When General C.C. Andrews, the former American ambassador to Sweden, spoke at Fletcher’s Hall in Farmington on Wednesday, October 29, 1879, John Emery, the editor and publisher of the Farmington Press, made sure to attend.

A brief account of the ambassador's speech is given in the November 5 issue of the Press.

In the same issue, a letter to the editor also appears. The letter, written by someone with the initials "E.D." has more to say about the condition of Fletcher's Hall, Farmington's best hall, than about the former ambassador's political remarks.

"The striking feature of the hall," writes E.D., "was the elaborate tobacco frescoing on the floor, which is seldom washed and not often swept. The hall is too small for dances, and the other public hall has not a good floor for this purpose and has other objectionable features."

E.D. suggests the forming of a "building society" to erect a public hall that Farmington badly needs. Too often the village is passed by as speakers and entertainers find the town's facilities inadequate.

E.D. also suggests the licensing of Farmington's saloons to raise funds for the village. Despite being a temperance town, Farmington is flowing in alcohol.

"These short-sighted prohibitionists," he writes, "what are they doing? They are making the rum-sellers a present of about $600 a year that the town ought to have for improvements.

"There is more liquor sold in Farmington now than ever before, and yet the prohibitionists (who are really in this case the liquor dealers' best friends) will not have the saloons licensed. Any fool knows that the stuff will be sold just the same, whether the dealers are licensed or not." E.D. doesn't stop there but goes on to comment on the town's social health.

"What do these people (Farmington's citizens) do to pass away these long evenings? There is no debating or literary society here, no dramatic club, the church societies are apparently dead or sleeping, and there is nothing going on to bring the turtles out of their shells."

Two weeks after the letter appeared in the Press, there is plenty going on in town "to bring the turtles out of their shells."

The Great Fire of Saturday, November 22, 1879, is one of the most significant events in Farmington's history.

More than 20 buildings on Oak and Third Street were lost to the flames. Fifteen businesses burned to the ground.

One such business on Oak Street was the Bank of Farmington owned by the German-born businessman Claus Dittmann. Located next to the bank was the Egle Saloon and Billiard Room on the corner of Oak and Third Street. It also was lost to the flames.

The Egle Saloon was one of the first stores built at old Farmington in 1857 by Nordine Amidion, an early settler. The building was later sold to N. Ezra Slack who moved it to new Farmington in the summer of 1865. The building became new Farmington's first store and post office. Slack was Farmington's first postmaster.

The Egle Saloon had a thriving business until its owner, Lorenze Egle, died on Wednesday, October 8, 1879, six weeks before the Great Fire. In Egle's obituary Emery wrote, "The popular early saloonist died after a short il1ness at the age of about 40 years. His death is no doubt attributable to his habits of excessive drink."

Mrs. Egle had difficulties keeping the business going after the death of her husband. Now that the uninsured saloon had been destroyed she sold her comer lot to Dittmann in early December.

The fire proves to be a blessing. "It is true," writes Emery, "there were several individual losses, but on the whole the bare ground is much better now than with the most of the buildings that were cremated. And in one years time doubtless the improvement will be so great on the present ash-heap that everybody will say that what seems now a calamity was the best thing that ever happened to Farmington."

Dittmann, now owning both lots 4 and 5 on block 22 will make an investment in Farmington. He will build a new bank building and the public hall Farmington needs so desperately.

His investment, the public hall more so than the bank, will change Farmington’s social, cultural political and economic history.

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The opportunity to build a new public hall was now a reality. Claus Dittmann, owner of the Bank of Farmington, which was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1879, purchased the corner lot on Oak and Third Streets from Mrs. Lorenze Egle.

Dittmann commissioned Augustus Gauger, a German-born architect from St. Paul, to draw plans for a new bank building. Gauger was trained in Chicago and was apprenticed to Minnesota’s great architect Edward Bassford.

Gauger brought the plans to Farmington and showed them to John Emery, editor and publisher of the Farmington Press, in May 1880.

Emery describes the architectural plans in the June 2, 1880 issue of the Press.

The new building will be 70X44 feet and constructed in the Italianate style, veneered with blond Chaska brick and trimmed with Kasota sandstone.

The bracketed primary cornice and the secondary cornice will be made of pressed metal in compliance of Village Ordinance Number 20 which states, "No person or persons shall erect any building of wood on Blocks No. 19 and 22 in the said Village of Farmington, without the same is enclosed with brick or stone walls, with tin, slate or cement roof and having iron shutters or blinds, so as to be impervious to fire."

