10 years ago (2010)
•Philo Hawes is credited as being the founder of Luverne, but until now his name wasn’t on the monument marking his family grave in Maplewood Cemetery.
That bothered Rock County Historical Society President Betty Mann. “He’s the founding father of Luverne, and his name wasn’t even on the monument,” she said.
After enlisting the help of former Maplewood caretaker Vance Walgrave, they determined that Philo and his wife were indeed buried there, but their names weren’t marked.
“Their son, daughter and their spouses are on the stone, which I never understood, because they would have to have died before their children,” Mann said.
“We have proof in the paper that they were buried out there, but it’s never been established there.”
In order to change a gravesite marker, state law requires that immediate family authorize it, so Mann set out to find the Hawes descendants.
About two years ago she made contact with Dick Hawes in Washington and received permission to mark the stone. “He was very excited about it,” Mann said.
25 years ago (1995)
•The Luverne baseball team will make its fifth appearance in the Minnesota State Tournament after wrapping up the Section 3A championship in Springfield this week.
The Cardinals beat Windom 7-0 in a winner’s bracket play Saturday to earn a shot at the title. Lac Qui Parle Valley came out of the loser’s bracket and handed the Cards their first loss of the double-elimination tournament Tuesday afternoon, but Luverne gained revenge with a 4-2 victory in the must-win game which followed Tuesday night.
The 20-6 Cardinals open state tournament play Tuesday against the Section 5A champion at Dick Putz Stadium in St. Cloud.
50 years ago (1970)
•Luverne’s country club building will be rebuilt this summer, the board of directors decided Monday night.
Their newly completed building was destroyed by fire early Sunday, just one day after the painting contractor completed his work. The club had been used on a limited basis for about three weeks.
Loss of the building and contents was fixed at $56,000. Insurance is expected to cover the building loss, but not all the contents.
Vernon Hansen, Hardwick, discovered the blaze and called the fire department. Hansen has a Minneapolis Sunday Tribune rural carrier route and was driving on the north-south blacktop, about a quarter of a mile west of the golf course, when he noticed flames coming through the roof near the chimney. He awakened the Henry Klosterbuer family, who live on U. S. 16, just north of the golf course, and firemen were called from there. He said he had just heard the time announced on the car radio. It was 5:35 a.m.
75 years ago (1945)
•Cancellation of all plans to hold the Rock County Fair here this year was announced by L.D. Long, president, and J.B. McRobert, secretary of the fair association.
The fair board held a special meeting Saturday night to consider the advisability of going ahead with fair plans, in view of the damage done to the fair association buildings at the fair grounds by Thursday night’s wind storm. At that time, the grandstand, built in 1938 at the cost of $4,300, was destroyed, and considerable damage was done to the main livestock barn. The 4-H building was twisted on its foundation, but was not severely damaged, and board fences around the race track were blown down, the wreckage being strewn over a wide area.
The board carried $8,000 insurance on the livestock barn, which will amply cover the cost of repairing the structure. They carried $3,000 worth of insurance on the grandstand. All other buildings and board walls were also insured against windstorm damage.
Although no definite arrangements have been made, it has been suggested that an “achievement day” be held for the 4-H members in the county, at which time their projects can be judged, and representatives to the various state 4-H competitive events can be useable for that purpose.
100 years ago (1920)
•Memorial day was most appropriately observed in this city, at Beaver Creek and at Hills by a large number of the people of Rock county, who eagerly took advantage of the opportunity to pay respect and reverence to the Grand Army veterans —both living and deceased.
In Luverne the exercises started shortly after nine o’clock at the Central school grounds, where the school children had assembled. Here a short address was delivered by Ivan O. Hanson, Esq., interspersed with singing by the children and parade lines were then formed for the customary march to the Palace theatre where the principal exercises of the day were held.
At the theatre the program consisted of an address by Dr. J. E. Bowes, of Mankato, and the singing of a number of songs by the audience with Rev. H. Hugh Gower as leader.
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.