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On Sunday, July 17, 1926, the cornerstone was laid for Memorial Hall (commonly known today as the “Administration Building”) on the campus of Freeman Junior College and Academy. 

Here are excerpts from the July 22, 1926, Freeman Courier. 

The laying of the cornerstone Sunday brought many people to Freeman. The meeting was opened with a prayer … Then came speakers… representing the board … faculty … town and churches … a song (and) the laying of the stone by Professor A.J. Regier …followed by a prayer which ended the program. 

The following documents and records were placed in the hollow space of the stone: Report of the 400th anniversary celebration of the Mennonite Church by Rev. H.J. Krehbiel, copy of the first latest catalog of the college, a copy of the Star, college annual, specifications of the new building, Freeman Courier, Bundesbote, Mennonite, Wahrheitsfeund, Zionbote, photographs of the present faculty, articles of incorporation, Argus Leader, and the Bible. 

Addendum: Courier publisher J.J. Mendel regularly reported on the project in earlier and later editions.

The Nov. 19, 1925 Courier offered background. “On Feb. 12, 1919, it was decided to erect a new $100,000 building, but construction should not commence before 90% of the money was pledged.”

Feb. 12, 1925: It becomes more necessary year after year to erect a new college building. … An attempt was made (in 1919), but times of depression came and a great money stringency was the result (and) the drive was abandoned. But times have changed and another drive has started.

In Dec. 1925, Mendel wrote” This is a three-story brick building that will improve the appearance of the city wonderfully. At present there are 100 students, but the number could be doubled in short time after the new building is completed. 

In her book “For Half a Century,” Marie J. Waltner writes that the board accepted the $49,995 bid for construction in May 1926 and “actual construction progressed so rapidly that the structure was ready for occupancy on Dec. 11. 

“On Dec. 19, 1926, Memorial Hall was formally and since then has served as the indispensable center of all campus work,” she wrote.

 Excerpts from the July 11, 2012 Courier:

It’s been a long time coming, but bus service is finally set to start in Freeman. 

The 16-passenger handicap-accessible bus will hit the street for the first time Thursday, July 12. Norm Kaufman, chair of the Freeman Community Transit Service Committee, says different information and poor communication from multiple agencies have contributed to multiple delays. 

“We were ready to roll this out in March, but we have not been able to get clarity on how to proceed,” he said. 

The bus will run Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Sunday from 9 am to 1 p.m. A second bus is scheduled to arrive later in the summer. 

Discussions about bringing a transit service to the community began in early 2011. Freeman is working with the Rural Office of Community Service (ROCS). Freeman was included in the ROCS 2012 budget but … withdrawn last summer due to (federal) budget cuts. In early May, ROCS announced Freeman would be included after all.

“When we got the federal money we had to fit within federal guidelines,” said Kaufman. “That changed how we were to proceed.”

Addendum: In October of the following year, Freeman Community Transit shifted administrative services from ROCS to the Brookings Area Transit Authority (BATA). The partnership with BATA continues. 

The BATA website notes transportation services are available to anyone within the greater Hutchinson County area including Freeman, Menno, Bridgewater and other communities around the area, serving youth, the general public, elderly, and passengers with disabilities. Rides can be scheduled from 8 to 5 Mondays through Fridays.

“Our passengers schedule rides to work, school, medical appointments, shopping trips and more! Common destinations include Sioux Falls, Yankton, and Mitchell.”

A three-bay bus garage and office building was built across from Freeman City Hall  year.

The opening of South Dakota Mennonite College (later Freeman Junior College and Academy) was big news in 1903. But most of what appears in the Freeman Courier is short one or two-sentence updates; here are examples.

July 2: The new college is coming right down the line, 17 loads of sand and 30 loads of rock in one day. Two carloads of lumber have arrived for the new college building. 

July 21: The mason work on the new college will be completed this week… the contractor started carpenter work on the new building Tuesday. 

August 27: The college is being pushed right to the front. The cupola is being placed in position. 

