USA > Minnesota > St Louis County > Duluth > Duluth and St. Louis County, Minnesota; their story and people; an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development, Volume II > Part 24
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In 1904, the assessed valuation of the Township of Kugler was $109,894 ; in 1919, it was $54,956. Taxes, in 1904, totalled to $2,285.80; in 1919 the levy, for all purposes, was $3,984.31. The township had a population of 82 in 1900; 136 in 1910; and 168 in 1920.
Kugler Township borders on the Vermilion Range, and possibly has mineral deposits of value, although no mining operations have been undertaken within its boundaries. The township is marshy and peaty in places, and several streams pass through it. The Duluth and Iron Range Railway passes through the township, with two communities, Athens and Rivers, served by the railroad. Rivers is the larger community, although both in reality are little more than stopping places.
The township officials in 1920 were: Albert Hoppa, (chairman) ; R. Johnson and Peter Pearson, supervisors; C. E. Wahlston, clerk; John Fredrickson, assessor ; Gust Lee, treasurer ; A. D. Fuller, justice.
Kugler, for school purposes, is in the unorganized school dis- trict directly supervised by the county school administration. The school levy in 1919 was 37.1 mills.
Lakewood .- The Township of Lakewood, which embraces almost all of congressional township 51-13, was formerly part of the Town- ship of Duluth.
Petition to set apart, from that township, congressional town- ship 51-13 was circulated in November, 1901, and signed by D. J. McDonnell and twenty-one other residents and legal voters of that territory. The petition argued that it was convenient to the citizens of township 51-13 to attend to township affairs of the Town of Duluth, which at that time embraced more than forty square miles.
A hearing was set for January 7, 1902, before the county com- missioners at Duluth Court House. No material remonstrances then developing, the commissioners approved the petition, and notices were prepared, calling the first town meeting of the newly organized Town of Lakewood, January 25, 1902, at the schoolhouse situated on the northeast quarter of section 14, township 51-13. For some reason, the town meeting adjourned until February 15, 1902, to meet then at the house of Z. Perault, on the south half of northeast quarter, section 21,' of that township. At that adjourned meeting, the town- ship organization was completed by the election of the following named residents as first township officers: David Jamieson, (chair- man) ; Z. Perault and S. Wakelin, supervisors; Wm. M. Jameson, clerk; D. J. McDonnell, treasurer; Jas. Mohan, assessor; Worth Axford, justice ; Frank Erickson, constable.
The valuation of Lakewood has scarcely increased since 1902. It then stood at $199,557 (assessed valuation) ; in 1919, the figures were $215,313. Taxes in 1902 totaled to $4.090.92. In 1919, they were $10,571.87. The population was 224 in 1910; in 1920 it was 294.
The present township officials are: John Hendrickson, chairman ;
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Ed Schau and F. P. Johnson, supervisors; James Mohan, clerk; D. J. McDonnell, assessor; Chris Hendrickson, treasurer.
At one time Lakewood Township was in School District No. 20. District No. 62 now serves part of township 51-13. There are three frame schoolhouses in use, the three valued at $5,000, in 1919. The enrollment in that year was 62, for a school year of nine months. Four female teachers were apportioned to the district, and they averaged a salary of $85 a month. The school levy was $3,854.10. The school board officials were: F. J. Monkhouse, clerk; Joseph Pommerville, treasurer ; D. J. McDonnell, chairman of directors.
Lavell .- Lavell Township, which now embraces three congres- sional townships, was first organized to have jurisdiction over un- organized townships 55-19, in 1904.
A petition, signed by Richard Carrigan, Martin Lavell, and others who were legal voters of congressional township 55-19, was pre- pared during the winter of 1903-04, asking the county officials to organize that territory, and name the township so organized "Lavell." Martin Lavell presented the petition at the county offices for filing on August 4, 1904, and then took oath that statements made in petition were correct.
The matter came before the county commissioners at their meet- ing on that day, and met with their approval. They ordered an election to be held at the house of Martin Lavell, sw qr. ne qr., sec. 18, twp. 55-19, on August 23, 1904. Martin Lavell, acting as deputy sheriff, posted notices to that effect.
The election completed the organization of the township, and within ten days another petition was in course of preparation, the residents of congressional townships 56-19, 56-20, and 55-20, seeking to have that territory annexed to the new Township of Lavell. The petition was signed by P. E. Meehan and others, in sufficient number, to influence the county commissioners to act upon the request. They placed these three unorganized townships into the Township of Lavell, taking that action at their monthly meeting of October, 1904, having considered the petition at their September meeting and called for the hearing of remonstrances at the October session.
The boundaries remained so until November, 1913, when con- gressional township 56-20 was separated from Lavell, and added to the Stuntz territory (see Township of Stuntz, this chapter).
In 1904, the assessed valuation of the township of Lavell was $267,323; in 1919, the valuation, excluding township 56-20, was $153.343. The tax levy in 1904 was $3,795.95; in 1919, the levy was $10,875.78 for the three townships.
