James George was born in 1819 in New York state. In 1942, he married Rhoda Pierce. He lived for a time in Ohio where he was elected to Register of Deeds for Butler County (Ohio). James George served in the military during the Mexican War. He moved to Minnesota in 1854 and settled in Oronoco township (Olmsted County) on land acquired with a government warrant issued for payment of his services during the Mexican War. In 1858 he moved to Dodge County and help found the village of Wasioja. He later became interested in recruiting soldiers for the Civil War. He served in the Second Minnesota Volunteers and raised many of the recruits for Company C of that unit. At the close of the Civil War, he returned to Oronoco. In 1870, he opened a law office in Rochester and practiced law for many years before he died in 1882.
Jacob Dieter is photographed in his Civil War uniform. He enlisted in 1862 and served in company F of the Ninth Minnesota Regiment. His family accompanied him to Fort Ridgely, Minnesota and returned home when his unit was sent to another location. Jacob Dieter was reported missing after the battle of Guntown. He had been captured by the Confederate forces along with twenty-six other Olmsted County men. The group was transferred to Andersonville Prison. On June 22, 1864, he wrote his last letter from Andersonville Prison. He jumped off a train while being transferred to another prison, but was re-captured. He died in Salisbury Prison in 1864 at the age of thirty-eight.
The Bradley House (built in 1855 by Albert Stevens) was sold to J. T. Bradley in 1861. This stagecoach stop, located at the east end, facing north, of the then College Street (now 4th Street) bridge, a block east of Broadway was on the Old Dubuque Trail. A fancy coach met all trains and transported customers and their baggage to the Bradley House.
Several Rochester landmarks are pictured in this early street scene. Some of the buildings visible are: Olmsted County Court House, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, Congregational Church, Old Central School and the Universalist Church.
Five men are posed on the front porch of the E. D. Buck Store in High Forest, Minnesota. The men are, left to right: Charles Armstrong, Harry Johnson, Vet Johnson, E. D. Buck, V. C. Dickey. After serving in the civil War, E. D. Buck retired to High forest and engaged in the mercantile business.
The banks of the Zumbro River are spanned by a bridge at Oronoco. This bridge, built about 1876, was the second bridge at this location and was later replaced by a concrete bridge in 1918.
A small group of people are standing in front of the Pierce House (built in 1877) with a carriage and team of horses in the street. The hotel was located at 215 South Main Street (now First Avenue SW). Over the years the name of the hotel changed several times: 1884 Commercial House, 1893 Grand Union Hotel, 1895 Rochester Hotel,1920 Olmsted Hospital, 1922 Rochester Hotel, 1923 Rochester's Nurses Home, 1928 Maxwell House (Hall) and 1968 Maxwell Guest House.
Martha Muir (Dieter) was born in Glasgow, Scotland on August 16, 1824. When she was about eighteen years old, she immigrated to the United States with her sister's family and settled in Ormo, Wisconsin. She married Jacob Dieter on July 21, 1859 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She lost her husband during the Civil War and she died on January 17, 1904.
The Zumbro Flour Mill was owned by John M. Cole. This mechanical drawing provides a cross section of the mill and includes details on the water wheel, separator, cockle machine, bran duster, purifier, wheat bins, stock hopper, flour bins, grading wheels and receiving elevator and other machinery.
The Beardsley Saloon was located at 214 South Broadway. James Beardsley (on right with mustache) is standing with an unidentified man behind the counter. The saloon had a stove in the center and pool tables located in the back.
The five people pictured were all members of the First Methodist Church Choir; seated: Mr. Wilson (in chair), Bertha Schuster (in black dress), Nellie Bonham (higher seat); standing: Lulu Crouch, Bert Nichols.
People are pictured walking through the landscaped gardens, flower beds and walkways of the Rochester State Hospital. The hospital, also known as the Second Hospital for the Insane, opened in 1879. Farm fields are visible in the background.
