Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/739

 MISTOKY OF GOODHUE COUNT"* 643 Bluffs. Its filtering and qualities are recognized all over the United States as an effective agency in the mechanical purifying of impure water. The sand taken from the bluffs is firsl screened to take out the gravel, then it is dried and again screened to pro- duce- the three grades, the grades desired by the customers being regulated by the quality of the water to be filtered and the amount which it is desired shall pass through the sand in a given time. The sand has a wide market and has been widely used by municipal and private water works. It is highly praised by chemists and by users. The sand is used for sand blast as well as for nitration purposes. Adolf G. Gallasch is imw the active manager of the plant, which is located near the end of West avenue, in South Red Wing. The Red Wing Telephone Company was incorporated Decem- ber 15, 1904, with the following officers: President, A. P. Pierce; vice president, C. A. Rasmussen; secretary and treasurer, D. ML Neill. The directors were the above named gentlemen and W. C. Krise, E. H. Moulton, A. J. Scherf, H. E. Akenson and R. L. Gron- dahl. The officers and directors have been the same to the pres- ent time, with the addition of X. H. Featherstone to complete the board of directors. The authorized capital stock of the company is $150,000. The first operation of the system was started May 1, 1905. Since then the growth of the service in Red Wing and adjacent suburban territory has been remarkable. Under the management of Mr. Neill the number of instruments in use has increased to about 1,500 and the service given the patrons is most excellent. Since its first operation the switchboard and offices have been in the Goodhue County National Bank building. The enterprise is strictly local, and has had its share in the present prosperity of Red Wing and Goodhue county. Lovgren, Peterson & Friestad were among the first manufac- turers in Red Wing. They had a plant located on Fifth street, between Bush and Plum, and for many years made wagons, sleds, plows, safes and the like, on a scale that was truly magnificent compared with the size of the village at that time. The Red Wing Compounding Company was organized Janu- ary 1, 1909. with the following officers : President, Dr. W. M. Sweney; vice president, James H. Sweney; secretary, John Hempftling; treasurer, Lawrence Penfold. The company makes a general line of proprietary articles and has a rapidly growing business with great future possibilities. The clam fishing industry is very important in the neighbor- hood of Red Wing. While the main channel of the Mississippi at this point is now about depleted as far as a clam shell crop is concerned, the fishing operations are still continued in the creeks and inlets, and valuable pearls are found from time to time, a