Monday, December 26, 2005


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.

Sunday, December 18, 2005


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

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

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