Keewatin Minnesota City History

Excerpted from
KEEWATIN FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY 1906 - 1956
Printed by the Eastern Itascan, Published 1956

Leading thinkers throughout history have attempted to define the word "education". They have never been able to agree exactly on how it should be defined, but for centuries there has been little doubt about its essential purpose—to teach someone an idea or fact.

Schools became a necessity as soon as letters were invented. Their importance continued to grow until the present system was reached—the elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of high learning. Americans believe, that if democracy is to function and progress as it should, its citizens should have access to learning.

The residents of this community are very grateful to the forward-looking pioneers who established the first schools which have evolved into the present excellent educational system. The Keewatin schools, following the highest standards for elementary and secondary education, have contributed many young people to be among the leaders and followers in this great country of America.

June 12, 1906. Certificate of organization of Common School District Number Nine, Keewatin and Nashwauk.

First School—Two class room frame building on present site of Keewatin schools. Contract let to J. A. Roberts and Company at a cost of about $9,000.00. About twenty-five pupils enrolled at opening and increased to about forty later in the year. Teacher's quarters on second floor. First teachers: Miss Nelson and Miss Hathaway. Janitor and family lived in basement. First janitor: John Maki.

In 1907 the district was organized as Common School District Number Nine of Nashwauk and Keewatin.

Football (Arrowhead Conference): 1947, George P. Williams, Coach; 1949, George P. Williams, Coach; 1950, George P. Williams, Coach.

Basketball (District 28): 1937, William Ress, Coach; 1951, George P. Williams, Coach.

Speech Contests: Regional Winners: 1937, Ralph Kokkonen; 1941, Amy
Knudson; 1946, Richard Anderson; 1947, Richard Donlon; 1948, Constance Verrant; 1954, Warren Mason; 1956, Thomas Shuirman, James Verrant, Rozann Uremovich, Beverly Kruchoski.

The American Legion is the service organization with the longest period of organization in the Village of Keewatin. It was first organized on March 20, 1920 with 15 charter members. At the 50 year mark of Keewatin's history, the American Legion lists 130 members.

The Legion has a long history of service to the community by sponsoring celebrations on patriotic holidays. The American Legion medal is awarded to the boy high school graduate with the highest scholastic average. Bginning with 1956, a scholarship of$100 will also be presented. The Legion sponsors the American Junior Legion baseball activities, the school patrol, and the annual delegate to Boys' State.

The Legion Auxiliary was organized in 1920 with Mrs. A. C. Kean actingas first president. The charter issued in 1921 lists 17 charter members as compared to the current membership of 72. The charter members were: Laurette Anderson, Retta Bede, Mrs. John Beecroft, Mrs. Richard Camaish, Inez Carlson, Mrs. James Golden, Mrs. A. W. Kangas, Mrs. A. C. Kean, Ruth Linstrom, Gladys Olson, Mrs. Fred Peiton, Catherine Shea, Mrs. J. A. Stampe, Mrs. W. B. Steenstrup, and Mrs. F. V. Wakkinen.

The primary objective of the Auxiliary is the furthering of the Legion's program of service to the nation. Locally, the group has fostered a variety of activities. A few of these are a Child Welfare Program, which insures care and protection for any veteran's child; a yearly poppy sale, which finances the Rehabilitation work; sewing and gift projects, which are sent to state institutions and veteran hospitals; and the sale of Christmas seals, which is instrumental in promoting good health. Moreover the Auxiliary makes the same awards that the Legion does for scholarship and for Girls' State.

Twice in its 50 year history, our small community has been called to support a national war effort. In both World War I and World War II, Keewatin enthusiastically responded with its sons. Eighty-two answered the call in the War of 1917 and over five hundred from Keewatin had performed duty by the end of World War II. The first to answer the summons in 1917 include Frank Capelletti, Wm. Phephles, Louis Jeanette, Anton Logar, Frank Dianne, and Tony Branca. Those among the first to leave Keewatin at the time of the second world war were Nick "Kiki" Spadaccini, Eli Vukodinovich, and Victor Naglich.

World War I
Dominic Bertogliot, Nels Hatlen, George Murphy, Joseph Preshiren, Urho Ranta, William Ress, Carl Rico, D. J. Rochon, Neil Shea, John Suzick, August Venier, Dominic Venier, John Waara, Charles Zevnick.

World War II
Frank Belancic, Matt Churack, Raymond Cossick, Ivar Erickson, Wilbur Eckstrom, Robert Johnson, Lauri Kallio, George Moffat, Frank Molea, Tony Molea, Alfred Paatala, Vernon Peterson, Frank Prebonic, Frank Schweiger, John Sippola, Lauri Sippola, Ladislau Vessel

The Prebonic-Belancic Post was chartered in 1946 with 102 members. Membership at present is 155. The V.F.W. is an active organization. Besides promoting the interests of veterans, the V.F.W. has an excellent record for community services rendered. It has arranged community programs to commemorate patriotic holidays. In addition, the V.F.W. makes an annual award to the outstanding graduating senior in athletics. With the aid of the V.F.W. Auxiliary, an annual banquet is held to honor Keewatin's outstanding citizen.

The V.F.W. Auxiliary No. 5516 was instituted in 1946
with 45 charter members. The first officers were:

The Keewatin Moose Lodge was organized on February 17, 1929,
with the following as the first officers:

The purpose of the Moose Fraternity organization is Purity, Aid, and Progress. One of the strongest factors in the evergrowing success of the Moose Fraternity is its complete love for children. The Moose provide a home and school for dependent children of deceased members at Moose-heart and a home of opportunity for dependent aged members and their wives at Moosehaven.

