5 years ago

Citizen’s Advocate

February 27, 2018

One of Ottertail’s most popular retail destinations was destroyed by a fire Wednesday night. Periwinkle, located on Highway 78 in Ottertail, was declared a total loss by the Ottertail County Sheriff’s Office after a fire broke out in the building’s back garage just after 8 p.m. on February 21.

During its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, the Henning School Board accepted the resignation of Jeremy Olson as school superintendent. Olson, who currently serves as superintendent of the Henning and Underwood School Districts, recently accepted the position as superintendent of the Crookston School District. 

The freezing waters of East Battle Lake will welcome a variety of super heroes in costumes, swimsuits and street clothes during the annual Lutheran Island Camp Polar Plunge on Saturday. 

25 years ago

The Henning Advocate

February 25, 1998

Land use was the theme for most discussion taking place in the Ottertail City Council meeting, held Thursday night. In the meeting the council considered a building permit application from Clay Montella, new owner of the former St. Paul House Hotel. In street and related matters, the council discussed the city’s policy on new road development with property owner Noel Schroeder, and heard a briefing from city attorney Terry Karkela on the city’s options as they pertain to privately owned roads.

When Don Arneson of Deer Creek ventured out onto Middle Leaf Lake last Friday evening for one last dangling of the fast-melting ice fishing season, he had no idea just how quickly the season would end for him—and for his 1985 Chevy pickup. It was in about 20 feet of water that Arneson bid farewell to his truck, which he had purchased used just a few weeks earlier, when it slipped through a hole in the ice and disappeared.

Walk into Spaeth’s Department Store in Henning one of these days, and you’ll notice there’s something new in the line-up. That’s because the clothing store is now home—albeit temporarily—to West Central Dairy Supply. Virgil Spaeth is proprietor of Henning’s new dairy supply business, which opened last fall.

50 years ago

The Henning Advocate

February 25, 1973

Donald and Oren Dryer of Ottertail were recognized for their accomplishments in dairying at the Red River Valley Winter Shows last week. They represented East Otter Tail County at the 1973 Honored Dairymen’s banquet in Crookston.

75 years ago

The Henning Advocate

February 26, 1948

M. W. Johnson, member of the Henning High School faculty, tendered his resignation to the local school board last week and left for his home in Iowa. Mrs. F. R. Steuart is temporarily filling the vacancy.

Curtis Peterson scored 42 points in last Friday’s basketball game. Peterson used his height and overhand shot to good advantage.

100 years ago

The Henning Advocate

February 22, 1923

Lawrence Johnson is at Wright Hospital at Fergus Falls. He was taken ill with appendicitis and three of his neighbors volunteered to bring him to Fergus when the blizzard was at its worst. Riding all day on the road, after being literally buried in snowdrifts and after a great deal of shoveling the four reached a point five miles south of Fergus when night over took them. They lost their way but reached an abandoned house. The party reached Fergus Falls the following day.

An alarm of fire occurred Friday which called out the fire boys to a chimney fire at Norman Ellenson’s house. The fire was put out without taking out the apparatus.

125 years ago

The Henning Advocate

February 1898

The material for the new German paper arrived in Perham on Friday and has been moved into Preusse’s building. The first issue will appear next week. It will be called the Perham Volks Zeitung.

The voters of Battle Lake will be given the privilege of voting on the saloon question next month. It is said the blind pigs have had full sway and many people desire a change.

President McKinley and the Republican Party have now for nearly two years had control of the government of the United States. Still the terrible war of slaughter and starvation of Cuban patriots is permitted to go on in its shameful, unabated fury, in spite of the expressed party declaration in the Republican platform adopted at St. Louis in ’96 and which was held out  as one of the reasons during the last campaign for votes for the party.

Two hundred and fifty eight of Uncle Sam’s brave sailor lads met a terrible death. The United States battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor between 9 and 10 p.m. Tuesday. Of the crew of 354 officers, blue jackets and marines only 101 have been accounted for. This means that 253 perished in the frightful explosion, which tore the stout battleship to shreds and shook the city of Havana from end to end.