If you have an old Manning picture or item but don't document the who/what/when/where/why, it is just something old but add family background, names, dates, and other information and then you are truly preserving history.
I'm sure there are still wonderful old Manning connected pix out there, that will someday get thrown away, so I continue to beg and plead with people to send their old Manning historical items to me to scan and document. If they want them back, I'll gladly do this, but if they don't want them anymore, then I'll keep them to include in the future museum.

The first 2 scans came from different collections and were copies, one from a picture postcard and the other from a promotional flier.
I worked with Art Rix, Bill Ohde, and several other older Manning folks to get some names decades ago. While some were guesses, at least we have some names and now with Dave & Dee's help we know which Grundmeier is which...as initially all I had were the last names.

State Champions 1913

1913 team

Scan from the original photo from Dee and her family.

Back row: ??, ?? Charles McLaughlin, Otto Kempf, George Detlefs
Third row: ? Gottsche, August Gruhn, ??, John Rostermundt, Peter??, Bill Claussen
Second row: Ernest Grundmeier, Hugo Grundmeier, Joe Rushenberg, trophy, George Albert, ??, Louis Reinhold
Front row: ??, Harry Rostermundt

Scan from a large print Dee had, that was cropped from a negative.

This is the original image the above photo was cropped from.

Scan I made in 2002 from a picture postcard.

Information written on back of the postcard.

1913

I show this picture postcard since it has names and information written on back.
Note the team positions of some of the men - Hugo Grundmeier was one of the men on the tongue of the hose cart.

This picture has nothing to do with the running team but was also in Dee's collection she sent me.

Anton Mergele was a brother to Anna (Mergele) Grundmeier (Mrs. Hugo Grundmeier)
This is an early 1910 Indian motorcycle.

Anton served during WWI and was the 1936-37 Legion Commander in Manning.

While working with the names of team members I noticed I didn't have Herman Goettsch's obituary, nor did I know where he was buried...then after searching the Internet, I found his wife's obituary that listed them living in Manning, so I knew I had the correct family and then found Herman's obit which also mentioned him living in Manning. It doesn't mention anything about him being on the running team, but the family would have lost that history after moving to Davenport and why it is so imperative to find out where people who lived here at one time, moved to, and then connect their history here so it isn't lost forever.

I don't want to take away from the accomplishments of the above men, but I always like to show examples of how we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and those who preceded us in Manning.
Connie found several news clippings about the MFD running team in the late 1890s.
After reading some of the names and providing their first names, as opposed to initials, I decided to see if I have obits for some of them and asked Connie to see if she could also find some obits for me.
Note that Arthur Hanchett's dad was a Civil War Veteran who also lived in Manning and was a member of the McPherson Post 33, GAR.

It's things like this that I'm able to tie together, that no one else can do with our little town of Manning.

Daily Nonpareil, June 1, 1889

Peter M. Loes
In 2016, Mark Loes found my web page and provided some pix & information about the Loes family and I shared what I had with him.

Here are some news articles about the MFD running team.

Coming to the Tournament
Manning Monitor: The Manning hose team is doing some good practice work these evenings. Captain Morrow is sparing no pains or time in putting his men in the best condition for the coming tournament, which commences at Council Bluffs June 11. He has enrolled on his list some of the best material the town affords, and with the fitting they are receiving they should and will make a showing at the state tournament that will be a credit to themselves and the town from which they come. Our citizens and the city fathers, especially, should show them encouragement in their work. The following named persons compose the team: Horace Free, Joseph P. Arp, Thomas Mably, Mike Leydham, Christ Larson, Clint Bennett, Frank Ferguson, Arthur Hanchett, Otto Noble, Fred Miller, Peter M. Loes, Dwight W. Patton; couplers, Albert Lincoln Wright and Frank Guild.
Daily Nonpareil, June 1, 1889

Good for the Manning hose team. In the 49 class races at Sioux City there were five entries of crack teams, and Manning took third prize, making the run in 50.
Carroll Sentinel, June 10, 1887

