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That Thriving Burgh was Once County Seat of Monongalia County. The townsite of the present thriving and picturesque little city of New London forty years ago was a dense jungle of undergrowth and timber. Louis Larson first located a claim there, having discovered the falls in the Crow river, which gave promise of @ valuable water-power. Samuel Stoner located there in 1861 and built @ sawmill. In 1867 the mill-dam broke out.. Mr. Adams and C. J.Sperry pur chased an interest in the water-power and a grist-mill was erected where the city water-works now stand. New London became a very lively place in those days. Farmers for sixty miles around—even from the Minnesota river country—would drive to the New Lon don flouring mill with their grain, and it became quite a trading post for trappers. The pioneer merchant was W. W. Pinney. He was succeeded by Orlando Sperry, and he, In turn, by Johnson Bros. The old building in which these gentlemen successively conducted their business has been remodelled and is now owned by C. E. Krause, who occupies it with his hardware business. Another early merchant was Mr. Ad ams, whose business was purchased later by the firm of Swenson Bro berg. This firm subsequently also purchased Mr. Adams' interest in the mill. The mill property was fnally all transferred by purchase to Messrs. Johnson Pinney, who are its pres ent owners. The first physician to locate in New London was Dr. J. 8. Gibson, now of Atwater. The first blacksmith was G. A. Anderson. The first minister of the gospel to come to the town was F. H. Dahl, a Lutheran. After the Indian outbreak Monon galia county was reorganized and the county seat re-located at New London, Irving having previously been so designated. She retained the county seat until 1870, when the two counties of Monongalia and Kandigohi were consolidated. The old records of Monongalia county are lost. On August 24, 1884, the first copy of the New London Review was issued. Its first publishers were D. P. R. Strong, Henry J. Ramsett and W. A. Krause. The advertising columns show the following firms to have been in business there at that time: Blacksmiths—C. E. Krause, Win ters, Carding Mill—Sperry Swenson. New London Mill Co.—Swenson Iroberg, Louis Larson and ©. J. Berry. General Merchandise—Swenson « roberg, Johnson Bros., D. Peter om Son. : New London Hotel—J. J. Johnson, Tinner--D. P. R. Strong. Gunsmith—G. P. Mossberg, Shoemaker--N. A. Skeie, Real Estate Broker—J. H. Neer. Painter—C. Grandelmeyer. Apiary---Lyman Chandler. Meat Market---Charles Young. Justices of the Peace---H. J. Ram itt, H. Swenson. Wagonmaker---Lewia Ekman. Stages ran to New London from Tillmar and Atwater, Wm. Allgood ad L. McLouth being the drivers. W. A. Krause afterwards started the Kandiyohi County Expositor, which he later removed to Paynesville. The following year Gale Crosby, of the Willmar Gazette, began the publi cation of the New London Times, which has often changed hands but is still issued. The advent of the railroad gave to New London a new impetus, and a goodly number of substantial build ings have been erected and other im provements made, including a splen did system of water-works. ~ The town is handsomely jocated and is a pleas ant place in which to live. Its trades men are doing 4 satisfactory business and the villages prospering. Her business men are extensively repre sented in this ‘Old Settlers’ Edition’ of the TRIBUNE.
Newspaper Details
Willmar Tribune
Willmar, Minnesota, US
Wed, Jun 21, 1899
Page 21
Full Page
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Derek S.
USA 07 Sep 2026
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