M. V. Rowley's blacksmith shop was located at 22-24 North Broadway. The interior of the shop is shown with a man shoeing a horse and featuring horse shoes hanging from the rafters, forges, tools, anvils and a stove.
A large stove dominates one wall of the Kennedy Saloon. Wooden chairs are placed on either side of the stove. On the opposite wall is the bar with Mr. Kennedy standing behind the counter. Other features include a large mirror over the bar and several spittoons on the floor. A man is sitting in one of the chairs by the stove reading a newspaper.
A timber was impaled through a fourteen inch oak tree by the force of the 1883 tornado. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Several people are viewing the damage from the 1883 tornado. A man is standing next to a piece of furniture and a boy is sitting with a large toy horse. Among the debris on the ground is a stove, windows and an umbrella. The inscription on the photo is: ""Cascade Park, 20 houses destroyed, 8 persons killed near here."" The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Two children are sitting on piles of bricks at the rear of the destroyed Rochester Harvester Works building. Piles of lumber and bricks surround the children. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The destroyed C. Smith's residence is shown with the roof on the ground. In front of the collapsed building in a pile of rubble is a boot and a stove. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Part of the destroyed residential section is shown in this photo taken after the 1883 tornado. Several homes are badly damaged and many are completely destroyed. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Cole's Mill , located in North Rochester, lost part of the roof and sections of the walls in the 1883 tornado. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Two women are walking among the debris, another woman is sitting down. The trees have lost their leaves in the storm. Very little is recognizable among the piles of rubble except a chair and a wagon wheel. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The destroyed Proud's residence is shown in this photo with the wagon wheels among the debris in the front. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The destructive force of the tornado is evident in this scene of destroyed homes in the residential section of North Rochester. In the early evening on Tuesday, August 21, 1883, a cyclone devastated the city of Rochester. About one third of the city was completely destroyed and the remainder was heavily damaged. North Rochester, or Lower Town was the hardest hit. This section of the city was largely inhabited by working people.
This photo was taken in North Rochester near the Cook and Proud residences. People are looking through piles of rubble. A dead horse is in the foreground, possibly impaled with a tree or branch. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The west end of Cole's Mill was blown in, the roof blown off, the corner of a wall torn out, the machinery damaged and the cooper shop destroyed. Eight box cars were overturned and two carloads of flour were in the mill race. John M. Cole, the proprietor of the mill was found dead in the street between the mill and his residence. He had apparently left the mill to go home when he was killed by the storm. In the foreground is the leveled home of Paul Thompson, who worked for the mill and occupied a home rented from the mill. The stove is all that is recognizable of any of the house furnishings. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
This large building was completely destroyed by the 1883 tornado. Roof timbers are broken and laying on a pile of loose bricks. The caption reads ""Machine Shop"". The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
This photo shows debris caught in trees, trees with no leaves and piles of rubble everywhere. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The force of the winds from the 1883 tornado blew the railroad bridge into the Zumbro River. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Vedder's Farm Machinery Depot was the largest in Southeastern Minnesota. It was built in 1879 and located on the corner of 5th and Broadway. About 75 feet of his store was destroyed. Albert D. Vedder and his wife were in the cellar and saved from death by heavy timbers that lodged above them and kept the ruined masonry from crushing them. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Only a few houses remain standing after the 1883 tornado. This is the view from Cole's Mill showing the residential section of Rochester. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Most of the houses have been destroyed in this view of a street in Rochester after the tornado of 1883. The buildings left standing are all heavily damaged. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
