Meeker County Museum at the G.A.R. Hall

On September 15, 1902, Litchfield’s Commercial Club voted to form the Litchfield Glove Factory with the hope of expanding the town’s manufacturing industries. The money for the venture came from local citizens. As the idea got started, there were seventy-five shares available at $100 each, for a total of $7,500. This would soon be expanded to $15,000. It was estimated the factory would employ thirty to forty people and bring in $50,000 a year. Workers at the Litchfield Glove

Harvey Township could be considered the most “rural” of all of Meeker County townships, with no towns, villages, or community hubs within its borders. Even churches were scarce in the township. Schools, on the other hand, were a different matter. By 1884, there were over 70 schools across Meeker County, with five in Harvey Township and two more to form shortly after. Students, teacher, and parents at School District 29, c. 1951 Among these Harvey Township schools was District

One of the more interesting aspects of history is that there is always more to learn. When the Museum started to look into the history of the Litchfield Fire Department, we thought it might be a straightforward story, but like often happens with history research, the more we learned, the more questions we found. Litchfield Fire Hall, c. 1905 In September 1870, the Litchfield Hook and Ladder Company was formed. Historically, a hook and ladder company had few resources to ex

When it comes to the artifacts at the Meeker County Museum, among the smallest are tokens. More recent tokens are generally collectibles, souvenirs, or part of a business’ marketing strategy, but tokens used to be a valuable and important part of many businesses. Top: Brightwood Steamer, Jack’s Tavern, Milt’s Place, and OA Jacobson Store. Bottom: J’s Bar, Johnny’s Place, Bert’s Place, and John T Mullen and Co. Bottom: J’s Bar, Johnny’s Place, Bert’s Place, and John T Mullen

It was in 1856 that the first white settlers came to Kingston, Meeker County. The township and village were named after Kingston, Ontario which was the birthplace of J.B. Atkinson, an early settler and prominent citizen. Jonathan Burnett Salisbury in his G.A.R. uniform, 1888 Prior to settlement, in 1855, Meeker County had been surveyed by Jonathan Burnett (J.B.) Salisbury. As he set the township lines, Salisbury was impressed with what he saw and staked a claim for himself i

Recently, a researcher was going through some old newspapers and came across a photograph of a rather odd-looking band. When it comes to journalism, the typical rule of thumb is to answer who, what, when, where, and why, but in this 1949 edition of the Litchfield Independent Review, the paper admitted to only knowing the “who.” Back: Jack Palmquist, Ikey Delaney, Eldo McGannon, Theodore Olson. Middle: Solly Burnquist, CE Young, August Erickson, F Rudberg, Andy Palmquist, Char

Fifty years ago, much of Meeker County, not to mention the entire country, was celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States. Throughout 1976, the Meeker County Bicentennial Committee oversaw and promoted many bicentennial events. Each city in the county had their own bicentennial committee as well. Construction on the Forest City Stockade, photo from the Litchfield Independent Review. By far the largest local project undertaken for the celebration of America’s 200th anni

On May 2, 1878, Minneapolis was rocked by the explosion of the Washburn Mill A. The explosion was heard for miles around, and debris was found blocks away. The effects were even felt as far away as Forest City, Meeker County. Not felt in the physical sense, but in the pain of loss as the mill disaster impacted the community. A photograph of Mill A with illustrations added to show the explosion. From the Library of Congress photo collection. The Washburn Mill A was completed i

On May 6, 1926, Litchfield hosted a grand celebration that marked the start of the North Star League. This newly formed baseball league included eight teams. Six of the teams, Cosmos, Darwin, Dassel, Grove City, Kingston, and Litchfield, were from Meeker County. Hutchinson and Lake Lillian rounded out the league. Grove City baseball team in 1926, members of the North Star League. A close inspection of the photo shows the team members are wearing at least five different unifor

Silas Wright Leavitt has the distinction of being the last Civil War Veteran to be buried in Meeker County.

