History of Alden, Emmons, Glenville of Freeborn County, MN

Freeborn County, MN
Cities and their Histories
Transcribed and Submitted by Michael Nelson

Alden’s Growth Began With Coming of Railroad
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 18
Submitted by Michael Nelson

The village of Alden was laid out and platted by William Morin and H.W. Holley.

The first building constructed in Alden was the home of A.G. Hall, which he made in 1869 with lumber from Albert Lea. At the end of that year the railroad came through and the town began to grow.

Soon after a depot was built several stores opened and two blacksmith shops began operating and more businesses followed.

Prior to 1871, Gem Lake, now Morin Lake, was a wild slough. The marshy area became a lake when a dam was built through the efforts of Morin, Hall and P. Hansen. In 1883 and 1884, C. N. Ostrander, working for Morin, filled up four acres of the lake to form the land that the original city hall and a number of other structures were built upon.

Alden was incorporated by a special act of the legislature in 1879. The first council meeting was March 14, 1879 and Thomas W. Wilson was president.

Even before the village was organized, Ostrander and others formed a firefighting organization. In 1881 a hand pump was purchased and a regular company of 12 men was formed with Ostrander as chief.

Alden had a number of fires during its early days some that were near ruinous.

The worst came on Sept 19, 1896. The fire started in a barn and when first noticed had almost enveloped two businesses.

Mrs. H. H. Thompkins gave an alarm, but the flames, intensified by strong southeast winds, leaped and spread. With hard firefighting a number 0f buildings were saved. But 15 structures couldn’t be rescued and lay in ashes.

Among the buildings lost were a bank, the Alden Advance newspaper office, the Methodist church, a bakery, drug store and other businesses.

The original city hall in Alden was built in 1871 and an addition was made in 1908.

One of the early incidents in Alden Municipal government involved a$30,000 bonus the town gave the Southern Minnesota Railroad for establishing a railway station. The bonus was granted in 1871 through a bond issue.

The bonds became due in 1901 and a question was raised about their legality. The bitter fight went into the courts.

Eventually the bonds were pain and the distribution was made on the assessed valuation of property in the village and township.

An effect of the raging battle was that doubts were cast on the legality of the incorporation of the village. While people continued to maintain the village government, they were forced to vote at their respective township polling places for county, state and national elections.
The problem was solved when the village was reincorporated in 1908.

There is some mystery as to why Alden is called Alden. One story explains that a state law was passed requiring that all towns and townships be named. A meeting was held at the courthouse for that purpose. The name of Alden was suggested by an u8nknown man and adopted for the community. There is no recorded reason given for the name.

Around 1910 Alden business included a newspaper and printing firm, two banks, a hotel, flour mill, electric works, cement works, three general stores, two hardware stores, two blacksmith shops, a furniture and undertaking operation, tow drug stores, a lumber and coal firm, two elevators, a livery and garage and a feed barn, draying and livery operation, meat market, variety store, jewelry store and pool hall.

Emmons moved around Between the Two States
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 18
Submitted by Michael Nelson

Henry G. Emmons was born in Egedahl, Norway in 1828 and came to the U.S. on a ship when he was 22.

He settled and married in Jefferson Rock, Wis. In 1856, Emmons, his wife and their son came to Nunda Township. In 1857, the state Line post office was established at his farm.

In 1880, Emmons’ son started a store on the present site of the town. When it was l3arned that the railroad would not stop at that point, the store was moved a mile south, across the Minnesota border to the village of Norman in Iowa. In 1886, the store was moved back to the Emmons town site.

The depot was located in Norman in 1879 when the railroad came through. It was said that Winnebago County made important concessions to the railroad to entice them to erect the depot there.

Meanwhile, the village of Emmons grew and business demanded the convenience of a railroad stop. After the bitter fight in the courts, the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad agreed to move the depot to the south edge of Emmons, still in Iowa, to keep an agreement to maintain a station in Norman Township.

The depot move was said to be a gala event. On Sept. 24, 1904, the building was raised and loaded on a flatcar and move to the site.

Following the move, the Norman post office and several stores were transferred to the vicinity of the Emmons Creamery. This area was called Kingsville. Gradually Norman Village died.

Emmons was incorporated in 1899 and the first president of the council was G. H. Emmons.

The original city all was built that year and an addition was added in 1901. The original part was used as a council chamber and for entertainment. The new section housed a well and fire fighting apparatus.

The following were among some of the business interests in Emmons around 1910:

A bank, newspaper, several general stores, blacksmith shops, hardware stores, restaurants, a millinery store, harness, hardware and farm implement store, shoe and repair shop, stock dealer, drug firm, barber shop, pool hall, meat market, mill, elevator, furniture and undertaker, auto company, stock broker and wagon line.

Because of the proximity of the town, it was said that a long train moving through Emmons could be in the counties and two states at the same time: Freeborn, Worth and Winnebago Counties and the states of Minnesota and Iowa.

Shell Rock, Woodside - Glenville Combination of Two Old Villages
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 18
Submitted by Michael Nelson

Glenville is the combination of the old village of Shell Rock and a locality called Woodside.

JA. H. Bartlett came though the area in July 1856 looking for a village site and a place to construct a mill. It is said he was pleased with the town of St. Nicholas and Northwood, but he could not find owners that would sell their interests.

In following the river, Bartlett came to Shell Rock and started lay8ng plans for the village. John Smith and Frederick Cutler each donated 20 acres and Bartlett immediately surveyed and recorded 80 acres in lots and blocks as the village of Shell Rock.

He then built a water sawmill on the riverbank in a 20 by 80 foot building, equipped with a 56 – inch buzz saw. The water did not provide enough power and a 30 – horsepower steam engine was placed in the building for the next two years of operation.

The timber supply then became exhausted and the property was sold to William Morin and moved to Albert Lea.

Just before Bartlett’s sawmill was completed, E.P. Skinner laid out a town called Shell Rock, a short distance north of Bartlett’s site in Hayward Township.

Skinner’s town appeared to pose competition to Bartlett’s village, especially when a store and post office were established. But Bartlett, returning from a trip; entered into negotiations and Skinner received one – fourth of Bartlett’s site. The post office and store were moved to the Bartlett’s town.

At that time, the store was run by R. A. Cornish, who was also postmaster.
The town experienced little development until railroad tracks were laid in 1877. W H. Peck came at that time and opened a store as well as H. G. Koontz opened a business called the “Variety Store.”

Other businesses built in that era were a general merchandise store, hardware store, drug store, harness shop and meat market

The first hotel, log and clay building, was built in 1856 by James Luff. It was remodeled when the railroad came through.

The Glenville Creamery Association was organized in 1890 and a creamery building opened in 1891.

The first bridge in the county was placed across the Shell Rock River in August 1857 at the present site of Glenville.

Glenville was incorporated in 1898. The first council meeting was June 15, 1898 and the council president was H. N. Thurston.