Lowry Pioneers

Minnesota Historical Society photo

The water tower says 1886, but other sources say 1887. So, we'll go with the water tower.

In any case, in 1887, Lowry, for a brief time, became the western terminus of the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Ste. Sault Marie railway, known by it's english pronunciation "Soo". The date probably doesn't matter that much except for centennial celebrations, but either '86 or '87 marked the beginnings of the Village of Lowry.





Ben Wade, as it was then known, became a railway branch point, had a roundhouse and railroad shop. This eventually moved to Glenwood. The Village of Lowry was named for the then president of the "Soo Line", Thomas Lowry, who went on to Minneapolis streetcar fame and wealth.

1960's Soo Line Railway map

The village was sited on portions of the farms of Hugh Bryce and Thomas Hume. Lowry was initially part of the town of Ben Wade and did not incorporate as a village until 1896.

ancestry.com photo

ancestry.com photo

Both Hugh Bryce and Thomas Hume were Scotsmen, moving to Pope County from Canada about 1870. Hugh Bryce farmed but also had a freighting business, delivering goods on the "Red River Trail" to Fort Gary (Winnipeg) and other military outposts in the northwest.  The current Soo Line railway parallels that early pioneer oxcart trail.

ancestry.com record

Another Scotsman, August Lysen, appointed in 1899, was the Lowry postmaster for nearly 30 years.



So, Lowry has deep Scottish roots.


However, the first town council president was Martin Bartos, a Bohemian.

Martin Bartos
ancestry.com photo

Martin partnered in the creation of the Lowry Roller Mills flour milling company. The mill was later purchased by Leslie & Misenol who operated until it burned to the ground in 1937.

Minnesota Historical Society photo

Mill ashes. Author's collection

Hugh Bryce, E.R. Benson and Palmer Cox were on the original town council. According to census records, E.R. (Ed) Benson was the son of Swedish immigrants and worked as a cattle buyer and in 1930 had a radio set.

Palmer Cox
ancestry.com photo

As far as I can tell, Palmer Cox was the first hardware merchant in Lowry. The hardware dates from 1897 but its history, at least through 1916 is fuzzy.  It was owned by Palmer Cox in 1897. And then became Cox & Shermack.  I don't know what "Shermack" that might be.



From the 1897 "Age of Steel", hardware news.



The Lowry Hardware, Furniture & Machinery Company came into existence in 1904 with directors Wencel Bisek, John J Hagstrom, Fred E Robinson, Iver M Engebretson and Luther L Gibbon.

From the 1904 "Hardware Magazine".






At some point, ownership or management passed to "Stark & Anderson". I know this because of a purchase agreement in 1916 between them and my grandfather, Ole Hoplin, and great uncle, David Nelson, when the business became Hoplin & Nelson Hardware, Furniture and Machinery Co. (see my posts "A Good Place To Trade" and "Hoplin & Nelson Hardware").

William McIver, another Scot and progenitor of a number of Lowry notables, was an early merchant, partnering with Thomas Hume to establish a mercantile which operated for 70+ years, and came to be known as "McIver's Store" in my day. [see the interesting McIver Family History]

John J Hagstrom was the village's first implement dealer. Lowry residents of a certain age will remember "Happy" Hagstrom. [correction: "Happy" was John's son]

Pope County Historical Museum photo
Rebuilt after the 1911 fire

James Simpson, an Irishman by way of Canada, operated one of the first cooperative creameries in the state of Minnesota.

Pope County Historical Museum photo

Dr. L.L. (Luther Llewelyn) Gibbon, a beloved local physician, came to Lowry in 1897. Doc Gibbon graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Medicine and Surgery in 1896 and practiced in Lowry from 1897 to his death in 1930. Doc Gibbon served as a surgeon in the medical corps in France in WWI. His surgery skills were so renowned that Starbuck Hospital drew patients from as far as South Dakota. My uncle Donald L. Hoplin shared his middle name in honor of the good doctor. When Doc Gibbon died of a stroke in 1930, this as the Great Depression was making for difficult times, his wife Anna, "allowed" my grandfather to buy Doc's old mammoth Hudson for $400. I don't believe that vehicle was ever driven in that decade. Cost prohibitive.

From the 1908 Minnesota Who's Who:

GIBBON, Luther, physician; born at Norwood, N. Y., March 29. 1875; son of Alfred Henry and Mary Jane (Gant) Gibbon: came to Minnesota. 1882; educated in public schools of Minneapolis: Minneapolis Academy; University of Minnesota. College of Medicine and Surgery, graduating, degree of M.D., 1896. In practice at Lowry since Nov. 8, 1897. Unmarried. Address: Lowry, Minn. 
[Editor note: Dr. Gibbon married Anna about 1912] 

There were a few Scandinavians around. The bank that was to become "Lowry State Bank" was established in 1899 and chartered in 1907 with Andrew Jacobson as president, succeeded by Iver Engebretson in 1926 who served as cashier until assuming the presidency. Iver was certainly "involved" in the Village of Lowry.

From the 1908 Minnesota Who's Who:

ENGEBRETSON, Iver Martin, banking; born at Ben Wade, Minn., March 11, 1877; son of Pedor and Anna (Ronning) Engebretson; educated in district schools of Pope Co., Minn., and state high schools of Glenwood, Alexandria and St. Cloud. Unmarried. Began in banking business Oct., 1899 and is cashier of Bank of Lowry; director and treasurer Lowry Telephone Co.; director Lowry Hardware, Furniture and Machine Co., Northwestern Mortgage Security Co. of Fargo. Was first Sargt. Co. M, 13th Minn. Vol. Inf., Spanish-American war and in the Philippines; treasurer village of Lowry; ex-president village council. Member Norwegian Lutheran Synod, M. W. A., Court of Honor. Address: Lowry, Minn. 
[Editor note: Iver married Sarah Jane Andrew in 1910]

Natural Disasters

Per the Glenwood Herald: In July 1897, Lowry was struck by a tornado, destroying the northern part of the town killing Samuel Morrow and his daughter and injuring several people and sweeping away the depot, lumber yard and the elevator. Damages estimated at $50,000.

Per the Glenwood Herald: In November 1911, the east side of main street was completely destroyed by fire. Destroyed were the Mercantile, Drug Store & JJ Hagstrom's Implement. Damages estimated in excess of $40,000. (Note: This is why all the east side buildings are brick and the west side mostly wooden structures.)
See my posts ("Main Street - West Side" and "Main Street - East Side" ).

And an unnatural disaster in 1915.  See Sid Stivland's post "Mayhem in Ben Wade Township".


Copyright © 2017 Dave Hoplin


Note:  Additions and corrections are welcome.  Please comment.

Sources:
Builders of Pope County - Daisy Ellen Hughes
Pope County Museum
www.mnopedia.com
wikimedia commons  - wikimedia.org
ancestry.com (public genealogy trees)
Minnesota History Center - mnhs.org
Lowry Centennial 1886-1986
Lowry Group website - lowrymn.com
Glenwood Herald
1897 Age of Steel (Google books)
1904 Hardware magazine (Google books)
1908 Minnesota Who's Who (Google books)