Fall 1887 -- The folk school winter term opened in the new building, built after a May 7 fire destroyed the old building.

The loss was covered by insurance of $2,600 on the building and $240 on furniture and equipment. The new building, for 70-100 students cost about $4,300.

December 22, 1888 -- The growing Danish Mutual Fire Insurance Association reported $160,000 insurance in force. The company decided that for the present it would not insure any farmer living more than six miles from the nearest company director.

Spring 1890 -- A group met at the M. N. Esbeck hardware store in Kimballton and organized a cooperative creamery. A similar venture was under way in Elk horn.

Creamery plans were helped with the arrival of buttermakers Peter Hansen and Henry Hendricksen who, while enroute from Pennsylvania to Nysted, Nebr., stopped at Newell, Iowa; where they were told about the Elk Horn school being rebuilt after the fire. They detoured and spent the winter of 1889-90 at the school.

With two buttermakers in the settlement, and the farmers anxious for a better market for milk, the creameries were established.

Hansen was employed at the Kimballton plant and Henricksen in Elk Horn.

The Kimballton creamery got under way after 50 farmers signed for shares at $12 per. Some paid cash while others deferred payment against delivery of milk equal to the value of a share.

Early patrons included Jorgen Hansen, Peter Mortensen, George L. Jorgensen Sr. and A. H. Jorgensen. Among all the Danes was one outsider--George Allen.

August 1889 -- The congregation discussed establishing an orphans' home in Elk Horn.

Kimballton

Soon after the Kimballton site was platted in 1883, a store was erected to house the Post Office.

The first goods reportedly sold in the store were stocked by Nels Hansen, who had been in business in Elk Horn with his brother, Lars Hansen.

A blacksmith shop, saloon, dance hall, boarding house and school then were raised on the Kimballton site. Next came a hardware store built by Martin N. Esbeck, who had been a gold miner in the West. Jorgen Miller then built a flour mill fashioned after those in Denmark, with a large wheel.

Kimballton was officially recorded June 2, 1888, as a platted village in Audubon County.

Hans Jorgensen was succeeded as postmaster in July 1888 by Hans Marquesen.

The saloon at Kimballton was doing such a good business in 1886 that the Elk Horn church congregation decided December 29, to "do what it could" to close it. A committee, Knud Petersen, Geo Bruhn and Fred Petersen, was named to use its "influence in doing away with the evil existing so close to Elk Horn."

One source termed the saloonkeeper as "rather an original--Jorgensen was his name, and he and his two small sons tended the joint which also served them as a home."

The influence of the church committee apparently was considerable. The means was not recorded but the church noted April 2, 1887: "Committee for closing of Kimballton saloon reported that the saloon was closed and the owner arrested. Committee was thanked."

March 1, 1886 -- The Danish Mutual Fire Insurance Association was organized with officers Rasmus Hansen, president; Nels Molgaard, secretary; and George Bruhn, treasurer.

The charter was issued earlier after a meeting in Hans Petersen's school house. Petersen said Bruhn paced back and forth on the floor, dictating the constitution and by-laws while the others made copies.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass from Elk Horn 1868-1918, July, 2022, page 9.