The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-08-11

pistols; garage space for housing ten
motor trucks which will be brought
to Mankato at the close of the state
camp at Lake City this month.
Nothing in the ken of military men
has been left undone to make the
Mankato armory one of the north
vests finest and the result justifies
the efforts of the projects sponsors.
Officers who have their Offices in
the armory are: Colonel W. s. Full
ton, commanding the Fifth Minneso-
Ia Regiment; Lieutenant colonel
Ivan Bowen, executive officer; Ma
jor G.. A. Dahl, regimental surgeon;
Major Roy w. Bates, commander
first battalion; Major Ed. Nyquist,
commander second battalion; Major
e: W. Owen, regimental machine gun
officer; Captain A. Sanborn, regi-
Morton. regimental officer for intel
ligence and war plans; Captain E. S.
Carey, regimental supply officer;
CAPTAIN Phil Comstock and Lieuten
ant Schmidt of the howitzer com.
pany; Captain Fred Otto and Lieu
tenants r. H. Huettl and H. R. FLAG
of the service company; Lieutenant
A C.. Zuel of the headquarters com
pany and Captain A. w. Smell Of the
medical detachment
The general contract for the big
building was held by the ]. B. Nell
sen Construction company and the
architecture is the work of Schippel
& Schmidt of Mankato. Plumbing
dy Plumbing & Heating company.
The Carney Cement company fur
nished the cement for the structure
and the brick came from the plant
of the Stewart Brick company Of
North Mankato. :
Eckerholm company of Mankato
handled the painting contract and
the electric wiring and fitting was
the work of the Mankato Electric
company. The Schwickert Hard
ware company furnished the sheet
metal work. The work done reflects
great credit on all these concerns.
National Guard History
Since 1882 the city of Mankato has
carried her part of the military bur-
den of the United States and of the
state of Minnesota, and no small
share of the military glory of the
Union comes home to this city on
the Minnesota river For his efforts
! in making the local military estab-
lishments successful, for his work in
initiating the first company here and
for his genial friendship and good
will toward all succeeding establish
ments, Colonel George W. Mead of
this city can rightfuly be called
that father of the military successes
of this city.
1t was George Mead who organic
ed the first company ever collected
in Mankato and it was he who COM
manded that unit during trying days
of beginning. He remained captain
Of the company until he was commits
stoned a major and then was sue
! ceeded by Captain S. W. Burgess but
his interest in Mankato's unit did
not end when he relinquishad com
mand of the company, nor has 1t yet
waned in any military unit coming
out of this community.
Was First Company =
First in the line of Mankato's SOL
der bodies was Company F, attach
ed to the Second Minnesota regi-
ment, of which Colonel Joseph Bob
letter of New Ulm was the COM
manding officer. For years following
the oranization, quarters were main
tanned on the third floor of the city
hall. In that first company. accord
| ing to Colonel Mead, were found tire
very flower of Mankato's youth and
young manhood. Men who served in
that unit as privates and non COM
missioned officers are now among the
influential citizens of this city. and
many others; several are row in
| the United States regular army hold
ing officers commissions.
Following Captain Burgess there
was a long line Of company com
Washburn, now a prominent Duluth
attorney, W. L. Comstock, now
Judge of the Blue Earth and Waton-
wan county district courts, Captain
William DENLY, and one or two
others. The company was finally
mustered out of service in 1895 and
| for a short time there was no mill
tary unit in Mankato. .
There we're many from here who
answered the call of the government
| for the Spanish American War and
among these were dozens of men
who had served with the national
guard company before the call to the
colors received such a whole hearted
response from the great state of
\ Minnesota that there were many
who were necessarily left behind be-
cause they were not needed against
that European adversary. "
After the war, in 1899, Company
H was formed and they were mus
tered in again by then 1t. Colonel
Mead. The first captain of the com
pany was Schuyler Fox, succeeded
in order by Captains Ernest r.
Brown, F. A. Day, DIR. William Malt
7 by, Captain George Rodman and then
Captain A o. Scott who was in
command when the unit was feder-
allied for service on the Mexican
border. 1t was a stirring occasion in
Mankato when the local unit, with
flags flying and trumpets blaring,
marched to the railroad station for
the departure. At that time the com
pany was drilled to par excellence
and a gallant band of soldiers they
were as they set out for their ad-
venture.
| Get New Armory Then
It was during the time Of Captain
Scott that the new armory was built
at the present location on Second
street Soon after the company ar.
rived on the scene Of the great camp
on tht border, CAPTAIN Smith resign
ed and was succeeded by Captain A
E. Cosgrove Of St Peter. The com
pany returned with that commander