Worthington 150: Worthington's city council members through the years

Downtown Worthington in the early days — An undated street scene of downtown Worthington.

By The Globe

August 23, 2022 03:30 PM

WORTHINGTON — Worthington’s official birthdate is March 8, 1873, the day it was incorporated by a small settlement of pioneers through an election of a mayor and council, and adoption of the city’s charter. Early city fathers selected a weak mayor-council plan form of government.

While Worthington City Hall maintains all council meeting minutes, the early minutes are handwritten and a complete and accurate record of elected city officials is not available.

1909-12: W.E. Bloom

1909-12: I.F. Kelley

1909-11: M.J. Barber

1909-10: C.L. Maxwell

1909-13: W.M. Evans

1/28: People enjoy splashing in Lake Okabena in this undated image from the Nobles County Historical Society archives.

2/28: Activity abounds in the early days on Worthington's Lake Okabena.

3/28: Fourth generation farmers Norm Larson (left) and John Moberg stand at the site where a sod hut, shared by their forefathers, was located in rural Worthington.

4/28: An Independence Day celebration takes place on the yet-unpaved 10th Street in downtown Worthington.

5/28: Paycheck and Ruby Begonia race team members get ready to chase their birds down 10th Street in one of the early days of the Great Gobbler Gallop.

6/28: Crowds gather to watch the Great Gobbler Gallop down 10th street in downtown Worthington.

7/28: Peter Hartwich, of Excelsior, Minnesota sails on Lake Okabena between races during the 2022 Worthington Windsurfing Regatta.

8/28: Windsurfers race during the 2022 Windsurfing Regatta on Worthington's Lake Okabena.

9/28: Crowds gather to hear musical acts during the 2022 Windsurfing Regatta and Music Festival on the shores of Lake Okabena.

10/28: The Thompson Hotel is seen in this undated photo of Worthington's 10th Street.

11/28: The Thompson Hotel recently underwent a major renovation of its apartment units and 10th Street storefronts.

12/28: Jack Boote, with a cigar in his mouth, holds a couple of boxes of turkey poults that are being loaded into his plane for delivery.

13/28: Worthington's Jack Boote poses for a photo in a private rail car in this undated image.

14/28: E.O. and Bella Olson

15/28: The home of George Draper Dayton and his family for the 19 years they lived in Worthington remains today at the corner of 13th Street and Fourth Avenue. The Dayton House is now a bed and breakfast and a community gathering space.

16/28: Teams of horses are used to assist with ice harvest on the shore of Lake Okabena.

17/28: Crews push ice chunks toward the conveyor belt as they harvest ice from Worthington's Lake Okabena.

18/28: Crews harvest ice from Lake Okabena in this undated file from the Nobles County Historical Society.

19/28: An undated street scene of downtown Worthington.

20/28: The Chinese ceremonial Lion Dance group works the crowd at the 28th annual Worthington International Festival Saturday afternoon, July 9, 2022.

21/28: The flag bearer for Mexico gets the flag ready for the parade of flags at the opening of the 28th annual Worthington International Festival July 8, 2022.

Crailsheim bombed in final days of World War II

22/28: Much of Crailsheim was destroyed by bombings shortly before the end of World War II.

23/28: The people of Crailsheim gather to get supplies sent over in a shipment from Worthington residents.

24/28: Volunteers sort through the many items donated by Worthington residents to be shipped to the people of Crailsheim, Germany.

25/28: Volunteers weigh boxes of items ready to be shipped to Crailsheim, Germany.

26/28: Martha Cashel (with letter) initially sought to help her Finnish pen pal by gathering shoes to send to Finland. Her idea prompted her parents to provide aid to war-ravaged Europe on a grander scale, and that's what led to the sister city partnership with Crailsheim, Germany.

27/28: An early day gathering at Worthington's Chautauqua Park.

28/28: The Little Sioux steam boat takes passengers for a ride on Lake Okabena.

