The first child to live in the Hormel Historic Home was not a Hormel.

In fact there were three kids in the original house built by John and Adelaide Cook. As previously written John and Addie left their mark on Austin through business, community service, and hospitality.  Austin was also touched by the influence of their three children.

Charles F. was born in December of 1866. He grew up in the Austin Public Schools and then attended Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. After graduation he returned to Austin to work with his father in the family hardware store. He was also associated with the insurance business and became the president and manager of the Austin Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Minnesota.

He served as Alderman from the First Ward for two years and then become Mayor from 1903 to 1906. In 1910 he was elected to represent Mower County in the state senate. According to the Austin Daily Herald dated Aug. 8, 1953, “Mr. Cook was associated with many civic groups, and was one of the first organizers of the Commercial Club.”

Charles married Julia E. Wood on April 8, 1896, and they had two sons, John Alden and Charles Carpenter. The couple lived in the family home (now the HHH) before selling it to George and Lillian in 1901.

The second child of John and Addie Cook was Adelaide (Addie) Marie, born in October of 1869. The younger Addie married Herbert Loring Banfield on June 15, 1894. Another familiar name in Austin, Banfield was a banker who arrived in town in 1886 to work for the First National Bank of Austin. In 1892, following the death of her father, Addie welcomed her mother into her home at 604 Greenwich St. (now Second St. NW). Addie and Herbert had three children: Adelaide, Herbert Jr. and Edward. Sadly, Addie died from complications during childbirth on June 13, 1907.

I can find little information regarding John and Adelaide’s third child, John. He was born in October 1874 and was still living in Austin in 1900. In 1905 he married Eunice and was working in banking, maybe for his brother-in-law, Banfield. According to the 1910 Federal Census he moved to Flathead, Mont., with two sons, Fred and John F. Jr. where he was listed as a lumber merchant. He apparently moved his family west before 1920 where he and his family were documented in the census living in Solano, Calif. At that time John was reported to be a banker once again.

I have often thought of Jay Hormel growing up here but now I can imagine a time when three other young people called this home their own.

 

“The Typist”

May 8, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

“The Typist,” produced by KSMQ and presented by the HHH, the Austin Public Library, Mower County Historical Society, and Tolerance in Motion, the Jewish Community Relations Council Minnesota and the Dakotas.

This free showing of “The Typist” chronicles the life of Larry Tillemans who is reportedly the last living clerk-typist from the Nuremberg Trials. Larry decided to share his experiences as a way of reminding current generations about the events of the past.

 

ASD Fun Night at the Y.M.C.A.

May 9

Supervised fun for youth in kindergarten through fifth-grades who have been diagnosed with ASD.

Cost is $5 per person. Please register in advance at the HHH.