Looking back: A 6-legged calf was born at an Empire Township farm 75 years ago

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50 years ago

From the Jan. 24, 1963

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Hospital progress meet January 30

The board of directors of Central Dakota Hospital have set January 30, as the date for a progress report meeting to the public.

It will be held in the new gym of Farmington High School at 8 p.m. Members of the board, the architect S.C. Smiley, and those who have been working for the past six months on the plans, will be present.

One of the guests will be Hamilton Associates who have been the board’s consulting firm.

The preliminary plans will be shown in detail. There will be a complete progress report from all aspects, financial to construction.

Dick Snyder opens office equipment store

Dick Snyder, lifelong Farmington resident, has announced a new service to this area, Snyder’s Office Equipment, located at 720 Second Street.

He will have sales, service and rentals of typewriters and other related office equipment, also used and reconditioned equipment, according to an ad in this issue. The place will be open evenings on Monday through Saturday.

Snyder is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Snyder, and the husband of the former Joanne Schmidt of Farmington. They have two children, Steve, 3, and Lori, 2, and reside at 329 Spruce Street.

Snyder is presently employed at Home Furniture as service manager and will continue in that capacity.

Local youths model in school patrol manual

A new School Safety Patrol manual has recently been published by the Minnesota Highway Department in co-operation with the Minnesota Department of Education.

Several Farmington children are pictured as models in the manual showing proper methods of conducting the school safety patrol. They are Robert Melson, 14, son of the Windfield Menson’s; Erin Garvey, 14, daughter of the James Garvey’s, and Larry Kjellands’s, all of Farmington.

Instrumental in the compiling of information, regulations, and illustrations in the manual was George Kaiseratt, Farmington justice of the peace, and retired highway patrol officer.

After his retirement from the highway patrol, Kaisersatt was kept in the same office as special assistant to the safety director. He was instrumental in compiling information and requirements for the adoption of an official signal (flag) and procedures and has been continuously active in school safety patrol activities.

75 years ago

From the Jan. 28, 1938

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

I.G. Empey heads local water board

The new water board held its first meeting Friday night, and elected I.G. Empey president, T.J. Feely was re-elected secretary.

Secretary Feely’s report showed a total of $145.92 in water rent had not been paid as of Dec. 31, 1937. Some of this has been received since then. On the same date the sum of $123.34 in water rent had been paid in advance.

The water board earned over $800 during the past year.

Band program Monday, Jan. 31

Kenneth G. Springen, F.H.S. band instructor, has arranged for a very unique treat in the form of a band concert to be heard Monday, January 31, at 8 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

A band clinic will be held in the afternoon at two o’clock. Two Farmington High School bands will play and the Twin Cities Civic Band will play. As a finale, the two bands will play together. For a feature number Wendell Johnson will play a coronet solo, accompanied by the Twin Cities Civic Band.

Mrs. Marvin Hagen wins news tip prize

Mrs. Marvin Hagen (Harriet Rolfing) of Farmington is the winner of the Dakota County Tribune’s 1937 News Tip contest, it was announced Thursday of last week by Lester Will, city editor of the Minneapolis Journal, contest judge.

Mrs. Hagen wins the $10 offered for the best news tip of the year. She has not been informed of her good fortune – this story breaks the news to her.

The tip that won the prize for the year concerned the first news of the death of Mrs. Axel Sejrup, Mrs. Hagen, bookkeeper at the Christensen Chevrolet Co., was passing the office one morning in February and poked her head in the Tribune door and said: “I just heard Mrs. Sejrup died.”

This news tip which later developed into a mystery story gave us “interesting and exciting news for the better part of a year,” according to the contest judge.

Six-legged calf born at John Niesen farm, Empire

Extra! Extra!

Read all about it!

A six-legged baby calf was born at the John Niesen farm near Empire last Wednesday afternoon. Honest, Mister, a real six-legged calf and what a centipede. You misinterpreted my meaning. I meant a baby cow – calf to you.

While Mr. Niesen and his son Leonard took the day off to attend Farm and Home Week, the cow produced the impossible. A calf was born with the rear end of an ordinary calf except for two tails in place of one. While from the first long ribs forward, the calf became the bodies of twins. The forepart of the animal or animals was complete in every detail. There were two heads and four front legs.

Last month for the first time in John’s 25 years of Farmington, one of his cows produced twins which died, after which John quotes, “I wish my cows would stick to singles as these dead twins and “freaks” are not very profitable.”

Henry Klaus and a friend, M. Marion Melves assisted Dr. B.L. Cook in the amazing birth.

The mother is improving as well as can be expected.

100 years ago

From the Jan. 24, 1913

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

An able candidate

The matter of choosing a county superintendent of schools will come up before the commissioners at Hastings either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The appointment to fill the vacancy made in the death of C.W. Meyer is an important one and care and wisdom should be used in making the selection and the best to be obtained should be the object of the board.

The pride of every progressive nation is the education of its children.

It is the one center of all interest and the good to be accomplished lies wholely in the ones in charge.

Prof. J.S. Burrell, of the Farmington public schools, has consented to allow his name used in connection with appointment of this important position and will accept the appointment and back his proposition with a life experience in successful school work and a professional certificate, the best endorsement that anyone can offer as to their qualification for the head of county schools....

With Mr. Burrell it is different. He takes the practical view of it, and if a teacher is incompetent, either of their evil habits or lack of education would be ousted and a competent person put in their place. The proposition of appointment a person to fill this office has simmered down to one fact, which is far and should be looked upon by every fairminded person.

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