|
The origin of Austin Council 1201 dates back to the fall of 1906 when a group of Catholic men from Austin, headed by C. I. Riley, attended a meeting in Owatonna. These men returned to Austin filled with enthusiasm and over the next several months recruited a large number of new members. The first exemplification was held in early 1907 on the  second floor of the building at 209 North Main Street. The Degree Staff for the exemplification came from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the ceremony was followed by a banquet in the building at the current Brick Furniture location. This was followed by the granting of a charter to Austin Council 1201 on March 24, 1907. The regular meetings of the new Council were held on the second floor of the building at 209 North Main Street until 1908 when Columbus School was constructed and the third floor was designed as a meeting hall. This site served the Council until 1916 when the building at 121 2nd Ave. NW was acquired by the organization. |
J.A. Rutherford was the first Grand Knight of the Council and C.I. Riley was the first Financial Secretary, a position he held until his death on February 27, 1919. The Council grew rapidly and much of the early success was attributed to the zeal and leadership of Mr. Riley.