1910-16: W.E. Oliver

1910-20: A.J. Goff

1911-13: William Schrader

1912-17: J.N. Gould

1913-18: G.W. Brammer

1913-17: A.E. Hart

1916-20: M.G. Hurd

1917-19: George Wiedman

1917-19: Newton Fauskee

1918-22: L.M. Herbert

1919-23: Ernest Sterling

1919-23: A.T. Latta

1920-22: J.J. Kies

1920-26: J.A. Albinson

1922-30: W.E. Madison

1922-24: H.W. Shore

1923-25: E.O. Olson

1923-25: Frank Baker

1924-30: C.M Smallwood

1925-37: A.J. Goff

1925-31: M.G. Hurd

1926-30: W.R. Graham

1930-38: William Schmidt

1930-35: David Anderson

1931-33: Carl Wolf

1931-36: Robert Wolff

1933-37: Ray Smith

1935-37: George Ehlers

1936-38: Ernest Sterling

1937-44: Alvin Graf

1937-38: J.A. Albinson

1937-41: P.O. Lien

1938-40: F. Hardy Rickbeil

1938-40: Edmund Swanberg

1938-50: Henry Hagge

1946-54: R.C. Madsen

1940-51: C.R. Kinsman

1941-47: G.E. Barber

1943-44: E.H. Ehlers

1944-54: R.C. Madsen

1944-46: D.R. Martin

1944-47: Louis Moeller

1947-49: H.E. Davidson

1947-57: C.C. Campbell

1949-55: Charles Knuth

1950-52: Geryl Gardner

1952-54: George Peterson

1952-54: Gaylord Hay

1954-56: Geryl Gardner

1954-62: J.C. Hagge

1955-64: Floyd Smith

1956-60: H. Dwight Ludlow

1956-58: W.F. Meyer

1957-61: Earl Roberts

1957-59: Charles Banister

1959-61: D.R. Martin

1960-65: Joe Roos

1960-65: Arthur Leistico

1961-66: Ervin Heintz

1961-65: Don Rickers

1962-64: Harold Collingham

1964-66: A.W. Koelz

1964-66: Ned Batcheller

1965-67: Robert Johnson

1965-66: Robert Demuth

1966-70: Leo Lester

1966-70: Woodrow Glad

1966-74: James Gay

1967-67: Donald Rickers

1967-67: Verlyn Meyer

1967-73: Karl Schafer

1967-74: Philip Fiola

1970-76: Elmer Kuhl

1970-74: Robert Taylor

1973-75: Bruce Lease

1974-79: Peter Kaiser

1974-78: Richard Osness

1974-76: Ernest Gould

1975-81: Maurice Rubsam

1976-78: Orville Appel

1978-80: Philip Fiola

1978-82: Leo Balk

1978-80: H. Edwin Roberts

1979-84: Ernest Gould

1980-82: Ron Heard

1980-85: Dewey Anderson

1981-84: Carol Dyke

1982-83: Elmer Kuhl

1982-84: Dennis Youngwirth

1983-86: Sterling Johnson

1984-90: Lloyd Phelps

1984-88: Earl Newburn

1984-88: Craig Deuel

1985-86: Jan Dybevick

1986-94: Jacob DeJong

1986-92: Don Gravon

1988-89: Gerald Hay

1989-2006: Leland Hain

1989-2000: Lloyd Standafter

1991-2000:Roland Bourassa

1993-95: Mike Driscoll

1995-2006: Roger Nelson

1995-2004: Jim Elsing

2001-2008: Bob Petrich

2001-2012: Lyle Ten Haken

2005-2012: Mike Woll

2007-2014: Ron Wood

2007-2014: Mike Kuhle

2009-2016: Scott Nelson

2013-2016: Rod Sankey

2013-2016: Diane Graber

2015-2021: Mike Harmon

2015-Present: Larry Janssen

2017-2020: Alan Oberloh

2017-Present: Chad Cummings

2017-Present: Amy Ernst

2020-Present: Chris Kielblock

2021-Present: Alaina Kolpin

150 YEARS OF WORTHINGTON

By The Globe

Worthington 150: Worthington's city council members through the years

While Worthington City Hall maintains all council meeting minutes, the early minutes are handwritten.