September 17: Dave Ellwein, our tinner, informs us that the tin ceiling for the college is expected any day and the same will be put up as soon as it arrives.

October 1: 120 single desks were ordered for the college.

October 29: A large audience gathered at the Mennonite College last Sunday afternoon to attend dedication services. Reverend Jos Kaufman, Christ Mueller, H. Bachman, and John L Wipf addressed the people and held the attention of the large congregation throughout their entire instructive discourse. 

December 3: The number of students at the college increased considerably this week a new student nearly every morning.

December 10: 65 students enrolled at the college up to the present.

December 17: The college bell arrived and was put in place Saturday. It weighs 400 pounds. 

Addendum: A challenge in chronicling the early history of SDMC is that the Courier was established in April 1901, after the move to establish the school began.

But we have another source. In her 1951 book "For Half a Century," Marie J. Waldner writes that Mennonites in the Freeman area felt the need for education emphasizing "the Christian values generally held essential by these Mennonite immigrants."

The South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation was organized on Dec. 10, 1900. While both Bridgewater and Marion were also considered, Waldner writes "the majority of the school friends of that time sympathized with the idea of considering Freeman the center of the Mennonite settlement."

She writes that 109 elementary-high school students enrolled that first year. 

Classes continued through the 2025-26 school year.

Excerpts from the June 24, 1998 Freeman Courier:

Looking (south of) the Freeman Academy campus shortly after he arrived in the summer of 1994, Dr. Larry Horner didn’t like what he saw. 

“It didn’t look like any high school or college campus; it was drab looking.”

Horner, with the help of several committees, volunteers and donations is out to change that image – one tree at a time.

Construction is scheduled to begin in July … on the Prairie Arboretum, which will be located on the southern 40 acres of the campus.

Its purpose is … to create an area of beauty with water, trees, shrubs, native grasses and flowers … as a teaching tool and an aesthetic resource for the biodiversity of the Freeman area. Horner, Lyle Preheim, John Schrag and James Unruh make up the steering committee behind the project.

More than 50,000 cubic yards of dirt will be removed, which will create 12 to 15-foot deep ponds. Many of the things needed to complete it will be donated… trees, plants (and) volunteers.

Addendum: The property south of the campus was known as the Klasi land; the name of the family that owned the property before Freeman Junior College and Academy purchased it in 1974. Horner, who came to Freeman Academy in 1994 as the school’s president, saw the land’s potential as part of his larger campus improvement efforts.

Unruh, a community native and an engineer, began working with Preheim on the concept and design prior to the June 1998 announcement. It included dewatering in preparation for the excavation in May of 1999 and lasted three years. The first tree, an oak, was planted in May of 1999, followed by scores of trees that were planted and relocated. More than 400 tons of rocks were brought in to protect the pond shorelines from erosion. Flower gardens were created along more than a mile of a walking paths along the ponds.

The Freeman Prairie Arboretum was dedicated on Sept. 22, 2002. An amphitheater (2004) and interpretive center (2006) and other features have been added.

Although the property is owned by Freeman Academy, an independent board oversees the arboretum.

Excerpts from the June 23, 1982 Freeman Courier: 

If the founding members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church could’ve sat in the pews during the 1030 morning worship service June 20, they would have probably been a bit uncomfortable in the strange surroundings as the prelude was played. The walls would’ve been a stark contrast to the walls of the church they knew, the vaulted ceiling giving a feeling of grandeur and the large cross at the front of the church an indication of a more modern artistic influence. 

But with the opening hymn, they might have well forgotten the newness and enjoyed singing “Hallelujah! Lob, Preis and Ehr” with the rest of the congregation. And as a service unfolded, they would’ve thought, “really, things haven’t changed that much; they’re still worshiping in German.” The German worship service was a reminder of the heritage of St. Paul’s Lutheran, as the congregation celebrated its centennial, June 19 and 20. 