Items of Interest Gathered by Our Local Correspondent.
Great Victory.
The Manning hose team won the State Championship and the Silver cup at the State tournament which was held at Des Moines last week. The team won two firsts and got no time in the other two races. In the first State hose race, the electric starter failed to work and after making a fast run, the timers failed to take the time. They were given another trial and this time the pistol failed to fire and they failed to get a good start and had to abandon the race. The next day, West Liberty, being the first team to run, made the fast time of 31 3/5 and it commenced to rain just as the Manning team were getting ready to run but luckily it ceased but the track was somewhat heavy when they made the run and they made the race in 31 2/5, which won the cup for this year Manning also defeated the fast West Liberty teem in the Hub to Hub, the last race of the tournament in the wonderful time of 27 3/5, within three fifths of a second of the time made by the Neola team years ago, which is considered a worlds record. In then novelty Hub to Hub race, Manning defeated the Osceola team fully twenty feet but failed to make the coupling and the race went to Osceola by time of 37 seconds flat, Manning won the straightaway in 28 1/5, the flag race in 1:49 3/5. They got no time in the first state race and in the Novelty race, Manning's leader was ahead in the Leaders race when he fell. The team returned home Saturday noon and was met at the depot by a large crowd of citizens with the band and escorted to the Park Hotel for dinner. In the evening they were given an automobile ride and a jollification meeting was held on Main Street. Fully two thousand people attended the celebration. This is the first time that a Carroll County team has won the state race and the Manning citizens are proud of their team and are going to try and keep them together for two years more and win the cup for keeps.
Carroll Sentinel, August 1, 1911

Here is some information from the History of Manning 1898.

Manning Hose Company and Water Works, Up till the organization of the Manning Hose Company, the only method of fighting fires was with fire buckets and even then there was no system, not even a bucket brigade; but each one could pitch in and do it all or stand on the street corner with his hands in his pockets and whistle, or criticise the methods employed by thane who were assisting, The growth of the town had increased to such an extent and the need of an organized fire company had become so apparent, that May 15 1884, the first meeting was called for the purpose of organizing a hose company.
An organization was perfected with the following officers and membership: President, N. J. Smith; Vice President, J. M. Nettle; Foreman. F. W. Arney; Assistant Foreman, W. P. Guild; Secretary, Neil McArthur; Treasurer, G. F. Chapman; Trustees, E. C. Perry, Albert Lincoln Wright, C. S. Lawrence; Members, R. L. Zane J. B. Henshaw, D. D. Clark, W. F. Carpenter, C. Johnson, E. Smith and F. Wilkins.

At this time the only water supply was the wells and cisterns, however was promise of a better water system as bids had been landed in for the institution of a tank system of water works The system was ready for operation by the autumn of 1884. The tower stands 30 feet high and supports a tank with a capacity of 50,000 gallons.

The water supply was obtained south of the tank, across the C. N. W. track, in close proximity to the present pumping station. A reservoir was sunk near, and lower, than the creek bed, and supplied from the creek through a filter.
This, however, proved unsatisfactory, as high water flooded the reservoir filling it with sediment and impure water. A well was then dug east of the reservoir, but this failed to supply sufficient water in the dry years of 1893-4. In 1894, nine three inch, driven sand wells were sunk and connected with the pumping station. These have proven very satisfactory both for quantity and purity of water.

Up till 1894, the water was forced to the tank by wind power, but after the sand wells were sunk, the he power was changed to steam. Now, the water is forced from the sand wells to the tank by a steam pump equal to a 25 horse power and has a pumping capacity of 11,000 gallons per hour.
There is over a mile of 6 and 4 inch mains, which renders it very convenient to tap for private use and affords excellent fire protection; as these mains connect with 14 double fire plugs to which can be attached the 1500 feet of hose, thus carrying a powerful stream of water to almost any building in the town. There are three hose carts for the reeling of the hose, and a hook and ladder truck, fully equipped with ladders, buckets. and all such appliances as are necessary in the case of fire.

