Herman and Dave's Excellent Adventure

1929 Pontiac (not the actual car)

I got my love of baseball from my Great Uncle, David Nelson, "Uncle Dave" to the entire town of Lowry.  In 1929, Dave bought a new Pontiac.  On July 24th, 1929 he and Herman Engebretson set off from Lowry, heading east, with four major league ballparks on their radar - although that word had not yet been invented in 1929. Men after my own heart.

What follows is an edited account of the journey, transcribed from the August 29th, 1929 edition of the Pope County Tribune.

Pope County Tribune      August 29, 1929

LOWRY MEN HAVE INTERESTING TRIP

 Drove Four Thousand Miles Without Car Trouble - Only One Puncture

Herman Engebretson

Dave Nelson

The following story is compiled from notes kept by David Nelson and Herman Engebretson, the two Lowry men who made a trip by automobile from Lowry to New York City and returned by way of Ontario, Canada.  These are only the highlights of the trip, as there were many other things of interest taken in by the travelers.

Departure was made from Lowry on the morning of July 24, 1929, in the David Nelson Pontiac car - practically a new one, loaded with a complete camping out equipment.  After a few hours spent in the Twin Cities, the boys journeyed on to Menonomie, Wisconsin, where the first night was spent at a lodging house or hotel as the storm prevented camping out.  The second night was spent at the Methodist Camp in Milwaukee.  The tent was pitched, but another heavy storm came up and blew it down, Herman’s coat being blown away.  The next day the travelers started for Chicago, and when south of Milwaukee a ways the car ran out of gas. An attempt was made at several farm houses to secure gasoline, but none could be found except a half-gallon at one place where no one was home.  Dave “copped” this and left a note of thanks and a promise to send back the pay.  When he returned to the car, Herman had forgotten all about the trouble of being out of car fuel and was enjoying himself and whiling away the time playing his clarinet.  Carefree boy, that Herman!  



That day a stop was made at Zion City, Illinois, the home of John Dowie and his strange cult.  A visit to the Dowie tabernacle and mammoth broadcasting station maintained by the Dowie people was made.  Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago, was made for an all-night stop with an uncle and aunt of Mr. Nelson.

{Editor note: John Dowie was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer that founded the city of Zion, IL}

Wrigley Field

On July 26th, the travelers drove into Chicago and took in the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia league teams, seeing Rogers Hornsby and Hack Wilson, noted baseball players.  Chicago won the game.  Price of admission was $1.50 each.





Editor note: Wrigley Field. 

The Cubs won the National League pennant in 1929, but went down to the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.  The Cubs last won a World Series in 1908.   On the field that July day were 4 future Hall of Famers: Lefty O'Doul, Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson & Kiki Kyler (Note - The HoF was not established until 1936)

Cubs 6 - Phillies 1

On July 27 they departed from Chicago for Cincinnati, Ohio, via Indianapolis, Indiana.  Through this part of the country the travelers disliked the low swampy land, so they stepped on the gas and made the longest single-day drive of the entire trip - 400 miles.  A stop for one day was made at Cincinnati.  On Sunday evening, they left for Wheeling,West Virginia and then on to Pennsylvania.  When approaching the Allegheny mountains there were lots of foothills and these contained many bad curves and drop-offs into canyons, ravines, etc., and instead of guard-rail fences there were numerous crosses at about every turn.  These crosses were new to Dave and Herman, so when the stopped for the night, they asked their meaning,  they learned that each cross represented a bad accident or a death from going over the brink.  But the informer stated that there were not very many of the crosses left anymore as the road patrolman had taken most of them down because it was too much trouble to mow around them.  The visitors thought there were a-plenty at that.

On July 29, the party drove from Wheeling to Hancock, Maryland, going through the Allegheny mountains all day. These mountains were traversed mostly on high, but when coming down it was necessary to travel in second gear to save the brakes.  The road in the mountains is mostly paved, with some stretches of a brick or sort of cobblestone material.  Gasoline prices and other necessities were charged for about the same in the mountain district as elsewhere over the country.  The next day a stop was made at the battlefields of Antietam in Maryland - the battlefields of the Civil War days. Here also some mammoth caves were visited where one could walk around under the ground for hours and see many strange formations.

On to Washington D.C. the pilgrims traveled, arriving the night of July 30th, where a real tourist camp was found and where some good horse polo games were taken in by electric lights. In Washington, while driving down the Potomac boulevard and in congested traffic, a girl, noticing the Minnesota license on the car and the home-like looking faces of the occupants, worked her way through the congestion of the boulevard and up to the car, hungry to talk to someone from her old home state.  The young lady was working in Washington but had formerly lived at Canby, Minnesota. We couldn’t learn from Dave or Herman if she was good looking, but even if she had been it would have made not the slightest difference with Lowry’s most confirmed bachelors. They didn’t need a cook or a rear-seat driver, so after a few courtesies, left her to go her way. Cruel heartless boys!  Eh, what?

