of Norwegian Lutheran
Synod of America, and pastor of the Big Canoe church for twenty-six
years, from 1865, passes away. (He was the father of Rev. H. G.
Stub, present president of the Synod.)
August 5th, Mrs. T. J. Qualley, wife of sheriff, detects Bary
Kurb attemping to saw bars of jail windows. Nels Duff was subsequently
arrested and convicted of supplying saws to Kurb, and sent to
Fort Madison.
October 13th, Laur Larsen Hall at Luther College dedicated.
October 16th, new mill dam built by Geo. Weist on Turkey river
at Fort Atkinson is undermined and demolished.
October 28th, owing to panic in money market the banks of Decorah
go into a clearing house basis and issue clearing house certificates.
The office of the Decorah Republican was "the mint"
for about twenty-four hours, during which $100,000 of certificates
were printed.
November 6th, George Phelps, pioneer wagon maker and blacksmith,
died in Cheltenham, Erigland. He came to Decorah in 1854 and here
laid the foundation of his fortune that had grown to a half million
dollars at the time of his death. By the terms of his will, Phelps
cemetery, Decorah, was endowed with a sum sufficient to provide
handsomely for its future care and up-keep.
November 21st, Capt. Roald Amundsen, Arctic explorer, is guest
of his coun-
trymen in Decorah.
November 20th, Rev. Ephraim Adams, pioneer pastor of Decorah Congregational
church, died at Waterloo.
December 14th, Rev. O. E. Schmidt welcomed as pastor of United
Lutheran church at Decorah.
December 25th, Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Carolan of Bluffton celebrate
golden wedding.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
347
December 30th, Mrs. John G. Melaas, Orleans pioneer, died. During
the year 1907 the following names of pioneers are found recorded
among the deaths:
January 10th, C. L. Beebe, Freeport, 1855.
January 13th, Martin Bottsford, Decorah, 1855.
January 24th, Kriut G. Nordheim, Pleasant, early '50s.
January 25th, Wm. Hess, Festina, early '50s.
February 9th, C. W. Rowe, Hesper, 1854.
February 14th, Anna M. Volding, Glenwood, 1853.
February 17th, H. J. Brickner, Decorah, 1857.
. March 4th, John J. Wold, Decorah, 1854.
March 6th, Mrs. Gilmore Kendall, Kendallville, 1860.
April 11th, Hiram Rosa, Frankville, early '50s.
April 17th, Magne Langland, Pleasant, 1853.
April 22d, James Daniels, Frankville, 1852.
May 9th, Geo. W. Shattuck, Frankville, early '50s.
May 14th, Grandpa Mikish, Spillville, early '50s.
May 29th, Mrs. Mercy Chamberlin, Frankville, 1852.
June 2d, Mrs. Henry F. Dean, Bloomfield, 1854.
June 20th, Mrs. C. B. Riggs, Bloomfield, 1854.
July 12th, Jacob Headington, Canoe, 1858.
July 26th, Mrs. Harriett C. Tabor, Hesper, 1855.
July 31St, W. H. Bently, Bluff ton, early '50s.
August 10th, Mrs.Wm.. Glover, Canoe, 1853.
October 10th, John Ward, Sr., Burr Oak, 1854.
October 25th, John Van Pelt, Decorah, 1853.
October 29th, Diebold Stoskopf, Pleasant, 1856.
October 28th, George W. Daskam, born in Fremont, 1857.
November 29th, Daniel Price, Pleasant, 1855.
1908
February 3d, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McMasters celebrate golden
wedding. They were married at Freeport.
February 5th, contract for new school building for Immaculate
Conception Academy, Decorah, awarded to Geo. Brunner, at $5,490,
without heating and plumbing.
February 10th, Samuel Magnus, Civil war veteran and former member
of board of supervisors, dies at Ridgeway.
February 13th, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Puntney of Canoe celebrate fifty-seventh
wedding anniversary.
April 2d, Dan Shea, former county superintendent and lawyer, died
in Decorah.
April 23d-During the week Mrs. Wm. Beard (Frankville, 1852), T.
M. Hoyt (Freeport, 1853), Heber Robinson (Freeport, 1854), and
Andrew Williams, another old resident, pass away.
April 30th, three more pioneers die--Mrs. John Theilich (1853),
Mrs. Zilpha Prothroe (Decorah, 1856), and Halvor Garden, pioneer
of Springfield.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
348
May 6th, Cornelius Jennings of Ossian, sentenced to penitentiary
for life for criminal assault upon his own daughter.
May 14th, Congress appropriates $60,000 for government building
in Decorah.