Beginning with a banquet at the FHS gym Saturday night, the centennial included three worship services – a 9 a.m. service of celebration, a 10:30 a.m. German service and a 2 p.m. festival service. At noon potluck was held at the gym. Displays … at the Lutheran Day School both days proved to be very popular. It included books used in the first years of the church … scale models built by Gerhard Schamber of the church facilities in the 100-year history, pictures of the early years and other memorabilia. 

Fifty years earlier, a similar celebration was held. The Sept. 1, 1932 Courier noted “all roads will lead to Freeman Sunday, Sept. 4 when the 50th anniversary of the founding of the St. Paul’s congregation will be celebrated.

“Organized in 1882 with nine members … during the first four years, services were conducted in the homes of the members and later in the public school building. Four years later, the congregation decided to erect a church building. After 17 years, it was necessary to erect a larger church; …it was dedicated in 1899.”

Addendum: The congregation moved from its original location at southwest Fourth and Poplar to its present location along Seventh Street between Wipf and Poplar in 1963.

Excerpts from the Freeman Courier, June 7, 1978:

The future of Casey’s General Store in Freeman is still an unanswered question. The debate over the location of the convenience grocery store self-service gas station erupted following the meeting of the Freeman City Council and representatives from Casey’s on April 17. 

Casey's studied the town and traffic flow (and) determined that the corner of Cherry and Fifth was “our first, second and third choice.” They also stated that the granting of a carryout beer permit was a prerequisite.

At the May 1 meeting, a building permit was granted. The same evening, a permit to sell carry-out low-point beer was requested by Casey’s. The issuance of that permit has become the latest battle over Casey’s. 

Thursday, May 29, a petition carrying the names of 98 people was submitted to the city council. The council was meeting that night to decide on the issue of permits to sell low-point beer to five Freeman businesses, including Casey’s. 

Addendum: The real issue was the location. Residents around the proposed location didn’t want a business in their neighborhood. Freeman, at that time, had no zoning ordinances. More than 100 city residents signed a petition asking the city to deny a building permit because the business didn't conform to the residential nature of the area. After the city granted the building permit, the beer permit became the next legal maneuver.

The weeks that followed included a court ruling uphelding a petition calling for the denial of the beer license and a public vote by city residents. The July 19 Courier reported, “Freeman voters turned out to make their ballots either in favor of or against the resolution prohibiting the sale of beer on the corner of Fifth and Cherry .. 275 voters said yes … and 427 said no.”

That vote led to the issuance of a beer permit. Construction on the building at Fifth and Cherry began that year and Casey’s opened in June 1979. It remained there until it moved to its current location at Sixth Street and Highway 81 in 2013.

When Casey's opened in Freeman in 1979, the company had 110 stores in operation. Today, Casey’s reports more than 2,900 stores in 19 states.

From the May 31, 1906 Freeman Courier: 

Tuesday evening, the committee named in our last issue to arrange for the Fourth of July met, and once again proceeded to work out the program.

Amongst the many excellent features we are to have follows: 

• One of the best bands in the state 

• Two renowned speakers, one German and one English 

• A grand parade 

• Two ball games 

• Live pigeon shooting 

• A two-block run for a purse between the two hose carts, number one and number two of the Freeman • volunteer fire company. 

• Merry-go-round 

• And too many other others to enumerate them all in this issue 

The committee has also secured a tent, big enough to hold all the visitors, so everyone (should) arrange (to) come to Freeman and celebrate with us, for we candidly believe this will be the greatest celebration ever had in this part of the state.

On July 5, the Courier reported on the event.

“The day was a delightful one. Quite a number came from neighboring towns  … and people from the surrounding country came in large numbers. The town was filled with a large crowd all day and evening. All spent a very pleasant day as it was a very orderly crowd.

“The first thing in the morning was the parade, which was the finest procession ever seen in Freeman. At 10:30 a.m., the band, after playing a few selections on the street, marched to the tent and people listened to the speakers … Professor Thierstein in German and Major Dollard of Scotland in English. They showed themselves (to be) fluent and eloquent speakers and delivered splendid addresses. Professor Lamb read the Declaration of Independence. 

