In my last column, I shared excerpts from a letter that George Hormel had sent to his brother Ben.

George wrote the letter on his business letterhead. In business for about 18 months with his butcher partner, George was experiencing success and stability for the first time in his career.

The letterhead struck me as interesting because it was professional and showcased George’s pride in the business that bore his name. But, another feature of the stationary caught my attention as well. Along the left margin was printed facts about Austin in 1889. Enjoy a few examples below.

“AUSTIN is a Railroad Center…with 15 passenger trains daily.”

“Austin Pressed brick Co- $200,000 capital.”

“Canning and Pres’rving Co- $50,000 capital.”

“Terra Cotta Art Works, capital $10,000.”

“3 First-class Weekly Newspapers.”

“$75,000 Court House.”

“Six Good Hotels.”

“Electric Lights.”

The name and title of A.B. Hunkins Publisher and Printer was printed at the bottom of the impressive list promoting the economy of Austin. I was intrigued as to who Mr. Hunkins was so I did some research and found the epitome of an early entrepreneur.

I am not clear when Adelbert Benjamin Hunkins came to Austin as his family was from the Owatonna area. I found mention of him in the Mower County Transcript as being a printer, publisher and book binder between 1885 and 1890. According to the Transcript, in 1891 Hunkins, who had been the editor of the newspaper called the Democrat, began a new daily newspaper which became the Austin Daily Herald. He was 27 years old.

Hunkins became Austin’s Post Master in 1895, and in late 1896 he opened a commercial building that was known as the Hunkins Block for many years. Several businesses and a music hall were located in the new real estate that was erected on Bridge St., which is now the location of US Bank. In 1905, Hunkins turned his efforts to the invention of a new automatic mailing machine that received a great deal of acclaim. In 1907, I found him listed as a motor boat operator on the Cedar River. In 1908, he began marketing his music hall as an Electric Theater which showed “high grade moving pictures.”

Hunkins, with his wife and two children, relocated to Mason City in the fall of 1909, where A.B. was a partner in the Marsh Hunkins Auto Co. In 1912, he started a new publication called the Mason City Free Press, which was called a weekly independent family newspaper. He took advantage of the tourism on Clear Lake, Iowa and began renting open air sleeping cottages there in 1914. By the age of 50, Mr. Hunkins had certainly explored many ventures. He died in February 1934 in Mason City, Iowa where he had started another printing company bearing his name.

Hunkins may not be the “H” name we most often think of in Austin, but A.B. definitely has his place in the town’s history.

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What’s happening at the HHH

ASD Caregiver Network Event

6 p.m., Monday, April 1

How to prepare your child and your family for summer.Tips and strategies for a successful summer season. Hear from local resources that provide programming for kids on the spectrum. Light supper provided. Childcare available with pre-registration at autism@hormelhistorichome.org. Free