20 Years Ago HASTINGS STAR-GAZETTE January 18, 2001 Listed Car Prices: 2000 Cadillac DeVille, $23,990; 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe, $21,990; 2000 Chevy Lumina, 11,990; 2000 Pontiac Grand Am, $12,990; 2000 Chevrolet Astro, SOLD. Reported to have cost $29,800 new.

35 Years Ago

THE PRESCOTT JOURNAL “Where the St. Croix Meets the Mississippi” March 20, 1986 Minnesota passes 21 drinking law Minnesota’s legal drinking age will increase from 19 to 21 on Sept. 1 under a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Rudy Perpich. He reportedly said he signed it because of federal pressure. The federal government has threatened to withhold highway construction funds from states that do not adopt a 21-year-old minimum drinking law.

In Wisconsin Gov. Earl and a number of state officials are opposed to raising the 19-year minimum drinking age. But a proposal to discourage “border hopping” is under discussion. A proposal by Sen. Donald Hathaway would prohibit Wisconsin tavern operators from serving alcohol to people who are not old enough to drink in their home states. Illinois, Michigan and now Minnesota all have 21-year drinking laws.

Hanaway offered his proposal after he believed the proposal to boost the drinking age was dead for this session, which ends March 26.

State Rep. William Berndt, R-River Falls, is urging Gov. Anthony Earl to stick to a pledge he made two years ago to cooperate with Minnesota on raising the drinking age to 21.

Berndt noted in a letter he wrote to Earl this week that the governor had been quoted, during a July 27, 1984, meeting with Minnesota’s Gov. Rudy Perpich, as saying the two states were working closely to try to coordinate plans to raise the drinking age.

“The need for cooperation between our two states is critical if we are to avoid the risks and certain increased traffic death count due to a disparity in our drinking ages,” Berndt said. “I know I speak for citizens of my district and especially for the community of Hudson when I take this stand.”

97 Years Ago THE PRESCOTT TRIBUNE April 14, 1921 HIGHWAY FROM THE NEW BRIDGE Local Committee Meets the Commissioners in Minn. Route Designated.

Last Wednesday evening a committee composed of the following citizens of this city, Messrs. Longworth, Shearer, H. G. Fiedler, Sinans. J. H. Wenzel, Shiller, Borner, Giebler, Budworth, Meier, Malloy, Snyder and Fiedler, members of the Commercial Club and City Council, drove to Hastings to consult with the citizens of that place relative to the most practical route between this city and St. Paul. As to what was done at this meeting we clip the following from the Hastings Gazette: “A direct highway to Prescott is now assured. At a largely attended meeting of the Commercial Blub, held last Wednesday evening, good road boosters from Prescott, Langdon, St. Paul Park and Highwood were present. The object of the joint meeting was to pick out the most practical route between the proposed Prescott bridge and St. Paul, and then all boost for the one decided upon. Beginning at the bridge, a highway along the Burlington tracks was favored, meeting the regular St. Paul road at the depot opposite this city, then reaching St. Paul versus the Langdon* road.

*Effectively the site of present-day Cottage Grove, with now East Cottage Grove also existing at that time.

March 24, 1921

A petition has been made to the Dakota and Washington County (Minn.) Commissioners to make the road from the ferry to the Hastings- St. Paul roads a part of the state highway. The road would go by the Whitaker hill way.

104 Years Ago CANNON FALLS BEACON March 17, 1916 MARTIN WANGEN KILLED Last Sunday Martin Wangen, son of Knute S. Wangen of Warsaw township, was killed by a Great Western freight train near Empire. The remains were taken to Hastings where a coroner’s inquest was held, and afterwards were brought to Valentine’s undertaking rooms in Cannon Falls. The funeral will be held today. Mr. Wangen was 33 years old and unmarried.

COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE LEON Locals Charles Dimick sold two horses on Saturday.

Herman Sjoquist spent Monday in the cities.

Charles Dimick and Christ Rasch went to Goodhue on Monday.

M. C. Jacobson sold a horse and delivered it to Wanamingo on Saturday.

114 Years Ago March 16, 1906 Select School Notes When the members of the botanical class admit that botanical terms are too much for them there is something to it. The Juniors have decided to get class rings instead of pins next year. They will be unique for they are to be set with the stone of the class, the grindstone. It seems a great pity tha the flowers won’t be accommodating enough to come up for some time yet. They won’t even help out the botany class who are anxiously awaiting their arrival. WHAT THE OTHER BOYS ARE SAYING “We have talked for years about the use of voting machines at elections, but we seem as far off as ever from their actual use. The voting machine is warranted not to cheat, lie or make mistakes.”— Austin Transcript.

Perhaps I’ve written it before, shouldn’t wonder if I had, but I positively love the man who goes thru this world scattering good feeling, joyfulness, good nature, all along, He’s doing a sight of good….—Anoka Union.

“Public officials do not swear to support public sentiment; they swear to support the law.” So said Gov. Folk. This liniment should be applied liberally (freely) to the backbones of a multitude of law-ignoring officials. Rub well.

“The trouble is that the people of this country are tire…of us,” declared Democratic leader J. Sharp Williams in a burst of confidence to his Republican friends on the floor of Congress the other day. It takes politicians a long time to find some things out, but the people appreciate it when at last they do. An aggregate independent vote of nearly 3,000,000 in the last two elections is pretty good evidence that Williams has reason for his confession.— Backbone.

156 Years Ago THE HASTINGS CONSERVER March 22, 1864 NOTICE.—The Dakota County Agricultural Society will meet at the Bank of Hastings on Thursday, March 24th, at 2 P.M. A full attendance desirable. IRVING TODD, Secretary.

49-2w.

PROSPECTUS of the HASTINGS CONSERVER.

VOLUME IV. Commences April 12, 1864.

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