Ordinance Number 20 was passed two days after the Great Fire. The lower level of the building will be used as a bank and store according to the plans. The store will be occupied by the Atz and Sauer hardware store that was destroyed in the Great Fire. Mr. Sauer established Farmington's first hardware store in 1866.

The large window bays of the bank and store will be separated by metal pilasters. The public hall in the upper level will have its entrance on Oak Street. An oversized door will lead upstairs to four doors that will open outward to the hall.

The hall, with a seating capacity of 500, will have a ticket office, two dressing rooms, a stage 16 feet wide, and an open area of 42 square feet.

A gallery will be located at the rear of the hall and the ceiling will be 18-feet high.

Fourteen "two over two" windows with semi-circular arches will help illuminate the hall. The keystone of each arch will be of cast stone and have a floral design.

Excavation begins and a foundation of limestone block is built. Construction on the building itself begins in August 1880. The building is completed in the spring of 1881.

Emery writes, "The bank department is very elegant and tastily arranged, and the store room is first class. But the hall is better than all. Because the hall belongs to every one of us. It is not to be controlled by any sect or clique, but is for the great and glorious people, to use as they see fit. In a word, here they can enjoy themselves in a room that is refreshing to look at, and will be most comfortable to sit in. In our way we have prayed for such a hall for ten long years, and now the prayer is answered, and answered so much better than we could have expected, too. Hallelujah!"

Emery suggests now that the hall is completed, "every man, woman and child should turn out with music and banners to celebrate it."

His request becomes reality when in April 1881 a brass band performs on the comer of Third and Oak Streets. The town’s people turn out to enjoy the music and celebrate the completion of the building. A photograph was taken of the occasion.

The first lyceum and dramatic society is soon established. The Farmington Dramatic Association performed its first play in the new hall shortly after the scenery for the stage arrived from Chicago.

"One Hundred Years Ago; or The Boys of 76" was performed to a full house on Friday, Apri122, 1881.

The play concluded with the farce "Box and Cox" after which a Grand Ball was held. The music continued late into the night.

"This Hall," writes Emery, "is our pride and boast. Certainly nothing could be put up in Farmington that promises more true profit in the way of life and good cheer than this pretty little hall with its spacious stage and fine scenery. And don't you forget this!"

For decades to come the Music Hall will be a great success. It is indeed Farmington's "pride and boast."

In 1883, two short years after the building is completed, Dittmann's bank will fail. He will be forced to sell the building.

The beautiful building Dittmann had constructed will never be known by his name. The man who would later purchase it, Thomas C. Davis, would lend his name to the building. And the bank known as the Exchange Bank.

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At 1:15 p.m., Monday, September 26, 1881, the mournful tones of Farmington’s bells were heard throughout the village.

The bells rang for 45 minutes, then fell silent as townspeople from Farmington, Lakeville, Rosemount, Hampton, Castle Rock, Empire and Eureka assembled at the Music Hall.

The Hall, draped in black, was filled to capacity. Squire Jenkins, the eldest of Farmington's board of trustees, rose to address the crowd. His words of comfort united the hearts of the many mourners at the service tendered to the late James A. Garfield, the twentieth President of the United States, who died on September 19 of a gun shot wound received by an assassin.

The day after the service, Charles Griebie and his assistants removed the black drapes from the hall's stage, balcony, and windows. The hall was needed for a social dance on Friday.

As the heart of Farmington, the Music Hall pumped a higher quality of life throughout the town and the surrounding communities. Social, cultural, and political events were held there.

Farmington's youth were taught the art of dance and perfected their social skills there.

The finest entertainment available was performed there.

Professional educators from all parts of the country instructed and enlightened there. And craftful county political conventions were regularly held there.

"The City of Farmington is one of the most enthusiastic show towns on the road," writes the Farmington Journal in 1883.

Farmington was now an established place of influence and importance in the county and would content with Hastings for the county seat for many years.

However, in October 1883, the fate of the Music Hall was uncertain when the Bank of Farmington failed.

The bank failure was blamed on the lack of confidence of Claus Dittmann and the bank's management. Daniel Underwood, the president of the bank, accused Dittmann of forging the name of Frank Gallon, of Rosemount, to a $2,000 promissory note.

