At one time Holdingford had 4 churches in town two Roman Catholic churches, a Luthern and a Congregational Churches . When I came to Holdingford in 1968,the Luthern Church was closed but looked like in the photo. Some people wanted to reopen it but it was torn down and replaced by two houses. The site was the corner of Plymouth & 3rd Street. The Congregational Church was gone before that, not sure when yet.

This is the way the depot looked to me in 1974.

power of the news

I found this interesting article by political writer Tom Roeser in his 12/08/2005 post he writes about an article he wrote when working for the St. Cloud Times in 1953. It's about the village of Holdingford's policeman of the time one Ben Ruhland. Apparently several of the Opatz brothers had a different idea of closing time for one of the bars in town. Reading the article is interesting. Ben Ruhland was hired as policeman for Holdingford in 1953 and continued in that position til 1959.

A interesting Article about prohibition in central Minnesota.

List of mayors

list of mayors.
2003-present Ernie Schmit -pop. 743
1993-02 Rosemary Scepaniak
1976-92 Boniface Stoerman
1970-76 John Ebnet
1965-70 Elmer Cipala
1964-65 Arnold Soltis-resigns
1964 Bob Lane-acting
1964 Louis Achman resigns
1962-63 Mike Warga
1960-61 Hubert Bielejski/Mike Warga-acting mayor
1956-59 Dr.W.W.Wilde
1954-55 Mike Weisser- pop. 527
1950-54 Henry Schnieder
1948-50 E.J. Schmitz - pop. 458
1946-47 W.W. Wilde
1936-45 Chas Brenny/Mike Weisser
1933-36 Mike Weisser
1931-32 Val Herman
1929-30 Barthol Muyres -1930 name change from Holding to Holdingford
1920-28 Joseph Vos
1919 Alex Lenner- failed Resolution to try separate village from township
1918 H. Bielejeski
1917 Alex Lenner
1916 Herman Benolken
1915 W Murphy/Val Herman
1914 W Murphy/Val Herman
1912-13 Val Herman
1909-11 Victor Himsel- 1910 pop. 276
1905-08 John Haehn
1904 Math Wardian
1902-03 Val Herman-president
1901 J.P. Slough/Philip Kaffen-president
1900 Ahilin Kanfer-president pop. 191
1897-99 A. Diedrichs-president
1896-Village of ' Holding' incorporated

A Real Treat

I recived a call yesterday from Vicki our City clerk . Asking me if I had some free time that afternoon.
Then she asked if I would like to talk to the Great-Great-Grand daughter of Randolph Holding.......as she was traveling, and happened to stop in Holdingford on her way home. Oh, yes, I was down to City Hall in a flash.
There I met Carmen Holding. A delightful young lady on her way to the family farm and home S.E. of Tompkins, Saskatchewan. Which is located in the south west corner of Saskatchewan.
We were able to talk for several hours. Breaking for lunch to eat with the senior citizens, who have a lunchen at city hall on Tuesdays. That group was vey interested in Ms. Holding's being in holdingford. The only seemingly disappointment came was when some of the seniors found out that Randolph was of Irish ancestery instead of being German.
She had been working in Toronto, Ontario in her field of Agricultrial Marketing. She seemed to share some of her great-great-grandfather's wanderlust as she told us she had been traveling quite abit around the world.
Her great-grandfather William, son of Randolph had moved from Sargent county, North Dakota to the Tompkins, Saskatchewan area. I got the impression she wasn't sure if Randolph sr. also moved. The other two brothers Albert C. and Adelbert E. stayed in North Dakota She said it will be Hundred year farm in 2007. That would make William's homesteading it about 1906-7. Before the 30's depression it was approximently 3,000 acres. Quite a difference from the 160-300 acre dairy farms around Holdingford. Her grandfather, also named William, had a stroke when her father was about 12. So in the 70's her father, Glenn and uncle took over the farm.
I do believe I have this correct. If not hopfully a member of the Holding family will let me know so it can be corrected.

Getting Started

Randolph Holding

According to Migrations.org Randolph Holding was born 1844 in McHenry County , Illinois. He was in Company E of the 8th Minnesota Volunteer Infrantry for three years. He married Lavinia L.Trask of Morrison County, Mn, July 6, 1870. They had three children Albert C., William R., and Adelbert E.
This information came from "History of Upper Mississippi Valley (published 1881) at the Seattle Public Library call # qR977.6H629 via migrations.org by researcher Jackie Horton

posted by mike odden | 8:24 AM | 0 comments  

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Loving maps

After looking through more file cabinets. I came across another Soo Line Railroad map drawn in 1906 showing the topography of the area, along the new track. The map shows about 5 miles on each side of Holdingford. One interesting note. On the west side of Two River River shows R. Holding's Plat for Holdingford and it is marked as such. On the east side of the river is plated out more blocks and the word Wardeville, which was drawn over by the map maker and the name Holdingford P O drawn in under Wardeville.

posted by mike odden | 8:02 AM | 0 comments  

Saturday, March 05, 2005

another map

I was diging in some file cabinets in the city hall back room and came across a map of the village drawn in 1916 by the railroad, showing the village, busineses etc. It had been given to the village by the Winkler family in 1994 their roots go back to the beganing of the village. It was folded up in a folder with no title. I also came across a copy of the articles of incorporation,copy of the court house copy not actual original. In a folder called 'old old cor'.

posted by mike odden | 10:41 AM | 0 comments

Friday, March 04, 2005

OLD MAPS

Yesterday I went to the county courthouse to look for the originial articles of incorporation for the village. They had a copy. The original is out here some where. The village was incorporated in 1896. While talking to the lady she looked to see if there was a plat map. She came up with the original plat map registered by Randolph Holding in 1874. It looks like his idea was to start a village on the west side of the river called 'Holdings Ford" . He had plated out streets and alleys but I do not believe anything was ever built there. It has been a farmers field . The east side of the river was always called Holding as well as the township.



posted by mike odden | 5:12 PM | 0 comments



Tuesday, March 01, 2005



INTERESTING READING

The book "The Ford in The River" by Vincent A. Yzermans published 1985. Is required reading when one wants to read about the history of Holdingford. The hard part is finding a copy. It was published in congunction with St. Mary's centennial and St. Hedwig's diamond jubilee. Many local families have several copies but aquiring one is a challenge.

posted by mike odden | 7:21 AM | 0 comments



Monday, February 28, 2005



LEE'S HELP

I should have started out with this but I have to thank Lee, my oldest son, for pushing me off the fence and getting started. He is very good at what he does ! A great son and husband and a super father to his kids. Check this out toprankmarketing


posted by mike odden | 8:32 AM | 0 comments




Lake Wobegon Connection

One has to recognise both Garrison Keillor's wonderful writing of Lake Wobegon and the article in National geograghic about Lake Wobegon

posted by mike odden | 8:20 AM | 0 comments