Wheat indeed, is "golden." The production of sold in the United States in 1909, according to the preliminary report of the Geological Survey amounted to $99,232,200, which exceeds all records for the yellow metal. The grain produced in that time totaled the phenomenal yield of 770,000,000 bushels, valued at almost as many dollars more, the farmer produces $8,000,000,000 of wealth annually. Every dollar extracted from the earth in yellow metal impoverishes that locality for the same amount. Not so the agricultural community. The land if properly cared for will continue to give birth to increased wealth annually. This is evidenced by the fact that in contiguous towns where conditions are similar, if not identical, the farm yield is greater in one than the other. The better farm comforts, the increased bank account and the thrifty appearance of the village, all other things being equal, spell better farmers.
Kensal's increasing wealth is chronicled by the successive erection of her seven elevators. The Osborne-McMillan led the procession in 1892, the year the railroad reached town. O J. Christiansen is the present manager. The following year the Royal, of which D. C. Dye is the manager, was erected. In 1898 the Atlantic followed and continues doing business with F. T. Kubry in the office. Four years later (1902) the Lahart succeeded which in 1905 was sold to the Farmers Elevator Co. whose manager is J. C. Ashley. The Woodworth was built in 1907 and is now managed by J. D. Schlecht. The Independent, Hans Horgan manager, and the Minnekota, Swan Nelson manager, followed in 1907.
The Rogers Lumber Co. came as indicated above and. aside from lumber sold to farmers outside of town, furnished as their first large orders the lumber needed by Messrs. Clancy and Bartz for their buildings. J. S. Tufford succeeded the Soo agent, C. W. Pottgeiser, as manager of the Rogers Lumber company's Kensal interests. O. M. Wilkinson is the present manager of this thriving concern.
In 1901 Fred A. Bartlett established the Bartlett Lumber Co, where the Langworthy Lumber Co. is now doing business, to whom he sold his interests. Edward Smith was their first agent The Langworthy yard is well represented by Guy Noel of Kirkville. Iowa, who took charge of the plant January 1st of the present year.
The first hotel, erected in 1893, called the Kensal House, and which forms part of the present Commercial hotel, was built by Anton Frederickson and leased to B. A. Thorsgard who continued as landlord for about a year when the owner assumed the role of proprietor and directed its affairs for about a year himself and until he sold it to J. Moody Watson, who was succeeded in turn by John Robert Smith, Warner and Shafer and Dan C. Clancy, the present proprietor.
The first dwelling of any importance erected within the present corporate limits was the J. S. Tufford home, which arose simultaneously with the hotel.
R. W. Miller, W. G. Tubbs and Allen G. Randall came in 1902, and having bought from the Minnesota Loan and Trust Co. the indisposed portion of the townsite, began to boost the town.
They established the first bank January 16, 1903, which was known as the First State bank of Kensal and of which A. G. Randall was the first cashier. Later the corporate name of this bank was changed to read the Kensal State bank when H. R. Melrose became cashier. The charter of the present First National bank, which was the successor of the Kensal State bank, bears date of October 9. 1905, and was Opened for business November 21 following. George C. Jewett succeeded to the position of cashier, becoming the first cashier of the new organization. Though this bank: has passed from the control of its original owners its success has remained undiminished Glenn Farrar is the present efficient cashier, George A. Kern is assistant cashier and Charles D. Funk, book-keeper. On his retirement from the service of the Kensal State bank H. R. Melrose became the first cashier of the Farmers and Merchants bank, which was incorporated August 29, 1904. and of which Frank A. Lenz was the first president and C. A. Klaus the first vice-president. The other presidents in the order of their, election are Knud Ohristensen, W. G. Tubbs, F. M. Bailey and the present incumbent, Loren Nichols. This bank has had a steadily increasing patronage since its incorporation and was never in better condition than now as its recently published statement will indicate. F. L. Nichols is cashier and A. L. Casey, assistant cashier.
The first paper published in Kensal was the North Dakota State Journal, and William H. Dudley was the first editor and publisher. The office was opened in the building where now C. A. D. Kolb furnishes the most exacting with all they need in equine apparel. This was in the spring of 1902, and was brought about largely through the efforts of Messrs. Randall, Tubbs and Miller. The plant has passed through many hands. J. S. TufFord, who changed its name to that of the Kensal Journal, is the present editor and proprietor. In 1904 while E. L Allen, as the third incumbent of the editorial chair of the North Dakota State Journals difficulty arose which precipitated the establishment of a new paper, the Kensal News. W. G. Tubbs, who launched this paper secured as editor, William H. Dudley, the Journal's first editor, who after the Kensal News had run a course of about six months, induced George T. Richmond to buy Allen's outfit when the publication of the new paper was discontinued and the type and machinery of the two offices merged into one and William H. Dudley resumed the editorship of the Journal.
The Messenger was established October 23, 1909, by the Rev. William Snape, pastor of the Kensal Congregational church, who was its first and is now its present editor and publisher. It is published weekly in the interests of the religious communion which he represents and for the moral and spiritual uplift of the community.
There was a weekly Kensal paper (not printed) that antedated all of these, known as the Kensal Kicker, which had the unique honor of a different editor fur each week. It was read in the Friday evening meetings of the Lyceum which met in the Soo waiting room and was attended by the settlers from "miles around," In a sense, though it could not be called a beneficial society, the Lyceum may be listed as Kensal's first lodge. And what good times were had! If the old Soo waiting room could speak it would tell of the happy faces and glad greetings of those who had looked forward all week for Lyceum night to roll around. Those were the happy days when the fewness of the people, their extreme isolation and a lean bank account precluded disintegration because of views social, political or theological. Happy days! "How sweet their memory still.
The first regular lodge to be organized in Kensal was the Modern Woodmen of America, on March 3. 1896, which now has forty-four members.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows followed on March 21, 1900, and has attained a membership of ninety.
The Knights of the Maccabees of the World was organized in September, 1902, but has at the present time only five members living in town. An unfortunate circumstance occurred at the time of organization, in the perfidy of the organizer, which lost for the Maccabees the confidence of prospective members. Only those who were previously connected with the order remained.
September 20,1905,a lodge of the Royal Neighbors of the World was instituted at Kensal, which has at the present time sixty members.
The Brotherhood of American Yeomen, organized September 30, 1907, has attained a membership of fifty-seven.
Of the sixty or more in this community who are eligible, twenty-six have associated themselves in a lodge of the Danish Brotherhood of America. The lodge was organized April 23, 1909.
