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Talking with Mrs. Charles Farrow the other day, I found it hard to keep our conversation on only the Farrow family history, for Mrs. Farrow herself has, apparently, some very interesting facets in her background. Her mother’s grandfather, Estey by name, ran a saw mill at Fort Ripley in the very early days when that village was booming. Another grandfather was a sea captain whose wife went on long sea voyages with him. But that’s another story.

In the very early days of Morrison county — when Minnesota was still a territory — Charles and Kathryn Nash Farrow, natives of Maine, came here in 1855. That was soon after their marriage, and before the birth of their son, Franklin Pierce Farrow, who was named for President Pierce.

They settled on a homestead of 160 acres in Green Prairie township – all wild country, with no roads anywhere. When the Civil War broke out three years later, Charles moved his family to what was then known as St. Anthony (now Minneapolis) and enlisted in Company A, Ninth regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry in 1861, serving until 1864.

The next spring they tackled the wilds of Morrison county again — this time in Two Rivers township, again wild and without roads. Mr. Farrow built one and a half mile of road himself to reach his 160-acre claim. Like so many men of that era, he worked in the lumber camps to help out finances that came slowly from the unbroken land. Until 1881, when he sold out to his son, he farmed there, and there his five children were brought up. For the rest of his life he alternated between Little Falls and Royalton, working at the saw mill here, and was active in the Methodist church and the Masonic Lodge.

Franklin Farrow, tiring of farming, moved to Royalton, where he opened the first butcher shop in the town. Four and a half years later he went into a similar shop in Little Falls which he operated for more than seven years, selling out to a man named Zaloudek.

Evidently an enterprising person, he next built and for a time operated the Columbia Hotel (Later the Ace). He was chief of police for a year — then went into the dairy business, based on a farm southeast of Little Falls.

A livery business came next – in a fine brick building where he often had as many as 60 horses to rent out. Altered considerably in recent years, the building is still used by the Nate Dinner business.

Many were the trips which the Farrow “rigs” took around the county. It took two days then to drive to Mille Lacs, with a half-way stop at Rucker’s farm, where the old house may still be seen if one knows where to look.

Besides the brick building, there was “the red barn,” located where Dr. Goblirsch now has his dwelling and office. Still another building, in the Lang Ford Co. location, was added in that momentous era when cars began to replace horses in the transportation business. In 1907 Mr. Farrow bought an old chain-drive Reo — the third car in Morrison county and the first of many which he was to put into use.

Most of us now around remember best his son, the late Charles — an able business man, and an amiable friend. Associated with his father in the dairy and the livery business, he later sampled farming at Freedhem and at Fort Ripley — was associated with Barney Burton in the Chevrolet business at Brainerd, with E. A. Berg here in the Ford agency, and then with Elmer Swanson in the First street garage and Oldsmobile agency which still bears his name.

In between times he bought the Lowell theater in 1932, and when it burned the next year, he and Barney Burton built the Falls, on of the first theaters in the northwest built for talking pictures. In 1935 he bought Mr. Burton’s interest in the Falls, and in 1936 built the Ripley.

The late Charles and his wife, the former Edna Mae Wood, had two children — Lyle in California and Shirley, whose husband, Norman Arvidson, has stepped into Charles’ shoes in the automobile business. There’s a heritage of transportation there — but some day I’d like to hear more about that grandfather who took his wife a-sailing.

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Charles E. Farrow was born April 7, 1889 in Royalton, MN, the son of Sarah Jane and Franklin Pierce Farrow. The family moved to Little Falls while Charles was a small boy and he spent most of his boyhood here, except for a few years on a large family owned dairy farm south of the city. When Charles was 14 years of age, the family again moved to Little Falls and he became associated with his father in the F. P. Farrow Livery Company, later known as the Farrow and Son Livery and Auto Company.

In June, 1914, Charles Farrow was united in marriage to Edna Mae Wood. Two children, Lyle F. and Shirley Jane, were born to this union.

After the death of his father in 1918, the Farrows moved to a farm in Freedhem, MN for six years. Charles started selling cars for Burton and Bastien Chevrolet in Little Falls, eventually buying out Bastien’s interest in the dealership, but continued to sell cars for Burton Chevrolet while living on a farm in Ripley Township.

In 1932, the Farrows bought the Lowell Theater and moved to an apartment over the theater. January 2, 1933 the Lowell Theater burned along with several other downtown buildings. Along with Barney Burton, the Farrows rebuilt the theater starting in March, 1932. It was one of the first theaters in the northwest to be built for talking pictures. In 1935, Charles bought out Burton’s interest in the theater and in 1938, he built the Ripley Theater in Little Falls.

Continuing his auto dealership association with Burton, the two men bought the Chevrolet agency in Brainerd, MN, and the Farrow family lived in that city from 1933 to 1935. The partnership dissolved and the Farrow family moved back to their home in Little Falls.

Buying the Oldsmobile, Packard, GMC Truck and Case Tractor franchise in partnership with Elmer Swanson, Charles sold his interest in 1947 to his son-in-law, Norman K. Arvidson. Norman sold the business in 1971 going into real estate and property management until his retirement in the 1990’s.