Looking back: A Junior Chamber of Commerce was planned in 1963

Talk about it

50 years ago

From the Feb. 14, 1963

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Club considers brochure about Farmington

The regular monthly meeting of the Farmington Commercial Club was held on February 12 at Hoagie’s Restaurant with 25 members and guests present....

The financial statement which was read by treasurer Gordon Lagerquist showed a balance as of Jan. 1, 1962, of $310.02. Dues and lunches provided a revenue of $1,856.00 for 1963 for expenses for the year totaling $1,863.90, leaving a balance on hand as of January 1, 1963, of $302.12. The report was accepted.

President Don Paul reported on the board of director’s meeting... This brochure would contain facts and figures concerning the village and would be given to businesses and individuals who inquire. School superintendent R.O. Boehlke volunteered his services in compiling information for such a publication.

Third Kuchera dog poisoned

Really dumbfounded this week at the Eugene “Babe” Kuchera family, whose third expensive dog was poisoned since last October 31.

It is difficult to place monetary value on pets. The first dog had an estimated worth of $300 which they would not have taken for the animal. The second, which died about Thanksgiving time, was valued at about $50. It was dead shortly after arrival...

Then the family agreed to try again. This time they bought one for $100, a beautiful black lab. Friday, Mr. and Mrs. Kuchera and son Kenny, 16, went fishing while the girls Judy, 14, Nancy, 13, and Mary, 8, decided to stay home.

They had checked the dog, which they had 7 1/2 days, at about 11:30 p.m. Roger Kuchera, Eugene’s nephew, who resides near the neatly-kept pen and doghouse went to check on him about midnight.

The next morning the girls found him dead....

Kuchera said he was getting wonderful cooperation from the city and county police. Every lead will be followed.

Junior Chamber to organize in Farmington

Young men of Farmington voted last Thursday evening to organize a Junior Chamber of Commerce here.

At a special meeting in Hoagie’s Café, attended by over 15 men, it was decided to complete organizational plans for the new group immediately and start arrangements for affiliation with the state and United States Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Other business conducted was the election of temporary officers who will serve until formal elections take place sometime next month. Those selected were James White, chairman; Wendell Franke, secretary; Dan Nicolai, finance chairman; Warren Sifferath, constitution chairman and Dr. David Truax, membership chairman.

75 years ago

From the Feb. 18, 1938

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Ag course to be added here

At the regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Farmington Public School held Feb. 14 it was unanimously voted to add a vocational agriculture department to the curriculum for the school year 1938-39.

The addition of this department will increase the number of special departments in the school to five. These five departments will employ a total of six teachers. Farmington now has Home Economics, Commercial, Industrial Arts, Music. In addition to these departments each pupil has the opportunity to secure individual instruction on any band instrument. This instruction is given during the regular school day.

This new department is in keeping with the modern trends of education. That is, making the high school work as practical as possible....

Present plans include agriculture work for any 8, 10, 11, 12 grade pupil. This instructor will also have time to assist in any agriculture project that the pupils desire to undertake.

E. Kuchera to operate tourist park this year

Chas. Akin who operated the Kuchera tourist park and café here the past year has rented an oil station at Hartville, 12 miles northwest of Red Wing on State Highway No. 61, and is moving there this week.

E.Kuchera, owner of the tourist park, will operate the park himself this summer and is making preparations to move from his house on the West Side to the apartment over the park café.

Mr. Kuchera says he expects to enlarge the swimming pool and make quite a few other improvements this spring.

100 years ago

From the Feb. 14, 1913

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Elmer Nichols badly burned

Mr. Elmer Nichols, an employee of the Commercial Hotel of our town, was quite seriously burned Tuesday morning while attending to the hotel lighting plant. It seems that he was called by a fellow employee at about 4:30 a.m. to replenish the lights and while doing so the gas ignited from the lantern that was held too close to the plant by the party assisting him.

The blaze did no damage to the property nor to the lighting plant itself, except that the plant was somewhat blackened, and but for the burning of Mr. Nicholas the accident would not have amounted to anything.

Dr. Dodge, the attending physician, is giving Mr. Nichols excellent attention and he assures us that the burns while painful are not deep and it will be but a short time before Mr. Nichols has fully recovered.

Tags: community, news, farmington