The next morning Arlington Cemetery, in which the tomb of the unknown soldier is, was visited; also the large and wonderful amphitheatre.  The boys went to the top of the Washington Monument, taking the electric elevator on the upward, walking back down the stairs. Then on to Mount Vernon, seventeen miles south of Washington - the home of George Washington. Everything appeared to be the same as the day of the great general and statesman - the house, the furnishings, the yard and everything being kept about the same as Washington had been wont to keep it.

Griffith Stadium

Then a drive back to the city of Washington was made to take in the baseball game between that city and the St. Louis Browns, Washington winning. The visitors from Lowry were fortunate in getting “dugout” seats at this game, and met Walter Johnson, famous big league player and now manager of the Washington team, and to whom they talked and he autographed their cards for them.  Many other notable baseball players were seen here also.

Editor note:  Griffith Stadium. 6 future hall-of-famers were on the field: Heinie Manush, Rick Ferrell, Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, Joe Cronin & Walter Johnson.  

Senators 13, Browns 9.

August 1st, the visitors went to the White House, but say they didn’t get into the pantry.  They also went through the United States Capitol building.  The guard lead them to the Senate chambers, then to the House of Representatives hangout.  This guard was sort of a joaker, and stated there were too many representative members to furnish all with desks, which caused another visitor, a lady, to ask: “Don’t they every get to sit down?” Mssrs. Nelson and Engebretson also visited the Lincoln Memorial before leaving the city. 

The next morning a start was made for Philadelphia by way of Baltimore and Wilmington. At Baltimore, little piccaninnies rushed out into the street with a small express wagon, and to avoid hitting the little black children, Herman, who was driving, swerved sharply to one side and had a fender slightly nicked by a large truck. This was the only scratch the car received on the entire trip, which is most commendable to the boys driving, when considering the large, strange cities and congested traffic they drove through - they not being used to such. That night and two other nights, the visitors stopped at the headquarters of the Independent Order of the Loyal Moose . These noted and popular lodge members proved to be fine fellows and showed the visitors a royal good time.

Editor note:  The Order of the Loyal Moose is a fraternal organization, complete with secret passwords, and having had 4 presidents as members.

Shibe Park

At Philadelphia the boys took advantage of the occasion and went to Independence Hall where they saw the famous Liberty Bell. A visit was made to the Benjamin Franklin tomb, and the cottage of Betsy Ross, maker of the first flag of the United States. At this point the boys again succumbed to the baseball fever, and they wound their way to the ballpark to witness the game between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers, and saw Harry Heilman hit two wonderful wallops, both good for home runs.  The Waldorf Theatre was visited in the evening.


Editor note:  5 more Hall-of-Famers in old Shibe Park, Philadelphia.  Charlie Gehringer, Harry Heilman, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmy Fox.  

Athletics 11, Tigers 10.

On August 3rd, a start was made for Atlantic City, NJ, where they spent all day and saw the famous “Boardwalk”, which is 9 1/2 miles in length and about the width of the street.  There are many piers here, extending out into the surf a half-mile or more, and these piers present within many strange and interesting things. In one you can see a complete vaudeville show; others large menageries etc.  The cost of admission to each pier is 50 cents, but it was thought worth the price.

Yankee Stadium

On August 4, Philadelphia was left and the boys went straight through to New York City, via Newark, NJ, stopping about noon and taking in the baseball game between Cleveland and New York at Yankee Stadium.  This was a hard-fought battle and the Cleveland team scored nine runs in the ninth inning after two men were down.  The Stadium has a capacity of about 70,000.  There were about 50,000 fans in it the day Dave and Herman visited it. 

Editor note:  And the piece de resistance - Yankee Stadium & Murderer's Row.  8 Hall-of-Famers: Joe Sewell, Earl Averill, Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Tony Lazzeri, Bill Dickey, Herb Pennock.  

Indians 14, Yankees 6 

In New York City, after the baseball game, the travelers went downtown for supper, and at a cafe, after ordering refreshments, a great commotion brook loose out in the street; horns tooted, bells rang, etc. and the cafe table was left to see what the h___ was going on.  It proved to be the Graf Zeppelin passing over the city of New York and the boys could just see its full length up above and between the tall skyscrapers.  

Editor note: The Graf Z, presumably heading for a docking at Lakehurst, NJ, site of the 1937 the Hindenburg disaster.

