What's Happening around town: Flo and Joe

What's happening around Town?
By Joe and Flo

Flo: Hey Joe, The Zumbro Valley Golf Course is looking very good given all the nice weather.  Thank you for inviting me here for lunch.  I am having the turkey club.  How about you?

Joe: I am going with the BLT.  I played golf here yesterday in March no less!

Flo:  When was the golf course founded?

Joe: I recently read Paul Leuthold’s history of golf courses in the Kasson area.  In 1920 Kasson had an organization called the Triangle Club.  Triangle members made arrangements with Henry Blanch to use a part of his pasture across from the Dodge County Fair Grounds as a golf course.  The term golf course might be stretching it as there were only three or four holes.  The founding pioneers included Sam Lord, Howard Tollefson, Carlos Leuthold, Ole Stenstad, Dr. C. L. Nelson, Lloyd Leuthold, Dr. S. A. Helebrandt and Paul.

 Flo: Wow! That is an interesting group of names.  It is impossible to read about Kasson’s history without running into the Tollefson and Leuthold names.

Joe: Yes. Someday there will be a list of names of the citizens who worked to save Kasson’s historic 1918 Public School.  But back to golf.  They soon needed more room.  This time they located a pasture belonging to Harry Houston that was one mile south of the present golf course.  This course was much better looking and it was used for about three years.  One of the biggest challenges was sharing the property with Harry’s cows and pigs!  When Harry raised the rent to $750 in 1924 the club decided to move on.

Flo: These guys sure loved golf!  Imagine the work it took to develop these little tracts.

Joe: Yes, it involved work but it also involved community pride and dedication to a cause.   Does that sound familiar today in regards to the 1918 School?   This time the golfers rented land at the Bowman farm from Chris Dennesen.  The rent was $200 for the first year.  Developing this third golf course was a tremendous undertaking but the possibility of a truly beautiful course was evident so the group decided to buy the land which is where the present day Zumbro Valley Golf Course is located.

Flo: How much did the land cost?

Joe: A final deal was inked on July 9, 1926 for $3,445.85.  A stockholders group was formed and incorporated as the Zumbro Valley Recreation Club.  This corporation leased the grounds to the Kasson Golf Club until 1933 when it became evident that two organizations were not necessary.  A vote was held which resulted in the running of the club being taken over by the Recreation Club.

Flo:  That is a very interesting story.   Speaking of organizations and votes which Kasson Council members are up for election this year?

Joe: Good question.  The upcoming 2012 election is going to be huge nationally given the presidential election.  It will also garner a lot of attention in Kasson.  Kasson City Council members Mike Marti, Matt Nelson and Mayor Tim Tjosaas will be on the 2012 ballot.

Flo: My brother wants to run.  He has some time now that he is no longer a member of the Kasson Fire Department.   What does he have to do to get on the ballot?

Joe: The filing deadline to be on the November ballot is July 31, 2012.   All he has to do is contact city hall at 507-634-7071 to request the filing form or stop by City Hall.

Flo: Ok, I will tell him.  I am looking forward to meeting you next week.  I have many more questions for you.

“What’s happening around town”
By Joe and Flo is sponsored by KARE
(Kasson Alliance for Restoration).
   For more information call 634-7435 and:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCLwrHbZhLs
Visit Kasson State Bank and learn how you can contribute to “Saving and Reusing the 1918 Historic School.”
The information contained in
“What’s happening around town?” 
does not reflect the views of the
Dodge County Independent Newspaper.