Belle Plaine history

Unfortunately, this extensive cultivation of a single crop left Ireland’s potatoes vulnerable to Phytophthora infestans, commonly known as “blight”. In 1844, Irish newspapers began mentioning concern due to a disease that had attacked potatoes in the United States and elsewhere in Europe.

Ireland’s level of dependence on the potato was such that by 1849, the potato blight left over 1 million people dead from starvation, or related illnesses.

FOUNDRY A larger manufacturing plant was built in the latter part of the 1850’s situated about midway between the old depot site and the river.

The Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Judge Andrew G. Chatfield founded the townsite of Belle Plaine in 1853 when he was traveling from Mendota to Traverse des Sioux to conduct court.

In 1854, he returned and took claim of 192 acres, with the forming of a town in mind.

The following spring in 1855, he claimed another 320 acres, all of which is now included in our present town.

Gunnville established a post office in 1856.

By late 1858, the country went into an economic depression and the Belle Plaine Company found itself heavily in debt.

BREWERIES The first brewery was established in 1860, by an Anton Swingler.

In 1865, it burned down and was rebuilt that same year by Dolittle & Norris, at a cost of $9,000.

The Jordan Brewery was founded in 1866.

Nicolin sold the building soon after it’s opening, and in 1867 it took on the name Sand Creek Brewing, run by partners Sebastian Gehring and Frank Paier, who ran the business for almost 20 years.

By 1870, there were nearly 1000 people and Belle Plaine became a thriving town.The town elected a mayor and council, built schools and churches and went about to set up all the needs of the town.

The Belle Plaine Town Company was founded on January 1, 1871, and purchased land located on Section 35, Township 30, Range 1, east for $1.25 an acre.

In 1877 the building burned down yet again and was rebuilt by Schmitt.

The foundry burned down in the 1880’s and was not rebuilt.

Kokes Brewry was started by brothers-in-law Thomas Kokes and Albert Minars in 1884.

In 1885 they decided to sell to Peter Schutz and William Kaiser.

Minars left the partnership in 1887, but Kokes remained an active owner for many years.

1891 plat map of New Prague.

Schmitt Brewery around 1900.

Kaiser left the partnership, and by 1902 the facility was owned jointly by Peter Schultz and Peter Hilgers, whose names have remained with the brewery building ever since.

Our dad, John McDevitt started hs mail carrier job in 1903.

In 1905, Dad and my uncle bought a fourteen she drill for seeding the small grain, and the next spring, Dad bought a 16 disk drill as it got seed in the ground better.

In 1907, Dad bought a cornplanter, and the field was marked crosswise and planted the long way. the planter required two men and was drawn by two horses.

In 1910, Doctor Bartlett established Bartlett’s Park, now called Bartlett’s Arboretum.

A second bond issue in 1911 allowed for expanding the water system in town and to finally put in place a sanitary sewer system.

Belle Plaine Celebrated the Semi-Centennial in 1912.

In 1905, Schmitt passed away, leaving the brewery to his sons. It finally closed in 1916 after being outsold by competition from larger, regional brewing facilities.

Belle Plaine sent her men off to war during WWI. On May 1st, 1918, the first casualty from the town was a boy named John Jennings.

The Schmitt Brewery in Belle Plaine continued in business into the 1920’s.

Jeremiah Continued to farm until 1921, when he moved in with his daughter in Belle Plaine.

He bought the first car in 1925.

A huge fan of boxing, Hayes told the Belle Plaine Herald on January 24th, 1926 that “There was always a lot of good Irish names to be found among the boys at the prize ring”, and said of his youth “You see, they boys fought it out and shook hands afterwards.

Hayes passed away on August 27, 1927 in Belle Plaine.

Unfortunately, this new business model was not as profitable, and the business closed in 1931.

They sold out and moved to town in 1944. It was a very successful business until the bypass was built in 1937.

Lable from Schutz and Hilgers, around 1940.

They sold out and moved to town in 1944.

In 1946 the brewery facilities were bought by Mankato Brewing Company, but they were soon forced to shut down due to financial difficulties.

In 1954, my son bought a tow row mounted to help out.

The Centennial was celebrated in 1962 in Belle Plaine.

Funks Seeds expanded and built their new 8th Street facilities in 1964.

Father Flyn retired after 41 years of with the Belle Plaine Catholic Church.Jeanne Formanek became Miss Iowa in 1967.

The proposal to build a new high school and to locate it on the edge of town met resistance at first, but the issue finally passed and a new high school was built in 1969.

With generous donations from local citizens and endowments from the Mansfield trust and Henry Tippie, the state and federal funding allowed the construction of the hard surface 4000 ft runway in 1992.

The Belle Plaine Historical/Genealogical Society was founded in 1998, with the establishment of a museum soon after.

Ironically, the economic downturn starting in 2008 hit hard the automotive industry.