One building in this scene of a section of Broadway is still standing. All other buildings have been destroyed by the 1883 tornado. The wooden walkway is also damaged in several sections. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Cole's Mill is viewed from the mill race showing six overturned railroad cars and another railroad car at the end of the race. The mill was extensively damaged by the 1883 tornado. John M. Cole, the proprietor of the mill was found dead in the street between the mill and his residence. He had apparently left the mill to go home when he was killed by the storm. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The railroad tracks leading up to Cole's Mill are blocked by an overturned railroad car. John M. Cole, the proprietor of the mill was found dead in the street between the mill and his residence. He had apparently left the mill to go home when he was killed by the storm. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The mill race is filled with debris and an overturned railroad car. The damaged Cole's Mill is in the background. A horse and buggy stand near the mill. John M. Cole, the proprietor of the mill was found dead in the street between the mill and his residence. He had apparently left the mill to go home when he was killed by the storm. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
This photo was taken from Cole's Mill and shows the extensive property damage from the 1883 tornado. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
This view of North Rochester shows the most heavily settled section of the city. Very few houses are still standing after the 1883 tornado. This photo was taken from Cole's Mill. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The object in the foreground is a roll of tin that was torn off the Heaney Building by the 1883 tornado. The Heaney Block is on the right, with the Cook House across the street (to the left of Heaney Block). On the 3rd floor of Heaney Hall, Dr. William Worrall Mayo set up a temporary hospital for the care of those injured in the tornado. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The tin from the roof of the Heaney Block was rolled up and dropped on the street by the force of the tornado. Just to the left (south) is the Cook House, built in 1869. The Heaney Block was built by Daniel Heaney in 1866. It was in this building, on the 3rd floor, where Dr. William W. Mayo set up temporary hospital for the care of those injured in the tornado. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The T. P. Hall Buggy Works lost part of the roof and the side of the building in the 1883 tornado. Carriages and wagons are visible as well as the remains of an freight elevator structure. The business was located on the corner of College Street and Main Street. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The Chicago & North Western Railroad yards received severe damage from the 1883 tornado. Box cars, buildings and stock pens were destroyed. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
The Northrop School was leveled by the 1883 tornado. This school served students of the Third Ward. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
A man is leaning against a wall of the Weber's residence. Another wall lies flat on the ground and the roof is missing. The tornado struck Rochester in the early evening of Aug. 21, 1883.
Teachers and students are posed in front of Pleasant Grove School House (District 140). In 1886, Pleasant Grove Township provided transportation, at township expenses, for students attending the school. Theodore Eppland was the driver of the wagon or ""school bus"". This was the first publicly provided school transportation in Olmsted County.
This Rochester street scene shows participants in the Rochester Band Tournament with the Marion Brass Band in right foreground. Members of the Marion Band were: Louis E. Bragg (band leader), Len Kinney, Earl Beach, Bill Haney, Will Nickum, Herman Bach, Ed Bach, Howard Lull, George Newell; also participating in tournament were bands from Red Wing (won 1st prize), Plainview, Lanesboro, Rochester; photo taken in front of the Cook Hotel.
A group of people, picnicking at Fugel's Mill, are posed by a hammock. Back row (left to right): John M. Rowley, Mary Peck, Leslie Stillwell, Ruth Chadbourne, Sam Furlow, Spencer Knapp, Anna Cross (behind fan), Burt W. Eaton, Lucy Du Bois, Clara F. Olds; middle row: M. G. Denton, Inez Kinsbury, John J. Fulkerson, Hattie Smith, Miss Sayles; front row: Miss Evans, Miss Gramling, Will Smith, Matie Knapp, Frank E. Gooding, Miss Evans.
Several patients are recuperating in the 10-bed ward at Saint Marys Hospital. A large spittoon is located in the center of the room surrounded by beds and wooden dressers. A crucifix and religious paintings are hung on the wall. The two nurses are Sister Joseph Dempsey and Sister Constantine Poutal.
The group of women are all members of the Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Church; back row, left to right: Mrs. Weyland Stedman, Mrs. C. F. Dibble, Mrs. Susan E. Mount, unknown, Mrs. E. P. Robertson, Mrs. M. Luther, Miss Nellie Rowley, Miss Sadie Rowley, unknown, unknown with daughter, unknown, unknown, Mrs. H. M. Richardson, Mrs. H. E. Gerry, Mrs. N. F. Gilman; center row: Mrs. W. H. Dodge, Mrs. Robert Pollock, unknown, Mrs. S. Geisinger, Mrs. D. A. Morrison, Mrs. E. A. Knowlton (back of Morrison), Mrs. Marla (John) Emerick, Mrs. Covell; front row (sitting): Mrs. George Baihly, Mrs. Frank Doran, Mrs. M. V. Rowley, Mrs. P. L. Dansingburg, Mrs. S. C. Abbott, unknown, unknown
A train is photographed moving toward the Rochester depot of the Chicago & North Western Railroad while a group of people wait outside the depot. Other buildings, train tracks and railcars are also visible.
