MASSENA

The town of Massena was incorporated about 1886, the first store in the town being built in the winter of 1883-4 by Chas. BAKER. The railroad came during the summer of 1884. The first mayor of the town was VAN McCURDY. The first church to be built in the town was of the M. E. denomination, and the first money received for the church was raised by a dance held in SNELSON's drug store, as a result of which $7.50 was raised. The town had a bad fire on January 2, 1901, when a block of business houses burned at a loss of about $15,000. Subsequently the block was rebuilt with brick. The town has had a steady growth and the present population is about 500. The city officials are: Mayor, L.R. TEMPLE; Clerk, Chas. McBRIDE; Treasurer, D.P. HOGAN; Councilmen, Geo. ARNOLD, T.M. SCOTT, L.C. MITCHELL, Wm. SNELSON, C.L. SHIELDS and E.W. HOLMES. The town has good schools and good churches, the Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, Christian and German Lutheran being represented there. Massena is among the good towns of Cass County, and her citizens are progressive, thrifty and ever alive to anything which will be of public benefit.

From: Exposition Souvenir Album, published by Democrat Publishing Company, Atlantic, Iowa, 1904. Transcribed by Brenda Magee, June, 2010.

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