They returned to finish the meal but got into the wrong cafe.  After waiting a time and the meal did not appear, a polite girl waiter suggested it was just barely possible they were in the wrong place - which they were.

The next morning, August 5th, the trip to the top of the Woolworth Building  was made - 54 stories high. This building has elevators for local passengers desiring to reach any of the different floors, and other elevators which go straight to the roof without a stop --limited, one may call them. Here cameras and other loose articles are taken from you and checked - for safety’s sake. On the elevator ride the air pressure on the ear drums is hard and one trip is usually enough, but when the sightseeing was over at this building and the Lowry visitors had returned to the ground floor, it was found that herman had forgotten his camera and he had to make another trip on the elevator to the roof to retrieve the article.  

Editor note:  Built in 1913, the Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world until eclipsed by the Chrysler Building (1930) & Empire State Building (1931).  The Woolworth Building was designed by Cass Gilbert, designer of the Minnesota State Capitol building.

Trinity Church

Then a boat trip was made to the Statue of Liberty in NewYork harbor where a climb was made to the top of this symbol. This piece of work proved to be much larger than is the common belief, for instance, 8 men can stand in the index finger of the “lady”. The statue was made in France and donated by the French government to the United States of American years ago as an act of friendship and good-will.  The Acquarium(sic), where everything from sunfish to large sea lions were to be seen, was visited and proved to be most interesting.  Also a visit to Trinity church was made, as well as to the Chase National Bank - a wonderful banking institution housed in a forty story building - and through banking connections, Herman succeeded in getting permission for a trip through its inner workings.  A vault door, two stories underneath the ground level, weighed 38 tons. This bank receives on average of one hundred letters a day that are so poorly written that they cannot be deciphered. Through the Chase National Bank, credentials were fixed up for the Lowry visitors and a pass through the New York Stock Exchange was secured - where all the stock and bond speculators carry on like inhabitants of a madhouse.

Editor note:  In a mere 3 months, Oct 28-29, 1929 the Wall Street crash and they might have witnessed Chase Bank jumpers.

Roxy Theater, NYC

Roxy - 3Aug1929 

The Roxy Theatre in New York was also visited and a good show enjoyed.

The old boyhood home of Al Smith was visited; also the Chinatown region and the “jungles”, as well as the slums of New York City.  David was asked by the Lowry Press editor if these sights weren’t pretty tough and the answer was: “Well, I would rather live in Lowry”.

August 6th was spent at the American Museum, where skeletons of pre-historic mammals, 66 or more feet long was seen.  A trip to Coney Island and return by boat was also made, and a striking sight was the city of New York seen from a distance on the water at night - the sky-line, skyscrapers and the millions of bright lights shining.  Colgate’s large clock could be seen for a long distance and the time easily told miles away. The clock is so big that 18 men can stand on the hour hand.

The next day was spent in the Upper New York, where Grant’s Tomb was visited. On August 7th, New York was left for a drive up the scenic Hudson River and a stop at West Point Military Academy, and a band concert taken in. David says this is where Herman was in his glory - music.  The band is made up of all oldtimers, playing new music and to say they are good is putting it mildly. 


Part of the following morning was spent driving around the peninsula on which West Point is located, visiting Kingston, where the great city of New York gets its water supply. When driving around the water basin or reservoir the speedometer showed 40 miles. There are 600,000,000 gallons of water a day fed through one tunnel, and there are 4000 small pipes shooting water into the air continually for purification purposes. The rest of the day was spent in a drive through the Catskill Mountains, viewing the wonderful scenery, and a visit was made at the famous Ichabod Crane Sleepy Hollow.

August 9th, a drive was made through the state of New York to Buffalo, via Syracuse. One of the highlights of the trip was getting the mail in New York City, where letters from home and the Lowry Press was early received.

Editor note:  This is the first reference I have ever seen to the "Lowry Press".  Anyone have issues?

Then came the drive from Buffalo to Niagara Falls and the tent put up on the Canadian side. All the next day was spent at the Falls - one of the biggest things the visitors saw on the entire trip. They went down underneath the waterfall into the tunnels and where are located a number of wonderful power plants. At night, powerful searchlights are played on the falls and the different color lights used to make a beautiful scene of the water as it comes tumbling down.

Sunday, August 11th, the party went to London, Ontario, crossing back into Michigan at Port Huron, where they sat for an hour or more watching the custom officials search the baggage and cars of tourists for smuggled diamonds, liquor, etc.  These officials are wise birds and it takes a good one to slip anything over on them. The next day the party drove through Michigan and on to Chicago where they stayed all night at Evanston with the aunt and uncle, having arrived there about 10:00, then the next day they pointed their car towards Mason City, Iowa and on to Lowry, home and friends.

