25 Years Ago - 1985

Every musician’s dream is to be the conductor of a major chorus. Staples High School instructor Stan Carlson got one of those chances last Friday night as he directed a massed chorus of about 500 voices in the finale of District 24 music contest concert. A lthough the city admini s t r a the term ination of a city department’s head position, an obviously well-rehearsed Staples city council last week never even asked why, during the council meeting. Council member Ed Perry took the lead in assuring that no activities would be cut due to City Administrator Norm Schroeder’s decision to terminate the position.

Some of the District 24 place winners at last week’s speech meet for Staples High School included Sue Lamp, John DesMarais, Scott Gardner, Andrea Schimpp, Becke Webster, Brian Sams, LeAnn Redemske, Derek Gronewold, Greg Haglin, Valerie Prindle, Heather Martell, Shelly Peet, Tonya Burrows, Michael Lanske, Peter Odell, Steve Larson, Lisa Carlson, Melissa Clark, Becky Bilek, Tanya Hoting, Jodi Anderson and Brenda Weyer.

50 Years Ago - 1960

Three Staples young men were hospitalized at the Staples Municipal hospital early Sunday morning with severe injuries as a result of an auto accident on Co. Road 104 in junction with 26, 1 ½ miles north of Aldrich. Hospitalized were Douglas Fahnlander, Michael Gripne and Lynn Erbe. Fahnlander received a broken right shoulder and internal injuries, Gripne is suffering from injuries of the shoulder and hip while Erbe received three fractured vertebrae in the neck.

REMINISCENCES For as long as I can remember anything, my father would tell me stories to emphasize something he wanted me to remember - especially if he wanted to discipline me.

Once when I told my father about something that had happened, my sister came in afterward and told about the same thing but she had a different version. I said, “She’s wrong.” So, you guessed it, here, to the best of my memory is the lesson that I got about right and wrong. I found out later his story paraphrased a poem from John Godfrey Saxe who lived from 1816 to 1887. This was his version of the famous legend from India.

My father said there were six blind men from Indostan who went to see an elephant. One approached the animal and reached out and touched its side. “Ah” he said, “the elephant is like a wall.” Another went up to the animal and found the tusk and said, “No, the elephant is like a spear.” Still another approached and latched onto the trunk and said, “No, you’re both wrong, the elephant is like a snake.” So one by one they continued with one finding the knee that was like a tree, another finding an ear that was like a fan and one who touched the tail and found the elephant to be like a rope. These men went through the night arguing hard and long never knowing that each of them was partly right but all of them were wrong.

Thanks to Maizie Moore Chapman for contacting me about going to the Brickyard School in the late ‘40’s or early ‘50’s. There were many who went to the school who can’t understand how I could say that the Brickyard School closed in 1914. So, to the Riedel’s, Young’s, Haugen’s, Dickman’s Mertens’, Mrs. Mayme Bartella (a Brickyard School teacher) and her daughter Judy and others who went there after 1914, here is the much researched historical truth. My sources include actual Brickyard School records and the Todd County Historical Society, the Staples World and the book entitled “Todd County Histories” with O.B. DeLaurier‘s (Todd County Historian) article for the Long Prairie Argus dated May 1936 regarding Villard Township.

The Brickyard School was built in 1878 - an 1896 photo of this school was in the April 15 issue of the Staples World. At the time it was built its official description was “Subscription School, District 62, Joint Establishment in 1878 by Morrison and Todd counties.” Because it was surrounded by brickyards it was dubbed as the Brickyard School. One of the original Villard homesteaders sent their son, Fred P. Sears there in 1880. We also know my Martin ancestors attended the school which was already built when they arrived to claim their homesteads beginning in 1879 - 1885. In 1896, the school was renamed as only Todd County School, District 83 but was still known locally as the Brickyard School. The last teacher shown on record was Betty Christianson and the final class was the school year 1949-1950.

Now for the rest of the story. The brickyard located north of Hayden Lake which was originally owned by John C. Martin, then owned by Samuel T. St. Pierre, then F. X. Goulet, was then sold to Ole N. Haugen in 1910. Mr. Haugen was Linda (Haugen) Heier’s grandfather. He and a partner operated the brickyard for just under five years. Mr. De Laurier wrote, “In 1915, a tornado wrecked the sheds and equipment of the brick making establishment… scattering bricks and debris and damaging the original Brickyard School.” Mrs. Fred (Julia Kinsella) Hoemberg taught the last year in 1914-1915. The school was then restructured and rebuilt opening about a year later. In 1936 the Todd County Historian wrote, “Mr. Haugen has retired from active work, but takes a keen interest in affairs generally. He has taken an interest in the school in District 83, that for many years was known as the “Brickyard School.”

It is gratifying to write this column and have reader comments. As expected, there are times when people disagree with what I write or wish to add personal knowledge to a subject. Last week brought a series of phone calls telling me that the Brickyard School could not have closed in 1914 because they

attended the school either in the late ‘40’s or early ‘50’s. This is one of those

times when recorded history has proven that each of us was partly right yet all of us were wrong.