Communities
Herkimer
A woman platted and owned Bryan, the forerunner of Herkimer. Harriett A Keller appeared before the register of deeds in the Marshall County courthouse on May 2nd, 1878 and swore that she was the owner of the land.
Harriett and her husband, Adam Keller changed the name of the town to Herkimer for his hometown of Herkimer, New York and the post office was officially established July 18, 1878. Adam was the first postmaster of Herkimer.
Farmers living in the vicinity needing a more convenient market for their products laid siding with volunteer labor for the railroad tracks.
About 1902 the Omaha Bridge Company put in a new bridge across Horseshoe Creek near the Peter Koppes farm and the first telephone was installed in Dr. Tay’s Drug Store by the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company. Later when the telephone usage became more common, a branch of the Oketo Mutual Telephone Company was established in Herkimer to serve the town and rural customers. Mrs. Matt Mollinger and daughters, Veronica and Alma, were the first operators in about 1909.
The bank building was erected in 1909 and the bank organized in 1910 with capital stock of $10,000. There were three employees at the bank, the president, vice president and cashier.
Although there had been three saloons in operation before 1902, only a soft drink parlor was in operation by George Berger seven years later. After a fire the location of the post office was changed and a new postmaster was appointed. Today the post office building in it present location on the east side of the street is not in Herkimer, as it was never platted. The town of Herkimer was never incorporated.
Fred Woellner was the town barber. Besides two general stores, there was also a meat market and restaurant. After the demise of the saloons the drug store/soft drink parlor offered refreshments.
Before World War I, after cars were becoming popular, J.H. Krug opened a garage and sold automobiles. It was at this time that an electric plant was established to light the town.
As many of the families were of German decent, Immanuel Luther Church was organized in 1890 and the church edifice erected in 1893 at a cost of $1,000. The first pastor was Rev. E. Vogt and the congregation number about 110 adults with more than 160 in the congregation. The church burned in 1926 and a new church was built by Armin Slupianek, who had a carpentry shop in Herkimer.
Zion Luther Church was organized in 1892 with 12 charter members and the Rev. H. Wein o f Clay Center called as pastor guided the congregation in boiling a church in1892 on ground donated by Henry Koeneke. Two years later a parsonage was built on the same ground. In 1894 the church purchased an acre of land 1 ½ miles north of Herkimer. Which is now called The Zion-Mt Calvary Lutheran Cemetery.
After the siding and tracks of the St. Joseph and Denver railroad laid in 1879 and the depot built in 1890, Herkimer became a good market place for selling grain and livestock for Horsehoe Creek farmers. As the town grew and boomed the grain and livestock business of the fertile fields of thrifty German farmers made Herkimer a grain center. It was for this reason that Herkimer was known as the best little town on the railroad line. A steam operated grain elevator was moved from Hanover in 1889 by W.H. Koeneke and he was joined in the grain business in 1892 by Wm. Reamer. A two story frame building served as a hotel for “drummers” and others, who arrived by train. David Storck operated the hotel, he was referred to a “peddler” because he carried his wares from house to house in a horse drawn closed wagon filled with goods.
An outgrowth from the grain and livestock business was the organization of a Farmers Union elevator, which was sold to the Herkimer Cooperative Business Association on August 20, 1916. Since the big building program of the Herkimer CO-OP has expanded to a capacity of 154,000 bushels in 1953. Another addition of 126,000 bushels in 1956 has increased its capacity. Recently the Herkimer CO-OP purchased the Marysville Agri Services, the former Hutchison and then Larabee Mills. It also operates the Herkimer CO-OP pig feeding operation.