The organization promotes civic affairs, and it sponsors with other organizations, Fourth of July celebrations, Youth Honor Day, Christmas party for kiddies, and donates from its funds both to Nashwauk and Keewatin to educational and charitable institutions. The Moose at the present time are sponsoring the Cub and Boy Scouts of Keewatin. The State Moose Convention was held at Keewatin, Minnesota, in July, 1937, with Jack Beecroft as General Chairman.

The Women of the Moose dates back to November, 1929 with a charter group of 26 members. Officers at the time were:

The membership of the present Moose includes women from Nashwauk and Pengilly. The Women of the Moose help support the National Child Center of Mooseheart, and an old folks' home, Moosehaven, at Orange, Florida. Among the organization's activities are the sponsoring of the local Cancer drive as well as aid to student nurses.

The Women's Catholic Order of Foresters was organized September 8, 1935. The first officers were:

The Catholic Order of Foresters have 54 members at the present time with the following officers:

Chief Ranger	Johanna Karpan
Vice Chief Ranger	Hazel Blair
Recording Secretary	Mary Sordi
Financial Secretary	Mary Zevnick
Treasurer	Josephine Schutte

Trustees:
Mary Filippi, Mary Michelich, and Ann Spadaccini.

Conductors:
Mary Brletich and Dorothy Stuntebeck.

Sentinels:
Ann Juhlin and Ann Gustin.

THE C. I. O.

It was not until 1939, after several unsuccessful attempts, that Labor Unions became firmly established. At this time, the United Steel Workers of America became an effective force in economic relations.

Working, safety, and health conditions, have greatly improved because the companies and the union have worked together. Standard of living has become the highest in the world, and the miner has become one of the highest paid workers in America. A pension plan for retired miners, and a social insurance plan have been negotiated between the company and the union for the miners.

The unions have been active in all civic and community affairs. They have contributed large sums of money to all important fund drives and belong to a lot of memorials.

Local No. 2660 (Hanna Mines)

Local No. 2660 with a membership close to 1000 members represents the Mesabi Chief, the Perry, Carlz, Morton Mines, and Section 18. Officers are:

President	Joe Gustin
Vice President	Joseph Chamernick
Recording Sec'y	Charles Koprivich
Financial Sec'y	Tony Osojnicki
Treasurer	Nick Muhar

Local 1439 (Cleveland-Cliffs)

President	Lloyd Bunce
Vice President	Larry Hedman
Recording Sec'y	Alvin Blair
Financial Sec'y	John Minerich
Treasurer	Mike Damjanovich

Local 2476 (Bennett Local)

President	Walfred Laine
Vice President	Louis Falbo
Recording Sec'y	Emil Shubat
Financial Sec'y	John Sersich
Treasurer	Louis DeFonso

C.I.O. Auxiliary
The Keewatin C.I.O. Auxiliary was organized in February, 1946,
with the following officers elected:

President	Ann Koski
Vice President	Ann Hill
Secretary	Ann Gustin
Treasurer	Lyda Laine
PAC Chairman	Molly Boben

The Auxiliary is composed of wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and any other feminine relatives of members of the C.I.O., and the purpose is to further the program of the C.I.O., educate women in trade unionism and to take political action in line with the C.I.O.

This Auxiliary has donated to all community projects—to the Heart Fund, Cancer Drive, Red Cross, and conducted the Emergency Polio Drive in 1949. Each year, they send a CARE package to an orphanage in Korea and collect old Christmas cards for a mission in India.

The present officers are:

President	Hazel Blair
Vice President	Esther Thornburg
Secretary	Lyda Laine
Treasurer	Mary Brletich
PAC Chairman	Johanna Karpan

Trustees:
Ann Koski, Esther Blair, and Helen Grcevich.

A landmark that was the center of much of Keewatin's early community life building known as the Finn Hall. The Finn Hall was designed and planned in 1911 by the Finnish Society as a social and cultural center for the Finnish people of Keewatin. It was a place for meetings, dances, and plays not only for people of Finnish extraction but for the entire community.

In the pre-automobile days, Saturday night dances and plays, some in Finnish and others in English, were great attractions for many people. With the advent of rapid means of transportation and communication, as well as the decline of the first generation of Finns, the Hall has been dormant for the past few years.

Scouting has been a consistent part of the community's endeavor for Keewatin youth. Although interest rises and wanes, Keewatin has always maintained a connection with the scout movement. As members of Troop 18, many Keewatin boys have become acquainted with the ideals and skills that are taught. Many have reached the top in scouting. A partial list of Eagle Scouts includes Buddy Chappel, Larry Maloney, Dennis O'Brien, Pat Adams, and Jim Verrant. At the present time four dens are very active under James Pellicciotti, Cub Scout master. The Scouts are currently being sponsored by the Moose.

Girl Scouting while dormant at the present time has also left its mark. A high spot in scouting for girls was the year 1933, when under the sponsorship of the then Keewatin Women's Club, the following girls won the highest award in scouting: Marie D'Andrea, Mary Grivest, Joyce Lehner, and Phyllis Mahon.

The Keewatin Congress of Parents and Teachers was organized on September 21, 1955 with 28 charter members. At the close of the first year,the membership increased to 104. The broad objective of the organization is to promote the welfare of the students, and to foster a closer relationship between the home and the school. Besides holding the Community Hallowe'en party, the P-TA also sponsors the Teen-Age club and a patrol boy at Youth Camp. The first slate of officers are as follows:

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