ix months after the
arrival of the co-operators, the following buildings had been completed
and were ready for use: On the south side of the public square, fronting
north; one large mill for grinding flour and feed; one extensive
building, large enough to be occupied as a saw mill and planing mill,
machine, carpenter, repair and blacksmith shop all combined. On the
north side of the square, fronting south; one large three story and
basement block of apartment houses, sufficiently capacious to
accommodate eight hundred people. The three upper stories were high
enough to afford twelve-foot ceilings between the floors. The rooms were
large, well lighted, well ventilated, and so arranged on each floor as
to offer to every family a parlor, sitting room, dining room, two bed
rooms, one bath room, and a kitchen. The basement of the entire block
was furnished and fitted to be used as a restaurant, with the necessary
dining rooms, kitchens, furnace rooms, store rooms and cellars. The
light frame dwellings, located on one of the rear streets, which had
given a temporary shelter to the people until the completion of the
apartment house, were now utilized as work rooms, seed rooms, assorting
rooms, store rooms, and for dairy and apiary purposes. On the west side
of the square, fronting east, just across the corner from the apartment
house, the well-appointed hall of Education and Amusement was erected.
It was three stories high, seventy five feet wide, and one hundred and
fifty feet long. The upper story was entirely devoted to the library,
assembly and amusement hall, with its large stage, numerous offices and
ante rooms. The lower rooms were arranged to be used for the business
offices of the farm, the spacious school rooms for its one hundred and
fifty children, the printing office and editorial rooms of the press
club, and the eleven additional club rooms reserved for the use of the
adults. On the same side of the square, fronting eastward and separated
from the hall of amusement and education by one hundred feet of space,
was the Solaris company store; four stories high, two hundred feet wide,
two hundred feet long, built around three sides of a beautifully
arranged rose and flower garden. The two lower stories were used to
display a large stock of general merchandise, while the upper stories
were occupied by the force engaged in the manufacture of general
clothing, underwear, and in tailoring and dress making. All of these
fin