Referring back to the organization of the hose company, it was organized under the name;

After the organization of the Company to purchase a hosecart and hose was the next thing in order, as the completion of the water works was only a matter of a few months. The request for a hose cart was presented to the town council, and in less than a week the council reported that they had contracted for a hose cart of superior quality. A running team was then selected, consisting of the following members; Pole, Peter M. Loes, Frank Laird; Lead, Dwight Patton, Fred Miller and F. P. Guild, J. P. Arp alternates; Couplers, A. L. Wright, W. F. Carpenter; Reel-men, J. P. Arp, W. F. Arney; Captain, W. F. Carpenter; Rope-men, D.W. Sutherland, W.E. Guild, F. Laird, J.W. Morrow.

For the benefit of the team in practicing, they purchased in June of 1887, 300 feet of tournament hose, a half interest of which was purchased by the town which seemed to display a very liberal attitude. The hose was purchased for $150.00. There was also two speaking trumpets, a play pipe and a practicing coupling purchased at the same time. This placed the company in good condition for practice and effective results. The company applied for, and was admitted to membership of the Iowa Fireman's Association in the spring of this year.

THE SIOUX CITY TOURNAMENT this year was the most important event in which the team ever took part. The team was composed of, J. W. Marrow, P. M. Loes, James Hathaway, W. F. Carpenter, A. L. Wright, D. W. Patton, Frank Laird, William Hathaway, E. M. Funk, Peter Murray, Frank Ferguson, L. M. Conkling, J. P. Arp, Charles Coe, Frank Arney, Joseph Bemrose, Fred Miller and William Coe. The team's practice time was 47 seconds for 300 yards on a slow track. At the tournament they entered in the "49 second class" and won third money.
In the "46 second class" they would have taken third money had their hose not been tramped on by some parties who had no right, on the track. In this race, they made a record of 39 seconds, the second best time made during the tournament. This was the first state, tournament in which they had taken pant, and consequently, they were not "onto the tricks" practiced by some of the professional teams. After this year, the interest began to wane, and the team finally disbanded.

THE PRESENT HOSE AND FIRE COMPANY number, in all, twenty six members as follows: President, J. P. Arp; Secretary, W. B. Parrott; Treasurer, E. K. Johnson; Chief, William Wunrath; Asst. Chief, Fred Miller; Trustees, William Wehrman, Peter Stephany and C. J. Larson; Members, H. M. Free, Clinton Kenyon, George Shelldorf, John Grelck, John Frahm, Martin Brunnier, Julius Ruge, C. H. Reinholdt, John Schnoor, Herman Grau, Charles Schmidt, Edward Breckenridge, August Reimer, R. Wohlers, H. P. Hansen and D. W. Patton.

Besides running in contests, here is an incident where Albert Wright and another fireman arrived first to fight a fire in 1884.

THE FIRE IN E. C. PERRY'S STORE, broke out about 5:00 o'clock, Sunday morning, March 4, 1884. Mr. Perry, who occupied a room over the store as a sleeping apartment, discovered the fire and gave the alarm. He had been awakened by the smothering sensation caused by the smoke. The fire was beyond control, in Perry's building, before water could be brought to bear on it. E.L. IVES and Albert L. WRIGHT were THE HOSE TEAM on this occasion, as they had the hose cart on the scene before the other people had arrived. When it was discovered that Perry's building could not be saved, the efforts of the firemen were turned towards saving Hoffmann & Schoop's Store. The goods were all removed, although they were damaged to the extent of about $400. "It was while at work saving this building from the fury of the leaping flames, that F. W. Arney inhaled some smoke and gas from the effect of which he was confined, for some time, to his bed. To MR. ARNEY is GIVEN the CREDIT for saving the adjoining building and possibly the entire block. He slid down the south side of the roof, adjoining the burning building, which was covered with ice, and with one hand holding the hose, he dropped to the eaves, and with the other hand played the water in such a manner that the siding was but slightly charred. If the boys holding the hose had loosened their grip, Arney would have met his doom in the fiery pit." Perry's loss was estimated at $7000. He carried insurance to the amount of $1500.00 on the building and $2000 on the stock.