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Garvin Minnesota
History


From "The Illustrated History of Lyons County" by Arthur P. Rose   Copyright 1912


Of the smaller villages of Lyon county. Garvin is one of the most important and has a number of business enterprises that would he a credit to more pretentious places. It is a station on the Dakota Central division of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, aboul midway between Tracy and Balaton, and is on the southeast quarter of section 27, Custer township.

Although the railroad was built in 1879 the station was not established that early and the site was not entitled to a place on the map until 1886. Four years earlier a side track had been laid there and in railroad circles the site was known as Siding No. 7.  The siding became known as Terry in the spring of 1886, and on April 30 the Terry townsite was platted by the railroad company. It was surveyed by C. C. Pudor and was dedicated by Albert Keep, as president of the Winona St. Peter Railroad Company. Two blocks only were included in the original plat. The streets were named First, Sherman, Grant and Sheridan. 

In the fall of 1886 the postoffice was established and for some time the office was at the home of William R. Owens. the postmaster.  The station bore the name Terry only about one year and was then renamed Kent. The first building erected at the station was a flathouse put up by a Mr. Seefield in 1887. H. L. Green was employed as grain buyer by Mr. Seefield. He lived in one end of the flathouse and stored grain in the other. About 1889 the flathouse was replaced by an elevator and Mr. Green continued as grain buyer several years.

The name of the station was changed from Kent to Garvin, in honor of H. C. Garvin, traveling freight agent of the railroad, in July. 1891. Until business houses were founded there, however. the place was generally referred to as Seefield, after the owner of the elevator. The second structure on the site was a business building put up by William Owen-, in which he opened a store. He conducted the store a few years and then sold to Annie Shand. About the time that William Owens erected his store building he and his brother, Owen Owens, each built dwelling houses in the village.

After selling the pioneer store, William Owens and his brother put up another building and established the second general store. About the same time Andrew Anderson erected a small building and engaged in the blacksmith business. Other enterprises followed and the village of Garvin gradually developed. It has had a steady growth and each year witnesses additions to the town.

Garvin has an excellent school, with three instructors and about eighty-five pupils. Before the village of Garvin was founded, on December 3, 1879, district No. 47 was organized. 18 The first teacher of the school was Annie G. Shand and the first officers of the district were E. H. Cutts, clerk; Thomas L. Harris, treasurer; and Daniel Willford, director. A two-room school house was built in 1901 and that was replaced in 1911 by a four-room brick school house, erected at a cost of $11,500. The present instructors are Eunice Davis, principal; Agnes Peterson and Clara Jacobson.

Others who taught the Garvin school since 1897 have been- N. S. Peterson, Arthur O. Dillon, Glenola Collins, Elizabeth Carlysle, Hannah Johnson, Etta A. Lucas, Myrtle Ladd, S. S. Swanson, H. R. Painter, Mrs. H. R. Painter, Rose Osborn, Ida Amundson, Clara Welty, C. H. Webb, Edith M. Engstrom, Leona Blanchard and Delia Cook.

The First Congregational Church of Garvin was organized in 1891 with only eight members, as follows: John N. Jones, William W. Jones, Annie P. Jones, Mary Anne Jones, Edith Owens, Thomas T. Jones, Evan M. Jones and Maggie Jones. The first deacons were William W. Jones and Evan M. Jones and the pastor was Rev. Edward Thomas. 21 The church was erected in 1899 and the value of the church property is now $4000. The membership is seventy- eight, comprising twenty families. A Sunday School with seventy-five members is maintained in connection. 

The pastors who have occupied the pulpit of the Congregational church have been as follows: Edward Thomas, 1891-95; John L. Martin, 1S95-96; R. P. Upton, 1896-98; A. E. Wood, 1898-00; C. A. Ruddock, 1900-02; W. A. Taylor, 1902; supplied during 1902-03; George Battey, 1903-04; F. Wright, 1905-06; D. R. C. Jenkins, 1907-09; Robert E. Roberts, 1909-11: William P. McClane, 1911-12.

