of value to the town's 'activity. There are the usual number of other business firms, hotels, etc., to be found in a place of this size. The average receipt charges for an average month from both roads is about $700. Slater was incorporated in 1890 and the first mayor, Alex Peterson. The council are Oley Nelson, Dr. E. A. Rawson, E. H. Miller, P. Hatfield, A. Peterson and B. Owens. Little has been done aside from routine business.
Slater Lodge No. 384, I. O. O. F., was changed from Sheldahl Lodge No. 384, which received its charter October 17, 1878, with the following officers: A. Hollcraft, N. G. ; L. Schooler, V. G. ; W. B. Miller, R. S. ; and J. N. Scott, Treas. The lodge has been prosperous, and now owns about $1,000 in property, of which their building, containing the post-office, is a part. They have thirty members. The following is a list of noble grands from the first: A. Hollcraft, W. B. Miller, J. N. Scott, A. K. Ersland, C. B. Owen, M. Clark, S. W. Snider, M. P. Webb, W. Croft, W. H. Porter, Charles Myers and J. H. Larson.
The press of the town began with the Slater News, on January 17, 1890, with Frank B. Cramer & Co. at the helm. It is a six-column folio. The postmasters have been Lewis Askeland, March 25, 1887, and J. N. Scott, February 26, 1888.
Gilbert is a late town, laid out in January, 1889, since which it has sprung to about 100 population. Its site was entered by Lyman F. Wisner and Joshua Saylor, September 8, 1855, and H. B. Dinwiddie on August 4, 1855. When the railway, now the North-Western, reached there, Hezekiah Gilbert, who had been one of the most earnest advocates of the railway, was made postmaster on April 3, 1878. Then Mr. Gilbert, Charles Matthews and J. T. Shepherd each offered the railway ten acres, and others gave five acres more for a town plat, which was mostly west of the track. Gilbert Brothers opened the first store on Main Street, and from time to time arose an elevator, Gilbert's two other buildings, depot, Frank Wilson's store, Stewart & Thomas, Oliver's lumber yard, Gilbert Brother's cheese factory, which handles 5,500 pounds of milk daily, and so on until now it has a population of about 125. Grain, stock shipping, general merchandise and lumber are the order of the leading lines, now, in importance. The depot charges for receipts average $378 per month, and $2,232 for forwarding. It is a large grain point. Frank Bently Post No. 89, G. A. R., organized in August, 1883, now has eighteen members. The postmasters have been H. Gilbert, 1878; F. B. Gilbert, June 1, 1880; B. J. Grinnell, September 4, 1885; and E. B. Stewart, May 14, 1889.