Looking back: Farmington’s Army Reserve unit was deactivated 50 years ago

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50 years ago

From the Feb. 28, 1963

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Feely land purchased for medical-dental clinic

Dr. A.H. Field, of the medical firm Drs. Field Hunter and Moller announced Tuesday morning they have purchased land near the Vermillion River and Highway 50 in west Farmington for a clinic building.

This announcement ended speculation whether the physicians would locate on hospital land at the east edge of Farmington.

Dr. Field further announced that Dentist Dr. Graydon Johnson would be joining the clinic. Dr. G. Johnson now has offices in Steadman building in downtown Farmington….

The land is a choice section of the Feely estate property. It extends 325 feet south of Highway 50, and from Division Street 425 feet to the west. The land includes part of the creek, and there are definite possibilities for beautiful landscaping.

Dog had enough strychnine to kill many dogs

Results of a lab analysis of the third Kuchera dog which has been poisoned since October showed a lethal dose of strychnine and liver had been given the valuable pet. The 28 milligrams of poison could kill many dogs — or people.

Eugene “Babe” Kuchera, 113 Elm Street, Farmington, who was the owner of the three dogs which were individually valued at $50 to $300 is unable to account for the rash of poisonings....

The latest victim of this unprincipled poisoner was taken to the U. of M. by Kuchera for a laboratory analysis in an effort to determine the exact cause of death....

The lab tests, which cost Kuchera $42, showed that the pet had 30 grams of liver (which the Kucheras had never fed this dog) and about 28 milligrams of strychnine in the stomach.

Army reserve to be deactivated

The Farmington Army Reserve unit will be deactivated as of March 15, 1963, and its members absorbed in other units.

The last meeting of the unit will be held at the building on the fairgrounds on March 11 and members will be attached to units at Cannon Falls and Fort Snelling.

The building which has been rented from the 4-H will be officially vacated on March 23 and the unit is presently moving equipment out and sending it to Fort Snelling.

The Farmington Reserve unit was organized in February of 1955 as an infantry unit, was later changed to a heavy weapons group, and finally to Company “D” 4th Medium Tank Battalion. Part of the 60 men and five officers which comprise the group will be attached to “C” Company, 3rd Infantry Division at Cannon Falls; part will be attached to Battalion Headquarters, 4th Medium Tank Battalion, Fort Snelling; and Jake Klotzbeacher will be attached to the 360th Psychological Warfare Unit at Fort Snelling.

This re-aligning of units leaves Farmington without an Army Reserve unit.

75 years ago

From the March 4, 1938

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Townships to elect officers

The townships of Dakota County will go to the polls, Tuesday, March 8, and elect supervisors for three years, clerks for two years, justices and constables. A light vote is predicted in this territory in view of the fact that there is very little opposition in most townships.

The following are those who have filed for township offices.

Castle Rock:Supervisor, 3 years — F.J. Damann; Clerk, 2 years — J.B. Stevens.

Empire: Supervisors, 3 years — Matthew Hagney; Clerk, 2 years — Joseph A. Weisbrich.

Eureka: Supervisor, 3 years — Noel T. Holt; Clerk, 2 years — S.O. Steen.

Cow has four calves in 11 months

Producing four calves in less than a year is the record of a purebred Holstein cow at the Peter Clements farm two miles northwest of Farmington.

Last April the Holstein gave birth to twin calves. A week ago another set of twin calves was born to the same cow.

Government officials engaged in trying to check overpopulation, today were frowning on the activities of this particular cow and they all agree “something should be done.”

100 years ago

From the Feb. 28, 1913

edition of the

Dakota County Tribune

Lose federal road money

The $10,000 to be given by the United States government in the construction of a model road will not be used in the construction of the road to be built between St. Paul and Owatonna via Farmington. Instead, it will be used in developing an idea of Governor Eberhart in building a road between Minneapolis and Mankato....

The government money to be used in building a model road has been lost to us, but this route will have a road that will cost less money, be twice as good and built on less time than the one to be built along the Minnesota River and set up as a model for other roads of the state to be patterned after.

The road to be built along this route from St. Paul to Owatonna — will be built through the most densely populated and wealthy section of the state and will serve 375,000 people, whereas the model road to be built by the government will pass thru a sparsely settled country and serve practically the people living on only one side of the river.

A bill has been introduced in the legislature authorizing Ramsey Co., to issue bonds to the amount of $10,000 to take the place of the $10,000 federal money and the project will be carried out as mapped out earlier in the year and within nine months we will have a better road out of $30,000 than a road can be built along the Minnesota River for $100,000....

The east road will be built this year and all plans carried out as arranged to get the government money.

F.H.S. wins again

In one of the most interesting basketball contests ever pulled off here the Farmington High School defeated the So. St. Paul quint Friday evening by a score of 17 to 16. From the start the game was fast and interesting with losts of “pep” from our boys who had remembered the defeat they had taken from them two weeks ago.

During the first half the score see-sawed back and forth which showed the teams were evenly matched — both teams doing clever guarding and basket shooting. The first half ended with the visitors in the lead — 9-11.

The last half began with a rush and slam with Hartwig and Brown there at shoving the ball thru the loop frequently. Methner at forward also showing old time form with Scanlon and Heinen doing their duty at guarding under difficulties. The end of the game showed that our boys had chalked up 17 counters while the visitors gathered in 16.

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