Looking Back: Farmington woman was ruled insane when she shot her son 50 years ago

Talk about it

50 years ago

From the Jan. 31, 1963

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Insanity is ruled in Knott murder trial

District Judge Roy C. Nelsen Tuesday noon found a Farmington woman, 49-year-old Mrs. Lenore Knott, in effect, not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, in the first degree murder indictment for fatally shooting her 10-year-old sleeping son, Dana.

He committed her to the custody of the Minnesota Security hospital at St. Peter, Minnesota, as required by statute....

The verdict came after less than 1½ days of court testimony. The defense had waived a jury trial....

The trial started Monday morning with J. Jerome Kluck, county attorney, as the prosecutor, and William Essling and Tom Malone, both of St. Paul, attorneys for the defense.

Mrs. Knott was a spectator throughout the trial with her air pilot husband close at her side, his arm around her. She was under obvious strain, Monday as she looked down constantly....

She showed little emotion or expression as the judge ruled temporary insanity.

Brush wolf is shot near Empire Village

A group of foxhunters cried “wolf,” and then brought one home to prove it, Saturday.

Bagging a 30-pound male coyote or brush wolf near the Nick Brockman farm north of Empire Village, were Frank and Bill Leifeld, Nick and Peter Marschall, all of near Vermillion, and Dick Cook of Hastings.

It was Frank Leifeld who actually pulled the trigger of his 12-gauge shotgun, hitting the animal twice with two shots of B-Bs at 50 yards.

The wolf, which had its left rear foot chewed off apparently in a trap at one time, brings a $25 bounty....

Game Warden Ken LaBoone, who picked up the wolf and took it to the University for analyzing Monday, said he had only seen four brush wolves in his territory.

School board meets with fiscal agents

Farmington’s school board Friday met with Ehlers & Mann, Minneapolis fiscal agents, to discuss employing their firm as consultants and legal advisors in the forthcoming elementary school building program, Supt. of Schools, R.O. Boehlke said.

Ehlers & Mann advised the board during the high school bond issue of 1960.

At present there are elementary grades in an 18-classroom school building completed in 1955; there are four elementary classes in the high school building, one class in the old band room, and one elementary class in the rented Trinity Lutheran church building.

The new proposed grade school would cost perhaps a half million dollars. The school board has tentatively chosen a 10-15 acre farm site on County Highway 66, northeast of Farmington.

75 years ago

From the Feb. 4, 1938

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Weather station is half century old

A total of 112 feet of water has fallen in this vicinity during the past 50 years, it was revealed this week from official records compiled at the Jerome Akin government weather station located northwest of Farmington.

The 50-year fall of water would reach from the ground to a point two feet above the top of the local water tower. The water tower is 110 feet high.

This year is the golden anniversary of the existence of the weather station at the Akin farm. The late D.F. Akin started the station in 1888 on the advice of M.H. Hovde, present weather bureau chief of Minneapolis. This was the first rural weather station in the state outside of Fort Snelling.

D.F. Akin operated the station from 1888 until his death in 1909 when it turned over to his son, Elmin Akin, now Farmington. Elmin kept the records until 1919 when he moved to Farmington and turned over the station to his son, Jerome, the present official reporter. Thus, the station has remained in charge of the Akin family for half a century.

All is set for Roosevelt Ball

All is in readiness for the annual Roosevelt Birthday Ball to be held in the Knights of Columbus Hall Friday evening, Feb. 4. All proceeds will go to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

H.O. Tellier is chairman and committeemen are: Wm. McHugh, Al Haugh, Fred Griebie, J.L. Turek, Mrs. Wm. Feely, Mrs. P. H. Casey, J.M. Schneider, E.M. Gerster, P.W. Sauber, John Heinen and Jos. McGovern.

Dancing begins at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are 50 cents each. All are invited.

Ed Becker is Legion Chief

Clifford Larson Post of the American Legion, Farmington elected Edwin A. Becker commander for the coming year and James Stevens as adjutant, at their annual meeting Tuesday in the Legion Hall.

Other officers were re-elected as follows: A.F. Brasseur, vice commander; D.V. Burton, finance officer; Rev. D.J. Moran, service officer; child welfare, Wm. McHugh; historian, R.G. Shirley.

Henry Hansen is the retiring commander. He informs the Tribune that the local Legion post is assisting and financing the school patrol recently organized.

Ship out first car of cabinets

Woodcraft Manufacturing Co., of Farmington shipped out its first carload of wardrobe and storage cabinets this week, the car going to New York City where it will be stored and sold to eastern accounts.

E.L. Whittier and son, Robert, left Wednesday morning by train for New York where they will attend the National Notion and Novelty Exhibit being held from Feb. 7 to 12 in the Pennsylvania hotel, New York City. Woodcraft products will be shown at this exhibit. Robert has completed a business course and is associated with his father at the factory. This is his first trip on the road as a salesman.

100 years ago

From the Jan. 31, 1913

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Farmington man is defeated for superintendent of schools

As per announcement made in last week’s Tribune, the matter of choosing a superintendent of schools to fill vacancy made by the death of C.W. Meyer came up before commissioners in a special session of Hastings last Tuesday and Lous N. Isaace, a teacher in the West Concord schools, was elected.

Superintendent J.S. Burrell of the Farmington public schools, was the opposing candidate. A petition signed by about 100 citizens of the vicinity of Farmington and Lakeville together with a personal letter from state superintendent was placed before the board and earnest pleas were made by two members of the board and Mr. R.H. Benham in Mr. Burrel’s behalf, but in the face of all this, three of the members voted against him. W.E. Beerse of Hastings and R.W. Downs of So. St. Paul voting for Mr. Burrell and John F. Kelly of Lakeville, John Cahill of Rosemount and Mr. Moes of Hampton voting for Isaac.

Farmington in the line

At a meeting of the State Highway commission yesterday with the representatives of the counties striving to get the 50 miles of government aid model post roads the one leading from St. Paul through Rosemount, Farmington, Owatonna made the best showing says Wednesday’s Pioneer Press....

The fight really has developed into a contest between Minneapolis and St. Paul, with this city probably the more greatly favored because the road would pass through the richest and most thickly-populated agricultural section of the state and would become part of the great national scenic boulevard north and south from Duluth to New Orleans which the National Automobile Association is boosting.

The route to be selected will receive $10,000 from the government and the counties through which it will pass must raise an additional $20,000 for building the road.

Tags: farmington, community, news