In the year 1890, Horace P. Breed, a former President of the Council and pioneer business man of Dassel donated Block Seven of Breed’s Addition for a park, to be known as Breed’s Park. It has been improved and is now a popular place for our citizens and visiting strangers.
Horace P. Breed was the Saint Paul & Pacific Railroad’s first conductor and in charge of the trip, Saint Paul to Minneapolis when the line was opened for traffic to that city. Wednesday afternoon, June 28, 1862. The train was drawn by the pioneer engine, Wm. Crooks No. 1, Wm. Deering was the engineer and Albert Ely the fireman.
Its passenger list on that memorable journey included the names of many who later played important parts In the political and Industrial life of the northwest and the nation. Among them were General H. H. Sibley, Governor Alexander Ramsey, James J. Hill, Norman W. Kittson, and many others.
In 1888 Horace P. Breed retired from active business and moved back to his old home town of Norwich. New York. He was a good neighbor and a man, who minded his own business. Nations should do the same.
In 1891 a small park was laid out on the northwest corner of Block 8 of the original townsite and there the water tank and pump house is now located. The Village Council in 1891 consisted of Erick Hagelin, President; John Thompson, B. C. Benson, J. J. Sundquist Trustees, and John W. Asp, Recorder.
In 1901 the Great Northern Railway gave the Village of Dassel the privilege of converting their right of-way opposite Block Seven of the original town-site for a park. This is a most convenient location for our band concerts, public gatherings, tired business men and1 transients.
The First Lutheran Church was organized February 13, 1873. The Congregational Church. May 1, 1874, and the Covenant Mission Church on August 15. 1879. These churches have been a power for good in this neighborhood and in advancing the interests of our community. Many of the ministers have been leaders in their respective faiths as well as active in promoting our social and civic welfare.
In 1892 the Methodists of Dassel built a church on Lot 12 of Block 3 in our original townsite. The membership being small, its financial support was not sufficient -to properly support the church, and it was sold and remodeled into an up-to-date residence.
The Seventh Day Adventists built a church in 1887 but on the removal of some of its leading members to California, its services were discontinued and the church was remodeled into a residence.
Dassel has had at different times, five newspapers: The Meeker County Messenger, by George Washington Barlow, in 1880; The Dassel News-Letter, in 1883, by John E. Bunker; The Dassel Review, in 1893, by Benjamin Franklin Goodkind. These three were discontinued for lack of financial support to make them paying ventures.
The Dassei Anchor was established, by Sheffield & Peet in 1893. Its owners later were Ed. L. Feet, Henke & Scott, Brokaw & Hayford, A. L. Nelson, Orra P. Hand. Sidney J. Huntley, and Chas. W. Henke. It was moved to Litchfield with the name changed to The Meeker County News.
The Dassel Dispatch was founded by Chas. W. Henke in 1918. which is our home paper, giving the best of service and enjoying the support of our people.
Buck, Hoover & Co., established a bank which commenced business on September 1, 1889, with C. M. Buck, President: John Rudberg, Vice President; and E. E. McGrew as its Cashier. The capital stock was SI6000 and individual responsibility $125.000. It was located in the John Rudberg building on Third Street until 1892 when a trick building on Atlantic Avenue was built by the bank and R. F. Case who used the west half for his drug store. The Rudberg Building was destroyed by fire January 19, 1943.
In 1892 the bank was reorganized as the Bank of Dassel and was in that location until 1904 when it moved into the Linquist-Hagelin building on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Third Street. It gave good service, was fair in its dealings with the public, and of great financial assistance to the people of this community.
The liberality of the bank contributed to its closing on November 23. 1926. E. E. McGrew was born in McConnelsville, Ohio, on October 27. 1868 and died in Redlands, California, December 12, 1931. C. M. Buck died in Faribault Minnesota, November 12, 1914, his age was 56.
Dassel’s first grain warehouse was built in 1870 by the Millers’ Association of Minneapolis, and in 1876 they erected a first-class elevator of 30.000 bushel capacity. In 1879 they sold this property to the Minnesota and Dakota Elevator Co. In 1891 it burned down and they at once built a better one in its place.
The various grain buyers for this establishment were H. P. Breed. G. R. Wescott, L. A. Whittemore, H. H. Hine, Charles A. May, Fred C. May, and Linzay Pankake. The last grain company that owned it was the New London Milling Co., and they sold it to Linzay Pankake. The property was sold by him to the Farmers Elevator Company.
The Dassel Elevator Company, a local co-operative organization, built a 45.000 bushel capacity elevator in 1880, with J. H. McKenney as its manager. Later on it was sold to the Duluth Elevator Company, and by them to August Sallberg, who operated it until 1900 when the elevator was destroyed by fire and not rebuilt. August Sallberg retired from business in 1901 and left for Quincy, Washington, where he lived until his death on March 1, 1935, age 89.
Alex Cofield built an elevator in 1885 which he ran for several years and then sold the place to Cargill Elevator Company, who had among its grain buyers. Wm. A. Remick, B. A. Mead, W. D. Bangs, August Nelson, C. W. Sidnam, N. P. Nelson and F. M. Pendergast.
The Farmers Elevator Company was organized in 1898 with August Johnson, President; L. E. Larson, Secretary; and E. E. McGrew, Treasurer. A new elevator was built with C. D. Brown as its manager. In 1918 it was destroyed by fire and not rebuilt. The Cargill elevator was then leased and is now owned by the local company and operated with satisfaction by John Sallberg as manager, to its many customers and stockholders.
Dassel’s city waterworks, a 1600 barrel tank on a 100 foot tower, and three blocks of water-mains were laid in 1901, which gave much better fire protection with water service to the business district. Since then more mains have been laid, so now water is available to all our residences. At the time of this important work, the Village Council consisted of L. M. Norgren, President; Erick Hagelin, L. E. Larson and John Thompson, Trustees; Oscar E. Linquist, Recorder, and E. E. McGrew, Treasurer. With one exception, and he isn’t far from the end of the road, all the members of this council have gone to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns.