Looking back: Farmington twins auditioned to be Twins bat boys in ’61

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50 years ago

From the April 13, 1961

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Zimmer twins

candidates for “Twin” bat boys

The twin sons of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zimmer of Farmington, Jim and Jerry, age 16, received a letter this week, stating that they are candidates as bat boys for the Minnesota Twins big league baseball.

They have been asked to appear at the Bloomington stadium for “try outs” Saturday morning. Friends of the Zimmers informed them that the boys are among the top five candidates, but that was not made official by letter.

Baseball fans in this area are anxiously awaiting the good word that the Zimmer twins will land this coveted spot.

Village council to appoint two at Farmington

Mayor Roy Rademacher is planning a meeting Wednesday night (tonight) with the village council in the Farmington council chambers to make two appointments.

A village clerk will be appointed to fill the position left vacant in the sudden death of Floyd Johnson last week.

A second appointment will be for a councilman to fill the unexpired term of Rodney Boyd, who resigned because of his extensive duties as deputy sheriff.

Besides Mr. Rademacher, the council at present consists of Otis Church and Harry McElmury.

Lion fund raising carnival Saturday

As a community fund-raising benefit. Farmington’s Lions Club is sponsoring a carnival Saturday, April 15, at the local elementary school auditorium and cafeteria.

The proceeds will go to the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and help support the Girl Scouts and the annual high school athletic banquet, and other Lion Service projects. . . .

Highlight will be election of a queen by popular vote. Votes are allowed with the purchase of tickets, and in addition there will be 10 votes allowed with an adult admission and five with a student ticket.

Among the events will be a basketball throw, baseball throw, darts, nail-pounding, fishpond, cane toss, refreshment stand, rogues gallery, and other appropriate games and entertainment. See ad in this issue for further details.

General Chairman of the event is H.M. Johnson; with the following on the steering committee, Charles Solheim, Les Lindell, John McBrien, and Gordon Lagerquist.

75 years ago

From the April 17, 1936

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Milk producers to hold open house

Two thousand members of the Twin City Milk Producers’ association are expected at the open house meeting at the local plant here Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., providing roads and weather conditions are favorable, it was announced Monday by J.R. Keithley, general superintendent of the association’s manufacturing plants, who will have charge of the open house festivities. He will be assisted at the open house by Leslie Hysell, manager of the local plant.

The purpose of the open house is to afford an opportunity to the members to acquaint themselves with the property, equipment and business they own and operate. Similar open house meetings will be held later at other large plants....

The Farmington plant of the Twin City Milk Producers’ association is one of the finest plants in the Northwest. During its six years of operation here the plant has handled approximately 335 million pounds of milk. This milk, if loaded on cars would have required 16,750 cars during the six-year period, or 2,800 carloads a year, which is approximately eight carloads a day.

This milk is made into condensed milk, sweet cream, butter and powder milk....

There are 34 working in the local plant at present, the average being about 31 employees. Thirty-seven truck drivers haul milk to the local plant.

600 musicians will participate

Farmington people will have the opportunity to hear two interesting programs at the M.V.L. music festival tomorrow (Friday, April 17th). Five hundred visitors will arrive in town in the morning to remain here until late in the evening.

The afternoon program at 2:00 o’clock will present the best opportunity to hear performances of the various school groups. Five bands may be heard playing numbers of their own choice. The vocal groups from six schools will present a splendid assortment of songs....

Several distinguished musicians will be here for the festival. The critic judges are James Robert Gillette of Carleton college and Peter Tkach from West High school, Minneapolis. The judges will criticize all numbers on the afternoon program and direct the massed festival program in the evening. Another guest conductor, G. Oliver Riggs of the famous St. Cloud Municipal Boys Band, will direct the massed band on the evening program. Mr. Riggs is the father of R.G. Riggs, band instructor in the Farmington school.

115 years ago

From the April 16, 1896

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

High school budget

The Y.L.S.C. met with Nannie Rodgers last Thursday evening. After the business of the evening was over a table was brought in upon which were thirty bundles of various shapes and kinds. The girls were requested to use their sense of touch and record the guesses on a card given them for the purpose. The head prizes were won by Belle Stevens and Etta Collet while Etta Poole won the foot prize.

The Primary room has become so overcrowded this Spring term that the highest class has been moved into the Second Primary and the highest class of the Second Primary into the Intermediate.

Hometown Happenings

Base ball is here in full force and the sport is being enjoyed by old and young. The younger boys have organized a team with Arthur Lansing as manager and their first game of the season is scheduled to take place next Saturday at Lakeville with a club of that place.

Last Tuesday evening eighteen members of Minerva Lodge No. 8, Rebekahs, went to Northfield to be present at the initiation of six candidates by White Rose Lodge, No. 100,Rebekahs, of that place. Immediately after the initiation ceremony an elegant repast was served and the Northfield people entertained their visitors in their usual hospitable manner. The Farmington people returned on the two o’clock train. Those present from this lodge were: Mesdames Parker, Houck, Daine, Burton, Jenkins and Cook; Misses Watson, Ray, Houck, Daine, Reed and Christie; Messrs, Parker, Houck, Burton, Squires, Allen and Hathaway.

The victim of Sunday’s practical joke sought for a warrant for the arrest of one of the perpetrators after being released himself. He says he was told, if he would sit on the street corner Sunday and eat his bologna and drink his beer, he would receive one dollar from each saloon keeper and one dollar from his informant who also, he alleges, furnished him the beer and bologna and paid his fare to Farmington. He hasn’t been able to collect anything from anybody he avers and he wants someone punished for making a fool of him.

Of course the saloon keepers themselves cannot be but indignant; for they knew nothing about the performance and would have stopped it if they had. Take it all around it looks as though someone has dropped into a pretty mess of trouble all for love of a practical joke and without any chance of being backed up by anybody.

Tags: community, farmington, history