The barber shop operated by Dick (Richard V.) Russell was located at 318 South Broadway. Three men are posed next to barber chairs, shaving mugs in background; left to right: S. Barton Russell, age 15 (son of Richard V.), Richard V. Russell, age 48 (born 1847, died 1906), Harry Russell, age 18 (son of Richard V.). There is a sign in window advertising the Southern Minnesota Fair.
The eleven members of the Marion Cornet Band are posed with their instrument, left to right, front row: George Skeels, Lou Bragg, Frank Lowrie, Will Skeels; back row: Earl Beach, Jim Heaney, Herman Bach, Jake Haney, Len Kinney, Charles Bolwine. When the band could no longer practice in the Town Hall, they practiced in ""Bragg's Barn"".
The dam, mill and cooper shop are located at the joining of the South Middle Branch and the North Middle Branch of the Zumbro River. This was the second mill, built after the first mill was destroyed by a fire in 1879. The mill was built by A. D. Allis.
People with horses and buggies are seen in the foreground of the Rochester State Hospital in this exterior photo. The hospital, also known as the Second Hospital for the Insane, opened in 1879.
Andrew Holm (left) and Andrew Doig (right) standing on roof of the George Healy Vault in Oakwood Cemetery. The Healy Vault was built in 1890 and torn down when the Healy Chapel was built in 1912. The vault had a capacity of approximately 25 caskets and was used to store bodies in the winter until the bodies could be buried in the spring. Col. George Healy built the vault and donated it to Oakwood Cemetery.
The interior of the Collin and Griffin Insurance office is shown with J. T. Collin seated at his desk, Etta Burns (bookkeeper) seated at the table and Richard J. Griffin standing at the counter. The office was located in the Opera House building at the corner of Broadway and Second Street SW.
The Cook Block was built by John Ramsey Cook in 1877. Because of the confusion with the Cook Hotel building, which he built in 1869, he renamed the Cook Block the Ramsey Block (for his mother). This building was located at 20 Second Street SW (formerly Zumbro Street). C. F. Massey Company later moved to this location. In 1883, Dr. William Worrall Mayo rented the first floor for his offices, consulting and operating room. The laboratories were on the second floor. Dr. W. W. Mayo and his two sons, Dr. William J. Mayo and Dr. Charles H. Mayo, operated their medical practice in this building until 1901. This building is the earliest location of what would later become the Mayo Clinic.
The Winona and Southwestern Railway train is pictured moving over a trestle bridge on it's way from Spring Valley to Winona. In 1890, tracks were laid from Winona through St. Charles, Dover, Eyota, Simpson and Stewartville to Spring Valley and Osage. The railroad became the Winona & Western in 1894. A spur was built in 1900 from Simpson to Rochester. In 1901, the Winona & Western line was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railroad.
The First National Bank (1869 - 1909) was located at 201 South Broadway. The bank building was 18 feet wide and 50 feet long. This interior view shows four men posed by the main counter with teller cages; left to right: Simon Feeney (assistant bookkeeper), Walter Hurlbut (cashier), Charles N. Ainslee (assistant cashier), William W. Churchill (bookkeeper).
The 4th of July parade is shown moving west on Third Street SW, in front of the Rochester City Hall (left) and Rochester Fire Department (center). Horse drawn wagons and buggies were decorated for the celebration.
Burt W. Eaton is sitting at his desk surrounded by bookshelves and various office equipment. A typewriter, letter press and law books are arranged on the table and desk. The law office was located in the Opera House block.
