Remember When

Excerpts from past Tracy newspapers Nov. 1, 1956 — Harlan Rowland sealed his last mail bag Thursday — and with it ended 47-1/2 years of civil service in the Tracy post office. Rowland, who has been assistant postmaster, completed his service which started June 15, 1909, as temporary employment until he could go railroading. There was a difference of salary in those days with the post office paying $50 a month and the railroad $66 for switching. His father, conductor on a construction train, persuaded him to stay in the post office and though Rowland planned to go east in a year or two, he says now, he hasn’t even gone there yet. The 47 years have brought many changes in the post office as well as Tracy, the retiring postal employee recalls as he tells of the 11 saloons, 8 grocery stores, mud streets and high wooden sidewalks that made Tracy a typical midwestern village.

Obituaries: Hecla Holland

Nov. 3, 1966 — The Minnesota highway department this week announced the awarding of a contract for a revised signal system at the Garvin Corner intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 14. The Lit-Rite Electric Service company of Melrose, with a bid of $7,000 was the low bidder for the Garvin Corner installation as well as another signal system on Highway 75 at the intersection of TH 212, south of Madison. The installation at the so-called “hazardous” Garvin Corner was the outcome of a serious truckbus accident last Aug. 5th and resulting investigation by highway officials and urging of Rep. Cap Fischer, a member of the legislative highway interim committee.

Obituaries: Wayne Williams, Fred Neuman

Oct. 28, 1976 — Three seats on the Tracy City Council will be filled in the Nov. 2 general election. Incumbents Dale Hatch and Claire Hannasch, who were elected new to the council last November, and incumbent Dale Krog, a fiveyear member of the council, are being opposed to byLoren Klein, Dave Carey, Ford Ankrum and Dale Johnson, Sr.

Nov. 12, 1986 — N/A Oct. 30, 1996 — Rollerblading and skateboa rding are now against the law in downtown Tracy. Citing safety concerns, the Tracy City Council Monday night unanimously enacted an emergency ordinance that prohibits the use of in-line skates, scooters, roller skates and skateboards in Downtown Tracy. The ordinance is effective immediately. City Administrator Audrey Koopman recommended the ordinance. “This is becoming more of a problem all the time,” she said. Koopman expressed concern over the amount of skate board and skating activities taking place on sidewalk, step and ramp areas in front of city hall and the Prairie Pavilion. The administrator worried that it was only a matter of time before a skater collides with a pedestrian or a skater becomes serious injured. Making matters worse, kids have begun applying wax to the edge of concrete steps. Koopman worried the wax would become slick in wet conditions. City employees had to melt the wax with a torch to remove the substance.

Obituaries: Robert Ziemke, Orlando “Ole” Olson, Darrell Aarthun, Daniel Lasnetske, Clair Peterson, Julius Norstegard, Roy Christensen

Nov. 1, 2006 — N/A Nov. 2, 2016 — Tracy voters will select three people for fouryear terms on the Tracy City Council in the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election. Thirteen people filed for the city council election. The names that are on the ballot are Ernest Rosa, Jan Arvizu, Tammara Schons, Dave Tiegs, Danial W. Jensen, Bill Chukuske, Sarah Willhite, Rhonda L. Fredericks, Rosemary Krueger Martin, Wayne Gorton, Tony Peterson, Dale Johnson Jr., and James D. Green.

Obituaries: Helen Sammons, Alexander Wlodkowski, Lao Yang, Dale Bennett