David said they got an average of 18 miles per gallon of gasoline (except the half-gallon which was stolen on which they traveled the limit).

Attesting to the boys’s good driving is the fact that in all the 4000 miles traveled, they didn’t get bawled out once by a traffic cop or other officer of the road or law, but time or two some smart-aleck truck driver had a word to say. No car trouble of any kind was experienced, except on flat tire the day before arriving home.

Fifteen states and one province in Ontario was visited. Three weeks and one day was spent and some good “dough”.

Appendix:   Pope County Tribune Article

The Barber Shop

Editor note:  A third Lowry remembrance from Sid Stivland.  Lee & Lucille's place.

By Sid Stivland

Shoehorned between the Lowry State Bank and Sig's Hatchery was a small building occupied by Leland Thompson’s Barber Shop.  Actually it was Leland’s Barber Shop and Lucille’s Beauty Shop.  Leland and Lucille were long time residents of Lowry who were in charge of local tonsorial matters for years.  The Barber Shop was located at the front of the building while Lucille’s Beauty Shop occupied the back of the shop.  At the time, I never considered that might signify a sort of sexist thing – men in front and women in the back – that was just the way it was. 

The barber shop held an interesting niche in the cultural life of the town.  It always seemed to me that haircuts were almost secondary to the real reason for entering – it was the closest thing to a “Men’s Club” in Lowry.  Usually, there were 2 to 4 men lined up along the wall awaiting their turn in the chair.  Conversations ranged from mundane to, shall we say, lively. Commodity prices, weather, and other farm issues topped the list.  But close behind were topics like fishing, hunting, and trapping.  Sometimes they told jokes.  These were usually told with a sensitivity to whoever else was waiting. Some jokes were marginal.  It was always interesting to see who laughed – and who was trying hard not to laugh.  Most conversations were congenial but, occasionally, more controversial topics cropped up.  School consolidation and closing the rural schools was sure to get someone fired up, as was the perennial topic of liquor sales, the wet/dry controversy.  It was definitely a man’s domain, though.  If the conversations did not convince you, then the sight of a spittoon by the door should have.  I won’t go into any detail on that but, suffice to say, I have had many nightmares over the years involving that spittoon.  I always wondered if the sound of hair dryers from Lucille’s beauty shop were for drying hair or for drowning out the men’s conversation.

Leland seemed the king of diplomacy.  Although he was always involved in the conversation, I do not recall he took any controversial positions.  I suppose he had to remain neutral if he had any chance of keeping his clientele – there was, after all, competition in Starbuck, Farwell, Glenwood and most other towns around.  No sense making your customers mad.

There was a sort of ebb and flow to the haircut business.  Farmers could not bother with haircuts during busy seasons.  During spring planting, haying, harvest, and silo filling there was no time for haircuts. Therefore, it was important to get in before things got busy because who knew when the next opportunity would come along.  No one drove to town just to get a haircut. If you were already in town on some other errand like getting parts for the baler, picking up fence materials at the hardware store, or bringing a tractor in for service, it made sense to poke your head into the barber shop to see how long the line was.  The procedure usually went something like this:  poke your head in the door, see how many were waiting, and get a time estimate from Leland – 1 in the chair almost finished, 2 waiting, half hour – 45 minutes at the most.  OK, go in, sit down, join the conversation and get caught up on the latest local news – this was better than the newspaper! We preferred to call it news – not gossip.

Even though it was more than 60 years ago, I still remember my first haircut. I was 6 or 7 years old and my mom did not want to cut hair any more. I guess there was too much pressure once I started school.  Many a kid showed up at school wearing what was known as “White Side Walls”.  White Side Walls was a condition usually perpetrated by someone’s mom.  It occurred when the haircut giver, usually an amateur, took too much off one side of the head.  So, to even it up, she had to take some off the other side.  Then back to the other side.  And so on.  The longer this went on, the worse it got.  Hence, the term, “White Side Walls”, when you had virtually no hair on either side of your head.  This condition was almost enough to justify staying home from school because your so-called buddies never got tired of reminding you of it.  As if you could forget it, anyway. I was thankful that my mom was willing to admit to her limitations.  And haircuts were expensive!  I think the haircuts cost my dad a quarter.  That was big bucks!  Why, for a quarter I could get a candy bar, a double dip cone, AND a cherry coke at the Dahl House on Saturday night.  Sometimes I would get asked why I did not go to the barber in Farwell.  After all, I attended school in Farwell and could easily have obtained a haircut during recess. But the barber shop in Farwell was co-located in the pool hall and we were prohibited from ever entering the pool hall, that was that.  So – off we went to Leland’s shop in Lowry.

