Earl Geil was Beltrami County treasurer for 34 years.\u00a0Born at Pine Island, north of Rochester, Feb. 28, 1871, Mr. Geil moved to Bemidji in 1895. He built a home at the southwest corner of where the high school building stood at 15th and Beltrami Ave, and the foundation of the original site was\u00a0incorporated into the high school foundation, forming the southwest corner. He later lived at 1301 Bemidji Avenue. Mr. Geil was chief of police for a year and\u00a0Bemidji city treasurer for six years starting with \u00a0the organization of the city in 1896. He owned the Hotel Remore from 1898 to 1910.<\/p>\n
He was treasurer of the Bemidji Fire Department for many years; honorary member of IOOF; charter member of B.P.O Elks; 50-year member of Bemidji Lodge No. 233 A.F. & AM.; and a member of the First Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\n
A graduate of Milbank, S.D. high school, Mr. Geil attended the Adventist College near Lincoln, Neb., for a year where he was prominent in athletics. He died at Van Nuys, California died at Van Nuys, Calif., Nov. 28, 1966 where he had lived about 10 years.<\/p>\n
His recollections of life in early Bemidji are on file at the Beltrami County History Center in Bemidji.<\/p>\n
The Bemidji Pioneer featured\u00a0him in a special issue of the newspaper on March 27, 1909:<\/p>\n
“As proprietor of the Remore Hotel,\u00a0Mr. Geil constitutes one of the many\u00a0other mediums of strength which go to\u00a0make up Bemidji. Mr. Geil, in addition\u00a0to his vocation as hotel keeper, is chief\u00a0of the local fire department, a distinction\u00a0which has been conferred upon him for nine years past. He is also the treasurer of the city, now serving his third\u00a0year, and is reckoned among our most\u00a0powerful business men, as well as a\u00a0potent figure in politics.
\nTo indicate the worth of Mr. Geil, it\u00a0is but necessary to state that he wears\u00a0a gold medal in recognition of his proficiency as a fire chief, that he was\u00a0elected by vote of the fire chiefs of\u00a0the state of Minnesota to the International convention of fire chiefs held at\u00a0Columbus, Ohio, in the year 1898, that\u00a0he is a sterling business man and one\u00a0who continually “boosts” Bemidji. As a\u00a0hotel man he has won a record, legion\u00a0friends and a reputation as a host and\u00a0caterer. No further comment is necessary, only to state that Mr. Geil is \u00a0classed\u00a0among the popular and busy men who\u00a0have the Interests of the city at heart,\u00a0and acts accordingly.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"