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Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA

Tree: Nederlandse voorouders

Notes:
Austin is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,314 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mower County. The southern part of the city is in Austin Township while the northern part is in Lansing Township; the city is politically independent of both. Austin is located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 218 in the southeastern part of the state. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and it has two man-made lakes called East Side Lake and Mill pond.



The meat packer Hormel Foods Corporation is the largest employer in Austin, where its factory makes most of North America's Spam tinned meat. The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual Independence Day Freedom Fest. "Spam Town USA," as Austin is sometimes called, is also home to the Spam Museum. American football coach and commentator John Madden was born in Austin.



History



19th century



In 1853 Austin Nichols (namesake of the city, named in 1856) built the first log cabin on the Cedar River (also called the Red Cedar River), which he sold to Chauncey Leverich in 1854. Leverich built the first sawmill here in 1854-55 and supplied the earlier settlers with lumber. A Methodist preacher first held services in 1855. Settlers in covered wagons full of belongings and followed by livestock came into the area, and on March 1, 1856, Governor Willis A. Gorman signed the act that organized Mower County. It was named after John Edward Mower, a member of the territorial legislature. The first hotel was started in 1856 by J.H. McKinley, and that year Dr. Ormanzo Allen became the small town's first doctor.



School had been held in a small cabin near Leverich's mill as early as 1854, but by 1857 school was being taught by Maria Vaughn in the Robert Audis building. That year W.A. Woodson started to butcher and dress pork for sale and the first Congregational Church services were held in the Old Headquarters Building. The Truesdell brothers built the first grist mill in 1858, thereby reducing the need for oxen-freight flour from Decorah and Chatfield. 1858 also saw the city's first newspaper, the Mower County Mirror, and the beginning of public utilities and street lamps. The Oakwood Cemetery and the first library (started by the Floral Club) were also started in 1858.



The first permanent school building was built in 1865, and Harlan Page opened the first bank the following year. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and other smaller rail lines were established in 1867-69, thus turning the growing town into a small rail hub. First National was granted a U.S. Government bank charter in 1868. In 1885, service on the Chicago Great Western Railway first started in Austin. George A. Hormel started George A. Hormel & Co. in 1892. Dr. O.H. Hegge and area Lutherans organized the Austin Hospital Association, and thus St. Olaf Hospital was established as a non-profit organization. Charles Boostrom opened the Southern Minnesota Normal College and Austin College of Commerce in 1897; both remained open until 1925.



20th century



The Austin Park Board was created in 1902 to build and maintain the city's parks. On March 10, 1903, the city adopted a Home Rule Charter that still forms the basis of city government to this day. The original Austin Public Library, one of the nation's many Carnegie libraries, was completed in 1904. The Recreation Board was created in 1939. In April 1949 the Park Board and the recreation Board were merged to become the Austin Park and Recreation Board. The last passenger train (the Chicago Great Western Railway) left Austin on September 30, 1965, and Austin has not had passenger service since. Ground was broken for the Salvation Army building on October 16, 1967. The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center was created in 1971 when the land was purchased from Geordie Hormel with a state grant. Riverside Arena opened in 1973. Victor Borge performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra on April 28, 1977. Austin had a bad flood on July 6-7, 1978, when the waters reached 19.5 inches. Over 1,000 homes and businesses were damaged. Ten days later, 16 inches of rain fell at Waltham and the Cedar River crested in Austin at 21 feet, 9 inches.



From August 1984 until June 1985, there was a major strike at Hormel that resulted in then-Governor Rudy Perpich requesting National Guard intervention allowing replacement workers to enter the plant. This strike was documented in the Academy Award-winning Barbara Koppel film, "American Dream." The town still remains divided over the issue of labor unions at the plant.

Birth

Matches 1 to 1 of 1

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Birth		Person ID	Tree
1	Ganser, John	Yes, date unknown	Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA	I224649	Nederlandse voorouders

Death

Matches 1 to 3 of 3

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Death		Person ID	Tree
1	Deraad, Nanko	Sat 08 Apr 2006	Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA	I139680	Nederlandse voorouders
2	Notermans, Thomas Joannes Hubertus	Mon 30 Oct 1967	Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA	I805469	Nederlandse voorouders
3	Oudekerk, Attje	Mon 31 Jul 2000	Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA	I559877	Nederlandse voorouders

Burial

Matches 1 to 1 of 1

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Burial		Person ID	Tree
1	Notermans, Thomas Joannes Hubertus		Austin, Mower County, Minnesota, USA	I805469	Nederlandse voorouders