THEN-last business building in about 1866 at 213 S. Minnesota.

BY LEOTA KELLETT

Director, Historical Society

The last remaining one story brick business building on Minnesota Street in New Ulm is now the property of the Brown County Historical Society. The property was purchased by funds given to the Society for the site. The principal donors are descendants of early owners of the building, who had a bakery in the building for many years. No public funds have been used for the building.

The building was built in 1865 by Henry Spoerhase and John Spenner as a meat market. The next year John Spenner was murdered, an event that led to the retaliatory move which has now become know as the “Christmas Days Hangings”of 1866.

The meat shop continued with Spoerhase and Frank Erd as owners until during 1866 the property passed to Frederick Gottlieb Melges and he opened a bakery. Filled with hope and ambition, Melges wrote to his family in Germany in 1867 that he was so happy in his new country, and that there was excellent soil. He also asked his relatives to send him some prunes, an item scarce for the supplies of a frontier baker.

NOW-same building in almost original form. (Historical Society photos)

Melges was born in 1830 near Horste, Lippe-Detmold, Germany. He made his first trip to America in 1847, and after several more trips as a seaman became an American citizen in 1862. He came to New Ulm in 1865 from Chicago. He died here at 75 years.

Seven children were born to this family. The earliest photo shows Frederick with his wife and their first son, Frederick William.

The principal family donors of funds for the purchase of this property have been two grandchildren of Frederick Melges: Dr. Frederick J. Melges of Battle Creek, Mich. and Helen Melges Doehring of Altadena, California.

The Melges family has expressed the hope that the citizens of New Ulm will support the project and make contributions towards the preservation of the last original business structure on Minnesota Street in New Ulm and Brown County. It may also be the oldest such building in Minnesota. The generous gifts of the Melges family have been made to preserve a part of the original history even though none of the donors were born in Brown County.

The graceful little old red brick building remains today in almost the original condition. The north wing was added in 1871. The only exterior alteration was done to the top street side of the wall during the tornado of 1881 when some of the brick-work was torn off. Structurally sound, this 108-year-old building still remains much as when it was built at 213 S. Minnesota.

New Ulm Daily Journal, June 12, 1973