Getting my first real haircut was a big deal.  It must have been because I still remember it.  Leland was great with kids.  Since I was just a little kid, the barber chair would not raise high enough even if Leland pumped it all the way up.  But he was prepared.  From behind the stove he whipped out a short shelf, just the right size to fit across the arms of the barber chair.  We sat on that little shelf while he cut our hair.  Leland was a pro.  As I said, he was great with kids.  He made a big deal of turning over my collar, threading the little piece of crepe paper around my neck, and whipping out the cloth that kept hair clippings off our clothes.  I didn’t have much hair and he probably could have finished my haircut in under 5 minutes but he made a production of cutting, combing, and applying some kind of sweet smelling liquid to the remaining hair.  I do remember I was a bit put off by the razor.  I do not recall if he actually used it on me but I remember the flourish with which he honed it on the strop; whap, whap, whap.  and I do remember watching as he gave some of the men a shave.  That thing was a marvel to behold.

Eventually, we all got big enough that we no longer required the extra lift provided by the little shelf.  That was just one more milestone – when we could sit up in the barber chair just like the men. 

S.S.

The Party Line

noun

1. 1.

   a policy, or the policies collectively, officially adopted by a political party.

   "they rarely fail to toe the party line"
2. 2.

   dated

   a telephone line or circuit shared by two or more subscribers.

Isn't "Party Line" an interesting phrase?  Toe the party line.  Or perhaps a Conga Line.  But no - it's a telephone service ("dated") that few remember and a term that cartoons nosiness: "rubbernecking".  

Here's a second helping from Sid Stivland


Lowry Telephone Company – and the rural “Party Line”

By Sid Stivland

The Lowry Telephone Company was founded in 1905 and lasted until well into the late 1960’s.  In fact, it was one of the last rural party line telephone companies in the state.  Not only was it a party line system, it sported those famous box-on-the-wall crank phones.  For those too young to remember, the phone system consisted of a main switchboard in town and clusters of 8 to 10 families on each rural party line.  The way the system worked was that each family was assigned a sort of code or ring pattern, a pattern of short and long rings.  So, for example, our unique ring consisted of a long ring followed by a short ring followed by another long ring – long, short, long.  Whenever our phone rang that code, we answered it.  


Presumably, we ignored all others, for example – two long rings or four short rings because those rings belonged to someone else on our party line.  I say, presumably, because it was necessary to resist the temptation to listen in when someone else’s phone rang. I don’t know for sure, but it is rumored that some folks could not resist and carefully lifted the receiver to eavesdrop on someone else’s conversation, a process called “rubbernecking”.  Calling someone on the same party line was simple – just crank out the ring pattern on the crank – and wait for an answer. So, if I wanted to call my friend, Duane, I just cranked two long cranks – simple!  

But, if it was necessary to call someone on another party line or someone in town, it was necessary to call “Central” first.  Central was a term given to the switchboard in Lowry. Any call outside the immediate party line meant cranking one long ring, waiting for “central” to answer, and giving her the desired destination number.  Inez Johnson was the switchboard operator forever, actually for almost 60 years.  Give her the number and she would first ring the number, then manually connect your line to the desired number and – voila – you were connected.  I will never forget her nasal “telephone operator” answer – “LOUW RAAY!!” – for years I believed she must have had some kind of training for this.

My family had a sort of love-hate relationship with the phone; well, not actually the phone, itself, but the party line aspect of it.  First the “hate” part of it.  It was not actually hate – we certainly valued the phone and the connectivity it gave us to the outside world, not to mention the safety factor – it was the line sharing that was the problem.  Perhaps a couple of examples would best illustrate the issue.

We lived on a farm a couple miles from town.  My father was a livestock man – we usually had several hundred cattle or hogs, or both.  It was thus not uncommon for my dad to require access to the telephone. Sometime he needed the veterinarian for some sick animal, sometimes he needed Bill Weisel for a well problem, sometimes it was for an electrical problem, and so on. But these were not your typical social calls – when the pump quit or a calf was sick, he wanted to use the phone – now! But on more than one occasion, the phone was already tied up.  So my dad would trek into the house every 15 minutes or so and try to make his phone call.  Usually, the phone was available before long and all was well.  But, sometimes, the party line phone was tied up for a very long time. Needless to say, my dad was not impressed with long conversations about recipes or teenage angst, especially when some emergency loomed. I seem to recall once or twice when my dad got on the phone and “encouraged” the conversant to wrap it up.

