1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 533
on the battlefield, at Argonne Forest, on October 1, 1918. (Further
reference to his national service will be found in the World War
chapter of this work.) Since the departure of Mr. Magee from Eveleth
in 1918, Mr. Peterson has been in full charge of the paper, as manager
and supervising editor. The "News" is a seven-column weekly, all
"home print," 8 to 16 pages; its circulation is about 1,350 copies
weekly, and its advertising patronage is good. The company owns a
good printing plant, having the latest typesetting machinery.
Cemetery.—The Eveleth Cemetery was established in 1910-12,
J. H. Hearding and George H. Perham being those chiefly instrumental
is securing the necessary land for that sacred purpose. In
an ordinary community, such would not be a very difficult matter to
negotiate, but in a mining community where all unexplored land is
potentially valuable in mineral deposits, negotiations are more difficult
to carry through.
Taxation.—To indicate the development of Eveleth, the following
comparison is given. The taxable property, real and personal, within
the village of Eveleth in 1895 was assessed at $28,571. In 1919 it
was $17,303,737.
Population.—Another comparison, but not so striking, is in the
census statistics. According to the original petition for incorporation
200 persons resided in Eveleth in June, 1893. In 1900, the population
w^as 2,752; in 1910 it was 7,036; and in 1920 residents cognizant with
the growth of the city in most of its phases in the preceding decade,
were somewhat surprised to learn the federal census-taking only recorded
7,205 persons as then having residence in Eveleth. A recanvassing
was suggested, but apparently was not made. However,
with that population, Eveleth takes fifth place among the incorporated
places of St. Louis County.
Old Settlers Association.—Reference to the society which, above
all others, is pledged to devote itself mainly to the preservation of
Mesabi range history, must not be forgotten. The Mesabi Range
Old Settlers Association had its inception at Eveleth in 1919. Charles
Jesmore being the most active promoter. An organization was
affected at the county fair held at Hibbing in that year. First officers
were: Chas. Jesmore, president; W. E. Hannaford, secretary; Frank
Ansley, treasurer. There were several vice presidents, the endeavor
being to elect one pioneer of each town to that office. Those elected
included: Dudley W. Freeman, Eveleth; \^^ J. Eaton, V^irginia;
Joseph Haley, Hibbing; Fred Talboys, Aurora; George Smith, Mountain
Iron ; Frank Caldwell, Biwabik. The first annual meeting was
held at Biwabik in August, 1919. Nearly 600 pioneers of the ]\Iesabi
range have now joined the society.
School History.—Last, but certainly not least in importance,
comes a review of the history of Eveleth schools. Indeed, when a
stranger first enters one of the cities of the Mesabi range, and views
the magnificent school buildings, which are generally the outstanding
landmarks of the place, he is forced to the conclusion that those responsible
for the public weal in the Mesabi range have a proper appreciation
to the importance of the community of an adequate system of
education. Certainly, the future prosperity of the city depends in
great measure upon the excellence, or otherwise, of its public schools
of the present. Eveleth recognizes that ; and so apparently do the
directors of the principal mining companies. They have resisted
increase in municipal taxation on many occasions, but have never
seemed to adopt a niggardly attitude toward a levy for school pur-