| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 16 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| payable in gold at the Augusta bank, interest at 6% as enticement. Foster organized the high sounding Fairchild & Mississippi Railroad Company and Sumner citizens were promised one seat on the board of directors. Ed Matchett was promptly elected to fill that position in 1888. The first train rolled into Osseo from Sault Ste Marie on June 30, 1887. Six cars were filled with outgoing freight and more were promised. Foster had secured a mail contract and planned two trains per day. It was a start and when the line continued its building program down our valley two years later, the name had been changed. It made no difference. The rails were greeted with great enthusiasm because it meant a closer market for any produce and the value of land rose whenever this service was available. It was a great year for the Beef River Valley. Carter’s Crossing was reached during the last days of December, 1889. The assessment roll of that year shows A. J. Lyons owning about all the land on which Strum now lies. The St. Paul’s church, Holden and Kittleson’s stores, a blacksmith shop and two small creamery buildings were located north of the river. It is often said that the town moved but such is not the case. Holden moved his small store unto the present Robbe Store lot. Kittleson, with a new partner, Hans Willumson, erected a new store about at the present Post Office site. These two merchants were the town, but many people became interested in the possibilities at once. Eleva had its first train a few days later and held a day long celebration. Mondovi held its observance later in 1890 and provided a large trade area for the new line which had been sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad. No one who worked with the grain business is now alive and no records are available, but William Kromroy, who came here in 1919, commented that even at that later date he had dispatched 14 carloads of produce in one day and 30 per week was not an uncommon number to be shipped from Strum. Election Returns By Wire The coming of the railroad spur down this river valley brought an interesting convenience - telegraph service. All depot agents were operators and the single wire was an unbelievable connection with the outside world. Market prices of farm produce were available daily, messages to relatives could be sent and received and watches could be checked for correct time. Best of all, in 1896 the depot agent let it be known that general election returns would be received the same evening, if anyone was interested. Interested! Many years later an elderly man told of that evening. He was a young boy at the time, had heard of McKinley running against a many named Bryant and begged and received permission to accompany his dad and a couple of uncles for a most interesting and important evening. The depot was full, he recalled. Besides village men a contingent from every valley seemed present. A scoreboard was up and after every clicking of a little machine the agent handed a vote to be posted. Ohio, Illinois, Maine, Virginia . . . the list of states reporting was like a fairy tale to this interested boy. Long after midnight came the word: McKinley was the winner. All agreed the service was unbelievable. All headed for home and the boy remembers it was a cold, moonlit early morning. He was of the Johnson Valley group that would walk south and east. First to part were several from Rognlien valley. Then a mile east came a parting at the Johnson Valley corner. GOP enthusiasm ran high and one fellow suggested the 15-20 men present give nine hurrahs for McKinley before parting. All agreed and nine hurrahs rang out, waking every dog in the valley that cold, still morning, and maybe a few wives. Everyone felt it had been a fine evening except Elland Flaten. He was a Democrat. |