10 years ago (2011)
•Terry and Chantel Connell and Roger and Kathy Fick signed papers Tuesday afternoon authorizing the sale of the K&R Auto property to Connell Car Care.
The Connells will move their East Main Street business to the South Highway 75 location.
“This is exciting,” Terry said. “It’s going to be a good move.”
He said construction will begin immediately to expand the K&R shop building, which will double the space Connell Car Care currently has in its downtown shop.
The move will also increase the lot space for displaying cars for sale. The property extends west to South East Park Street, and south to Edgehill Street behind the car wash on the corner.
“We will shoot for moving the whole operation for Connell Car Care this summer,” he said.
Specifically, Connell said he plans to expand the tire sales portion of the business and the wheel alignment services, in addition to handling more auto repairs.
25 years ago (1996)
•It’s the same office with the same people that offers basically the same services, but it has a new name.
The former Rock County ASCS office has combined with the former FmHA office and now operates under the name “Farm Service Agency” in the Farm Services building just west of Taco John’s on Gabrielson Drive.
“The whole purpose of this reorganization is to provide better service for farmers,” said Roger Carlson, director of the new agency. “It’s one-stop shopping so we’re not chasing people around to different agencies as far as the government is concerned.”
The move was a result of the federal legislature abolishing the Farmers Home Administration last fall. FmHA is the government credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that loans money for farms, housing, and community services.
50 years ago (1971)
•Construction in Luverne during 1970 was down from the 1969 figure by more than half a million dollars, according to the information compiled at the city administrative assistant’s office.
The 1970 total of $471,880 is considerably lower than 1969’s $1,210,625, but 1969 was also the year of construction for the new $900,000 public housing for the elderly which composed 74 per cent of the total construction costs during that year.
During 1970, seven new homes were built accounting for $151,900. These figures are based on cost estimates submitted by the owner or builder when an application is made for a building permit. Since 1961, 188 new homes have been constructed.
In 1968, building costs totaled $1,051,211. The new First Methodist Church in Luverne comprised $400,000 of this figure. In 1967, estimated construction costs totaled $427,450. Figures were higher in 1966 at $722,925, but 1964 still stands unsurpassed with costs reaching $1,601,500.
In 1969, seven new homes were built compared with 22 in 1968; 15 in 1967 and 1965; and eight in 1966.
75 years ago (1946)
•Although no birthday party has been planned, the fact still remains that Rock county will be 75 years old Monday, January 7.
It was January 7, 1871, that Rock county was fully organized, and the new board of commissioners, consisting of H. A. Gregory, Daniel Wilmot and P. J. Kniss took their oaths of office.
Immediately following the organization, about 50 residents of the county met at Luverne, selected as the county seat, to celebrate the event, and the day’s festivities concluded with a grand dance at the home of Philo Hawes, at which Ole P. Steen and Dudley Whitehead furnished the music.
100 years ago (1921)
•There were one hundred and four marriage licenses issued in Rock county during the year of 1920, according to the records in the office of Clerk of Court O. E. Ferguson. This is seven more than were issued during 1919, the total number for last year being ninety-seven, and forty-eight more than were issued in 1918, or almost twice as many as during the closing year of the war. The average for the twelve years previous to 1918 was 82 per year.
The number for 1920 is the highest for any year in Rock county since 1907 with the exception of 1915, when 109 licenses were issued. The year of 1914 was the next highest, with 101 licenses issued.
December has been the most popular month for weddings in 1920 as well as in 1919, the number of licenses issued for the past month being 19, and in December, 1919, 15. June and February tied for second place the past year, fourteen licenses being issued during each month. The third highest number was during September, when ten were issued.
Following are the number of licenses issued during the other months of 1920: January, 5; March, 7; April, 2; May 6; July, 8; August, 7; October, 7; November, 5.
During the month of 1919 the number of licenses issued were: January, 1; February, 11; March, 6; April, 4; May, 5; June, 7; July, 3; August, 7; September, 12; October, 13; November, 13; December, 15.
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