The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-11-10

| MINNEAPOLIS STAB 1880 |iSliSix
Murtaugh started a general store in
1895, in the fall, and for a number
of years did large business. Mr..
Pitcher retired from that firm final
| ly and a year ago Mr. Murtaugh
passed away. A. II. Hanchett al
ways claimed that he built the first
| business place in the village. it
was an open shop which he erected
on the corner now occupied by
Frank Wondra and was built short
ly after the railroad got here. Mr.
Hanchett having been a construc-
| ton foreman on the building force.
There are about all of the present
/ business men of the town who had
any considerable share in the starting
of the town. No historical review of
Madison Lake could be considered
complete or even just without max
ing some reference to Commissioner
VIM. N. Durrin of Itasca county. This
man came to us when Madison Lake
was just new, l think in 1888, and
started the Madison Lake saw mill"
For ten years BILL Durrin" was ut"
in this town. 1 hope he is here to-
day. He attended every funeral ever
! held in the town or vicinity during
all that time and nearly all the we'd
dings. He visited the sick and so
far as he could comforted the afflict-
ed He wept with those who wept
and rejoiced with the glad ones. He
had more friends and enemies than
any other man who ever lived here
and it is needless to say that he de-
served them all. One always does.
If he had been living in this town
for the last two months he would
have had a mighty share in this cele-
bration. He "toted his end" and
stood for the town and whatever
was going on for the public good. I
wish he lived here now.
The saw mill which he first built
was burned August 14th, 1894, and
within forty days was rebuilt, en-
larged and improved. This second
mill was destroyed and never re-
built.
The first bank in Madison Lake
was established by Mr.. Everett of
Waseca and J. S. Lewis. 1t was
succeeded by the present Peoples
State Bank" in 1889.
The First Church.
All Saints church. The first pas.
tor to begin work in the parish was
the Rev. John B. Kreidler S. J. of
Society of Jesus, now residing in
New York city. He came in the
early spring of 1895 about the month
- LNohr INoth vi
NAMED until December of 1896 when
the Rev. Aloysius Sigg S. ]. sue
ceeded him. In January of the year
1903 Rev. Joseph M. Haas S. J. took
the place of Rev. Aloysius Sigg.
Father Haas administers dto the
parish from the time of his arrival
until Rev. A. Spirig took his place
in the month of April, 1906. From
April, 1906, until August the LIST,
1911, Rev. Father Spirig gave his de-
voted service to the parish of All
Saints building up and improving
the property in every possible way,
and at the same time not neglecting
in one iota the spiritual needs of
the people.
On August first, 1911, Rev. Arthur
Dittman became the first resident
pastor of the church of All Saints,
Madison Lake, Mimi. Up until this
time the church had been attended
by the present fathers of Mankato,
Mimi.
The first baptism in the parish was
that of Rose Daschuer. 1t was per-
formed by Rev. John B. Kreidler, S.
]. The first wedding was that of
Louis j. Elder and Anna Muellerleile.
Rev. Father Kredler, S. j., assisted
at it. The first grown person whose
burial record is found in the parish
records is that of Mary Neary, eigh-
ty-two years of age. The record
says she died fortified with all the
sacraments on June first, 1896.
All Saints school was built in the
year 1907. Sisters came on Septem-
Der 9, 1907. School opened on Sep
TENDER Is. Enrolment was eighty
six children. Last years enrolment
was $50. School was built under
the most favorable circumstances.
lively interest in the work of building
and supporting the undertaking with
weight and main. The school still
flourishes and has proven an inesti-
mable blessing to the little parish.
The Methodist Episcopal church was
brought here from Caroline Station in
May, 1889, by G. w. Allyn and
Methodist minister whose name | for
get. Mr.. Allyn donated two lots
of ground and enough money and la
Dor to put the building in disable
shape.
The postoffice was established in
1885 when Park P. o. which had been
kept by c. H. Austin was discontin-
ued. Mr. Austin had great trouble get
ting rid of the postoffice at that
point as the government would not
let him resign, much as he wanted to
do SO. The Episcopal church was es-
tablished in 1889.