"The first 100 years are the toughest." My Dad @ 92

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Bredeson home on main street.  Built by Joe Thompson.

 

- Mostly Unknown -

Fairdale Facts

The railroad came on a Sunday afternoon in June 1905.  People came from all directions to watch the historic moment.  Thus, the town of Fairdale grew.     The town had three general stores.  Ole Nordlie  built a double building  north of our Community Center, Ed and Louis Conlin  built a store where our post office now stands, and Ed Larson built one where the Community Center now stands.  They sold groceries, clothing etc.  Sugar was 7 lbs for 50 cents, cookies 10 cents a lb., breakfast food for 10 cents a pkg., soup meat for 5 cents per lb., Bull Durum  was 5 cents a pkg., and a cigar was 5 cents.  Later,  part of the Nordlie building became Andy Hultstrand's store and Ike Iverson bought the Conlin store.   The town  had three hardware stores, stocking all kinds of hardware including cook stoves and heaters.  Sorenson handled the Quik-meal, Frank Olson the Mealable , and John Rorvik the Monarch Range.  He  also sold John Deere and McCormik machinery.   Ole Stromen built a pool hall and bowling alley north of the locker plant. That was a lively place.  The young men spent many nights there.   Fairdale had two lumber yards,  the Bovey Chute built on the Aune Garage site  and managed by Charlie Richardson and the Robertson built between the Fairdale Supply and the brick garage managed by Mr. Yotter.   A printing shop was built by Pete Johnson and the town had a weekly newspaper called the Fairdale times.  It is now the Verke house.   Fairdale had two hotels.  J. S. McNish built a large hotel on the corner where the Farmers Union Station stands.  Esther Smith, a widow , with 3 girls built a smaller one east of the Community Center and later it was sold to Simon Bolstad.   Annie Isackson ran a millinery shop in the front of the Conlin Store.   Fairdale had two banks.  Bill Robertson started one south of our hall, and Mr Larson built one where the Polar building stands.   There was a furniture store east of the Robertson bank , but it didn't do well so it became a photo shop run by  a Barsness and later by Fred Hultstrand.   Manley Livingston built a Barber Shop just north of the Myrvik house.   The town had a jewler named Hosenpud.  He was from Minneapolis and worked in the back of the Rorvik Store.   George Johnson from Edmore built a drug store north of the Conlin store and it also had a icecream parlor and soda fountain.   Fairdale had 5 elevators.  They were the  Atlantic Co.,  Woodworth, Northland, Spaulding, and Eaton Co.   The livery barn was built by a Koppang and a feed mill east of it was built by Ingvald Myra and John Midboe.   The blacksmith shop was built by Ole Tappen,   which he sold a year later to Henry and Herman Naegli.  It burned, was rebuilt and later sold to Mr. Fattler.   Olaf Hammer built a small store east of the Smith hotel and sold candy, ice cream, groceries and lunches.  Another store east of it had soft and hard drinks.   There was a big hall above the Rorvik store that was used for dances, school programs, 17th of May celebrations,roller skating, church services,  before the church was built, and lodge meetings for the Masons and the Woodman's Lodges.   The town had wooden sidewalks made of 2by 6 planks that were 5 or 6 feet long.   In 1912 Andrew Aune put in a light plant, a dynamo run by a large gas engine.  Most places were wired to this so they had electric lights a few years before Ottertail came.  They also had a few street lights.   Mr. Grass had the first automobile in town.  It was a little red one seater with a steering rod.  Bill Robertson had the first real car, a Kissel in 1908 that cost $3000.  That was the banker.   The first post office was in the back of the Nordlie store and Pete Solberg was the first postmaster.   The first depot agent was Lee Pearson.   Tollack  Wogie was the first dray man.   John Rorvik was the undertaker for many years.   The school was built in 1909-1910.  Mr Davis was the first professor.   Joe Thompson was the Fairdale marshall for many years.   People lived above the stores at first and then houses started being built.   Fairdale had a good baseball team.  They played the Boston Bloomers, a ladies traveling team, and beat them.  Some of the players were:  Fred Thompson, Fred Robb, Edmund Robb, Alfred Thjompson, Hans and Oscar Tappen, and the Naegli boys.   The first doctor was Dr. Lindberg who, was killed when he fell under a train in Adams.   Dr Joistad from 1910-1919, and Dr. Dixon was the last one until 1938.   We had dentists also.  Dr Chively the first two years,  Then Dr. Hughes,  Dr.Tom Smith, and Dr. Baason.   Fairdale had a big celebration in 1910.  In 1915 they had to guarantee a merry-go-round operator $400   to come.  They took in $800  the first day at a nickel a ride.  In 1916 they had a celebration with horse races and many sports played.  Jacob Westby said he had a good horse that should have won but he was "a no good rider."   These facts were taken from Jacob Westby's memories of Fairdale.

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