Looking back: No one was injured in a train vs. auto accident north of town 100 years ago

50 years ago

From the June 21, 1962

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Oral polio clinic soon at Farmington

According to reliable sources an oral (by mouth), polio vaccine clinic will be sponsored in the near future for Farmington and the surrounding area.

The clinic will be sponsored by one or perhaps two civic organizations with the help of county health nurses, volunteer workers and local doctors who will donate their time. Costs will be kept at a very minimum amount. An individual will pay for just the vaccine, and possibly not that, if donations are made by various organizations.

The clinic when organized, will be conducted by early September and the following months, as the vaccine is given in a series of three.

Girls found transistor radio here

An honest Farmington girl, 12, and her playmate, 11, found a pocket-size transistor on the street June 18, and turned it in to the Tribune to seek its owner.

Lynne Persinger, daughter of Marian Persinger, found the turned-on radio on the street in front of Farmington Lutheran church, while she and her girlfriend, Susan Galloway, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.C. Galloway, were walking to summer school classes.

This is not the first time these two girls have shown their honesty. A short while ago they found a dollar bill on the school playground and turned it in to the principal’s office.

No one claimed the bill and it was turned over to the girls two weeks later.

The owner who can properly describe the radio, may call for it at the Tribune office. The girls were promised possession of the radio within a week if no one called for it.

Council raps liquor store manager here

Farmington’s four-man city council sharply criticized Municipal Liquor Store Manager George Sypal on three specific points in a special session Tuesday night....

Speaking very frankly, but no one losing their self control, the council:

1. Told Sypal reports persisted that he was conducting a Sunday business.

2. Alleged that he and bartenders were repeatedly drinking on the job.

3. Alleged that Sypal had failed to delegate responsibility to others, and strongly suggested that he take his first vacation after 16 years of store management.

Speaking in defense of the Sunday allegation, Sypal declared the store has been getting credit for some of the “crap” that’s been going on around here.

“Some of these places have been making jackasses out of us. I won’t mention names, but there are at least two private homes and two other places who are violators. If a police department would like to check them out, I’ll be glad to go with them and cooperate,” Sypal declared.

Coast to Coast store will move here July 10

The Coast to Coast store, owned and operated by Everett Christensen, will move from its present location in the Kenny Hanson building, next to the liquor store, to the Henneberry building in downtown Farmington. The place will be entirely remodeled and a new stationary awning, which will add greatly to the front appearance, will be added.

75 years ago

From the June 25, 1937

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

K.C. Council elects officers

Council No. 2400 Knights of Columbus met Monday night of last week and elected the following officers who will be installed next fall: A. L. Gerardy, grand knight; Ed Feely, deputy grand knight; F.J. Henneberry, treasurer; Ernest Piene, recorder; Ralph McMenomy, advocate; John Brandl, chancellor; Edwin Doyle, warden; Ed Sauber, outside guard; Joe Hynes, inside guard.

Donald Feely and James Deegan of Farmington and Alois Fox of Hampton were initiated into the Knights of Columbus lodge at a ceremony held in Shakopee Thursday night of last week, receiving their second and third degrees. Several local knights attended and saw a class of 50 initiated from Shakopee, Hopkins, Chanhassen, Farmington and other nearby places.

Rev. Wilson is renamed pastor here

Rev. W. Frank Wilson, pastor of the Farmington and Rosemount Methodist churches, was reappointed pastor here, it was announced at the 83rd annual conference held in Pipestone this week.

Rev. Wilson has been the successful pastor of the church the past year, succeeding Rev. Peter Talikka who returned to his native land, Finland.

Frontier rodeo to be feature of celebration

A two-day holiday celebration featuring a frontier rodeo and other varied entertainment will be presented at afternoon and evening performances Sunday and Monday, July 4 and 5 at the fairgrounds, Farmington, under the auspices of the local Clifford Larson American Legion Post No. 189....

Old time cowboy songs and ballads rendered by radio artists will top a bill including a local horse race, trick riding, bull dogging, clown acts, trick and fancy horse roping, wild steer riding, an Australian bull whip act, in addition to Roman standing, relay and novelty races.

Legionnaires appointed as chairman and members of the several celebration committee are: executive committee, Henry Hanson, W.D. Burton, James Stevens; light committee, Larry Vaux; gate committee, Lloyd Rowell, chairman, W.D. Burton, R.G. Shirley, Ogden Morlan, A.F. Brasseur, Almin Akin, Ed Becker, Tim McGuire, Louis Halvorson, Donald Kulstad, H.O. Tellier; advance ticket sales, E. M. Gerster, chairman, Henry McHugh, Ed. Feely, Fred Griebie, Pete Sauber; decorating committee, J. Schneider, chairman, Elmer Martin, P.J. Sauber; parade and band committee, Tim McGuire, chairman, Ed Peters, Floyd Johnson, I.G. Empey; concession committee, Henry Hanson, Fred Groves; advertising committee, Rev. D.J. Moran, chairman, Sylvester Tillges, Ed Peters; dance committee, Al Haugh, chairman, Wm. McHugh, R.W. Nordquist, James Schneider, LeRoy MacPhee, Jess Akin; grounds committee, John Sauber, chairman, Arvid Carlson, Jacob Berg, Ed Ebeling, Martin Engh, H.P. Hanson, Louis Warweg, Harley Thornton, Robert Stoneberg, Verne Stevens, Roy Day, Miles Hunter.

100 years ago

From the June 12, 1912

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

A frightful accident

A frightful accident occurred at the railroad crossing on Elm Street Monday evening about 6:30 and as a result Will Kratt’s automobile is crushed to atoms and Mr. Kraft and son Glen are in the hospital.

Alex Murphy’s crew was doing some switching and were backing a bunch of cars from the north when Mr. Kraft drew up from the east in his auto. A box car was standing close to the crossing to the right and shut off the view to the north and he did not see the approaching cars, but very likely heard them coming just as he was about to go on the crossing and supposing they were backing in on the main line stopped his engine....

The cars were not moving very fast and they could have jumped and saved themselves had they known the cars were coming on that track. They were sitting in the auto when struck....

The auto was shoved for about thirty feet when the left wheels went down and auto was caught under the trucks....

Mr. Kraft was taken out from under the axel and Glenn was found on top of the axel to the left and how they escaped instant death cannot be even guessed at.

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