“The advertised attractions for the afternoon were all pulled off in such a manner that the committees deserve great credit for their successful management of the entertainment.”

 Excerpts from the May 26, 1999 Freeman Courier: 

A portion of Freeman’s busiest street will be closed off … next week as Freeman dedicates the new structure honoring its veterans. 

The Freeman Area Veterans Memorial will be dedicated Monday, May 30, as part of the city’s annual Memorial Day Service (with) Gov Bill Janlow as speaker. 

The dedication comes nearly two years after the first steps were taken to construct a memorial honoring those who served their country. 

In the summer of 1997, the Freeman Area Veterans Memorial was formed with Maurice Kaufman, chair; Cal Kleinsasser, treasurer; Duke Kleinsasser, secretary.

As an act of faith in the project, Coppy Heckenlaible donated $500 … promptly matched by Kaufman. By the fall of 1997, $15,000 had been donated. 

The committee decided the abandoned cemetery on the corner of Sixth and Wipf Street would be the ideal spot for the memorial. Approval was granted by the Freeman Cemetery Association and the City of Freeman and construction began in April 1998. 

(Following a) September 1998 a groundbreaking ceremony, work progressed quickly. By the end of the year, more than $30,000 had been raised. 

The memorial is built on a mint green-tinted semicircle cement pad measuring 42 feet in diameter. Six named tablets made of granite list the 841 names of veterans. There is additional space for additional names to be added. 

Six, 20-foot flag poles, which honor each branch of the military, and a 30-foot flag pole honoring the American flag encompass the memorial. 

In the center of the memorial are two brick pedestals … one pays tribute to the pioneers of Freeman, who are still buried in the old cemetery. The other pedestal honors the Freeman Veterans of Foreign Wars Wilde Post #3728 and Auxiliary, and the Freeman American Legion Weber Post #284. 

While construction of the memorial went relatively smoothly, the project has seen tragedy…Maurice Kaufman, who played an instrumental part in getting the project off the ground, died following a severe heart attack in August. The committee also mourns the loss of Harold Knittle, Cal Kleinsasser and Merlin Huber, all of whom played an active part in the memorial project.

Excerpts from the May 24, 1973 Freeman Courier.

On May 22, 1973, voters in the Freeman Public School District approved issuing $600,000 in bonds to build a new jr.-sr. high school on a new campus on the southern side of Freeman.

The Freeman Courier reported the results: 808 for, 308 against, a 72.4% margin. Bond issues require a 60% majority.

But what’s remarkable about the vote is that it came after nearly four years and six failed elections.

With overcrowding and increased enrollment at the 1925 school building at Third and Wipf, the Freeman School Board started pushing for a new building in mid-60s. That led to a proposal for a new jr.-sr. high school on 43 acres purchased in 1969. The results of a $1.4 million bond election on Oct. 21, 1969, was an overwhelming defeat – only 23% voted yes; 297 for and 1,003 against. 

The next five bond elections in the next three years all failed to gain public support, although the rejections were not as dramatic as the first. While some gained a majority vote, none reached the required 60%.

In the May 3, 1973, Courier, the board again made the case for a new school building.

“Construction of a new school would eliminate the need for renting seven classrooms from Bethany Mennonite Church, Darald Walter, Dr. Jose Villa and Pine Hill Printery (and) the mobile classroom units and the frame schoolhouse.”

The proposed floor plan for “adequate classroom and lunchroom facilities for a junior senior high school” was 38,725 square feet; approximately $21 per square foot. 

The board noted the preliminary budget for 1974 would not increase taxes for next year because “approximately three mills is being collected this year for future building purposes; it will take 2.5 mills per year for 20 years to pay for the $600,000 bond issue; the amount now being set aside for future building can be used instead to pay for the bond issue.