Among the many scrapbooks in the Museum’s archives are two school memory books. These are printed books with headings such as “My Classmates,” “Graduation Day,” and “Photographs.” The owners would then write or paste memories and mementoes of their school days. Coincidentally, the two books at the Museum are from two classmates, both graduates of Litchfield High School in 1924! Litchfield Junior Class at Lake Koronis, May 1923. Luella and Margaret were both in attendance. Fro

With March being Women’s History Month, this seems like the perfect time to remember a woman whose work and life touched so many in Meeker County – Madge Bellingham. Outside of the Litchfield Hospital, c. 1920; Madge Bellingham with Jim Robertson (center; son of Dr. AW Robertson) and unknown boy. Madge Bellingham was born in Bellingham, Minnesota in 1886. And, yes, the town was named after her family. In 1914, she graduated from nursing school in Minneapolis, and just three y

Litchfield and Meeker County have a history of celebrating history. This included the Meeker County Centennial in 1956 and the US Bicentennial in 1976. But perhaps the biggest celebration was the Litchfield Centennial in 1969. Some of the Costume Winners - Harold Keller family (Barb, Karla, Kristine, and Harold); Back: Hal Boettcher, Crystal Ebnet, George Mihlbauer, Pam Stensrud, and Charles Gabrielson Planning began months in advance. Committees were formed. Headquarters was

If you’ve visited the G.A.R. Hall or are familiar with Meeker County history, you might know the name “Van Spence.” Albert Van Spence and his family called Meeker County home for over two decades. While the family was in the minority, they weren’t the only Blacks in Meeker County at the time. A look at the 1880 US Federal Census shows four Black families working at the Ames brickyard northeast of Litchfield in Darwin Township. This included James and Clara Malone, Jeremiah Va

Earlier this year, the Meeker County Museum was excited to join the Minnesota Digital Library. This free, online library includes photos and archives from across the state. As we considered what the Museum wanted to contribute, the historic Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Hall seemed the logical place to start. We brought a dozen photographs and three original G.A.R. account books to the library’s staff, who scanned the photos and over 600 pages before returning the items

Recently, our Museum staff was going through some files, when we came across a short, handwritten history about the Litchfield Toboggan Club of 1886. We were instantly curious and turned to the newspapers to see what more we could learn. 1886 Lithograph of tobogganers. Source: Library of Congress However, before there was Litchfield’s Toboggan Club, there was the St. Paul Winter Carnival. The Carnival started in 1886 as a way to show outsiders that the state could be enjoyed,

Around 1:00 a.m. on August 20, 1924, four unidentified men came to Cosmos, Minnesota. Quietly, they cut the town’s telephone and telegraph lines and made their way to the First State Bank of Cosmos. They entered through a basement window and found their way to the safe. Using nitroglycerine, the men blew open the safe. Inside, they found two smaller compartments. They blasted their way into the bottom compartment, but before they could do the same to the top section, they wer

Included in the winter display at the Meeker County Museum is a small, rather sparse Christmas tree. Some of the branches are loose, the base is a bit wobbly, and many of the faux pine needles have seen better days. And yet, this tree is special in that it just might be the oldest artificial Christmas tree in Meeker County. Museum's 100 year old Christmas tree The tradition of Christmas trees began in Germany, but as deforestation started to become a concern, the Germans also

While many of Meeker County’s early residents were farmers, it wasn’t until around 1890 that many turned their attention to dairy farming. By 1899, there were twenty creameries in the county. Despite having only the fourth-highest dairy cow population in the state, the county produced the most butter. And, it was great butter, too, commanding the highest price in the markets.

Seventy-five years ago, much of Litchfield and Meeker County was “talking turkey.” For five Saturdays in November and December 1950, the Litchfield Chamber of Commerce, along with many of Litchfield’s merchants, sponsored turkey prize drawings. Olga Hageseter, Frank Holtz, and June Bollin show off their turkey prizes, with Chamber of Commerce members Gary Hollaar and Martin Peterzen standing on the left and right of the winners. The Independent Review, November 30, 1950. At 4