History

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Lonsdale’s humble roots go back to the early 1900s when railway towns sprung up with the expansion of the railroad across the United States. Suddenly, American cities and towns had direct access to food, fuel, building materials and connections to other markets.

The simple presence of railroads could bring a city economic prosperity, leading to the birth of many new towns, including Lonsdale. In the late 1800s, The Farmington-Mankato Branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway was expanding, and existing towns rallied to be in the right-of-way of the new line. Those towns were expected to pay hefty sums of money for the opportunity of having the rail line run through them. An example of this is when Le Sueur Center (now the city of Le Center) business representatives formed a corporation in 1897 and put up $50,000 to get the railroad through their town.

Veseli businesses weren’t willing to pay and felt they could get a better deal by having the St. Louis Railroad build a spur line from New Prague instead. As a result the railroad right-ofway was moved to the south of Veseli, and the new settlement of Lonsdale soon followed. On July 16, 1902 a grand opening was held for Lonsdale, Minnesota’s newest railway town. Several theories exist as to how Lonsdale got its name, but it remains a mystery. One theory is that the town was named after the surveyor of the railroad. Another is that it was named for another city of Lonsdale, either in the US or England.

The new town’s site agent was Thomas Wilby, and lots were being sold at auction from $100 to $400 each. To be closer to the railway, some Veseli residents put their houses on skids and moved them to Lonsdale, a growing community. Some residents in the Trondhjem settlement just east of Lonsdale also moved into Lonsdale.

Just before the town’s grand opening,

LonsdaLe red Cross Ladies Parade - LonsdaLe

businessman Martin Benzick purchased several city lots and then built the first saloon and hotel. He also built a large stable to house horses for the traveling salesmen to use. They rented these when they would come to visit neighboring towns that had no railroad access, such as Wheatland, New Market, Trondhjem and Veseli. The village of Lonsdale became incorporated in July 1903.

Thomas Wilby served as president; Jim McFadden was clerk; and V. Peterka, Jacob Schultz and V. Herda were councilmen. In 1907 the city water tank was built, and in 1910 a Czech National Cemetery was established. The Catholic church was built soon after the town was founded, followed by the Catholic school in 1912.

The first known settlers to the area were Jacob Schultz and his wife. They had 11 children. Their youngest child, Beatrice, was the first baby born in Lonsdale.

The businesses

Louis Snorek is recorded as being the earliest town tailor; Mrs. Joe Pexa was the milliner; and Ed Barta was the watchmaker. Judge John P. Vikla was the justice of the peace and owned a nursery of fruit trees and flowers as well as a photography shop.

In 1904, the Herda Harness Shop was built on Main Street South, where years of leather service and repairs were provided by father and son. The upstairs of the building housed the medical practice of Dr. Fr. J. Lexa, who made house calls using horse and buggy with destinations halfway to New Prague or Montgomery.

His wife, a registered pharmacist, operated a drug store and prescription service. Other medical professionals who practiced in Lonsdale over the years were Dr. William Finley, Dr. Stanley T. Kucera, Dr. L.J. Kucera, Dr. Louis Kucera, Dr. Kurtin, Dr. Lehrer and Dr. Daly..

Jim and Danny McFadden operated a saloon in town. The saloon closed before prohibition went into effect in the 1920s. The building was then sold to Chris Daleiden in 1918 and became a hardware store. It was later torn down and is now the site of the Main Street and Veterans Memorial Park.

Chlan’s Meat Market was also built on Main Street South where one would find fresh sawdust on the floor, huge hooks to hang meat quarters, knives and an enormous wood block. Today it is Lonsdale Country Market.

On Main Street North, the Hlavac Drug Store was built by Ben Shimota. In 1939, the drug store added the first ground level approach medical clinic in Rice County. The building was later converted into office space, and is now the location of Five Star Embroidery.

Rezac Furniture was a two story building constructed by Albert Flicek. It included a funeral home, a furniture store and living quarters. The building was destroyed by fire in 1949. At that time it was owned by John Rezac who rebuilt the building that currently stands. It is now the office of the Lonsdale Chamber of Commerce, and businesses including Audre’s Attic Antiques.

3R Landmark School

The public schoolhouse was built in 1908 and is listed on the National Historic Register because of the care and diligence of The 3R Landmark Corporation. In 1978, the group made up of local residents restored the schoolhouse that was abandoned in 1948. They renovated and maintained the two-story building until recent years when membership grew older and dwindled. It is now under the care of the City of Lonsdale, and in the past five years the exterior and roof have been replaced and painted. The schoolhouse is located at 405 Third Avenue SW in Lonsdale and includes a period classroom.

Baseball

Lonsdale has always been a baseball town, and the first “ballpark” was a pasture west of town owned by Joe Skluzacek. When the sport’s popularity grew, Ben J. Shimota established a park at the site now known as Trenda Memorial Field. It is named for John Trenda, the first local casualty of World War I. A few years after the park was built, Joe Svoboda established the DRS League for those over the age of 17, which is still going strong today.