IAGenWeb Project - Allamakee co. Misc. Historical Items


New Albin Only Eight Years
From Reaching Century Mark

By Robert C. Gehl


LaCross Tribune Aerial Photo by Ed Huebner, 1963

Photo caption: Cornerstone -- New Albin could well be called a cornerstone of the State of Iowa, lying as it does in the northeast angle boundaries between Minnesota and Wisconsin.  The view is looking northward, and the road that angles off to the left in the upper left hand corner is Iowa Highway 182, becoming Minnesota 26 when it crosses the border at the edge of town.  Tribune Aerial Photo by Ed Huebner

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New Albin Only Eight Years From Reaching Century Mark
By Robert C. Gehl,
LaCrosse Tribune Staff Writer

This 92-year-old off-river community of 643 inhabitants is located in the northeast corner of the State of Iowa. The cast iron marker on the north ledge of the town designates the border between Iowa and Minnesota.

The town is situated on a plain at the mouth of a valley along Highway 182 about midway between Brownsville in Minnesota and Harpers Ferry in Iowa.

The highway is routed along the edge of the town but follows through one of the two main business streets.

A unique physical feature of the town is that while its two business streets parallel each other they are separated by a wide gulf through which the railroad runs.

The residential district lies almost entirely off one side of these business streets which are linked by several side streets.

New Albin is in a farming community and its business economy is largely dependent upon trade with the outlaying area.

The people are mostly of German and Irish origin and one of their outstanding characteristics is that most own their own homes.

About a dozen new homes have gone up since 1954.

About three-fourths of the workers in the town are employed by industries in La Crosse to the north and Lansing to the south.

Most of the men work in La Crosse and most of the women are employed in Lansing.

The present Highway 182 was constructed through here in 1936.

A rather remarkable story told here about the local citizenry is that 100 per cent of the voters turned out for the two most recent school elections.

And as many as 99 per cent of local eligible voters cast ballots in the last presidential election.

Mrs. Joseph (Margaret) Burke is now 92 and the town's oldest resident.

Ed Meyer is the person who has been in business the longest pe­riod of time.

Paul H. Meyer has served as treasurer of the fire department 36 years.

Largest industries in the village are the Lee Aluminum Foundry and Manufacturing Co., owned by Leon Hosch, which manufactures ,toy farm machinery and custom aluminum castings, and the John C. Mendenhall Lumber Co. which also produces cement blocks and silo materials. Hosch Marine Sales is a division of Lee Aluminum and Manufacturing Co. here.

Albert G. Meyer operates a log and lumber company and saw­mill. Robert Potter runs a cheese factory and locker plant. John Wiemerslage has the stockyards. Bernard Mauss operates a produce firm and hatchery.

Meyer and Co. store is operated by Pete Hartley while the two other stores are owned by Peter Mays and Edgar and Shirley Wuennecke.

Other businesses include Alfred Meyer, furniture and electrical appliances; Leo and Leonard Heiderscheit, auto sales, garage and service station; Alfred Tabatt, garage; Robert Bowman and Connie Mauss, feed stores; and Nick Router, blacksmith and wagon repair.

Clinton Dee has an implement firm, Leslie Dresselhauss, a hard­ware store; Jee Fink and Frank Heiderscheit, cafes; Victor Cremer, supper club; Henry Becker and Walter Breeser, barbershops; Myron Kranbeer, Arthur Demunk, Robert Plagge and Robert Kester have taverns; Walter Weymiller, radio and television service; and Emil Weymiller, Gerald Darling and Martin Schuttemeier have service stations. Raymond Sires has a bulk oil company.

Harold Riehm does general contracting and road construction while Robert Dresselhaus does ex­cavating, grading, trench work and sewer digging. Edwin Meyer and Son are well drillers. Adolph Rudnick runs a roadside fruit stand. John and Lulu Schuldt have a ladies' and men's wear store.

An unusual business in the town is the Paulus Pohlman wormery where fishing worms are grown on a commercial scale.

New Albin Savings Bank remodeled its building in 1956. Paul H. Meyer is bank president.

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-source: September 1963 LaCrosse Tribune Newspaper Clipping
-scan of photo & transcription from Errin Wilker

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