Lavell Township is content to let its school system be part of the unorganized school district administered by the county school superintendent. Such an arrangement is probably less expensive for the township, the population being scattered. Lavell Township had a population of 548 in 1910, and 632 in 1920.
The township officials, 1920, were: John Turkula, chairman ; Jacob Hellman and Fred Rekkala, supervisors; Alex Narva, clerk ; Matt Korpi, assessor ; and Herman Lammi, treasurer.
Leiding .- The Township of Leiding was organized in 1907, and now embraces four congressional townships 64 and 65, ranges 19 and 20. The Duluth, Rainy Lake and Winnipeg Railway passes through the township, which is the administrative centre of big logging in- terests. Glendale, Orr, and Cusson are the railway stopping places, communities having developed at each place, Orr being a trading
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centre, and Cusson the largest village, being the logging headquarters village. Pelican Lake, probably more than half a congressional town- ship in area, is situated in townships 64 and 65, range 20, a fraction of it breaking into range 21. There are several other smaller lakes, and the township is rapidly becoming cleared of timber, and promises to eventually be good agricultural land.
Organization .- A petition, dated August 27, 1907, signed by Frank Korpi (or Karpi) and thirty-four other freeholders of con- gressional townships 64 and 65, range 19, and of township 64-20, sought to obtain the permission of the county commissioners to the organization of the territory into one township, under section 451, of the Laws of Minnesota, 1905, said organized township to take the name of Leiding, who was the main projector. It stated that the residence of Charles Leiding would be a convenient place at which the voters might assemble for the holding of the first town meeting. The petition was sworn to by Carl Laitenen, of Pelican Lake (Gheen P. O.), on August 27, 1907, and was filed with the county auditor, at Duluth, on September 10th.
First Election .- The county commissioners met, in monthly ses- sion, on that day, and the petition came before them for considera- tion. They approved it, and set apart the three townships at that meeting, and designated the territory "Leiding" township. They also ordered election to be held on September 28, 1907.
In April, of 1909, Charles Oakman, Nils Johnson, William Orr and seventeen other residents of township 65-20 sought to attach that congressional unorganized township to the township of Leiding. Petition to that effect was filed with the county officials on April 12, 1909, was approved by the county attorney May 4th, and considered by the board of county commissioners at their sessions of May, July, August, and October, 1909. They finally fixed a date, December 3d of that year, upon which they would hear remonstrances against the projected annexation. On December 3d they granted the petition.
Township of Pelican .- An attempt was made in 1914 to detach from Leiding, the two townships of range 20, so that they might be organized as the Township of Pelican. Petition was circulated in those two townships toward the end of the year. It was signed by Nils Nilson, William Orr, and others, and sworn to on January 6, 1915, by Fred Swartz, who testified to the accuracy of the statement that the legal voters in the territory at the time of the circulation of the petition did not exceed fifty .. Thirty-three signed, asking for organization under section 452, General Statutes, 1913, and indicating that election place could conveniently be the Town Hall at Orr, in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1 of town- ship 64-20.
Movement Defeated .- The petition was considered by the com- missioners at their January, 1915, session, and they set a hearing of objections for February 15th next. Nine days before that date, how- ever, the petitioners requested the commissioners to withdraw the petition ; consequently, the petition was dismissed.
Valuation of Leiding .- The Township of Leiding had an as- sessed valuation of $613,397 in 1907; in 1919, the valuation was only $422,400, notwithstanding the increased acreage. The tax levy in 1907 was $10,024.93 ; in 1919 it was $28,773.94.
Population .- There were only 22 people living in Leiding Town- ship territory in 1900; in 1910 there were 610; and in 1920, it had
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increased to 892. The establishment of the Village of Cusson is probably the principal reason for the increase.
Cusson (village) was platted in 1909, and so named in honor of S. J. Cusson, who at that time was the general manager of the lumber and logging company. The village has always remained a "company town," all the real estate and buildings belonging to the Virginia and Rainy Lake Lumber Company. Cusson is the adminis- trative headquarters of the company's logging operations, which are of magnitude. It is a self-contained community, having good water, electric lighting plant, movie, school, and other community con- veniences. Everybody living in the village is in the employ of the. logging company. There are an average of 125 skilled workmen resident in Cusson, chiefly belonging to the railroad and machine shops of the company, which owns and operates 130 miles of railway to their many logging camps. At Cusson there are boarding houses for single men, and twenty-five dwellings for married men, who are able to rent a six-room house, with electric light and steam heat for about $10 a month, with free light and water. Cusson, in reality is a pretty village, certainly not a place such as one is apt to imagine a community identified with the logging camps would be. It is well administered, F. H. Gillmor, who laid out the place in 1909, and who has been general superintendent of logging operations for the company for many years, makes his home in it, and he, together with his assistant, Mr. Erickson, looks well after the comfort and well being of the people in general and sees to it that the village is held to a sane standard of orderliness. Mr. Gillmor is one of the pioneers of the northern part of St. Louis County. He has been directly responsible for the clearing of timber from at least 200,000 acres of the northern part of St. Louis County, and has been in charge of the logging operations of the two principal lumber companies that have operated in that region, the Weyerhauser interests and the Vir- ginia and Rainy Lake Company. He was with the former for eight years, and with the latter for twelve years, all spent in St. Louis County, north of Virginia. For nineteen years he has been superin- tendent of logging, and has caused to be cleared from the land of Northern St. Louis County from one and one-half to two billions of feet of timber. That in itself, in the turning of standing timber into cash was an appreciable service to the county, which of course directly benefitted in taxation; but when it is realized that the clear- ing of timber means that the way is clear for the permanent settler, the part Mr. Gillmor has had in the pioneer work of the county has certainly been substantial, and worthy of record. Some of the cut- over land north of Virginia has proved to be as good agricultural land as there is in the county.
