The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-06-03

less than heroic. In the organization
of the Grand Army of the Republic
the B. r. Palmer Post was so named
as a token of honor and respect for
him on the part of the old veterans.
The village of Sank Centre was in
corporated by an act of the legisla-
ture approved February IL, 1876, and
on March % following, at the office
of l.. L. West, there was held the first
election. II. L. Sage and P. M. Meigs
were appointed judges of the election
and E. P. Barnum clerk. The first Of
ficers chosen were: President, E. P.
Barnum; trustees, L. E. Coe, T. Flade-
land and Samuel Beidleman; recorder,
E. P. Barnum; treasurer, E. Oakford
justices of peace, j. D. Carr and l.. L.
West; constables, H. A. Boobar and
John H. Dennis. The village organiza-
ton was retained until 1889, when I'M
der a special charter and an approx
ing act of the legislature dated March
OF that year, Sank Centre assumed
the city form of government. The
first mayor elected was w. S. Dean.
The aldermen chosen from the two
wards established were as follows:
First ward, A. o. Hubbard, C.. A.
Morse, c. M. Coates; Second ward,
Samuel Beidleman, w. D. Townsend
Charles Fish; the treasurer elected
was L. Kells. By an act of the leg
islature approved March %, 1889, a
municipal court was established. Ly-
man Barto was the first Judge, and
the office is now honored by the in
cumbency of Judge Cary Diehl. The
present mayor of Sank Centre is
John N. McGibbon, who on the
grounds of sheer efficiency is now
completing his fourth term in this of
flee. Another appreciation on the part
of the citizens of faithful public SER
vice is evinced by the retention of J.
F. Cooper as city clerk, he having for
22 years served continuously in that
capacity.
Sank Centre was without railroad
Accommodations until August, 1878.
James ]. Hill had but lately begun his
marvellous career as a railroad build
er, and in that month an extension of
the st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba
road passed through Sank Centre.
The first station agent in charge was
Mr.. Ulmer. He was superseded in
November of the same year by James
A. Norris, who has held that position
during all the years since. This en-
terprise of Mr.. Hills changed great
ly the conditions of life for the pi-
oneers of the Northwest. At Sank
Centre the only means of communica-
ton with outside civilization had been
the stage routes running first to St.
Cloud and later to Melrose. These,
together with the long line of Red
river carts slowly creaking their way
from the north to procure food sup
plies from the mills of Sank Centre
and st. Cloud, were henceforth to be
relegated to the picturesque incidents
OF the past. In 1882 the Little Falls
& Dakota, branch of the Northern
Pacific, running from Little Falls to
Morris, and passing through Sank
Centre was constructed. The same
year saw the building of the Sank
Centre Northern road running north
ward to Eagle Bend and afterwards
to Bemidji. Thus in comparatively a
few years, and upon the merging Of
the different Hill lines into the Great
Northern and its extension to the
Pacific coast, Sank Centre found itself
an important town upon one of the
great transcontinental highways, ana
by reason of its junction facilities, I'M
usually easy of access from all parts
of the state of Minnesota.
The cities which have sprung up in
such wonderful manner all over our
western country in the last fifty years
have been, generally speaking, what
their citizens have made them. And
in this matter of public spirit Sank
Centre has not been found wanting.
She quickly turned her attention to
civic improvements. AS early as 1884
a system of waterworks was estab-
lished. The power YVES furnished by
the mill dam. Thus force of ample
fire protection was secured, and the
process of identifying the city by the
planting and preservation of trees
and lawns was begun. AS a result,
there was organized a fire department
which has proved its efficiency upon
so many occasions that it is doubtful
if there is a volunteer organization
| anuuhera in the state with a better