But for me, the party line was even worse, at least as far as my social life was concerned. Some of my friends were really smooth around girls but I was not. The notion of asking a girl for a date was scary enough but the very idea of calling a girl for a date on the party line put me into a cold sweat.  As if trying to talk with a mouth that felt like it was full of cotton were not bad enough, you had to do it front of your whole family! There was only one phone, it was located in the kitchen, and there was no curly cord long enough to sneak into the next room.  Even your SISTER was listening to you.  And everyone on both your party line and the girl’s party line was a potential eavesdropper.  Trying to think of something clever to say with the whole community listening was just too much pressure.  Fortunately for me, there was a phone on the street outside the phone company building in Lowry so I would literally drive to town just to make that call.  I must have looked pretty pathetic hunched over that phone in town.  And at least I could cut out half the “rubberneckers”.

My grandmother had the perfect solution to the party line privacy issue.  She was a Norwegian immigrant and spoke only Norwegian.  Even though she lived in the Starbuck area, an area populated primarily with other Norwegian speakers, she spoke with a very strong Stavanger dialect/accent.  Whenever she spoke on the phone nearly every “rubbernecker” hung up because they were from Sogn or Tronheim or somewhere else in Norway and could not understand her.  

But there was another side to the love/hate relationship. One day in the late 60’s, I was about to change oil on my car when I realized I was out of oil.  So I did what any rational person in Lowry would do – call Leo Dahl.  Leo had the gas and oil business in Lowry delivering gas to farms and providing all sorts of lubricating products.  So I gave the phone a crank and got the predictable “LOUW RAAY” from Inez.  I requested Leo’s house (Inez knew everybody’s number by heart so it was not necessary to give her the correct number) and shortly she came back on the line and reported “There is no answer there”.  Before I could say anything, Inez volunteered “But you know Blanche works down at the grocery store – do you want me to ring there?”  “Sure”, I replied.  After a few rings, Blanche Dahl, Leo’s wife, answered.  I asked her if she had seen Leo but she replied he was on a farm gas delivery call that morning and had not seen him since then.  “I’ll give you back to central” she said.  Inez came back on the line and I was about to thank her and hang up when she exclaimed “Leo just pulled up at the Hardware store.  I’ll ring there.”  It is important to note that Inez had a full view of Lowry’s main street from her vantage point window at the telephone office.  Inez rang the phone at the hardware store, Dave answered, and put Leo on the phone.  I got my case of oil.

Another time I was attempting to call my cousin Dale.  His family had recently moved to Minneapolis but Dale spent summers in Lowry living with his grandparents, A.R. and Olive Anderson.  As usual I rang the phone one long ring, waited for the “LOUW RAAY”, and asked to be connected to A.R. Andersons.  A minute or two later, she came back on the line and said, “I’m sorry – there is no answer”.  Then, almost as an afterthought, she said, “But you know – Mrs. Anderson has been in the hospital this week!”  As it turned out, I didn’t know, but was grateful to learn it.  Thankfully, she returned home in a few days.

Eventually, the old box phone was replaced by a modern dial phone. While a significant technological improvement, many still mourned the loss of “Central”, and I recall many conversations wondering what in the world we would do without Inez and the connectivity she provided.

One last observation:  In 1969 my sister was married and moved to the East Coast.  But making a phone call to Lowry from there required persistence.  To place a call to Lowry she would start by calling the operator in New Jersey or New York requesting assistance.  But the biggest challenge was convincing an East Coast operator that, yes – Lowry is an actual place in Minnesota, and, yes – 22F717 is a legitimate phone number.  Some operators needed a lot of convincing before they would make the call.  By the time Lowry abandoned the old crank phones in favor of dial phones, it was increasingly difficult to convince the East Coast operators.  I seem to remember a few times when she had to give up and call back later in the hope of finding a more open minded operator.  She always suspected that at least some of those operators truly believed they had some crazy person on the line!  I think my sister was happier than anyone when she could “direct dial” back to Lowry.

S.S.

Mayhem in Ben Wade Township

For the next couple weeks I am turning this blog over to Sid Stivland.  Sid is the son of Ralph and Gudrun Stivland. The Stivlands farmed for many years in Ben Wade Township, west of Lowry.  Sid has done extensive family history research and has compiled stories from immigrant Pope County days, the depression and WWII era. You can find some of his efforts (Stivland and Norland histories) in the Pope County Historical Museum in Glenwood, MN.  He has generously agreed to provide some of his tales for this blog.*

And we start with a murder mystery ...  as told by Sid Stivland

Governor Hammond takes action in apprehending murderers

St. Paul. Minn., June 2nd, 1915




Governor Hammond today offered a reward of $250 for the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons who murdered Swen, John and Amund (Louis) Midmoen (Jacobson) brothers, on or about May 6. The three brothers, who were farmers, resided in Ben Wade Township, Pope County, Minnesota.  Though every effort has been made to run down the parties responsible for the murder of the three brothers, the efforts of the Pope County authorities have been unsuccessful. The three brothers were regarded as misers and were supposed to have considerable money hid in their home.

