Dec. 2, final completion and dedication of one wing of the Norwegian College.

Dec. 20, new M. E. Church, of Decorah, dedicated. Bishop Andrews, of Des Moines, presiding.

In November, 1874, Aiken & Woodruff, purchased the Winneshiek Register, published at Decorah (which was the successor of the Decorah Ventillator,) of Geo. W. Haislet. In February, 1875, the Saturday Bee was published from the Register office, and during the snow blockade about that time, and afterwards, at times when occasion demanded, it was issued daily. The present Decorah Journal, Henry Woodruff, editor and publisher, is the successor to the Register, having absorbed the Independent; the Bee also becoming a part of the Journal establishment.

1875.

February 4th, a snow blockade continued several days.

March 3d, Ole Anderson, who lived north of Hesper, going home from Decorah, froze his hands and feet. A suit against H. D. Lolberge followed, in which $6,000 damage was awarded Anderson's wife.

March 31st, it was decided to erect a new Episcopal Church in Decorah this year.

May 9, Rev. Father McNulty, pastor of the Catholic Church, Decorah, died.

June 23, this night occured the great flood of Dry Run, supposed to have been caused by a water spout. Three small dwellings were carried away, and five bridges over Dry Run; Washington Street bridge being the only one saved. All the bridges and much of the railroad track between Decorah and Conover were washed away.

July 2, Presiding Elder Wm. Smith of the M. E. Church, died. July 7, County Supervisors provided for new iron bridges in various parts of the county.

July 17, death of D. Addicken, of Decorah.

July 19, death of Horace S. Weiser, of Decorah.
September 21, 22, 28, State Line fair at Hesper.

1876.

January 4, John B. Stickles died, it was supposed that he was poisoned. The famous murder trials resulting from his death, are recorded in previous chapters.

January 9, Charles Meyers, Supervisor from Second district, died.

January 31, J. Ellen Foster lectured at the Court House on temperance.

March 3, first accident on the Decorah branch of the railroad. Train was ditched three miles from the city. Eleven persons were hurt, but none were killed.

March 14, the new Episcopal Church at Decorah was dedicated. April 7, Peter Duffin, an old settler, died.

June 18, Luther Church, Decorah, was dedicated.

June 6, alleged remains of Decorah, the Indian Chief, taken up, so as to improve the Court House grounds; they were re-interred inside the new wall.

July 4, Centennial celebration at Decorah, with oration by H. B. Woodworth, and meeting of the old settlers in the afternoon. Oct. 10, 1876, Geo. W. Haislet, who had been engaged in various newspaper enterprises in Decorah, Cresco, Lansing, McGregor, and lately for about a year at Dubuque, came back to Decorah and established the Decorah Radical, which he published till the time of his death in the spring of 1881, as recorded under that date.

July 9, in Frankville township Simeon Oleson shot and killed Anderson Theonson, who came to a party uninvited. After two trials Oleson was acquitted. An account of the case is given in a preceding chapter.

Sept. 6th, Capt. T. W. Burdick was nominated for Congress, being the first Representative from Winneshiek County, and was

elected.

Sept 19-21, Fair at Hesper.

At the November election a $12,000 tax, divided between two years, was voted to build a new jail.

Dec. 21, 1876, near Locust Lane, while several teams were on the way home from Decorah, a quarrel arose, and Helge Nelson struck Ed. Torfin a fatal blow on the head with a club. Nelson escaped with six months in the penitentiary.

1877.

Feb. 1, a new hotel, the Arlington House, was opened at Decorah.

Lectures this month in Decorah by James M. Bailey, of the Danbury News, and Mong Chin Foo, followed by others.

May 30, first observance of Decoration day, in Decorah. H. S. Henderson, orator, and C. Wellington, reader.

June 8, death of Joseph Grinsell, station agent at Decorah, his body being found in an unoccupied house at Prairie du Chien. June 14, in the District Court Helge Nelson was convicted of manslaughter in killing Edwin Torfin, December 21, 1876. Particulars are given in account of murder trials in this county.

July 4, celebrated by old settlers, reunion at Weiser's grove. July, James Relf, a pioneer, died.

July 4, Howard's livery stable, Decorah, burned, and othe property greatly endangered.

This same month it was concluded to have an artesian well in Decorah.

July 31, Recorder Charles A. Steen, who was wounded at Gettysburg, died in Decorah, aged 40 years, 11 months, and 1 day. Cyrus McKey was appointed to fill the vacancy until the next election.

Oct., Fair held at Hesper.

Oct. 18, a fire at Calmar burned four business houses, including McMullin's drug store, a shoe store, restaurant, and saloon. Nov. 3, Charles Hartsing, of Castalia, one of the first settlers of Winneshiek County died, aged 65 years.

Nov. 29, Adams' block, Decorah, burned, burning out Ben Bears' clothing store, Coleman & Toye's drug store, J. C. Meuser's jewelry store, Newton's grocery, and some other tenants.

Decorah had a lecture course the following winter with General Kilpatrick, Henry Watterson, Mrs. Livermore, and Will Carle

ton.

1878.

Jan. 28, work on the artesian well, Decorah, stopped, it having reached a depth of 1,200 feet, and the water being 30 feet from the top.

April 4, the Board of Supervisors having this spring provided for the construction of a new jail, contracted for Pauley's steel cells.

April 11, plans for the new jail adopted, the site of which is located on the southeast corner of the court house grounds.

