Livery barn bricks found near BCHS

While repaving museum parking lot

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Pieces of history were found last week when the parking north of the Brown County Museum was repaved.

A number of low-temperature bricks from the former (Nick) Andring Livery, aka Center Street Livery, were found underneath the parking lot pavement. The parking lot was repaved in order to prevent water seepage from doing further damage to the museum.

Andring was born on Oct. 1, 1862 in Belgrade Township to Mr. and Mrs. Mike Andring, pioneer settlers in Nicollet County.

Nick was elected to the office of constable in 1910. He died unexpectedly in 1912.

Liveries cared for horses owned by local farmers when they came to town. Horses were placed in a double row of stables behind a house owned by the Woratschkas, according to museum notes provided by Agnes Gieseke Dahl.

The stalls housed 12 horses. A barn adjoined the livery and extended toward Broadway behind the Woratschka home. A saloon was on the other corner.

Mr. Pietz, a hired driver, among many others, drove rigs for hire to doctors and salesmen. Mr. Freiderich, cared for the horses with his son. The livery also provided horses to pull the City of New Ulm fire engines.

Young, single men often competed for the best horses and most brightly polished and burnished carriages as long as they could pay their livery bills.

William H. Gieseke owned a livery barn where the New Ulm municipal building now stands. He was born on April 10, 1864 in Courtland Township to Mr. and Mrs. August Gieseke, pioneer settlers of this area.

Gieseke moved to New Ulm in 1900. A member of the New Ulm Fire Department, he hauled hook and ladder equipment to fires with his livery horses.

A deputy sheriff for nine years, Gieseke served on the New Ulm City Council for two terms, according to Elroy E. Ubl's book about New Ulm history, "The Matter Lies Deeper."

(Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).