1918 Kasson School Project
KARE is assisting Kasson’s citizens to identify a reuse for the 1918 Kasson School Building.
School History
A history of Kasson Schools can be found in Appendix A of the Final Citizen’s Petition below:
Additional School Project Related Links and information:
Kasson North Park WPA Structures
A fireplace, a swimming pool, park entrance and attached walls and other features were constructed by the Workers Progress Administration in 1938 in the Veterans Memorial Park on the north side of Kasson (see slideshow pictures attached to this webpage). All the structures were constructed of native limestone. In 2006, the Kasson City Council voted to demolish the historic fireplace to make room for a new park shelter. The demolition occurred the week of June 17, 2007 despite the fact that at Council meetings in April the Kasson Alliance for Restoration (KARE) offered to pay for the entire cost to rehabilitate the fireplace to include tuck pointing, replacing stones and any foundation work. Unfortunately, the Council members were determined to move forward with demolition to make way for a new park shelter. The city staff claimed the fireplace was a safety hazard. Read the news article with pictures of the demolition in progress and related news. After demolishing the fireplace the city discussed demolishing the nearby WPA walls (see photos below) at the entrance to the park as opposed to rehabilitating them citing budget concerns. Similar to the fireplace, KARE offered to pay 100% of the cost to repair and tuck point the walls. As a result of KARE’s advocacy the city hired a contractor in 2008 to tuck point the walls. The contractor (Olive Brothers Construction from Mantorville, MN) did a beautiful job. They used a mortar material that is the same color as the adjacent weathered mortar. To learn more Click Here to read a 30 July 2008 Dodge County Independent Newspaper story.
Photo Credit: Kenton Spading
Photos Taken: April 12, 2007, at Veterans Park on 7th Street NW
Kasson’s History
Jabez Hyde Kasson
Only known photo of Mr. Kasson. Photo courtesy of Minnesota State Historical Society.
The City of Kasson was named after Jabez Hyde Kasson who was the owner of the original town site which is located in Mantorville Township. Mr. Kasson was born to Myron Kasson and Betsey Hyde in Springville, Pennsylvania on January 17, 1820 and moved to Minnesota in 1856 and settled on a farm in the Township. He was named after his maternal grandfather Jabez Hyde. When the Winona and St. Peter Railroad reached the eventual town site in the fall of 1865, Mr. Kasson laid out the village on his land with the help of others and in November the first passenger train came. The town’s plat was recorded on October 13, 1865 and Kasson’s post office opened in 1866. Warren Upham, superintendent of the Minnesota Historical Society from 1896-1934, reported that the city of Kasson was incorporated on February 24, 1870 and again on April 22, 1916. It separated from the Township on March 21, 1917.
Kasson is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota within the United States of America. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census. The city is located in southern Minnesota 13 miles west of Rochester, Minnesota along U.S. Route 14. It is one of the endpoints of Minnesota State Highway No. 57. For many years Kasson was a station for the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad’s main freight rail line currently runs through the city.
The City of Mantorville, which is 3 miles to the north, is the county seat and home to the oldest continuously operating court house in the state.
More information:
National Registry Buildings
Cemetery Records and Map
History of Kasson Residents