| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
| THIS IS PAGE 19 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PAGE BACK | PAGE FORWARD |
| behind the purchase of a hand pumper sometime around 1912. A fire of major proportion for a small village took place on the evening of December 2, 1914. Sixty-five years later Clarence Knutson vividly recalled that evening. It began in J. A. Call’s building next to the depot. The alarm brought men and equipment immediately, he recalled. The blaze was about under control when the artesion well went dry! Another water source was obtained only to have some firemen cut the nozzle off the hose in a smokey room. After that the flames consumed five wooden frame buildings and was stopped by the two story brick structure belonging to T. M. Olson. J. A. Call was the first to rebuild. Seven places of business now occupy the burned over area. Three local men formed an agency handling Dodge automobiles in 1914. A year later H. George Peterson bought his partners interests and secured the Ford agency from Fred Lyons. He and his family operated the business for the next forty years. A new creamery building was erected by the farmers in 1912. It was located next to the railroad track in the east end of town and operated there for 65 years. Paul Moltzau was president at that time. In 1915 an Independence contractor erected the two story, four classroom school building on the north side of the river and after completing it was given a contract to build the present Immanuel Lutheran church, at the time known as the Norwegian Lutheran Synod. The cost of this structure was $20,000. World War I began in August, 1914. In 1917 the United States entered the fray. Several young men from this area enlisted and fought in muddy trenches. The war ended November 11, 1918. For many years there had been much agitation to end the sale of alcoholic beverages in this country. Temperance unions had been active for 40 years in this area and were strong supporters of the Volstead Act named for the North Dakota congressman. The 18th amendment was finally passed and became effective on January 20, 1920 with states to decide the enforcement policies. Although several local municipalities granted no traffic or alcoholic beverages, this prohibitive amendment resulted in a sprouting of beer joints and an occasional still for manufacture of cheap alcohol. With it also came lawlessness. In 1919 the might Beef flexed its early spring muscles. With the winter ice about to go a warm rain speeded the flood and the usually placid, winding stream swept the ten year old bridge down river with a roar. Records show bank loans were immediately made, contracts let, and a 90 foot span with overhead bridgework of riveted steel was installed. It was the 6th such bridge job at that place and cost $8,000. It stood until it was removed in June, 1979. Two buildings went up on the east side of main street during the early 1920’s. Ed Thomasgaard had his Liberty Hotel ready for occupancy in 1920 and Otto Rognlien moved into his new drugstore a short time later. Dr. L. R. Svoma has had an office in the hotel building for many years. Gary Monson operated a tavern in the Rognlien building. Cheese manufacturing had its beginning about 1922 and K & L Oil Company erected a service garage in 1923. Otherwise there was no major change about the town. The press for better roads was continuous. No major change had been made about snow removal during winter months. The policy was to hire a county-owned caterpiller snow plow to clear blocked highways prior to spring |
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