History of the City of Waldorf, Minnesota

WALDORF is a peaceful and progressing prairie town in south central Minnesota, Waseca County, Vivian

Township. Its history began in 1895 when the first Plum Valley Creamery building and a house for the

butter maker were built a block to the north. Also in 1895, a general merchandise/grocery store and a

hardware store was built. The hardware store became the Plum Valley Post Office with Mr. A. J.

Tangeman serving as postmaster, followed by August Ewert serving as postmaster. (Prior to 1895, the

Vivian post office was located south of Waldorf in Vivian Township, Section 16, NW ¼, with H.W. Bluhm

serving as postmaster from his farm home.) Soon, Plum Valley also had a blacksmith shop and a bank.

The “Alphabet” railroad came through in 1907, a block south of Plum Valley. In 1908, August Ewert had

the Plum Valley Hardware building moved to Waldorf, switching it to a General Merchandise and

grocery business, and serving as postmaster there. The remaining Plum Valley business buildings,

except the creamery, were also moved to Waldorf. At that time, the former Plum Valley General

Merchandise/Grocery building became Ewert Hardware, operated by George & Otto Ewert, sons of

August Ewert. Although Waldorf had been named in the fall of 1907 when the Federal Post Office was

established, it was officially dedicated on July 29, 1908.

(Reference: A Touch of Waldorf History by Judy Joecks)