May 23d, Henning Larson and Lauritz Ylvisaker of Luther College
take state championship in collegiate tennis tournament at Cedar
Rapids.
June 20th, tornado sweeps through Winneshiek county from northwest
to southeast in a path twenty miles wide. Crops were pounded into
the ground and trees were denuded of leaves and bark by hail,
telephone lines were wrecked, bridges were washed out. In Decorah
buildings were demolished or unroofed and thousands of panes of
glass were broken. Hail stones were piled up in drifts all along
the path of the storm and on July 4th following a large pile of
them that had been washed into a gully and covered with leaves
were found and used in freezing ice cream.
June 21st, Harry Crawford in a fit of jealousy attempts to kill
Mrs. Edw. Ottaway and takes his own life.
July 17th, Mrs. Mitchell Debb, pioneer of Madison township, celebrated
eightieth birthday (Mrs. Debb still lives and is in good health.)
August 29th, Henry W. Klemme, pioneer Lincoln township, farmer,
died at Elma. (His wife followed him in death September 20th).
October 22d, Henry A. Baker, Bloomfield pioneer of r8S9 and former
legislator, died at Sioux City.
November 19th, J. C. Rollins (Burr Oak, 1864), and Jacob Jewell
(Decorah, 1850) die on 13th and 16th, respectively. Mr. Rollins
won prominence as an importer of horses and Mr. Jewell was a member
of the board of supervisors for several terms and of the Iowa
Legislature.
James Murr, Decorah, burned to death. It is supposed he set fire
to his bedding while smoking after retiring.
December 18th, burglars steal $400 worth of goods from store of
F. P. Cizek at Fort Atkinson. John Hogan and Richard Martin, two
tramps, are arrested for the crime and subsequently convicted.
When they appeared before Judge Hobson he recognized Hogan as
an old offender who had been sentenced by him twice before and
he gave him a term in the penitentiary that will keep him confined
the balance of his life.
Record of deaths of pioneers during the year:
January 9th, Moritz Lange, Bluffton, 1856.
January 11th, James H. Easton, Decorah, 1858.
January 11th, Lars Severson, Decorah, 1856.
January 30th, Erick Bakke, Decorah, early '50s.
February 22d, Johannes Wernsen, Highland, early '50s.
February 24th, Joseph Todd, Decorah, 1858.
March 9th, Henry Adams, Freeport, 1855.
March 9th, Henry Yager, Pleasant, 1857.
March 23d, Almiram Smith, Frankville, 1851.
March 24th, Wm. Murdock, Bluffton, 1855.
April 23d, Halvor K. Boe, Calmar, 1857.
May 6th, David Easler, Fremont, 1857.
May 9th, A. C. Ferren, Decorah, 1857.
May 24th, Lars O. Bergeson, Glenwood, 1854.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
349
June 17th, A. H. Groves, Springfield, 1850.
June I3th, Mrs. Geo. Miles, Hesper, 1855.
July I8th, Mrs. R. F. Greer, Decorah, 1856.
July 23d, Mrs. Noris Miller, Decorah, early '50s.
August 23d, John Klemish, Sr., Spillville, in the '50s.
September 5th, Myron Dean, Bloomfield,1853.
September 5th, Mrs. John VanPelt, Decorah, 1853.
September 5th, Mrs. Sigre B. Busness, Frankville, 1850.
September 23d, C. T. Hoyne, Springfield, early '50s.
October 4th, Jacob Exe, Highland, early '50s.
November 2Ist, Mrs. Jacob Haas, Decorah, 1856.
November 28th, Mrs. Geo. Yarwood, 1854.
December 17th, Linus Curtis, Orleans, 1853.
December 29th, Jacob Zuckmeyer, Decorah, 1857.
1909
February 10th, a Sons of Veterans camp is organized, with William
Linnivold as commander.
March 20th, Nathan Drake, Glenwood pioneer, passes away. Among
others who died during the year are William Renken of LaCrosse;
Mrs. John W. Thune; Mrs. Mary Ann Feltin of Burr Oak; John B.
Kaye, Calmar's talented lawyer and poet; Hulver Hulverson, Decorah;
Cyrus Wellington at Belsam Lake, Wisconsin; John Spriggs of Bluffton;
Adeline V. Minert, Frankville; John L. Kittlesby of Calmar; A.
J. McClaskey, Decorah; James T. Relf, Decorah; Mrs. Lucy Briggs,
Burr Oak; Henry Moore, Frankville; Andrew T. Gunderson, Ossian;
Mrs. Anna Martinek, Fort Atkinson: Mrs. Harriett Todd, Kendallville;
William M. Barthell, Decorah; William Puntley, Canoe; E. M. Carter
of Hesper; E. R. Scott of Madison; Mrs. H. A. Thornton of Castalia;
Mrs. Ann M. Houck, Burr Oak; John Thurlow Baker in St. Paul; Mrs.
