Universal Laboratories Building

About this property

The Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum, is a museum in Dassel, Minnesota, United States. The museum was established in 2006 in the historic Universal Laboratories building which is listed on the National Register for its role in the production of ergot from the mid-1930s through the late 1960s. The Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum is operated by the Dassel Area Historical Society. The museum opened in 2006 in the historic Universal Laboratories building. The museum features permanent about the history of Dassel, Minnesota, and the story of ergot, a fungus that has affected people through history. The exhibit Ergot: From Blight to Blessing explains the history of ergot, showing how it harmed rye crops and how it became a source for medicine. The exhibit Dassel Seed Corn Story: Planting the Seed describes Dassel’s role in the seed corn industry and the region’s farming traditions. The exhibit Magnus Johnson: No Yokel and No Man’s Echo tells about Magnus Johnson, a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party and the only Swedish-born person to serve in the U.S. Senate. The museum also presents changing exhibits about Dassel’s history and culture that may focus on local businesses, leaders, or key events. It holds events during the year, including lectures, workshops, and programs on local history and culture. The Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum keeps a research collection about the history of Dassel, Kingston, Darwin, and nearby townships. It includes an index of Dassel newspapers starting in 1893, with microfilm and original copies. The collection also has census records, plat maps, obituaries, photographs, local histories, church and school records, family histories, and a community index. Universal Laboratories Building is a building in Dassel, Minnesota, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed on the National Register for its role in the production of ergot from the mid-1930s through the late 1960s. The business was established in 1935 as Rice Laboratories, as a manufacturer of yeast for livestock feed. Yeast was used as a feed supplement because the enzymes fermenting in the digestive tracts of hogs and poultry would break down food and help in nutrient absorption. In 1937, the company built a new building on the north edge of town. In that same year, the manager of the company, Lester R. Peel, started production of ergot. Local farmers were discarding rye that was infected with sclerotia growths, because the ergot could cause deadly poisoning. Peel, a former school teacher, understood that the ergot also had medical applications, such as controlling postpartum bleeding and treating vasoconstriction, hypertension, vascular headaches, and migraines.

Location

Categories

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

More in Meeker County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Meeker County.

More historic places in Minnesota

Browse all historic places in Minnesota.

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Minnesota history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.