Welcome to Kenmare

Feature Stories (Vol. 109 No. 41--10/10/2007)

Niobe hits 100 years
Niobe History compiled by John Mogren

Standing in the corner of the small town of Niobe you would never be able to tell by looking that it was once a very busy environment.

There are very few buildings left standing, but if you listen very closely you might still be able to hear the echo of laughter as children raced their sleds down "knob hill" or the clomping of horses hooves as they impatiently wait for their wagons to be filled at the Farmers Hardware Exchange.

Niobe is located northwest of Kenmare on a flat piece of prairie.

The Great Northern Railway got started right on track by laying rail for a branch from Berthold to Crosby in 1906. The grade by Niobe was completed in 1913. In 1907 a depot was constructed, which still stands in the same location.

To the west of the depot a wooden building was built which supplied water for the engines, and served as a water treatment plant that removed alkali from the water. The water was pumped from the Niobe Dam. This train depot was also a departure point for travelers.

The first businessmen were Swedes and Danes and it is believed that the first business was a hotel owned by Mike Grady and later purchased by Dave LaCrosse. However, there is no documentation as to who actually started the first business place. Other businessmen were: Eric Erickson, Allen Fleckten, Victor Fleckten, Edwin Johnson, K. John Johnson, Peter Larson, Peter Tall, Anton Mickelsen and Erick Englund.

The second of two hotels opened its doors in 1912 and was known as the Caroline Hotel, owned by John Caroline.

In the next two years businesses flourished with the lumber yard being the most prominent. The first residence in Niobe was built in April-May 1907 by Michael P. Burke, who was an agent for the Mayer Lumber Company. In 1910 it became Rogers Lumber company. Charlie Kamps owned a lumberyard in July 1908 known as the "Lumber Shed". The Fairview Lumber Company was also located in Niobe.

Another line of business was hardware and implement. The first of which was owned by Aaron E. Erickson and Victor A. Fleckten and was called The Farmers Hardware Exchange. Fleckten sold out in 1910 and Erickson was joined by William Fletcher. In 1912 Erickson moved to the building formerly occupied by Keller Mercantile which was owned by Henry F. Keller. Erickson sold out to Philip A. Gross and sons between 1917 and 1922 and the business picked up by Farmers Exchange name. Knute Smith and Chris Lamen later purchased it and named it Niobe Hardware and Implement Company.

Peter Tall and Alfred Johnson built a two story building in 1908 which housed Tall & Johnson Mercantile. The upstairs was used as a town hall. It was destroyed by fire in 1912.

Larson Grocery Store was opened in 1908 and owned by Peter Larson. Merchandise was sold in front of the store and a telephone exchange was operated in the back. Peter operated the store until 1917 and this building was later torn down.

Some of the other stores were: A. J. Nelson General Store, owned by Andrew J. Nelson; Myhre General Merchandise, owned by O. N. Johnson and Erick Myhre; Skjulstead General Merchandise, owned by M. Skjulstead and Johnson and Thompson.

The first Meat Market was opened in 1908 and owned by G. F. Shultz. In 1917 it was owned by Victor "Butch" Nelson who bought out Charley Martinson. This market was sold in 1932 and the name was changed to Wallace & Lillian Larson Grocery Store. Besides running the store Lillian was in charge of the Post Office as well as operating a lunch counter. This store was later sold to Russell and Myrna Nelson in 1972 and they operated it for a couple years.

A confectionary was built in 1908 and was in operation for a year when it was bought by George Fagan and became Fagan Cafe and Barber Shop. In 1909 George sold out to Emil Gardner, who ran a barber shop and cafe for two years before relocating across the street and running Gardner Pool Hall & Restaurant.

Restaurants and lunch counters were another line of business in Niobe. Niobe City Restaurant opened in 1913 and was owned by P. M. Peterson for a year before L. Jessen took it over. The hotels as well as some of the stores also served meals.

Niobe had three pool halls. Dave LaCrosse built his hall in 1908. This building perished in the fire of 1912. The second hall was owned by Swan Engberg and John Christianson and was known as Engberg Pool Hall. As mentioned earlier, Emil Gardner also opened Gardner Pool Hall & Restaurant.