In the same charge with the Garvin church is Bethel Congregational Church of Custer township. It was organized January 20, 1875, through the efforts of Rev. E. H. Alden. The first members of the church were Richard Hughes, Ann Hughes, Thomas Harris, Hannah Harris, Mary Williams, Katherine Thomas, Mary Jane Griffith, Edward Glynn, Ann Glynn, Marguerite Hughes and Ruth Price. Thomas Harris and Richard Hughes were the first deacons and Edward Glynn, James Morgan and William H. Hughes the first trustees.

The church building on the southwest quarter of section 12 was built in 1876 and until 1895 the charge was an independent one. The pastors during those years were Revs. Philip Pergrine, Francis, Wrigley, James Davis, Edward Thomas, John K. Martin and Riifus P. Upton. Since 1895 the pastors of the Garvin and Bethel churches have been the same. Bethel church has forty-one members at the present time.

Garvin Camp No. 3599, Modern Woodmen of America, was organized April 5, lS'.IS.-' 1 The lodge has had an active life and now has sixty-two members. The principal officers are A. A. Persons, E. M. Jones, E. M. Strunk, C. R. Holden and John Holden, Jr.

The charter members of Garvin Camp were A. J. Anderson, C. S. Anderson, A. G. Bumford, B. O. Dalthorp, Edward P. Evans, H. L. Green, Reuben L. Harris, Carl R. Holden, R. T. Hughes, Evan M. Jones, John P. Jones, Thomas T. Jones, William W. Jones, George E. Lindsley, John S. Owens. Owen R. Owens, H. L. Shand, James A. W. Shand, A. J. Swenson, Clinton Willford and C. M. Willford.

The Woodmen auxiliary, Charity Lodge No. 2048, Royal Neighbors of America, was organized March 20,1 900. 2i There are now forty-three members in good standing.

Charter members of Charity Lodge were Maggie J. Jones, Anna Coyle, Mary A. Jones, Margaret Hughes, Hannah A. Hughes, Olive A. Thomas, Louisa Carlburn, Nellie Caruren, Annie P. Jones, Annie D. Jones, Mary A. Weed, Annie Shand, Sarah Harris. Sephorah Owens. Mary Underwood, Anna E. Owens, Alice Hughes, Mary J. Hughes, Eleanor Jones, Mary F. Jones, Alice Jones, Edith Owens and Lena Anderson.

The banking history of Garvin dates back to May 27, 1905, when the Lyon County Bank, private, was established by G. A. Tate, J. H. Rice and N. H. Olson. Mr. Tate was president and F. D. Pinckney cashier. In April, 1907, the farmers of the vicinity purchased the stock and organized the Farmers State Bank, with a capital stock of $10,000. The new officers were N. S. Peterson, president; T. P. Lien, vice president; and F. D. Pinckney, cashier.

The Farmers State Bank absorbed the Garvin State Bank on July 3, 1909. The latter was organized in 1907 with the following officers: J. R. Fitch, president; C. S. Orwoll, vice president; and H. L. Shand, cashier. The present officers of the Farmers State Bank are N. S. Peterson, president; G. Peterson, vice president; and F. D. Pinckney, cashier. Under the management of Mr. Pinckney the bank has had a prosperous life.

One of the institutions of Garvin is the creamery, which was built by the farmers of the vicinity and put in operation in June, 1899. The Garvin Creamery Company manufactures 200,- 000 pounds of butter per year and dis- tributes about $60,000 per year among the farmers of the vicinity. P. O. Anderson is the buttermaker and has had charge of the creamery for the past eight years. The officers of the com- pany are as follows: Thomas D. Phil- lips, president: W. W. Jones, secretary; E. M. Jones, treasurer; Ellsworth Evans, J. J. Thomas. E. J. Davis and D. I). Jones, directors.

 


From "The Illustrated History of Lyons County" by Arthur P. Rose Copyright 1912


 

 

 
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