Dittmann, who was living in St. Paul, was arrested and brought to Farmington. He paid the $2,000 and returned home. More trouble followed Dittmann as he was later found guilty of selling a lot, guaranteeing a clear title and then filing a mortgage on it the next day.

A month after the bank failure, Thomas C. Davis, (who organized the Bank of Farmington with Dittmann in 1876) opened his own bank - the Exchange Bank - located next to the Niskern Hotel on Oak Street.

In July 1884, the new bank firm of Davis and Meeker became the owners of the Bank of Farmington building, but not without a fight.

The splendid building, valued at $15,800, had belonged to Underwood for a short time. Underwood put the title of the building in the name of his daughter, Maria Slack Hillyer, who was living in St. Louis. Hillyer refused to sign the deed in order to clear the title to the bank property.

After several weeks of failed negotiations, Davis sued Hillyer. The deed was quickly signed and given to Davis.

In a letter to the Dakota County Tribune, Mrs. Hillyer wrote she had every intention of signing the deed but her husband wouldn't allow her to.

Finally, nine months after the failure of the Bank of Farmington, the Music Hall was again secure. Davis assured the townspeople the hall would remain a public hall and increased the rent from $1.00 to $1.25 a month.

Davis made a fortune during the gold rush in California in the 1840s, and owned a large amount of property in Dakota County.

He was elected to the Village Board of Trustees when Farmington was incorporated in 1872 and built one of the finest homes in town.  He also was a staunch Republican, the town's constable for many years, and Farmington's first Fire Chief.

Davis was at times a difficult man to do business with. He had been physically attacked and nearly blinded in 1879 by a disgruntled man who he refused to loan money.

After a decade of business at the Exchange Bank, Davis again would be attacked. This time the building would suffer.

On an early Tuesday morning in January 1894, a stick of dynamite was placed inside the storm doors of the Exchange Bank. A long fuse was lit and the person or persons, escaped undetected.

The explosion startled the town. The bank's tall, wide windows were completely shattered and the storm doors blown into the middle of Third Street. The heavy, custom designed wooden doors of the bank were blown into the middle of the building.

Some or the flying debris struck the Griebie store across the street, breaking and cracking several windows.

"The citizens of the village are very indignant at the outrage," wrote the Dakota County Tribune "and if the parties who did the deed could have been found, there would have been some exciting times."

Davis offered a reward for the apprehension of the culprit who was never caught.

At the turn-of-the-century, downtown Farmington was the site of the Dakota County Agricultural Society’s Street Fair.

The Street Fair, held in September attracted thousands or people.

The Exchange Bank building, and other business in town were decorated in the national colors for the big event.

At the 1905 fair more than 1,500 entries were made and "the exhibits were the best in the history or the society, both in quality and numbers," according to the Dakota County Tribune.

The Music Hall was used for the exhibits and the Farmington Dramatic Association performed the time honored drama "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" under canvas on Oak Street.

Parades, tent shows, politicians and parachuting balloonists, as well as "a number of fakers with their devices to coax away the nimble nickel" kept the fair goers busy.

Sometime between 1905 and 1910 the blond Exchange Bank Building was painted red for aesthetic reasons.  The Niskern Hotel, on the comer of Second and Oak Streets, and the H.B. Witteker store next to it, were veneered with red Hastings brick when they rose from the ashes after the Great Fire of 1879.

Dittmanns property on lots 4 and 5 were veneered with blond Chaska brick. The decision was made that the entire north side of Oak Street, between Second and Third, be one color. The dark red chosen to match the Nisken Hotel and Witteker's store made the Exchange Bank appear even more solid.

During this time Farmington was changing, and new technologies were making their presence known to the Music Hall.

Radio soon replaced the Farmington Dramatic Association and motion pictures replaced social dances. By the time television appeared, the hall's stage and dressing rooms had already been removed.

Wedding receptions, roller skating, live turkey raffles, card games and club meetings replaced music and drama.

The Music Hall slowly closed its doors to the public and the Exchange Bank Building began to decline. For many years the public did not have access to the hall.

When it was completed in 1881, the building housed the bank, the post office, and a hardware store. And in later year’s a drugstore, confectionery, clothing stores, and a couple of cafes.

The Exchange Bank Building, now restored to its original beauty by new owners, remains one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in Dakota County.

For generations of Farmingtonions it was a temple of community and commerce, and symbolized Farmington’s position of power and importance in the County.

The Exchange Bank Building, Claus Dittmann’s gift to the community, still plays a prominent role in Farmington’s proud past.