20 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF NOV. 1, 2001
A tax parcel split that the Litchfield City Council approved during a special meeting Monday cleared the way for the opening of the newest member of the city’s retail community and established a foundation for further development in an area along U.S. Highway 12. T-N-T Warehouse is scheduled to open Nov. 12 in the northern portion of the former Litchfield Garment Co. building at 303 Gorman Ave. S. The business, which will be managed by Tessa Anderson, will sell a variety of items, from nonperishable food to tools and office supplies. “It is really exciting; we’ve gotten good feedback on it,” Anderson said.
Walking through the entrance to the Natural Food Co-op in downtown Litchfield, a visitor is greeted with the somewhat sharp, somewhat sweet smell of an array of spices and herbal teas. What began about 28 years ago as a group of people buying organic food together has developed into one of the most complete and well-known food stores in the area. “It’s wonderful that a town this size has a co-op,” Arlene Groskreutz said. “It’s unreal that people come from the distance they do. They appreciate that everything is pre-packaged and they can buy 50 pounds or a teaspoon of something.”
A high school girls tennis coach who helps lead a team to a 22-1 season is a prime candidate for coach of the year. The Minnesota Girls Tennis Coaches Association agreed, naming Litchfield’s Bill Huhner the 2001 Class AA Coach of the Year. Huhner received his award in front of 200 coaches and players at the state tennis tournament banquet Oct. 22 at the St. Paul Radisson. “It’s quite an honor because there’s a lot of good girls tennis coaches and programs in the state of Minnesota. To be coach of the year in the biggest class with the Edinas and the (St. Cloud) Techs is really a nice honor,” said Huhner, who is in his fourth year as head coach and his seventh with the program.
5O YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF NOV. 3, 1971
The Litchfield City Council appointed a three-member team of appraisers to evaluate property southeast of Litchfield which is being considered as a site for a new city-county airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has given site approval and air space clearance to a 700-acre tract, which would embrace parts of about five farms southeast of Litchfield in the area of the Darwin omnistation. Although 700 acres will not be needed for the actual airport construction, that much land is involved in getting necessary air space clearance under stringent FAA regulations. Named to appraise the proposed site were G.A. Hollaar, Glenn Wischmann and Enoch Peterson.
A fire which started in the driving rain and 40 mph wind gusts of last Wednesday afternoon completely destroyed a 28-by-48-foot barn on the Henry Mundt farm in Forest City Township, about five miles north of Litchfield. No one was at home at the Mundt place when the fire started, and by the time it was discovered, the flames had consumed about half the barn.
Proponents and opponents of the city’s move toward issuing a private garbage franchise are urged to attend a meeting which has been set for Nov. 10 at the Community Building. Councilman Ron Johnson, a cost accountant with Johnson Bros. Highway and Heavy Constructors, will present a detailed study which he has prepared on the costs of public versus private operation of the garbage collection franchise.
Extra police protection provided in Litchfield Halloween night paid off in the arrest of a pair of youths who admitted smashing out windows in three Litchfield businesses. The youths, an 18-year-old from Litchfield and a 16-year-old from Hutch were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Monday in the vicinity of the Ideal Lumber Co. by Litchfield police. Police Chief G.A. Fenner said about 10 men were on duty Sunday. All regular patrolmen were on duty and they were assisted by a number of auxiliary police. One youth was apprehended as he huddled against a building in the Ideal Lumber yard complex. Another scurried under a building and came out only when police threatened to use tear gas.
A mortgage burning ceremony will be part of a festival service to be held at All Saints Lutheran Church in Darwin on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. This is the 17th anniversary of the church and 15 years after the dedication of the church building. Present for this special event will be representatives of First Lutheran Church of Grove City, sponsors of the mortgage.
75 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF OCT. 31, 1946
Proof of the powers of promotion and publicity can easily be seen in the Fat Salvage pickup that has been going on now for the last four years. A total of nearly 700 million pounds was turned in by housewives, the military and industry. Over 500 million pounds came from the estimated 34 million homes in the United States in this four-year period. There was and still is a severe shortage of soap, but what little soap John Q. Public was able to get was due largely to this fat that was turned in regularly. This need for fat is still current and will be for some time to come. During the recent meat famine, the fat salvage dropped off because the average American housewife just couldn’t get enough meat to have any fat waste.
The agriculture program which is expected to start at the high school sometime during the month of November is proving to be popular and in demand. At a meeting last night at the high school a group of 29 vets filled out the necessary forms to get started on this agriculture educational course. The first class will necessarily be limited in size because of recommendations by state set-up.
100 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF OCT. 29, 1921
Mellquists store in a 1/4-page advertisement, advertised JUST WHEN YOU NEED THEM – COATS of Velour, Broadcloth, Kersey, in fact all new materials in clever authentic styles – the kind that have warmth right in them – without sacrificing style.
There are a number of lakes in Meeker and McLeod counties that are so shallow that they freeze so solid that fish in them are in danger of smothering. Because of this fact, promiscuous fishing will be allowed for domestic use until April 1. The State Game and Fish department has issued an order to that effect. Included in the list are the following Meeker County lakes: Hoff Lake, Sioux Lake, Fallon’s Lake, Big Wolf Lake, Little Wolf Lake.
The Litchfield Stock Shipping Association shipped five cars of stock Tuesday and an additional car of stock, left over, on Thursday, making six for the week. The present good roads and the fear of a railroad strike were among the moving considerations.
The Litchfield Horseshoe Courts, in the former Merry-go-Round building near the opera house, will be opened to the public Nov. 1. Four courts will be placed in the building, which will give a considerable number an opportunity to play at one time. The building will be well lighted and heated. Ladies will be made welcome. The courts have the endorsement of the Litchfield Horseshoe Association, and will be open afternoon and evening.