The interior of Dr. Charles T. Granger's doctor's office is crowded with books, medical equipment and bottles of medicines. Dr. Granger's office was located over the Qvale Drug Store at 227 South Broadway.
The interior of Dr. Charles T. Granger's doctor's office is crowded with medical equipment. On the left is a large stove and hanging on the wall is a bird cage. Dr. Granger's office was located over the Qvale Drug Store at 227 South Broadway.
The interior of Dr. Charles T. Granger's doctor's office is crowded with various medical equipment. Dr. Granger's office was located over the Qvale Drug Store at 227 South Broadway.
The interior of Dr. Charles T. Granger's doctor's office is crowded with books, medical equipment and bottles of medicines. A microscope under a glass dome is on the table by the window. Dr. Granger's office was located over the Qvale Drug Store at 227 South Broadway.
Emma Mueller is wearing a dress trimmed with cranberries and dried fruits from Mueller & Company grocers. She wore the outfit at the Merchants Carnival in Rochester.
Gertie Miller is wearing a costume representing the Dodge Lumber Company at the Merchants Carnival. Her dress is decorated with wood shavings and millwork.
Maude Elliott is wearing a costume representing the Olmsted County Democrat at the Merchants Carnival. This newspaper was published by Elliott and Son. Her dress is decorated with various paper items.
The Merchants Carnival featured local Rochester businesses in an early ""trade show"" format. Employees from each business dressed in costumes decorated with items from the business.
Posed in a group photograph are the employees of the Rochester Post Office. Employees are (front row, left to right): Lyman Tondro (Postmaster); Miss Lettie Williams (General Delivery Clerk); Mrs. Florence Tondro Goodrich (Clerk); Ralph Baker (Stamp seller); John Bemis, (Money order and newspaper stand). The first carriers are (back row, left to right): William H. Rowley, Arthur Williams, James Jacks and Henry Wrought (sub carrier).
Four men are posed in front of a carriage in the Alvin Van Campen Livery Barn located at 17 Second Street SE next to the Chicago Great Western Railroad depot. In March 1888, Van Campen purchased the business from Milo Jack. In December 1911, he sold the livery business and building to C. L. Arnold and W. S. Burton and moved into the Van Campen building. Tom Williams drove the baggage wagon; Ed Durkee, a brother of Mrs. Louis Rommel, drove the ""taxi"". all vehicles were horse drawn. Note the old hack in the back of the barn (City Bus and Transfer). This bus met the trains for the Cook Hotel. The men in the photo are (left to right): Tom Williams, George Fitzgerald, Alfred ""Red"" Ennis and Ed Durkee.
Third Street SW is shown, looking north. City Hall (built in 1884) is partially visible on the left. The uniformed firemen are standing in front of the Rochester Fire Department, left to right: William (Billy) Murray, William J. Hall, Bill Cudmore, Charles Zimmerman, William Boylhart, Henry (Stoney) Jacobs, John Hohler, Jack McHugh and driver Jack Ryan. Richard Ryan rented his team to the Fire Department. The horses pictured are the first team used by Fire Department. Previous to the horses, hand carts were pulled by volunteer firemen. The Rochester Electric Light Plant (built in 1893) was located between City Hall and the Fire Department.
Rochester City Hall is situated on the corner of the intersection of First Avenue Southwest and Third Street Southwest. City Hall was built in 1884 and was razed in 1931 to make room for a new city hall. To the right is the Electric Light Plant, built in 1894 and burned in 1915.
This winter scene shows a man, riding in a sleigh pulled by a horse, on the street in front of the W. H. . Dodge lumber yard. The business was started in 1869 by W. H. Dodge. His son, Elam Dodge, joined the firm in 1907 and the name was changed to Dodge Lumber and Fuel.
The E. J. Rice Store is pictured on the corner in this street scene. The store was built by M. W. Clay in 1874. In 1895, Rice bought the store from the McCray Brothers and it burned in Dec. 1907. An early automobile, closely resembling a buggy, is in the foreground, surrounded by a group of interested people.