In 1913 Trustem Drug Store was welcomed to Niobe and was owned by Ole Trustem. He occupied part of the Rohe building until 1915 when it was lost by fire. He then operated his business for a short time in a different building before discontinuing it. In 1915 Victor Nelson opened his movie hall known as Victor Theatre.

Other businesses were: Smith Oil Company, owned by Knut Smith; Johnson Blacksmith Shop, owned by Andrew K. Johnson, and a shoe store and dress maker shop, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Halden.

Over the years there were also several coal dealers in Niobe. Some would go to the elevators that supplied coal and others went to the Hoffman or Fleckten mines and got their own.

The Elmdale Township Hall was built in 1913. It was the scene of many community events such as plays, skits, elevator meetings, township meetings, Temperance League meetings, and elections. Wedding anniversaries and dances were held there on a regular basis. The most noted musician to play there was Lawrence Welk. (The Elmdale Township Hall, also known as the Niobe Hall, was moved into the Lakeview Pioneer Village in Kenmare in 2005 and contains many historical pieces from Niobe’s business community.)

Banking in Niobe began in 1909 with J. H. Robinson and J. M. Rohe founding the First State Bank of Niobe. Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson were the next owners, followed by Otto K. Jensen in 1915, A. G. Engdahl and H. T. Sands bought the stock in 1916. About 1917, Peter N. Johnson and Knute Smith became owners and changed the name to the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Niobe. In 1934 the bank moved to Drayton, ND. This is one of the buildings that was spared from the fire and demolition.

A livery barn owned by Axel Lundell and Eric Erickson and a feed mill owned by Anton "Tony" Mickelsen were opened in 1908.

The Niobe Post Office began in 1908 with Eric Erickson being the first mail carrier. Over the years the Post Office was located in several different locations.

The most abundant of the businesses were the grain elevators. The first elevator started in Niobe was the Rugby Milling company, which was owned by Clarence Olson and later became Fairview Milling Company, managed by Wallace F. Larson.

The second of the elevators was built in 1907 and known as Winter & Ames Elevator.

Other grain elevators were: N. J. Olson & Sons, run by Victor Fleckten and later called St. Anthony’s & Dakota, run by Chris Lamen, "Old" Farmers Elevator. This is the only elevator that is in operation today and it is now owned by Sun Prairie Grain (formerly known as Harvest States).

In 1910, the Niobe Farmers Co-operative Elevator Co. was organized through the efforts of several aggressive farmers. On July 17, 1916, Joel Binfield and John E. Fleckten signed a contract with the Iberson Construction Company of Minneapolis, Minn. to build the Niobe Farmers Elevator. The charter for the elevator was made out on June 20, 1916. The capacity was 30,000 bushels. The organizing board were John Fleckten, Chas. Ostrand, Albin Hedlin, P. A. Ekstrom, J. O. Olson, J. J. Johnson, Joel Binfield, Victor Fleckten, and H. A. Ihmels. Victor Fleckten resigned from the board and became the company’s first manager.

In the mark of law enforcement, there weren’t any city elected officers. Over the years, however, there were several officers that were self-appointed and in 1912 John Nederloe was the resident sheriff deputy for the Kenmare and Niobe area. The first arrest took place on August 29, 1907 with a man named McCarty being arrested for operating a "blind tiger", an establishment for the illegal sale of alcohol. He received a sentence of not less than 90 days in jail and a fine of $200.00.

Church congregations held their services in various places. Swedish Baptists met at the Perry Ledene farm until their church was built in 1909, Swedish Lutherans at Andrew Granlund's. The Lutherans built a church in Niobe in 1907. It is remembered that Mrs. John (Mathilda) Mogren made wine for the service during the first years. The Sunday School was organized in 1911 with 41 children in attendance.

Catholics gathered in several different places for services. Because of small attendance and the convenience of automobiles, services were discontinued in Niobe and people attended mass in either Kenmare or Bowbells.

The children attended school in various country school houses until the new school was completed in 1908. High school only lasted a few years in Niobe, closing about 1933. The grade school children were bused to Kenmare for classes.

Fires played an important role in the decline of Niobe as they did not have their own fire department. Some other aspects that caused the decline were the wars and the age of the automobile. The only existing business that stands testimony to what once was, is the Sun Prairie Grain elevator.

Only a few of the residences are occupied and only one church, Elmdale Lutheran Church, continues to hold regular services.