Column - 1910: Pool and billiard room opened in old post office

Talk about it

The following is a collection of stories and other items that were included in Alexandria newspapers over the years.

100 YEARS AGO

December 1910

The W.K. Barnes collection of songbirds and waterfowl, considered to be one of the finest in the state, is on display at the Douglas County Bank. Many of the migratory birds (ravens, ibis, magpies) were from Lake Miltona and mounted by taxidermist J.H. Barker of Parkers Prairie. Display cases were made locally by Riverside Manufacturing Company… O.J. Reynolds will open a pool and billiard room with four tables in the old post office building… The production of gasoline engines, once considered a farm necessity, has become a reality. Alexandria Hardware and Lumber has sold six in the past two weeks… The lobby of the Letson House has been spiced up with new fixtures. Its new writing desk and cigar stand is marked “Made in Alexandria by Riverside Manufacturing Company.”

50 YEARS AGO

December 1960

Lew Winnery, general manager of Viking Plastics of Elbow Lake, announced that a planned merger with two major Minneapolis companies might result in the establishment of a plant in Alexandria… Downer Aircraft, which now employs 17 people, has suspended production until necessary engineering changes are completed. The company has no intentions of quitting business… The $35,000 Indian artifacts of Dr. Oliver have been catalogued and put on display at the Runestone Museum. Another new feature is the Indian display from Carl Moen of Seattle… In the first 22 days of December, outgoing mail from the Alexandria Post Office totaled 280,712 pieces. Income from the postal meter machine was $3,379.04… Tom Chan, brother of Robert Chan, was commissioned to design a greeting card to be sent to multi-millionaire J. Paul Getty.

25 YEARS AGO

December 1985

Being employed at Douglas County Hospital since 1955 was good reason for Florine Lundgren to be honored by the hospital board, the county board, city council and Mayor Paul Nelson. In appreciation for her services, the main entrance to the hospital has been named Lundgren Lane… The Child Development and Parenting classes at Jefferson High School are sponsoring a playschool for children from age 3 to 5… Five-year-old Brett Pletcher won the bigger-than-life Christmas bear in the drawing at First Bank of Alexandria… Randy Fischer completed his 100th closing since he started with Counselor Realtors 42 months ago… Douglas County Historical Society has released the second edition of This is Our Livelihood, II on the occupations and lifestyles of local people, past and present.

10 YEARS AGO

December 2000

Mayor John Perino approved a beer license request from the summer Northland Baseball League. Alexandria is the ninth team to join the Division I college players and will be scheduled to play 32 summer games… Rod Lorenz placed a creative saying on the Runestone Community Center sign board that asked the question, “Why is it called lipstick if you can still move your lips?”… The three top news stories of the year in Douglas County were fire protection, treasurer-auditor issue and speedway noise… Pictured was a sculpture created by Roxanne Sorenson for the Foot at the Door exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The front showed the Age of Pisces (the second millennium) and on the back was the Age of Aquarius (the third millennium).

Marge Van Gorp of Alexandria is a regular contributing columnist to the Echo Press Opinion page.

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