Major Events: Loyal – Incorporated in 1948

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bertz, Davel, Myre, Giese, Ott, Cowles, Hastreiter, Tucker, Myre, Theisen, Loppnow, Degenhardt, Gotter, Gregory, Will, Brown, Draper, Hesse, Helm, McKenna, Oestreich, Mack, Kanneberg, Voight, Berglund, McGuire

----Source: Family Scrapbook

The City of Loyal was incorporated April 10, 1948, with the charter and map filed the same year. Somehow they didn't make the WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK as a city that year, but were properly listed the next year.

Ed Bertz became the first mayor of the city and held the position for a number of years. Several others have held the position up to the present time.
L. A. Davel became the first city clerk and is well - known in the position yet today.

As the original alderman C. W. Myre and R. B. Giese continued the next year. Henry Ott and Lawrence Cowles were replaced by Gordon Hastreiter and Harold Tucker the next year.

Earl Theisen was the first treasurer and W, Myre followed the next year. William Loppnow was the assessor.

Frank Degenhardt served on the County Board from the First Ward; R. F. Gotter from the Second Ward; Ted Gregory was replaced by Jerome Will in the Third Ward in 1949; and Bert B. Brown served from the Fourth Ward. Since then the County Board system has been changed.

All the recorded histories of the early settler- accounted for the "esteemed, prosperous, or prominent" people. Many of the valuable writings of Fred Draper, a great historian in his day, have been lost. Neither time nor space allows for detail of others who should be included in making Loyal what it is today.

The present officers of the city are Wm. D. Hesse, Mayor, Frank Degenhardt, James Helm, Alderman 1st Ward, David McKenna, Harold Tucker, Alderman 2nd Ward, C. Neil Oestreich, Sherrin Mack, Alderman 3rd. Ward, Kenneth Kanneberg, Francis Voight, Alderman 4th Ward, L. A. Davel, Clerk - Treasurer - Assessor, and Frank Degenhardt, County Supervisor.

Mayor William D. Hesse was born in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota and was graduated from Rush City (Minnesota) High School and the Graphic Arts Technical School in Minneapolis.

He began in the printing trade in 1950, but took time out to serve in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1955. In November 1961, he moved to Loyal after selling the Minnesota Lake, a Minnesota newspaper.

In 1968 he sold the Loyal Tribune and the Spencer Record to Robert E. and Florence Berglund.

Since October 1968, Mayor Hesse has been an agent for the State Farm Insurance companies. His wife is the former Jean McGuire. They have two sons: Alan age six, and David age nine months.

They live on Elm Drive East.