Looking BacK: Commercial Club featured outdoor Christmas music downtown in 1962

Talk about it

25 years ago

From the Dec. 30, 1987

edition of the

Farmington Independent

Too close for comfort

The Farmington Fire Department responded to a fire Wednesday, December 23rd, at the Rod Heikkila residence. The fire was contained to the attic of the house with minimum smoke and fire damage sustained to the building.

The Department responded to a call from a neighbor who saw smoke billowing from the top of the house late Wednesday afternoon. The fire started as a result of electrical wires getting too hot from a pugged in space heater.

The wires smoldered for most of the day before the smoke was noticeable and the Fire Department was called in to put the fire out. No one was home at the time the Fire Department responded to the fire.

The Department spent nearly an hour pulling out the burnt insulation from the attic and dowsing the small fire that remained.

50 years ago

From the Dec. 27, 1962

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Shoppers enjoy Christmas music

The Farmington Commercial Club furnished Christmas music — old and new alike — to the enjoyment of Christmas shoppers during the shopping season.

The stereo was operated at Anthony Department store and afforded many pleasant hours of music to shoppers. The speaker was located at the Lisle’s Café corner.

Other stores in the central Dakota County area provided their own musical sound systems.

Frederick-Willys Company may see expansion soon

With a peak period employment payroll of approximately 100 persons, the Frederick-Willys Company, Inc., Farmington, is well into its second successful year of operation at the present location.

The place may expand soon.

The company was originally founded in July of 1959 by Fred Grothe to manufacturer marine accessories in a St. Paul location. In January of 1961 it was bought out by the Don Ricks company which made pool tables in Northfield....

Operations in the new building began in July of 1961 with the Frederick-Willys Company manufacturing family type pool tables in 15 different sizes and models.

The company also manufactures 20 to 25 items in a marine accessory line, including mooring buoys, and the ring buoys of an expanded plastic material. All of the company items are marketed on a nationwide basis with imports also being made to many Latin American countries....

Jerry Reihsen, president of the Industrial Development Group, indicated plans were being considered to increase the overall size of the existing building by an additional 15,000 square feet. The original building consists of 24,000 square feet and was designed by the Frederick-Willy Company.

Whitney’s U.S. gas burglarized

Whitney’s Gas station on Highway 3 and Nike Road, south of Farmington, was broken into on the morning of Dec. 22 and sustained a loss over $250.

The burglary was discovered by owner William Gubbin, who reported the theft of $41 in cash, three cases of Veedol motor oil, two cases of transmission oil and a Burroughs adding machine valued at $218.

Access was gained through a front door which had been jimmied at the time of the theft that was estimated to be between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m.

75 years ago

From the Dec. 31, 1937

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

News oddities during year

Nine news oddities printed during the year elicited much comment.

The Tribune photo of Frank Wright, one-armed paper hanger of Farmington, reached the far corners of the earth.

Other news oddities printed during the year were:

Barking tramp dog arouses family and gives alarm at Westwood farm fire.

Wheel flies off auto and lands in tree near Argonne Farms.

The best and the worst mail boxes in state on same mail route out of Farmington.

Three generations of Harris families use grain binder 39 years.

The first windmill erected in this country 78 years ago is still running at Matt Doffing farm near Vermillion.

Marvin Hagen buys milk route

Marvin Hagen purchased the T.C.M.P. milk route from Leroy Schulz of Castle Rock, Wednesday of this week. This route serves customers southwest of Farmington.

Mr. Schulz has other plans to be announced later.

A.J. Keeling is reported dead

A.J. Keeling, former proprietor of the old commercial hotel, died in a Portland, Oregon hospital recently, following a major operation. This report was received by Phil Kraus from Mrs. Fredrick Klaus of Portland.

Rockets win second contest

Averaging a point a minute in the first two contests, the Farmington Rockets won their second game of basketball Tuesday night in the Farmington High School gym, by defeating the strong Faribault Enarco Oils of Faribault.

Strong defensive work by both teams kept the score down to a 14 to 13 Rocket advantage in the first half.

At the opening of the second half, the winners put on a spurt, and thereafter were never in danger. Reserves were able to fight off a last minute rally by the out-of-town team.

For the winners, Barger was high scorer, followed closely by Deegan and G. Reisinger. For the losers, Profahl was outstanding man, leading the scoring for both teams with 10 points.

100 years ago

From the Dec. 27, 1912

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

The Local News

P.H. Feely, the grain and coal man has a little 1913 calendar we have seen this year. It is of wood with a fine picture and thermometer, a very appropriate calendar for a coal dealer.

A new Sharples milking machine has been installed at Springhurst farm, the first to be put in this part of the country.

Pearl Larson is clerking at the Wonder store during the holidays.

Mrs. I.A. Airhart was in the cities Monday selecting new supplies for the Wonder store.

Miss Lillian King, teacher in District 56, is spending the holiday with her parents at Hastings.

Miss Mary Swain, principal in the public school of Akely, came down Saturday for a short visit with her sister, Mrs. C.A. Carlson.

L.M. Cleary, foreman in the yards, is spending a short vacation with his family at Elroy.

Newspaper Errors.

The editor of an exchange doesn't want anyone to send him any more copies of his paper in which they have found mistakes. If they find a perfect copy, however, he offers a big price for it.... If the fool critic who hunts for mistakes in the papers would find theme all he would be kept busy: We will be pleased to buy copies of any paper which can be proven entirely free from errors; either typography or in statements of fact. We will be pleased to find a merchant who never made a mistake in putting up an order; a lawyer who never lost a case through his own errors, a doctor who never wrongly diagnosed a case, a druggist who never made a mistake, a post official who never put mail in the wrong box, a woman who never forgot to put in the salt while cooking or put the tea in the teapot before putting in the water. Bring on some of your mistakeless paragon who find it so easy to criticize the papers and we'll give them a chance of their lives to find out whether they are really human

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