Home > Records > History Main > Elk Horn 1868-1918

FEBRUARY, 1910--Elk Horn was incorporated as a town.

City officials included Mayor Harold Johnson, Treasurer Hans Petersen, Clerk Hans Carstensen and Councilmen Thor Madsen, J. P. Jorgensen, Chris Larsen, S. C. Pedersen and R. Hansen.

Johnson, the town's first mayor was born in 1863 in Denmark where he was educated and worked with his father in carpentry.

He came to the United States in 1883 and worked four years on farms in the Elk Horn settlement. He then rented a farm in the area until 1908 when he moved to the Elk Horn village to become manager and secretary of the Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Co.

Petersen, the first treasurer, was an early teacher in the settlement, secretary of the Danish Mutual Fire Insurance Co., and worked at the lumber yard three years before entering the mercantile business at the turn of the century.

The village plat was recorded Nov. 2, 1901: Lot 10, Section 1, Township 78, Range 37, Shelby County.

The recorded plat noted it was acknowledged by the Lutheran Society of Elk Horn by Niels Olsen, president, and Jens Rasmussen, secretary; and by the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, by E. B. Christensen, president, Omaha, Nebr., and J. Johnson, secretary, Waupaca, Wis.; also by Peter Jensen, Maren Kristina Jensen, Niels Petersen, R. J. Hansen, Hanna Hansen, Botilde Petersen, Niels J. Christensen, Mary Christensen, Jerry Miller, Mary Miller, Nels Petersen, Marta Petersen, Maria Soe and Jens N. Soe.

December 1907-- With the coming of the Atlantic Northern Railroad, John Hansen became Elk Horn's first depot agent. Mads Nelson was the town's first drayman.

Railroad Receipts Counted

December 31, 1908-- Atlantic Northern officers noted receipts for the last 10 1-2 months of the year were about $25,000 with grain and livestock shipments the major source of revenue.

The first car of stock left Elk Horn January 25 (1908) and three days later the first stock shipment left Kimballton. The first paying passenger on record was Louie Petersen of Kimballton.

The Rattenborgs

Hans Rattenborg was born in that part of Denmark-Germany that sometimes was Danish and sometimes German; September 12, 1872, son of Hans S. and Valborg Rattenborg. He came to the United States as a boy in 1880, and lived in South Bend, Ind., where he sold newspapers, blacked boots and worked at other odd jobs.

In 1886 Rattenborg settled in Shelby County as a farmer

He was married October 13, 1892, in the Elk Horn church to Anna Kathrina Mørk Yngve of Brayton. Mrs. Rattenborg, born May 6, 1876, at Sonder Bjeerts pr Kolding, Denmark, came to the United States when 14 years old.

The Rattenborgs moved to Atlantic in 1896 where he began the manufacture and sale of lightning rods under his own patents. He retained this business for two years, then began the buying and selling of land.

Rattenborg's energy and imagination had other channels for release. He was involved at times in the colonization of areas in Minnesota and Canada.

He had many friends among the political and business leaders of the state and railroad executives in Omaha and Chicago. His friendship with Clyde Herring, who became governor of Iowa and served in the U. S. Senate, led indirectly to Rattenborg's purchase of one of the first cars in the Atlantic Elk Horn area. Herring was a friend of Henry Ford and through this connection, Rattenborg acquired the car.

Before starting toward Elk Horn in the car, he would often send word ahead to farmers whose horses might spook at the approach of the vehicle.

Railroad Reorganized

FEB. 1, 1909 -- The Atlantic Northern Railroad administration reorganized under president Hans S. Rattenborg; vice-presidents A. H. Jorgensen, M. N. Esbeck and John Petersen; secretary Ben U. Wood; assistant secretary Maude Dooley; treasurer James E. Bruce; attorney W. Follet; with executive committee members Rattenborg, J. H. Simmons, James Stier, Albert Johnson and Esbeck.

Frank Lefevre was named head agent with supervision of all stations, at $80 per month. The Elk Horn station agent's salary was set at $45 per month and the Kimballton agent's salary at $50 per month. Thomas Doyle was named conductor and roadmaster at $75 per month.

Directors under the reorganization included F. C. Smith, W. L. Harris, John Leistad, George N. Christensen and Jorgen Marcussen.

Phone Manager Named

1909 -- Harold Johnson was named general manager and secretary of the Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Co., which was organized Dec. 30. 1902, in a meeting at the Clay Center school house. Walter E. Potts was the company's first president.

Other organizational officers were vice president A. Long, secretary H. J. Eusden, treasurer C. N. Hansen, and directors Paul Nelsen, P. M. Petersen, John Fredericksen and Matt Larsen.

The first 100 telephones wer epurchased from a Chicago firm May 30. 1904.

DECEMBER 1902 -- John Petersen and S. C. Pedersen organized Elk Horn's first bank, the Elk Horn Bank, with $10,000 capital; in the town's first so-called fireproof, brick building.

1905--Hans Boe replaced F. D. Klyver as manager of the orphans home. Klyver had succeeded Chris Christensen.

JUNE 1902 -- Pastor Thomas N. Jersild succeeded Pastor P. S. Vig.