Sect. 21, Twp. 126, Range 39, E 1⁄2 NW 1⁄4 W 1⁄2 NE 1⁄4 - “Mitmoen farm”

Mitmoen Farm

Just west of the Stivland Homestead and adjoining it lie 160 acres homesteaded at the same time by a fellow Norwegian immigrant, Sven Jacobson. Not much is known about Mr. Jacobsen except that he arrived from Norway in 1868 and filed a homestead claim on this piece of land in Ben Wade Township. He received his land patent on September 10, 1875, the same day Sven Stivland received his.

He was not married and, having settled next door to the Stivlands, knew them. While the Stivlands and the Jacobsons probably worked together, the Jacobsons were shy and reclusive so little is known about them or their activities. If there was any doubt the two families knew each other, those doubts are put to rest upon examination of the immigration and naturalization records. On October 13, 1874, both Sven Johnson and Sven Jacobson were sworn in as citizens of the United States of America. The records are on the same date and are separated by only 10 pages in the official record.

Even more importantly, the official records indicate a requirement to have lived in the Unites States for five years and in the State of Minnesota for at least the past year. Two witnesses were sworn to testify that the person applying for citizenship met those requirements. Paul Paulson and Jacob Johnson (or Johaneson) were listed as sworn witnesses to Sven Jacobson’s residency and “a man of good moral character”.

Since citizenship was a requirement to vouch for another’s residency, documents show Sven Jacobson was granted his citizenship first and was then qualified to vouch for Sven Johnson.

Mitmoen farm history

The 1873 personal property tax records show he owned 4 cattle, two of which were probably oxen. There are no horses listed. He also owned 3 sheep and no other personal property. As in the case of the Stivland farm, the number of animals increased each year. By 1884, they also owned horses. This is consistent with other family histories. Oxen were slow and temperamental so horse power was a great improvement and was the preferred source of farm power. Every farmer transitioned to horses as soon as their situation and finances permitted.

In 1869 or 70, Sven Jacobson was joined on the farm by two of his brothers, John (Johannes) and Amund, who also immigrated from Norway. Subsequent tax records show they owned cattle, horses, and sheep. In the 1884, Amund owned 3 horses and 3 sheep; John owned 2 horses and 2 cattle; and Sven owned 1 horse and 1 cow but also one wagon. For a few years, the land remained in Sven’s name. In the 1900 US census, Amund is also listed as an owner but only Sven is listed in the 1910 US census. Over the years from 1869 to 1915, they farmed this land and gradually increased their livestock herds. They had a reputation as hard workers and prosperous farmers.

That reputation may have been their undoing because some time during the first week of May, 1915, they were brutally murdered at the homestead. The murder sent shock waves through the community and beyond. Then, as now, such a heinous act was unthinkable in rural Pope County. The Glenwood Herald carried the account on May 13-14 & 21st, 1915. It was a state-wide sensation. (The 3rd article is from the Pierz, MN Journal)

               

Pierz Journal

From the Norway Heritage Site

Two Norwegians, John Jakobsen and Georg Nielsen, both residents of Lignite, North Dakota, are arrested and charged with murder. They are charged with killing three compatriots, the brothers John, Louis and Sven Mitmoen, on their farm in Minnesota a few months ago.

The Mitmoen brothers, who also called themselves Jacobsen, emigrated many years ago to America from Stavanger. They had run their farm for over 35 years and by thrift accumulated a considerable fortune. They had always large sums from 5-10,000 dollars kept on the farm, so they were probably killed for their money.
One of the brothers was found in the bedroom with crushed head. The other was found in the kitchen, where everything indicated that there had been a violent struggle, and the third killed was found in the barn.

The Trial: Lurid Account in the Glenwood Herald

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The days and weeks following the death of the Mitmoen (Jacobson) brothers were traumatic for the Stivland family. A constant stream of visitors, law enforcement, and curiosity seekers streamed through the Stivland farm, the main access to the Mitmoen farm. The ensuing trial in Glenwood brought even more people to Pope County from far and near. The two men charged with the crime were eventually acquitted and no one was ever successfully charged. The crime remains unresolved to this day.

Editor Note: Most people believed the jury failed its duty.

Ralph Stivland's Account: Mitmoen Murders

Ralph Stivland was 5 years old when this multiple murder took place. He spoke of it many times during his lifetime and it was apparent he was deeply affected by it. Years later he wrote about it from his perspective:

May 1915 three brothers living 1⁄2 mile from our place [were killed].

