HANOVER CREAMERY ASSOCIATION

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The Hanover Creamery Association was a coop owned by local farmers and managed by RW Stanger in the early 1900’s. In Mary Coon’s book, ‘Safe From the Outside World’ (2004), Mike Vollbrecht recalled,

“Of all of the businesses in town, I think the creamery would be considered the main business of Hanover. It supported a lot of people although there weren’t many workers. There was a butter maker and maybe one or two others. A prosperous business didn’t necessarily mean you had a lot of people working there.”

Many Wright County towns boasted thriving creamery associations, claiming much of their success was due to outstanding soil for their herds feed. In the first part of the twentieth century it was believed that creameries were the greatest Wright County industry. In 1915, Wright County won the highest score at the National Creamery Buttermakers’ Association Convention (Mason City, IA).

Howard Lake Roller Mills 1916

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The mill was built by CW Bonniwell in 1887 and was, at the time, the largest and most complete milling plant in Wright County. By 1916 it had become the Howard Lake Milling Company, consisted of three large buildings and an engine house, and had a capacity of seventy-five barrels of flour per day. In contrast, in 1900 the mill employed four men and produced approximately 100 barrels of flour daily. Managed and operated by Mr Chas Moore, the Howard Lake Roller Mills was still advertising in the Howard Lake Herald in the 1940’s.

buffalo meat market (Delano) 1914-1918

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Leonard J. Rieder operated this early Delano meat market, named the Buffalo Meat Market, in 1911.  After his wife's death on his North Dakota homestead, Rieder returned to Delano and later married Theresa Outriech.  Rider’s two sons, Lawrence and Leonard, operated the business after his retirement. In 1986, Leonard J Rider’s grandson, Lawrence Jr, was still running the business as the third generation owner.

rockford train depot

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Rockford’s train depot photo is an atypical depiction of most Wright County depots as it is a two story, not single-story, building. Early freight charges and fares were reported to be higher on the Soo Line that others. For a time after the train line was fully functional, farmers continue to ship using horses and townspeople traveled to the Delano station for cheaper rates.

Interestingly, the names of stations changed frequently and without warning, and Rockford was no exception:

The station on the Greenwood (now Greenfield) site was not to be name Greenwood. It was also not to be named Rockford although that had been promised by one highly-placed railroad official. When that station was first laid out, it was to be called Randolph but in August of 1886, it was changed to Marmion and that was not the final change.

Clearwater ferry

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A ferryman, dog and two horse buggy cross the Mississippi River and approach the Clearwater ferry landing. Located in an area where the river is quite shallow, the ferry ran under the power of the river current and was guided by ferryman, using a cable stretching from one side of the river to the other.

The first Clearwater ferry operated around 1855. Towns often developed at large ferry crossing, providing goods and services to travellers. Such was the case with Clearwater, making it one of the oldest towns in Wright County.

maple lake postcard greetings

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R. Steilman & Co. created this Maple Lake postcard. A common occurrence even today, companies highlighted a town’s memorable locations and buildings in the hopes of luring other to purchase their postcards. Many Wright County communities have similar postcards in the Wright County photo archive.

South Haven: scene at stump lake

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Wright County, especially the South Haven & Annandale area, was an outdoor resort haven for people looking to rest and recreate in the great outdoors. Resorts’ horse-drawn buggies would line local train depots, waiting for vacation-goers from within and out-of-state. In a marketing pamphlet by Annandale Commercial Club, a group promoting local businesses in South Haven & Annandale, they decreed:

Whether you come to loaf or play—there is everything here to make your visit enjoyable.

Remants of former resorts dot Wright County, especially along the western lakes. Some continue to operate even to this day.

Monticello: Cows in street

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Life in early Wright County was different. It was not an unusual occurrence to see animals moved through the town’s dirt streets. This photo is a great example of a farmer using Monticello’s wide streets as a convenient passageway for his livestock.

buffalo boasters 1912

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Town baseball, or ‘town ball’, is a proud Minnesota tradition, and Wright County has a rich tradition of town baseball-related rivalries. Played for over one hundred years in Minnesota, many team photos, including this one of the Buffalo Boasters, have found their way into the Wright County Historical Society archives. These photos remain one of the best loved categories of visitors.

Minnesota continues the tradition of town ball to this day, boasting more than 300 current teams, more than any other State in the US.

Cokato girls ball team

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Little is know about the organization of early women’s sport in Wright County. This photo of the Cokato Girls Ball Team leaves the viewer with many questions—softball or baseball, school or town related, were they part of a formal or informal league? Historians rely on photo clues, resident memories, and community history to find answers to these questions.

albertville school

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St Albert School, located in Albertville, opened in September 1915 and was a private Catholic school. Both the school and church were named in honour of Albert Zachman, who donated the land for the local Catholic Church. The school was staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Originally called Hamburg, then St Michael Station, the town name was permanently changed to Albertville in 1909, once again to recognize Zachman for his outstanding contributions to the community.

waverly funeral

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The funeral of Charles Claussen, WWI soldier, on September 27, 1920. Wounded in France in 1918, he died shortly after and was buried briefly at an American military cemetery near Nantes. France. Two years later, Claussen’s body was returned home to Waverly where, after the funeral procession that passed through the downtown area, he was laid to final rest in the St Mary’s Church cemetery.

Waverly’s American Legion Post is named after him. Charles Claussen’s funeral remains one of the biggest events in the history of the community.