Freeborn County, MN Towns and Cities Historical Data

Freeborn County, MN History

Manchester Platted in ‘82
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 21
Submitted by Michael Nelson

The village of Manchester was originally platted and surveyed in 1882 by Ole Peterson. It was replatted and surveyed in 1898 by H. W. Fish.

The owners of the property in 1898 were Knute Slette, Claus Flindt, Ole O. Olson, Ole O. Myran, Jens Johnson, Kittel Halvorson, Even A. Lybeck, Bernhardt Anderson, Hagen Torgerson and the Manchester Creamery Co.

In 1877 an elevator was erected that soon moved to another section of the township but was later moved back to the village. In 1878 Anton Anderson opened a blacksmith shop. That same year a post office opened and a store was constructed by H. R. Fossum and E. H. Stensrud. Fossum was the first postmaster. In 1881 a wagon shop and engine house were added to Anton Anderson’s blacksmith shop.

The Manchester Creamery Association was formed in 1891 and a building was erected. The creamery burned the next year but was quickly rebuilt and operating. Another new creamery structure was built in 1910.

Manchester around 1910 had a town hall, a fireman’s hall for social and theatrical use, a bank, creamery, insurance company, railroad station on the Minneapolis and St Louis Railroad, operated a Lutheran School, post office, elevator, general store hardware store, and blacksmith shop. The Village was said to have an excellent fire company, good sidewalks and gas street lighting.

Armstrong Founded in 1878
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 21
Submitted by Michael Nelson

The village of Armstrong was founded in 1878 by T. H. Armstrong, who built an elevator that year. A store was also constructed in the spring of that same year by Jason T. Goward.

A railway depot was erected in 1879 with P. D. Barticus as station agent. Also that year a man named Dewey opened a blacksmith shop, he left however in 1880.

The Armstrong Creamery Association was formed in 1890 at a meeting at the depot. There was strong sentiment among the farmers to make cheese and initially it was decided to make that product exclusively. But by the time the factory opened it was decided that cheese would be an unprofitable industry.

No cheese was made and the decision delayed the creamery opening. The first butter was made in March 1891; nearly a year after the organizational meeting and seven months after the creamery building was completed.

Around 1910 the village consisted of the depot, a store and elevator, creamery and several houses.

Freeborn Town Site Set in 1857
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 22
Submitted by Michael Nelson

Freeborn was chosen as a town site in 1857 by Edward S. Dunn and George F. Rickard Dunn built a cabin on the town site while Rickard constructed a shanty over the township line in Carlston, Township.

The same year L. T. Scott erected a hotel on the lakeshore and opened a post Office. Two persons named Clark and West are said to have opened a store also in 1857 at the village. In 1859, David South began operating a store in Scott's hotel.

The first church services were held at the hotel by a traveling preacher. The story is told he was offered free accommodations if he would stay and minister to a Sunday service.

In 1867, a wind powered Flourmill began operating. It was one of the first mills in Freeborn County. The mill was torn down in 1899.

In 1882 Freeborn had two general stores, a blacksmith shop, wagon repair shop, broom factory and shoemaking shop. A creamery opened in 1893.

Around 1910 Freeborn was a hamlet with a bank, two churches, a creamery, four room schoolhouse, two general stores, blacksmith shop, livery elevator, hotel, barber shop, meat market, town hall and fraternal hall.

Hartland Has Had Two Locations
Albert Lea Tribune
Sunday, July 4, 1976, Pg 22
Submitted by Michael Nelson

There have been two Hartlands- a town that existed near a former lake and the present village site.

Early Hartland was settled by two Boardman brothers on the shores of Le Seuer Lake, which received its name from the Dakota Indians. The lake was said to be large, abundant with Northern Pike and wild rice and frequented by migrant ducks.

Other settlers came and the lake was called another name. The story is told that the Boardman's tried to cross the ice-covered lake with mules. But the ice was to thin and the mules fell through and were drowned. Most local people called the lake Mule Lake after the incident.

The lake was drained about 1913.

Early Hartland was comprised of several stores, a house and a schoolhouse around 1860. But the Minneapolis and St Louis railroad bypassed the town and it died.

About one-half mile east of the old village a log cabin post office was built in 1869 with O. Sheldon as postmaster. The old structure was torn down in 1956.

The present village of Hartland was founded on land owned by Torger Samuelson. When railroad track was laid in 1877, A. Johnson bought 20 acres of land on the west side of the railway and platted it into town lots.

At the same time William Morin of Albert Lea platted part of his land east of the tracks, leading to strong competition. Buildings sprang up on both sides of the tracks but finally Morin bought land west of the Johnson site, platted it and business centered on the west side.

Hartland’s first building was moved to the village from Manchester and opened as a boarding house. A general store followed, as well as a drug store, hardware store, a lumberyard, hotel, harness shop, the post office and several other businesses.

Hartland was incorporated in 1893 and in 1894 a village hall was built for council meetings and to house fire apparatus. In 1901 the citizens voted 39 to 33 to authorize installation of a water system.

The fire company was organized in 1894. The Hartland Creamery association began in 1891.