E. E. Cooley, pioneer of Decorah; Mrs. Z. B. Landon of Burr Oak;
Mrs. J. C. Rollins, Decorah. On September 20th Ansel K. Bailey,
senior editor of the Decorah Republican, passed away. On N 0vember
I2th, Clark N. Goddard, pioneer merchant and former postmaster
of Decorah, died.
The big event of the year was the first Home Coming. Over seven
hundred former residents of the county registered during the week.
They came from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, from as far south
as Galveston, and from as far north as Northwestern Canada.
The Nordness creamery was burned during the summer; loss, $4,000.
1910
January 3d, 10° below zero and an extra foot
of snow gives Winneshiek county two feet on the level and all
trains are blockaded.
January 24th, Cresco papers announce the death of Mrs. William
Webster, one of the pioneer mothers of western Winneshiek.
January 29th, Lieut. Ole A. Anderson died at his home in Decorah
at the age of seventy-six years.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
350
February 4th, Rev, O, E. Schmidt brings charges against E, P.
Johnson and proceedings for disbarment will begin before Judge
Hobson, Later found guilty and disbarred.
February 4th, Mrs. R. F. Gibson passed away. A pioneer of Decorah
in 1858. February 10th, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Seegmiller celebrate
golden wedding. February 11th, Claiborne Day, the last resident
member of the first white family in Decorah, died at his home
in Decorah, aged 83 years 6 months and 5 days. March 2d, Germond
Merrill died at his home in Frankville township.
March 6th, Mrs. Anton Hegg dies at family home in Decorah. A resident
of the county since 1855.
March 31st, by vote of 480 to 10 Decorah decided to grant a franchise
to J. J. Donelan of Waverly to erect a gas plant.
April 15th, Simeon V. Potter, for many years agent of the Milwaukee
railway in Decorah, died in Calmar after an illness of ten weeks.
He was undoubtedly the oldest employe in steady service on the
Milwaukee road in the state.
April 18th, Moses Oren, a pioneer of Highland township, passed
away.
April 26th, Mr. and Mrs. B. T. Barfoot celebrate the sixtieth
anniversary of their wedding.
May 15th, Rev. Abraham Jacobson, one of the pioneer Norwegians
of the county (Springfield township, in 1850), passed away. He
was a former member of the Iowa Legislature.
May 16th, Hon. Ove Gude, Norway's minister to the United States,
is given a banquet at the Winneshiek Hotel. He delivered 17th
of May address in Decorah.
May 20th, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Marsh celebrate their golden wedding.
June 23d, the Calmar Savings Bank incorporates with E. J. Curtin
as president and S. E. Brickner as cashier.
August 12th, A. J. Cratsenberg dies suddenly at the home of his
son-in-law, L. B. Whitney, at Decorah.
September 16th, Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Cadwell celebrate their golden
wedding. October 15th, the Silver Creek creamery at Burr Oakis
destroyed by fire. October 24th, work under the superintendency
of Mr. Harmon is begun on the Decorah postoffice.
November 12th, Bernard Dresselhaus dies at his home in Pleasant
township. He was a pioneer of 1859.
November 14th, the Highlandville schoolhouse is destroyed by fire.
December 19th, Rev. U. V. Koren, president of the Lutheran Synod
of America, pioneer Lutheran minister of 1853, and beloved pastor
of the Washington Prairie church all the years since, passed away
in his eighty-third year.
1911
During the year 1911 the following well known and old residents
passed away: January 2th, Peter E. Haugen and H. S. E. Renken
of Decorah; January 4th, Mrs. John Scott, Calmar, frozen to death;
January 24th, Daniel A. Reed of Decorah, ranking pioneer, one
of the early settlers in Bloomfield township; Robert Waters, Frankville;
February 10th, Mrs. Duncan McMartin, Castalia; February 18th,
Henry Broghammer, Hesper; February 28th, Mrs. D. H. Hughes, widow
of Co!. D. H. Hughes, Decorah; May 6th, Silas B. Ervin of Decorah,
age ninety years;
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
351
May 16th, Mrs. H. J. Green, wife of Editor Green of Decorah Public
Opinion; June 7th, Anton Hegg, Springfield township pioneer; August
19th, W. G. W. Sawyer of Decorah; September 9th, William Holmes
of Decorah, ninety-one years old. Mr. Holmes helped to build the
Whitby & Pickering railroad in England and rode on Stephenson's
"Rocket;" helped build the Grand Trunk railroad in Canada
and the Northern Pacific railroad; September 17th, H. L. Coffeen,
Decorah; October 5th, John McAndrews, Decorah, killed by the Milwaukee
train; October 22d, James M. Lennon, Washington prairie; December
7th, Edward Vine, and December 8th, Thomas Graham, both of Decorah.
