Meet Meire Grove Where History And Community Come Alive

Meire Grove is a small town in central Stearns County with a population of 179.  It is located along Highway 4 with both Highway 52 and Interstate 94 nearby.  To help tell the story Meire Grove I was joined by Mayor Matt Silbernick and longtime resident Kurt Meyer.

Town Spelling

Meyer says the town's name was misspelled in the 1850s but it never changed.  He explains the "i" replaced the "y" in the town name.  Kurt says there are some Meyers in the cemetery with the "Meier" spelling.  He says one of the brothers of the early Meyer settlers spelled it "Meyer".  Kurt says that Meyer had a lot of kids.  He says the reason for the "re" in the town name, was because many things were spelled with a "re" at that time.  Sauk Centre is a good example of that.

First Settlers

The first settlers came to Meire Grove in 1856, according to Meyer.  Henry and Xavier Schaefer were the first to come to the community and establish their home there.  In 1858 Elizabeth Meyer arrived in Meire Grove with her sons Heinrich and Herman and August Illies.  They came from New Munich. They were convinced by the Schaefers the land was good so they decided to stay.  The Schaefers eventually relocated to Iowa.

Wooded Area

Kurt Meyer says in the 1850s the area was very wooded and swampy so the settlers cut down trees to create fields.  He indicates it took them awhile to break the land.  Meyer says Meire Grove never had a lumber yard but nearby towns Melrose and Greenwald did.  The early settlers had German Catholic heritage.  St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was established in Meire Grove in the 1800s when the St. John's Priest came from St. John's Abbey.  Meyer says the settlement was once known as St. John's Settlement.  He says St. John's the Baptist Catholic Church was a Benedictine Parish until 1990.

Early Businesses

Early businesses included 3 bars, 2 stores, a meat locker, blacksmith shops, a creamery and the Imdieke Brick Making yard. (just north of town) Meyer says there are a lot of buildings that were built with those bricks.  Meyer isn't aware of a car dealership in town but Meire Grove once had a hotel on the north edge of town.  The railroad never came through the community because Meyer says the town didn't want it.  Both Meyer and Silbernick feel the town would have grown by at least another 200 people if it had.

Town Changes

Meire Grove has changed over the years.  Kurt says the town has undergone some changes of demographics.  He indicates it was typical that farmers would retire and move into town with their children taking over ownership and operation of their farm.  Meyer says the older homes that were in Meire Grove were small and many of the new residents were young families and wanted bigger homes.  Newer homes have replaced many of the older ones.  Silbernick believes Meire Grove is 80% young families where is was 80% older people just 20 to 30 years ago.

Current Businesses

Meire Grove has businesses like Schneider Collision & Hydrographics, Meire Grove Gas & Grocery, and Meire Grove Co-Op.

Town Get-Togethers

Things that bring the community together include their community park which includes a pickleball court and play equipment for kids.  The church hosts the Potato Pancake Supper in the fall which serves around 1,000 people.

Town Team

Meire Grove continues to have a town ball team called the Grovers.  Kurt was a part of the team starting in 1982 as their bat boy.  The team started as a combination of Greenwald and Meire Grove called "Green Grove" in 1950.  In 1959 Greenwald and Meire Grove split because Freeport left the league creating an opening.  Meyer played on the team for many years and then he and his brother coached the team until 2017.  Meire Grove made it to the State Tournament 7 times but never won it.

Meire Grove Band

The Meire Grove band started in 1883 and is the oldest continuing to play town band in the state of Minnesota.  Kurt has been a member of the band since 1995 playing the tuba.  The band plays 4-5 concerts and appears in 4-5 parades each year.

Matt says Meire Grove is a "friendly little town" and encourages people to check it out.

If you'd like to listen to my 2-part conversation with Matt Silbernick and Kurt Meyer, click below.