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Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
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(Reprinted from the Tri-County Messenger Oct. 1, 1936, V.H. Mason, editor, Vol. 2, No. 46). School District No. 80, the Kimball district, was organized in 1869 with the schoolhouse located one-half mile north of the village, being moved to Kimball in 1890 and after being replaced by a new school house 40x70, the following year, was sold and moved to where it now stands, owned and occupied by the Douglass Drug Store. The arrivial of surveyors locating the right-of-way for the Soo Line railroad in the early summer of 1886 was the cause of great excitement for the settlers. The entire grade of the railroad from Minneapolis to Glenwood ws built that year. The building of the grade was let out to contractors in short stretches of about a mile. Three contractors were employed in the immediate vicinity. Grinols was camped near the John Adolph place; Perkins at the village and Coleman near the Wm. Donohue place, east of town. Some of the men who still reside locally, who worked on the construction of the grade are: Homer Boggs, Henry Luedtke, Theodore Mielke, Robert Mackereth and D.M. Brown. In an effort to procure the date of the arrival of the first train, we have been only partially successful, some saying August 1886, others believing that it was not until later in the fall. It is possible that the first train arrived from the west because of trouble in completing the trestle over the Clearwater River, east of town. Mack J. Kennedy was instrumental in securing a station at the location of the present village, and, as mentioned earlier, associated himself with Washburn and Patten to plat the townsite. ********** (Reprinted from the Tri-County Messenger Oct. 1, 1936, V.H. Mason, editor, Vol. 2, No. 46). Although the post office at Maysville and Maine Prairie corners served the first settlers around Kimball, M.L. Patt was appointed postmaster of Kimball Prairie and established the office in his home, the house now owned by Ed Adkins on June 4, 1867, but the office was discontinued April 29, 1870. The first postmaster of Kimball was Eliel Peck, who was appointed Jan. 25, 1887, and served until Aug. 26, 1893, when H.L. Tomners was appointed.
A grain elevator was built by Cofield Brothers in 1887 and operated by J.L. Lytle. The first section foreman on the Soo Line was James Robinson, wo lived and worked from the section house located east of the Clearwater River bridge, near the gravel pit. The first agent assigned to Kimball was Mr. Burzee, who lived in the depot. Later, Joe Donohue, who worked under Robinson, was appointed foreman and section headquarters were moved into town. The Methodist Church was the first church in Kimball. It was organized in 1888, and the church was built the same year F. Driver, M.J. Kennedy and A. Spaulding were the first trustees. The first ministers were J. Kindred and W. Wilson. G.W. Beckman opened the first drug store in 1888 or 1889. ********** Welcome new members to The Kimball Area Historical Society. Thank you for renewing existing memberships. You all know how valuable your membership is, as it is the heart beat of our organization. Every member not only inspires potential members, but especially the dedicated volunteers who are able to represent our society at events and many other ways. Thank you for being a
member. ********** "Did you know?" - Despite Minnesota's reputation as a liberal state, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Minnesota's electoral votes in 1932. ********** Next important event: Saturday, May 24, where our volunteers will greet, assist with cemetery information and serve refreshments to all visitors at Maine Prairie Cemetery from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ********** If you like history, watch this column regularly for 2008 events, special programs, meetings and more. ********** Walking in the footsteps of the characters from our past, often those footsteps are difficult to find. As you well know, a great many sites from our area have been lost, swallowed up by time and by the need for Americans to expand and modernize their world. But special places remain, and groups like The Kimball Area Historical Society are racing to preserve at least some tangible part of our past. Diaries, letters, memoirs and even photographs, have little resonance if we cannot see where an event occurred. If we lose every visible trace of what those pioneeers and our ancestors began, we lose the ability to walk in the footsteps, to see what the world looked like to those people who changed our history. No writer can give that to us with as much poignancy as we will find when we walk down Main Street and see it for ourselves. Kimball's historic city hall will have its exterior restoration completed this year (phase 3). Thank you for your important part in accomplishing phases 1, 2 and 3. Do stop by and see your name in gold on the beautiful donor placques just inside the city council chamber. Phase 4 has begun for donations, and your name will be added for your contribution. Donate before July or pledge before July and pay by early 2009, and matching funds are secured by the state, through The Minnesota Historical Society. A wonderful opportunity is open to everyone, completely tax deductible to again become the "showcase" it was when built in 1908. So, this is also the year we'll be celebration the Happy Centennial Birthday of our City Hall. Consider becoming a partner with us in this important part of history. Contact: The Kimball Area Historical Society, Box 100, Kimball, Minn. 55353. Phone (320) 398-5250, (320) 398-5743 or (800) 252-2521. ********** "Lessons in History."