The following people celebrated their golden weddings during the
year: February 14th, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Miller, Decorah; March
7th, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Summers, Fort Atkinson; April 11th, Mr.
and Mrs. Wm. Gellerman, Decorah; July 5th, Mr. and Mrs. F. Einwalter,
Fort Atkinson; August 15th, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Knowlton, Decorah;
October 29th, Mr. and Mrs. G. Heuser, Decorah.
January 1st, Law and Order League organized.
January 4th, Elizabeth Wendling falls on ice in her yard and is
not found until badly frozen. She died April 20th. May 3d, while
examining her home $3,400 in cash is found.
January 24th, Dr. Laur Larson retires from active teaching after
fifty years on Luther College faculty.
February 16th, Decorah Gas Company begin operating their plant.
February 16th, Carl Moen, of Washington Prairie, dies from injuries
by a wood sawing machine. (March 8th, George Johnson of Glenwood,
killed by the same machine.)
March 8th, K. I. Haugen celebrates thirty-fifth anniversary as
Decorah merchant. Work on Decorah federal building begins.
April 25th, corner stone of Decorah federal building laid by Masonic
fraternity. Grand Master Graig and Grand Secretary Parvin have
charge. Odd Fellows assist in exercises.
May 2d, Judge Fellows decides Thomas J. Qualley is the duly elected
sheriff of vVinneshiek county. Philip Carolan was the contestant.
May 6th, Ben Bear celebrates thirty-fifth anniversary as Decorah
clothier.
May 29th, Henry Wesselman and family of Calmar have collision
with Milwaukee train near Fort Atkinson. Mr. and Mrs. Wesselman
sustained fractured skulls and a son and daughter are killed.
June 10th, E. J. Curtin, president of Citizens Savings Bank of
Decorah, is elected president of Iowa Bankers Association.
June 21st, Luther College holds fiftieth commencement exercises.
June 22d, Luther College Concert Band starts on trip to Pacific
coast.
July 1st, Frankville, second oldest postoffice in the county,
is discontinued.
July 20th, Sivert Larson, Decorah clothier, secures a tract of
ground from Prof. M. Updegraff for city park.
August 10th, Upper Iowa Power Co. decide to build a second dam
in Glenwood township.
October14th, Luther College celebrated semi-centennial. King Haakon
of Norway sends greetings. Endowment fund of $250,000 is raised,
of which James J. Hill contributes $50,000.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
352
October 26th, Mrs. Anna Baker of Glenwood township celebrates
90th birthday.
1912
January 4th, while working around the McMillen gristmill at Hesper,
Ole Ness was caught in the machinery and had both legs broken,
and was injured about the head, causing death.
January 11th, the record shows that the thermometer has not risen
above zero since December 21st.
.January 18th, word comes from Frankville that Geo. M. Andersen
fell and struck his head, injuring the optic nerve so blindness
ensued. He is a pioneer and veteran soldier.
January 25th, on Saturday last Mrs. William Thurlow Baker died
at the family home in Decorah from the infirmities of old age.
February 1st, the Decorah Farmer's Ice Cave Creamery is an established
fact.
February 4th, M. H. Merrill died at his home in Decorah after
a lingering illness.
February 15th, the new postoffice is completed and accepted by
the government.
March 12th, Mrs. B. T. Barfoot passes away, after a long illness.
Mr. Barfoot followed her April 2d. . They came to Madison township
in 1855, having lived in Decorah before that year.
March 16th, Mrs. John T. Baker, a resident of Decorah for the
greater part of her life, passed away at St. Paul.
June 13th, Mrs. Loretta Webster Tuttle, of Decorah, passed away.
June 27th, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Jacob Schaub, of Decorah, celebrated
their golden wedding.
July 17th, Judge L. E. Fellows of the District Court, died at
his home in Lansing.
July 26th, in the morning several large balloons were seen sailing
over Decorah. From messages dropped it was learned they started
from St. Louis in the Jas. Gordon Bennett race.
July 29th, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Larson, of Highland township, celebrated
their golden wedding with some 500 guests and twenty-five grandchildren.
August 23d, E. P. Johnson, formerly attorney at Decorah, passed
away at his home in Minneapolis.
