Universal Laboratories Building – Dassel
The Universal Laboratories Building was built in 1937 by Lester R. Peel of Rice Laboratories Inc. to produce yeast. At the same time, Peel began to collect rye that had been infected with ergot, a toxic fungus used medicinally since the 16th century. Peel used this facility to harvest the ergot, which had previously been imported by U.S. pharmaceutical firms. During World War II, the drugs derived from ergot – used to suppress internal bleeding and to treat “bomb shock” – were in high demand. Today the building is a monument to a domestic industry made possible by the railroads and the grain trade. It has been restored by the City of Dassel and the Dassel Area Historical Society as a community center and museum that tells the ergot story and the history of Dassel.
