Then & Now: A History of Rice County, Faribault & Communities

Second Regiment, Minnesota National Guard camp at Faribault, June 24, 1888.
grandchildren.
Of his farming days, he has many memories -
primitive farming methods later giving way to
mechanized machinery, using oxen for farm work at
first, then horses and later tractors- becoming a firm
believer in agricultural co-operatives and serving as
president of the Montgomery Livestock Shipping
Association C(}-op for 40 years, prompting a
congratulatory letter for his contributions to the C(}-Op
movement from Lyle Lamphear, director of public
relations for the Central Livestock Association, South
St. Paul, and recalling zestfully the day many years
ago when he entered a prize team in the under 3400
pounds event of a Le Sueur County Fair horse pulling
contest and "stole the show" by capturing top honors.
McGillen also recalls, with a happy twinkle in his
eye, the days when the Foley-McGillen Orchestra (he
was a mandolin player) played for well-attended
dances at Franta's Hall, Montgomery. The band also
played for "400 Club" dances once a month. Members
of the popular musical ensemble were: Frank Kubat,
Martin Willaby, Bart Foley, William Foley, John
Murphy and McGillen. ·
The nonegerian's greatest memories, though, are
of his baseball days in the early 1900's. A catcher, he
played on Erin Township, Shieldsville and Kilkenny
teams. He remembers the stars who played on the
championship Fleckenstein Brewery baseball teams
which met all comers in successful style. He, too,
remembers pitcher McCleary who chalked up an
imposing five year record of 160 games as pitcher for
Lake Benton and Waseca, winning 149 of the games
and losing but 11.
He also has fond memories of George Barton and
Halsey Hall, Minneapolis sports writers, and followed
closely the baseball careers of Jimmy Pofahl, now of
Owatonna but formerly of Faribault who played for the
Washington Senators, and Hudson "Hockey" Mealey,
Faribault, of Southern Minnesota League and
University of Minnesota baseball fame. All these years
he has kept extensive batting, pitching and fielding
records of many diamond stars.
On his 96th birthday, versatile John McGillen
received many congratulations. He took it all in stride
like the true trooper he is.
183 die in wars
Hundreds of Rice County residents served their
country, for the past 115 years, in United States Wars,
including the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World
War I, World War II, Korean Conflict and the Vietnam
War.
During that service, 183 war veterans from this
county paid the supreme sacrifice by giving their lives
in four wars, Vietnam War, Korean Conflict, World
War II and World War I, according to figures supplied
by Charles Fleckenstein, Rice County Veterans
Service Officer. Figures were not available for
Spanish-American War and Civil War casualties.
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