September 9th, Hans P. Johnson, a well known harness dealer in
Decorah, died at the LaCrosse hospital.
September 13th, Anderson Bros.' barn at Decorah was entirely consumed
by fire. Twenty-two valuable horses and a span of mules were burned.
Loss $15,000.
September 14th, postoffice at Calmar robbed during the night.
$75,000 secured. October 3d, owing to a second crop of strawberries,
several families in the county enjoyed short cake at this time
of the year.
Deaths of three well known residents are recorded this week. Mrs.
C. J. Ambli, Decorah; Mrs. John Odson, Decorah, and Jos. Beiderman,
a resident of the county for many years.
October 15th, John G. Earthell, a former resident of Decorah,
died at Ocean Grove, N. J.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
353
November 1st, Mayor F. W. Daubney of Decorah passed away after
a critical illness covering nearly three weeks, diabetes being
the cause. His funeral the following Sunday was one of the largest
ever held in the city.
November 8th, A. D. Thomas, a well known resident of Decorah,
passed away. He came to Decorah in 1859.
November 17th, Jacob Haas, of Decorah, died suddenly of heart
failure.
November 20th, Dr. W. D. Kellogg, a pioneer dentist, died at his
home in Decorah.
November 24th, Mrs. Peter E. Haugen, a resident of Decorah township
in 1855, passed away.
December 5th, the mulct petition has been abandoned because of
failure to secure the necessary signers.
December 21st, Judge John DeCou dies at the home of his son near
Ossian. Judge De Cou was a pioneer of Frankville township, coming
there with his bride in 1850. He was County Judge and also served
one term in the State Legislature.
December 29th, fire destroys N. R. Groff's hardware store, the
law office of E. W. Cutting and W. M. Strand in Marlow buildings,
and does considerable damage to Wangler Drug store, and the Trzcinski
and E. I. Weiser buildings. Loss $40,000, fairly well covered
by insurance.
1913
January 1st, Dr. Laur Larson, president emeritus of Luther College,
lays down his pen, and retires to private life after fifty-one
years in school room, pulpit and editorial chair.
January 3d, as a result of the Groff fire, the Winneshiek County
State Bank secures the E. I. Weiser property and takes steps to
erect a new building. (Sept. 23d, as these notes are being written,
the building is nearing completion.)
January 14th, Mrs. James Stringer, pioneer Decorian, badly burned
when her dress catches fire from the stove. She died several weeks
later.
January 8th, Decorah firemen vote to purchase lots at corner of
Water and River streets as site for future auditorium.
January 13th, E. O. Schjeldahl, pioneer Highlandville merchant,
dies after long illness from typhoid fever.
January 19th, C. B. Lonnon, pioneer citizen of Frankville (1855),
dies in Decorah.
January 18th, Miss Matilda Smith (Bluffton, 1855), dies in Decorah.
January 29th, E. A. Bakken, Ridgeway merchant, died suddenly.
February 22d, boy scouts organize in Decorah and Decorah Institute
building is secured as headquarters and gymnasium.
March 7th, C. W. Burdick, pioneer of 1853, dies at his home in
Decorah. March 2d, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Stoskopf of Decorah
celebrate their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary.
March 16th, Tormod Holton, who settled on Washington Prairie in
1849, dies at the age of ninety years.
April 3d, death of George Allen, former member of board of supervisors
and Castalia resident, reported.
April 17th, movement to secure electroliers for Decorah street
lighting meets with success.
PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
354
April 15th, Daniel P. Hawes, widely known settler of 1860 on
Washington Prairie, passed away.
April 13th, Mrs. Matilda Broghammer, aged Ossian woman, killed
by the cars while on her way to church.
April 10th, J. H. Haug, leading merchant and capitalist of Spillville,
dies in Milwaukee hospital.
May 15th, Wm. H. Smith offers $10,000 for a hospital if citizens
of Decorah will raise $15,000 more. The proposition is accepted,
and the money raised.
June 3d, Gov. A. O. Eberhart of Minnesota is guest of citizens
of Decorah and makes address at Luther College.
June 22d, United Lutheran church in Springfield township celebrate
sixtieth anniversary.
July 7th, George Harter of Locust has foot badly mangled in a
mower accident and dies three weeks later. His parents were in
Germany at the time and did not reach home until after his death.
July 10th, Jesse Schoonmaker badly injured by mower when team
runs away with him in Decorah. The accident results in damage
suits against Elmer Rosa, the boy's cousin, for $20,000 and $4,000,
Newton Schoonmaker being the plaintiff for his son and himself.
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