With the coming of the Northern Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee
and St. Paul Railroad branches into this section of the State in
1910, the residents of the little inland town of Old Leipzig, gave
serious thought to the problem of moving their homes and places of
business next to these railroads.
This picture shows the Star Flour Mill being moved from Old
Leipzig).
From left to right: man on water tank is Alfred Sprecher and the
men on platform and ground are unidentified. Owner of first
‘Big Four’ gas tractor at left was Elmer Sealameyer, at
wheel. Next two men on same tractor are unidentified. Owner of the
first J. I. Case steamer at left, was Alfred Sprecher with Jake
Hunt at the wheel and Byron DeLange now of Carson, at right with
John Michelson out front on the ground.
The second ‘Big Four’ gas tractor belonged to Charley
Bleick, at wheel, with Floyd Michelson sitting on top of gas tank.
The last J. I. Case Steamer, at right, was owned by the Theurer
Bros, with Fred Theurer on coal tender and Bill Theurer standing on
wheel and Martin Michelson in buggy, over seeing the moving.
It took four and one half days to move the mill a distance of
nine miles, because the building was weighted down with flour
processing machinery. The homemade wooden wheels mired down in soft
spots and wheel boxings burned out and had to be replaced every so
often.
Starting out with three engines, it was necessary to add another
steamer, the one belonging to Alfred Sprecher. It was busy nearby
plowing up new sod with a ten bottom breaker. The building was set
down on a foundation directly south across the street from the
present west end Peavey Elevator.
The Michelson brothers operated and supplied the surrounding
country with flour and processed feeds for a number of years. The
building was later destroyed by fire in about 1922.