Looking back: Corrigan was county spelling champ 50 years ago

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50 years ago

From the March 23, 1961

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Clarence Rother new manager of TCMP locker plant

Clarence Rother, an employee of the Twin City Milk Producers Locker Plant here, will be the new manager beginning April 1. He will replace Roger Grundman, who resigned to accept a position with Great Northern Oil Co., Pine Bend. Clarence Rother resides on Capitol Hwy., southeast of Farmington; Mr. Grundman resides in Farmington.

Bruce Duff of Hampton began working at the locker plant Monday; he will replace Clarence Rother.

Police solve 3 burglaries

Police department cooperation resulted in the solving of two break-ins at Farmington, and one at the Lakeville school.

Involved in the Farmington cases are two boys, 13, and one 14, who allegedly stole a total of nine transistor radios, valued from $29 to $45. Seven came from Steele Furniture, and all the radios were recovered.

One youth is still being sought.

The two breakins at Farmington, Steele’s, and Feely Elevator, occurred in daylight between two and four p.m., Sunday, March 5. The boys were thought to be at the show during the time. Two came from Credit River, another from south of Lakeville. All were on probation.

While sheriff’s officers and Farmington police were working on the two thefts at Farmington, they solved another minor theft at the Lakeville school.

Kathleen Corrigan

county spelling champ

Kathleen Corrigan, 14-year-old Farmington eighth-grader, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Corrigan, was the second consecutive Dakota county spelling champion to come from the Farmington school Monday night.

Kathleen, the Farmington school champion, won top honors over champions from other public and parochial schols in Dakota county, in the annual event held at the Rosemount school library.

She missed only 10 out of 85 very difficult words.

75 years ago

From the March 27, 1936

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Vermillion River floods tourist park, fields

Ushered in by a warm wave which quickly thawed snow and ice, spring arrived officially Friday as the Vermillion river overflowed and reached a new record high, flooding the Kuchera tourist park, the R.F. Snyder driveway and inundating fields along the way.

Flood waters washed out several roads in the county, making other highways almost impassable. . . .

A stretch of road a mile south of Farmington on the old Jefferson highway was washed out. Ardell Hanson, new carrier on route 2, says the road west of the Granger farm is entirely washed out.....

Kuchera tourist park where hundreds of persons ate their dinners last summer, was completely covered by water. Three foot-bridges were washed out and the wagon bridge was covered. Three cabins were isolated. The lower floor of the Kuchera café, containing shower baths, was covered by three inches of water.

Three of Art Zellmer’s turkeys, isolated in a turkey house in the center of the torrent, were without food for a day until Barney Kuchera wadded through the swift current and saved the hungry birds.

Frank Henry, carrier, retires

After serving as rural mail carrier out of Farmington for the past 26 years, Frank Henry, carrier on route 2, will be retired April 1st....

According to Postmaster Edward C. Feely, the route will be taken over April 1st by Ardell Hanson who has been substitute carrier on this route for several years....

In 1909, two years before they moved to town, Mr. Henry was appointed substitute rural mail carrier for Alex Records and P.P. Whittier. When Mr. Whittier became ill, Mr. Henry carried mail in the former’s place on route 4 and was appointed regular carrier in February, 1911. He served as carrier on route 4, 17 years. Seven years ago he was transferred to route 2, taking the place of Carrier H.B. Chase, who died.

115 years ago

From the March 26, 1896

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

High School Budget

St. Patrick’s was duly celebrated by the pupils, most of them wearing green ribbons.

It has been said that it takes the physiology class two whole days to digest one meal of beefsteak, potatoes, milk, bread and butter. At this rate they will be only shadows inside a month....

We have a rising young poet in the H.S. For further particulars inquire of B.C. a member of the Sophomore class.

The Farmington of the future pictured by Miss Ettta Poole in her essay “Ten Years Hence” is to be a wonderful city where everything is run by electricity. There are some who hope their futures have better things in store than these pictured in the essay....

The Y.L.S.C. had a meeting last Thursday evening with Misses Scofield and Wilmott at the home of the latter. A flower guessing contest was a feature of the evening. Prizes were won by Misses Lansing and Falls. The next meeting will be held April 11, with Nanmo Rodgers.

Home Happenings

N. Best, the pioneer well driller of this county, has decided to resume his old business. He needs no introduction or recommendation. Most of our readers know him. Orders may be left at the Tribune office or addressed to P.O. Box 51, Farmington.

Dell Cook has no clue to the thief who stole his watch at the Cologne depot, but his long chain is at place and everybody hopes the watch will soon be back at the end of it again.

Chas. Smith left the village Wednesday after putting in three months at his first business venture on his own behalf. He bought out the lunch room of Jas. A. Brant and carried on the business till he sold out ot Mrs. Egle last week. He was not decided what his next move will be.

Mrs. Clara D. Egle purchased the restaurant, formerly the property of Jas. A. Brant and more recently carried on by Chas. Smith last week and proposes to run an up to date fruit, candy and cigar store. She will have a soda fountain and ice cream in its season and her well known enterprise assures her success in this undertaking. She will carry on both businesses.

Tags: community, farmington, history