At the instance of Anton Feckler, E. D. Lum, then editor of the Kensal Journal, and other business men, a public meeting was held February 16, 1907, in the office of the Kensal Implement Company, when the Kensal Commercial club was organized. Anton Feckler was elected president and James Darcy secretary, and these gentlemen were appointed a committee to draft articles of incorporation and by-laws. At a subsequent meeting held March 12, 1907. articles of incorporation were adopted and the following board of directors elected: Anton Feckler, S. C. Shockley. H. A.  Stinson, O. E. Holmes, P. O. Sletten, Anton Pederson and F. A. Russell, who in turn elected Anton Feckler, president: S. C. Shockley, vice-president; James S. Darcy, secretary. The efforts of the club were first directed toward incorporating the town of Kensal as a village and in this respect gave valuable assistance, supporting the proposition in a body and defraying a part of the expense. They were, however, reimbursed for their outlay in this respect by the village when the first year's taxes had been collected.

The club had advocated the broadening of Third Avenue to 100 feet so as to correspond with Main street, and recommended the same to the first board of trustees. This became in part realized during 1909.

To their credit may also be mentioned the filling in of the team track in the railroad yards and the building by the Soo of a walk from the station to the street cross walk. During the past two winters social smokers have been held at which matters of interest to the merchants and the farmers have been discussed, all of which have been well attended and greatly appreciated. These have helped to bring about a closer relationship between the two, and  this is as it should bethe interests of the two are communal, not separate.

The Commercial club is now endeavoring to obtain better passenger accommodations, and has also taken up with our representatives at Washington the matter of securing better pay for the rural mail carriers. The present officers are: DirectorsO. E. Holmes, Anton Feckler, Glenn Farrar, Thomas Nihill, F. L. Nichols, Jacob Peterson and Albert Hanson; PresidentF. L. Nichols; Secretary and TreaurerL. C. Lane. Kensal's latest organization was born February 8, 1910, when in response to invitations extended by L.  C. Lane, ten ladies met in the town hall and formed the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Kensal Commercial club. Its object and aim is said to be the beautifying of the village; its streets, alleys and lawns; the establishment and maintenance of a public library and reading room; the maintenance of a literary and art club and the aiding of the Kensal Commercial club generally. The following officers were duly elected: PresidentsL. C. Lane; Vice-PresidentMrs. Sam Ferguson; Secretary and TreasurerMrs. C. A. D.  Kolb; Chairman Improvement LeagueMrs. Sam Ferguson; Chairman Library AssociationMrs. C. J. Croonquist; Chairman Literary and Art ClubMiss Gladys Thompson.

Kensal was incorporated as a village in the spring of 1908 at which time the boundaries of the three wards were determined, Third avenue. Main street, the railroad and the limits of the town determining their boundaries. The First ward being that part of the town east of Third avenue, Main street and north of the rail-road. Second ward includes that part of the village east of Third avenue, Main street and north of the railroad, while the Third ward includes that part of the town south of the railroad. The election to determine whether the town should incorporated as a village was held April 25, 1908, when Albert Hanson, S. C. Shockley and L. C. Lane were the inspectors of election. The vote stood 67 for and only 1 against incorporation.

First election of officers was held May 5, 1908, and the third Tuesday in March was determined upon as the date for subsequent annual elections.  The first and present officers_follow.

 

First Officers Trustees 1st Ward, Jacob Peterson 2nd Ward. Anton Feckler 3rd Ward. Albert Hanson Clerk O. M. Wilkinson Treasurer Glenn Farrar Assessor Ben J. Jones Justice of the Peace L. C.. Lane Marshall T. J. Walsh

Present Officers Trustees----- 1st Ward, Dan C. Clancy 2nd Ward, O. E. Holmes 3rd Ward, J. S. Tufford Clerk----- George A. Kern Treasurer----- Gustav Guenther Assessor----- Charles McKinnon Justice of the Peace---- J. S. Tufford Marshall----- Matt Bowers

The early residents of Kensal did not have the Soo to bring their mail daily almost to their door. Instead they were required to go to what was known as the Arrowood post office located on the George F. Armstrong place, at which time Mr. Armstrong was postmaster. Later when Henry Tufford, the father of J. S. Tufford, became postmaster, the post office was transferred to his farm, now the Drew farm. A. C. Conant carried the mail from Pingree to Esler and also to Arrowood, making the trip on Tuesdays and Saturdays of each week until 1893 when a post office was established at Kensal and G. F. Armstrong bceame the first postmaster. The first post office building was a small shack brought in from his claim by G. F. Armstrong and located on the lot on which now stands Bredahl & Radke's pool room. After serving Uncle Sam faithfully it was moved by Bert George to his claim where it again figured in dealings with the government and is still doing faithful service for Joseph Pitia. On the retirement of the first postmaster, C. W. McDonnell succeeded to that position in connection with his duties as agent for the Soo. The other postmasters in the order of their service were: J. M. Watson, H. A.  Stinson., H. L. Hoover, O. E. Holmes and A. J. Thompson, the present incumbent. In the summer of 1909 two rural routes were created. Martin Larson through heat and cold delivers, daily, the letters from afar to the farmers along the north route Rural Delivery No. 1, and Henry Christiansen, who served the government as a soldier for 25 or 30 years, developed such bravery that he smiles at a North Dakota blizzard as he connects the tillers of the soil along Rural Delivery No. 2, south of town, with the rest of the world.

There is perhaps no better indicator of the growth of a town than a comparison of the post office receipts for a decade. We are indebted to Miss Gladys Thompson for the following statement showing the increase in business at the Kensal post office for the period named:

Receipts from money orders issued during the year 1900, the late James Moody Watson postmaster during that period................................................................................$     968 28

Postal receipts for the year 1900................................................ 526 00

Total.................................................................................$   1 494 28

Receipts from money orders issued during the year 1909,

Andrew Thompson postmaster...........................................$ 23 147 05

Postal receipts for the year 1909............................................ 2 514 07

Total.................................................................................$ 25 661 12

Increase in gross receipts of office during the 9 years .. ...... .$ 24 166 84

 

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