People didn’t know exact date because almost a week went by before they were found. A neighbor, Andrew Knutson, went up to buy hay. When he arrived there he pushed the door open and discovered the horrible scene. He returned home and called a neighbor, Gilbert Jacobson, who was a relative of the Mitmoens. Jacobson called the sheriff and we had party telephone lines in those days. The news spread so fast and in a few hours our place was full of cars. People walked over because there wasn’t any real road to the place. There were very few cars in those days but they sure came from all directions.

When the sheriff and some people arrived at the place they found 2 Mitmoen brothers murdered in the house. The third brother was found murdered in the barn. Because the weather was so mild they were so badly decomposed that they had to be buried immediately. They couldn’t take them to the church for a funeral.

They kept all their money at home, which the killers knew. Lots of money was still left in dresser drawers. The killers most likely were too excited to make a thorough search. Authorities think, however, they did find a lot of money.

They never did solve the murder. However, two men had taken a taxi from Glenwood to Lowry before this but the taxi driver couldn’t identify the men. They were relatives from N. Dakota.

My stepfather and another man [had] met close to the [Mitmoen} place and later said it was queer they didn’t see anybody around. One animal was walking around outside but the rest of the cattle were in the barn with no food or water for many days. These brothers didn’t associate with other people, thus nobody missed them.

At this time my folks had a hired man who was gone at this time. I can remember when the sheriff came to our place and took him to Glenwood jail. He was innocent and returned in a few days.

Although I was only 5 1⁄2 years old I remember it very well. It sure was a shocking event. People [came] to see the place for many years just for curiosity.

A road gang with horses and mules stayed there one winter after the murder. After that people lived there and rented the farm. It sure was a spooky place for a long time.

In 1947 I bought the farm.

In 1949, we moved all the buildings to our home farm. We used the barn for a hog house and the house for chickens.

After the murders

After the tragic death of the three brothers, the farmstead was secured by the Pope County Sheriff’s office and an investigation into the crime was initiated. Although two men were subsequently charged, they were acquitted. Others were questioned and released as in the case of the hired man on the Stivland farm. The trial was held in Glenwood and attracted attention from far and wide. The trial is detailed in the Glenwood Herald article found in the appendix to this narrative. Artifacts and evidence introduced at the trial are in the permanent collection of the Pope County Museum.

A funeral was held at St. Pauli Lutheran Church with subsequent burial there. The grave markers are still visible along the east edge of the cemetery. Sadly, as Ralph Stivland stated in his written reminiscences, the bodies were in very bad shape when discovered, so they were quickly buried and the coffins were not brought into the church.

Final Resting place for Sven, Johannes, and Amund Jacobson

There are detailed records of expenses incurred and paid by the brothers’ respective estates. Caskets were purchased at the Lowry Hardware and Furniture Company. The funeral service was conducted by Rev. S.J. Lindseth. The graves were dug by Otto Teigen, the funeral was conducted by Berry and Toombs, the monuments and grave markers were installed by J.M. Aal. Cancelled checks to these individuals and companies confirm their role in the life and death of the Mitmoen brothers.

1915 to 1947

During the years following the murder, the farm was rented and various people lived in the house. As described by Ralph Stivland, one winter a road building crew lived there. At other times, the house was rented by different people or was left unoccupied. Meanwhile, the land was rented to farmers in the area. Probate records indicate the personal property and cash was inherited by known relatives in the area.

The land also was probated to various heirs. Eventually, the land was purchased by an individual living in Alexandria by the name of J. J. Volker. Mr. Volker owned other land in both Pope and Douglas Counties. We believe Mr. Volker was a dentist and was probably buying and selling land as an investment. In 1947, Ralph Stivland purchased the farm, land and buildings, from Mr. Volker. In 1949, he moved the barn, house and granary from the Mitmoen farm location to the Stivland farm where they stand today.

When Ralph Stivland purchased the farm, it was suffering from severe neglect. Noxious weeds had taken over. Quack grass, Leafy spurge, Canada thistles, and Wild mustard were everywhere. County weed inspectors were permitted, by law, to regulate land use. As a result, he was not allowed to farm it for the first two years but was required to keep the land fallow. For the next 40 years, he managed the farm to minimize spreading noxious weeds. Techniques included such practices as thoroughly cleaning harvesting equipment prior to moving from field to field, keeping track of seed stock origin, separating straw used for cattle bedding so that any resulting manure was spread back on the same field, and so on.

S.S.

*(And a guest blogger invitation is still open to the rest of you.)