Column - 1987: Raging barn fire kills 200 hogs near Holmes City

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

JULY 1912

G.A. Kortsch, W.K. Barnes and Oscar Erickson finished putting up the guide-boards between Alexandria and Fergus Falls. Now even a stranger can find the best road between those two towns. This good work is being accomplished by the local automobile club… C.E. Gronberg sold his jewelry stock to employee O.E. Berg and J.L. Hoglund, former head of Holverson Drug Store jewelry department… The county commissioners adopted a 1 mill school tax levy on all taxable property in the county for 1912… FOR SALE: Large, roomy cottage on L’Homme Dieu Bay, fitted with screens and canvas curtains on 66x400 foot lot studded with oaks and free of mosquitoes. Formerly owned by G. Hennings. Cost $650; Worth easily $900; Asking $700 cash or $750, terms.

50 YEARS AGO

JULY 1962

As members of the Mormon faith, the Orin Gulbranson family has been offered 20 acres of land and a five-room house in Utah. The former Douglas County residents are heading westward by wagon train. Traveling at 5 miles an hour, the 48-mile trip from St. Cloud has taken a week. Their trip is financed by donations and the sale of picture postcards of the family and the wagon… Extremely heavy rains created storm and sanitary sewer problems at the disposal plant… Rhonda Bjelland received an honor scholarship to attend St. Olaf College. She was selected on the basis of her high school record and College Entrance Exam test scores… More than 500 children are enrolled in the Red Cross and Recreation Swimming program this summer. There are 42 enrolled in the life saving course.

25 YEARS AGO

JULY 1987

Those enrolled in interpretive programs with the Carlos State Park naturalist interpretive programs this past holiday made a finch feeder and learned a few tips on feeding birds. They also traveled to the Carlos Sawmill where owners Joel and Pet Luetner explained the uses and characteristics of native woods: oak, ash, elm, aspen and basswood… A raging fire destroyed a large barn and killed 200 hogs belonging to Bertram and Sherilynn Englund near Holmes City. They are hog farmers who market their meat products from the Pork Pantry in Alexandria… Susan Gedge was honored by the State Highway Patrol with the “Saved by the Belt” award for having buckled up – a move that undoubtedly saved three lives when an accident occurred.

10 YEARS AGO

JULY 2002

Two rural Miltona students are among 39 Minnesota rodeo athletes to compete in the National High School Rodeo Finals this month. Jennifer Lusty earned a gold buckle for Pole Bending and Kyle Grinager will represent Team Minnesota in Team Roping and Saddle Bronco Riding… Alexandria is one of 36 out of 800 Minnesota cities that has topped the $25 million mark in Lottery sales since the lottery began in April 1990… Dr. John Husted, an Alexandria psychologist, announced that his manuscript entitled Successful Treatment of Mental Patients in Minnesota will appear in the Rural Mental Health Journal… Alexandria’s Jamie Tischer was honored during opening ceremonies of the 2002 USA Junior Gold National Bowling Championships.

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

Tags: opinion, columns