PLEASE CONTACT:
The Polk County Historical Society
Robert Street East
Crookston, MN 56716
218-281-1038
Open daily from 1-5 pm starting May 19th... until September
Those interested in genealogy may wish to check, also- http://www.mnhs.org/library/collections/
Polk County Historical Society… April 01
The
“William Crooks”
A HEADLINE
in the St.
Paul Pioneer and Democrat of September 20, 1861, proclaimed “the first
railroad trip in Minnesota.” The day before, the “fine locomotive ‘Wm,
Crooks” had puffed and chugged its way “at a rapid rate” for about two
hundred yards, and then returned to the banks of the Mississippi.
It
was nine months later — on July 2, 1862 —that
regular service began on the ten-mile line from St. Paul to St. Anthony (now
part of Minneapolis). Four days earlier, the “William Crooks” had carried
“excited excursionists” between the two cities. The newspapers, hailing
the coming of the iron horse to Minnesota, called the trip “the first link in
the great chain of railroads which will, in the course of a few years, spread
all over this State.”
In the excursion party were two men who were instrumental in putting the railroad into operation: Edmund Rice, president of the St. Paul and Pacific Railway (eventually the Great Northern), and William Crooks, chief engineer, for whom the engine was named. Another dignitary in the crowd was Governor Alexander Ramsey.
The “William Crooks” was assembled, largely by hand, in New Jersey. From there it was shipped by. rail to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where it was loaded on a barge and towed up the Mississippi, arriving in St. Paul on September 9, 1861. After the trial run on September 19, it was put into storage for the winter because the tracks to St. Anthony had not been completed.
The little twenty-five-ton engine burned wood. The tender held only two cords of wood; if the supply was depleted before the next woodpile was reached, the train stopped and any nearby fences were dismantled for fuel. The “William Crooks” had a top speed of sixty miles twenty-five miles an hour.
The engine saw service until about 1900. In later years it burned coal and was used only for special trips. In 1908 it was brought out of retirement, polished up, and used to take passengers from St. Paul to Great Northern chairman James J. Hill’s seventieth birthday party at Lake Minnetonka.
The old engine was kept in
running condition until it was placed on display in the Union Depot, St. Paul in
1954. It went to the Baltimore Fair of
the Iron Horse in 1927, the New York World’s Fair in 1939, and the Chicago
Railroad Fair in 1948. In 1962, the centenary of railroading in Minnesota, the
Great Northern Railway presented
the venerable locomotive to the Minnesota Historical Society. It now resides at
Duluth.
Dr. Wheeler, of Grand Forks was over Wednesday, visiting Dr. Dampier. Dr. Wheeler was the man who let daylight through one of Jesse James gang during the Northfield raid. The gun used was a Smith carbine, which was at that time, and is still, owned by Dr. Dampier. Dr. Wheeler borrowed the gun some time ago, and now has it on exhibition in his office in Grand Forks, where it is attracting considerable attention. The gun has quite an interesting history. It was carried all through the war by Dr. Dampier’s father, and upon his return home at its close, he gave it to Doc. As a present. The latter has guarded it carefully ever since. It was in his room when the Northfield raid occurred, and Dr. Wheeler used it with such good effect as to leave on less highway man in this vale of tears. Dr. Dampier has been offered a good price for the gun by the State Historical Society, but has refused to part with it.
The woman on the far left with an “x” over his head is her g.g.aunt Anna Laura Johnson. She was born in either Crookston or Euclid in 1880..
Brenda would like someone out there to put a name to all
the folks. (the address for this
college was 611 North Broadway…)
The Button
Business College is being crowded with pupils this winter and now there are 95
enrolled. The work done is very
satisfactory and the method pursued in teaching prepares the pupil in the least
possible time for the routine of the business office. And average of three pupils a week are assigned to positions,
and Mr. Button says that he has ten applications from employers for every pupil
he turns out.
The success has cleared away all doubts of the permanency of the institution, and Mr. Button will in the spring erect a handsome college building that will be specially fitted for the purpose. A brother will engage with him in the enterprise and ample capital is at hand for the purpose.
Prof. J.A. Button’s Business College Probably the Best Known Business College in the Northwest has Addend Two New Departments.
In the future vocal culture and piano will be
taught. The piano instructor has
not yet been engaged as the instruction room will not be ready for a little
while; but the vocal department opened up yesterday with Andrew Rood as
instructor. Mr. Rood is well known
in Crookston but it is not well know that he studied vocal culture under Mrs.
Stacey Williams of Chicago and Miss Iva Caryl Begelan of Milwaukee both of whom
are exponents of the William Shakespeare theory for the development of the human
voice. Mr. Rood said to a reporter,
“Mr. Shakespeare is considered the greatest living authority up voice
production in Europe and when a few years ago he paid a visit to this country he
commanded fabulous prices for lectures but unfortunately was only able to remain
but a short time.. Since, however,
his visit here, his method has attracted the attention of prominent vocal
instructors of this country and now it is considered that there is but one true
method by which to learn to vocalize and sing artistically and that is by this
method; based upon a thoro study of the human chest and practical application of
simple truths. By wrong methods of
the rise of the voice many with promising voices have relegated into obscurity
when by right methods and careful training they might have electrified the
world.” His studio is neatly
furnished and faces Robert Stree
Head of Crookston Business College After North Dakota Business
J.A.
Button of Crookston will open a business college in Moorhead about Sept. 1.
Mr. Button has secured a lease on Fraternity hall in the Gletne block
there, and will use it for his school purposes.
He
has a number of business colleges in other cities in the Minnesota Red River
Valley. He expects to start a
vigorous campaign for students throughout North Dakota for the Moorhead
institution.
Brenda said…This is
actually of a photocopy taken from a book about Polk County. I came across the
book in the Crookston Library. Really, the only thing that stands out fairly
clear is the young boy in the front, appears to have an artificial leg.
This Photo was taken about 1902.
One of my ancestors Elizabeth (Bessie) Johnson should be in it, as well as her
brother Harvey Johnson.
Can anyone help her identify these young people… This
is Euclid School District #47
& this photo
was taken on the front steps of the same Euclid school, but at a later date. The
backside is a postcard with no date or names