July 1, contract awarded for building a new county jail, which was erected the same year.

Sept, 17, 18, 19, fair at Hesper.

Oct. 10, Harvey Benedict fell from the house of his brother, A. A. Benedict, and was killed.

Nov. 21, the body of H. A. Hegg, of Decorah, was found in the creek at the railroad bridge, near Standring's cut. The coroner's jury found that his death was caused by strychnine, and that it occurred before he fell into the water. The mystery of his death is not yet solved.

1879.

February 15, Blue Ribbon movement organized by John W. Drew, in Decorah, and reform club established.

May 17, Norwegian celebration; orations by Professors Sander, Veflen, and others.

May 30, Decoration Day in Decorah; oration by H. B. Woodworth.

June 22, twenty-fifth anniversary of the Congregational Church of Decorah observed.

July 4, celebration in Decorah, John T. Stoneman, orator. Celebrated at Ossian, Rev. Sherin, orator.

Aug. 7, Decorah township voted a 4 per cent tax to induce the Waukon narrow guage railroad, which was then leased to the Northwestern, to come to Decorah. The road bed was graded, but the Milwaukee company bought it up-it did not ecme-and Decorah saved its tax.

Sept., Fair at Hesper this year.

Nov. 12, Jannauschek, the actress, appeared at Decorah.

Dec. 1, Judge E. E. Cooley appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Reuben Noble.

June 13, the railroad depot at Conover burned.

July 4, celebration at Hesper, Rev. H. B. Woodworth, orator. Ossian also celebrated.

July 23, at the Peter Coogan school-house, three miles north of Decorah, Willard Van Pelt shot George Rastetler through the side, the latter having been abusing and threatening Van Pelt. Both were young men. Van Pelt was arrested and held for trial, when he was finally fined $20 and costs. Rastetler's wound was at first thought to be dangerous, but he recovered.

Aug. 19, Thomas Updegraff was unanimously re-nominated for Congress by the Republican Convention at McGregor, and was re-elected.

Sept. 12, Henry Diers was stabbed by Mike Wholehan, whom he had ordered away from Addicken's brewery on Sunday. Diers' wound was thought to be fatal, but he recovered. Wholehan was held in $5,000 bail, and on trial was sentenced to one year and six months in the penitentiary.

Sept. 15, 16 and 17, fair at Hesper.

1881.

Feb. 13, Remenyi gave a concert in Decorah.

Feb. 18, meetings held in Decorah to organize Citizens' Association, which organization was afterwards effected.

March 6, George W. Haislet, an old newspaper man and editor of the Decorah Radical, died. The publication of the Radical was continued for about one year by Mrs. Haislet, and in the spring of 1882 was purchased by C. H. Craig, who changed its name to the Decorah Pantagraph.

of

March 11, Wm. Telford, an old settler of Decorah, 51 years age, fell dead at a fire at the foot of Pleasant Hill.

March 28, James McConnell, an old resident of Bluffton, was killed by being thrown from his wagon on his way home from Decorah.

March 29, Chicago, Decorah & Minnesota Railroad Company incorporated.

April 1, Prof. Jacobson, of Luther College, died.

May 11, the City Council of Decorah voted to build water works, which were completed that year.

May 30, Decoration day, Decorah. F. B. Daniels, of Dubuque, delivering the oration. F. E. Brush, pastor of the M. E. church, Decorah, delivered the address at the cemetery.

June 10, observance at Frankville of the 100th anniversary of Father Cutler's birthday. An account of the celebration will be found in our sketch of Frankville.

August, contract let for water works in Decorah.

August 12, Decorah post office moved into its new building.
September 20, 21 and 22, County Fair at Decorah.

November 9, Decorah Township voted a five per cent. tax to the Upper Iowa & Mississippi Railroad Company, conditioned on its building a railroad to the Mississippi, at or about Lansing. The road was not built and the tax was forfeited. It is now stated that the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, who are widening the gauge to Waukon will continue the work to Decorah, thus giving them another outlet, via Calmar from the west, rather than to build a double track from Calmar to McGregor.

Hesper, Burr Oak and Bluffton townships also voted taxes to a road running through them to be built from LaCrosse to the southwest through Charles City, and the right-of-way for the road is being secured.

1882.

February 22, Decorah water works trial, parade and celebration. April 14, Decorah Township voted a five per cent. tax to a railroad to connect with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, to be completed before September, 1883. Grading has been commenced.

June 4, murder in Glenwood Township. Peter Peterson Krogsund was shot and killed by Hans Hansen Skjerdahl. Particulars given in a preceding chapter.

June 22, Decorah Drum Corps wins first prize at the State Military Encampment at Waterloo. The Decorah Light Guards also took a prize.

June 27, prohibitory amendment adopted in Iowa. Vote of Winneshiek County was 1,411 for, 1,696 against the amendment.

July 4, celebrated in Decorah, with oration by F. E. Brush, of Davenport. At Ossian, oration by T. J. Sullivan. It was also observed at Fort Atkinson.

July 8, Turner Callender, an old resident of Frankville, died. He came to the county in 1849.

Aug. 29, the Decorah Drum Corps wins a victory at the InterState Military Encampment at Dubuque, being victors over the Chicago Drum Corps, and winning the first prize of $500.

Sept. 1, Decorah Drum Corps welcomed home with a grand reception at the Opera House. Address by E. E. Cooley.