Hitching posts line the street in front of a row of businesses in Dover, Minn. The businesses on the west side of Main Street are: Cady's Hardware (brick building with outside stairway), established by Clarence and Walter Cady in 1891; L. A. Groby (grocery); Post Office; Robinson's Meat Market; Modern Woodmen Hall.
Laundry supplies and wicker baskets are arranged around the interior of the Rochester Steam Laundry. The business was located at 107 South Main (First Avenue SW).
Students are sitting at their desks in a Hawthorne Grade School classroom; teacher: Miss Smith; 1st row: Ethel Fox, Hattie Rowley, Maude Burbank, Mattie Holt, James Robinson, unknown; 2nd row: Carl Kurtzman, Goldie Alexander, Ward Shaw, Gustave O'Neil, Earl Leonard, Charles Lamb; 3rd row: ___ Purcell, William McCabe, Laura Ekholt, Thomas Woodford, Nate Renslow; 4th row: Harry Walker, Elsie Wetherby, Floyd Darling, Hans Hanson
Shoes and boots are displayed on the walls of the George Leonard Shoe Store. The older gentleman, on the right, reading the newspaper, is George Leonard's father. The woman on the left is Abbie Leonard. The business was located at 227 South Broadway.
Will Ireland (right) and Leslie Stillwell (left) are standing behind the counter at Ireland's Book Store. Stationery supplies and books line the walls. The book store was located at 121 South Broadway.
A group of six boys are posed with newspaper carrier bags and newspapers (Rochester Daily Post); left to right: Clarence Sisson, Harry Gilman, Irwin Churchill, Edward Britzius, Arthur Bogart, Eddie Enquest (Enquist)
Shaving mugs are displayed on the wall of the Beehive Barber Shop at 11 West Zumbro (now Second Street SW) in the Brackenridge Building. R. N. Sweet is the barber on the left and Phil Gentling is the barber on the right.
Wooden furniture, upholstered furniture, rugs and wall decorations line the walls of the interior of the P. F. Johnson Furniture and Undertaking Store. Wooden chairs are hanging from the ceiling. The store was located on the southwest corner of Broadway and College Street (Fourth Street SW).
The office of the Rochester Telephone Company (organized in 1895) was located over Farm's Grocery Store on Zumbro Street West (now 2nd Street SW). ; The first telephone service for general use had 75 subscribers. This interior view shows women telephone operators working at the manual switch board (left to right): Lydia Witteau, Katherine Casey, Frances Lund, Carrie Hanson, Ophelia Delaney, Susie Arndt, Mabel Bascomb, Hilda Hanson.
Mrs. Sandford and 5 year-old Lucy Gray, of DeSmet, South Dakota read a book in Lucy's room at Saint Marys Hospital. Paper chains, each link representing one of Lucy's new friendships formed while at the hospital, decorate the screen in the background.
The Winona & Western Railway depot was located on the south side of College Street (now 4th Street SW) by the Zumbro River. The photo was taken on the west bank of the Zumbro River, looking east. The Chicago Great Western Railroad bought the Winona & Western Railway in 1901. In January of 1903, the depot was cut in two and moved across the river.
The E. A. Knowlton residence, built In 1875 by J. D. Blake and later owned by Albert Harrington, was sold to E. A. Knowlton in 1889. He owned the house until 1906 when it sold to John Kahler and some investors. The building was extensively remodeled and additions were added. In 1907 it opened as the Kahler Hotel. When the ""New"" Kahler Hotel was built in 1921, the name of this structure was changed to Damon Hotel.
Men are posed on farm equipment and also standing by bicycles. A team of horses is in the background. A tractor, with a saw blade mounted on the front, is pulling another piece of farm equipment.
Several people are working at looms inside the Rochester Rug Factory. Different types of looms and other rug making equipment are arranged around the room. A stove is located in the center of the space.