The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-03-11

In 1880 Solomon Pendergast and Luz
cas- kells, some other Civil War
heroes, founded the bank of Sank
Centre. 1t now forms one of the
strong triumvirate that supplies the
financial necessities of this locality.
The Merchants National Bank was
organized in 1902, with Henry KeI-
er, president; A. w. Austin, cashier.
In the construction of this bank,
there was an eye to the future. The
result is that a bank building was
erected, which will remain unsurpas-
sed until the city is several times its
size, James A. Caughren, became
the President; and A. F. Strebel was
made Cashier.
"But how do they travel and get
necessities" / asked. The Muse
pointed down the old government
trail, and I saw the governments
muledrawn vehicles on their way from
st. Cloud to Fort Abercrombie,
North Dakota, where military force
was stationed ''WIho drives the
stages?" ask. The Muse said, "Wm.
Whitney, John Donnelly, and Bixby.
Some half-breeds drive through every
fall, trading for the Hudson Bay
Company. They have two wheeled
carts, heavy, made without nails, and
held together with wooden pegs.
Each cart is drawn by an OK, and
loaded with hides, often buffalo hides
which sell for about one and one-half
dollars EACH" In 1876, the govern
ment replaced the stages by railroads,
and the telegraph soon followed.
"Our people had a sad experience
in 1877" said the Muse. 'The
crops were waving yellow, almost
ready to cut, when one day in early
August, cloud of grasshoppers came
from the northwest and settled all
over everything. The cloud was SO
dense it .darkened the sun, until some
thought it was an eclipse. They soon
ate the crops, the grass, even the
leaves and bark of trees. In the fall
they burrowed little holes in the
ground and went into winter quart
ers. They Matched the next spring
when the grain was small, ate it off,
and moved on as suddenly as they had
come. Crops were not an entire fail
ure that year, but our people were
very poor. The next year the crops
gave great promise, but the straw
was so weak that the grain lodged
so that it could not be reaped. A
terrible loss was the result. This
made three years of nearly total crop
failure :"
"But the churches?" asked.
ooh! they came very early she
said. GIN 1860 a Congregational
minister by the name of Rev. c.. IS.
Harrison, was sent to Sank Centre by
the American Home Missionary So
ciety. B. A. Kemp in 1865, began
the first church organization. In
1875 church was built and meet
ings were not held in the school
house any more. The Baptists es-
tablished a church in 1879. In 1870
Jos. Capser and some others
purchased site for four hun
dred and seventy-five dollars, of
which Mr.. Capsar gave three hum
hundred. This was used by the Cath
olics, and they built the present fine
church on it in 1871.
"Sauk Centre has always been a
town of strict morals and high
ideals" 1 said; and as l thought of
all it meant to me ! cried out, "Lives
there a man with soul So dead, who
never to himself has said, this is my
own, my native land He has not
learned to live"
''Time flies," said the Muse. eve
must hurry over the rest. ," Then
as if by magic, saw the big business
blocks spring up, the grand German
Catholic church, the fine new school
buildings, the Library, the Congre-
gational church, the beautiful resi-
dence section, the park, the railroads,
the telegraphs, and telephone poles,
the fine cement roads, and bridges
Everything as today-even the 1925
Christmas tree.
/ said, "Oh, Romance, where are
the Indians, the old Stockade, the
mule stages, the OK teams, the log
cabins, and the simple life"
Romance sadly answered, "Thest
are only a memory. The pain Of
change is the price of progress"
"Oh, yes, progress" said the Muse
of History, 81 must away and see tt
the education problems, the tax prob
lem, the road problems, the farm
problems, the forest reserves, tn,
peace leagues, the immigration res
friction, and a hundred other prob
lens. My people have grown owe
prosperous and are restless" Sh,
fwent as suddenly as she had come.
/ ] stood alone with Romance. Sh
took me by the hand and said, "Com,
with me to the silent city, and w
will pay our respects to the nobl
dead who have helped make Saul
j Centre what it is. !"
We went through the low valley t.
the cemetery. Then Romance wave,
her wand and said, tHonor thes
dead for some mute inglorious Mil
ton, here may rest. Some Cromwell
guiltless of his country's blood. ("
bowed by barred head; and whel
looked up again, Romance had van
lished on the passing breeze.
A sharp sound startled me.
sprang up. The Library clock wa
striking four. I said, "Great guns
/ r hot fho cchool hus has left mo