The new jr.-sr. high school opened for the 1976-77 school year; it remains in use today. It did not, however, include a gym, which had been included in the original 1969 plan. A $495,000 bond election for a new gym in 1976 was voted down 551-452. It wouldn’t be until 1992 that a new gym was built. It cost $1.3 million.

Excerpts from May 12, 1993 Freeman Courier:

Shortly after Dennis Ries arrived to begin his practice at Rural Medical Clinics nine years ago, he thought to himself, “It sure would be nice to have a covered walkway between the clinic and the hospital.”

The two healthcare facilities are located across the street from each other. That means staff – and occasionally patients – going from one building to the other have to endure the wind, rain and snow.

Ries reflected on that Monday morning at a ceremony that commenced the start of a project that will, incidentally, provide the protection from the elements he wished for. 

On May 10, ground was broken for the Freeman Community Hospital and Nursing Home Connection Project, which will physically link the clinic and the hospital in a major expansion of the medical facility. 

“We will have some walkway,” Ries said with a smile. “I can hardly wait.”

“It is the final step in a three-phase of a $2.4 million expansion project that will dramatically change the design and appearance of the hospital complex. This is the third and major phase of. Other elements include the expansion of the clinic building.

Dennis Wollman, board president said, “This is a time of renewed commitment.” 

Wollman told the group the board felt it it had to choose between two policies… One to continually upgrade the service offered. The other is to hang on as long as you can. 

“This is your investment in the health care of the future,” he said.

Addendum: In addition to physically linking the clinic and hospital on space that had been the west end of Eighth Street. It included a new hospital nurse’s station, new lab and X-Ray areas, two birthing suites, ICU, surgical suites, a three-bay emergency room and entrance on Eight Street, a prayer room and a new main entrance facing east with parking extending east to Wipf Street.

The Connection Project was completed in summer of 1994. The Sept. 28, 1994 Courier reported an estimated 2,500 people attended the open house at the new expanded facility on Sept. 25. The name, Freeman Community Hospital and Nursing Home, was changed to Freeman Regional Health Services in 2004.

Excerpts from the May 7, 1953 Courier.

Freeman will have an election on May 19 to decide the street question. The plan is to pave from the Freeman Co-op gas corner (Fifth and Main) to the alley north of Freeman Lumber. The estimate is that it will cost $58,000. The city will pay for the intersections and one-fourth of the cost of the street. This the engineer estimates, will come to around $28,000. The rest of the cost will be carried by the property owners along Main Street. The city council (will) use $10,000 from profits of the municipal liquor store to pay for part its share. The election will call for a (bond) issue of $18,000. It seems to use this is a wise move on the part of the city council.

The following week, the Freeman Commercial Club wrote in support of the project.

“The Main Street of Freeman never was in worse shape than it is today. We have received so much bad publicity because of our bad street it is time we do something about it … How much will it cost you Mr. Voter? Basing the estimate on the total assessed valuation for 1953 at about $1 million … $2.10 per year or 17 and one half cent per month.”

The May 21 Courier reported “On Tuesday’s election, 441 votes were cast – 396 for street improvement and 45 opposed.”

The Sept. 17 issue reported “We have about four blocks of pavement completed. People of Freeman have reason to be proud of our town. Our population is less than 1,000 and strangers looking down Main Street so often estimate a 1,500 population.”

A display ad in the Sept. 24 Courier announced the Freeman Pavement Celebration on Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. The ad noted the event was “Free to all (with)  feed for all. A mammoth full evening of fine entertainment (with) bands, music, games, races, speeches, contests, free candy, pop, ice cream, coffee and hot dogs. Special added attraction – Elk’s Club of Sioux Falls Motorcycle Daredevils.” 

It was promoted as “Freeman’s biggest celebration in 73 years.”

Addendum: In the following years, nearly all of Freeman’s streets were paved. In 2022, the city rebuilt Main Street from Fifth Street to North County Road and several adjoining streets; it cost more than $5 million.