The Village of Orr was laid out by William Orr when the railway was built through the township. He owns a store which is stated to have done a business of more than $50,000 a year. He does much trading with the Indians of the Boise Fort Indian Reservation, bordering Pelican Lake. At Orr is a state bank, of which Wm. Orr is president.
Township Officials .- The township officials of Leiding in 1920 were: Nils Johnson, chairman ; John Gabrielson and J. A. Fisher, supervisors ; George Marette, clerk; G. H. Wirkkula, assessor ; Frank Wardas, treasurer.
School System .- Part of Leiding Township is served by School District No. 66, and the remainder cared for, educationally, by the
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county school administration. The townships of range 20 are in what is called the unorganized school district of the county, a school district in which there are 139 frame schoolhouses, to which go almost 4,000 children, and which district employs 162 teachers, and spends about $15,000 a year for transportation of pupils. The school levy, in that part of Leiding Township served by the Unorganized School District in 1919 was 37.1 mills, on a valuation of $263,035. Town- ships 64 and 65, north of range 19 west, are the limits of School Dis- trict No. 66, in which are two frame schoolhouses valued at $5,000 in 1919. The enrollment was sixty-two, and three female teachers were employed, in the year 1919-20, at an average salary of $100.00 a month. The school levy was $4,493.11. The school board officials were: Frank Wardas, Orr, Minnesota, clerk; Peter Marion, treasurer ; Nils Johnson, chairman of directors.
Linden Grove .- The township of Linden Grove was organized in 1907. A petition filed with the county auditor in December of that year, and signed by C. J. Everson and others, sought to induce the county commissioners to organize congressional townships 62 and 63-20 as one township under chapter 143 of the state laws of 1905, the town organized in accordance therewith to take the name of "Linden Grove." The petition asked that the first town meeting be held at the residence of Norman Linsey, situated in the northwest quarter of section 9, of township 62-20.
C. J. Everson took oath to the accuracy of statements made in petition, and that in the territory at that time were resident not more than sixty legal voters.
The county commissioners met at Duluth on December 10, 1907, and on that day formed the township of Linden Grove, with boun- daries as asked for in petition. And they ordered the election to be held on December 28, 1907.
Linden Grove had jurisdiction over the two congressional town- ships until 1916, when township 63-20 was set apart to form the township of Willow Valley (see Willow Valley, this chapter).
In 1908, the assessed valuation of Linden Grove Township was $19,264; in 1919 it was $47,682. The tax levy was $857.25 in the former year, and $3,323.44 in 1919.
Linden Grove, with two congressional townships, was found to have a population of 223 in 1910; in 1920, the census showed that 225. persons were then resident in its reduced area, township 62-20.
The township had no railway connection nearer than Cook, about seven miles from its eastern boundary, but it has some prosperous farmers. The township is watered, as well as drained, mainly by the Little Fork.
Linden Grove was at one time in School District No. 53, but that school district has been dissolved, and the territory is now part of the Unorganized School District directly supervised by the county admin- istration. The tax levy for school purposes in 1919 was 37.1 mills.
The township officials, in 1920, were: Ben Wilkins (chairman), L. W. Simmons, supervisor; C. J. Everson, clerk; J. B. Wien, assessor ; John Frandson, treasurer.
McDavitt .- The township of McDavitt was erected in 1894, such action by the county commissioners following the presenting of a petition by the voters of township 56 north, range 18 west. The petition was signed by Dagobert Mayer and twenty-four other resi- dents of the township named, which they sought to have organized
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under the provisions of chapter 10, General Statutes of 1878, as the township of McDavitt.
The request was granted by the commissioners on March 7, 1894, the commissioners then ordering notices to be posted in conspicuous places throughout the township calling the voters to the first town meeting, to be held at the residence of Ole Thorpe, situated in the southeast quarter of northeast quarter of section 10, on March 26th.
The election was duly held, and the township has since remained as originally constituted, as to boundaries. It is now well-developed agricultural land in parts of the township, through which pass two railways, a third its northeastern corner. There are several small sheets of water, and the St. Louis river winds its way tortuously through the township from northeast to southwest.
In 1895, the year following its erection, the township of McDavitt had an assessed valuation of $37,178; in 1919 its valuation was $87,287. The taxes in 1895 totalled to $721.25; in 1919 they were $5,805.04.
The population of the township in 1900 was 156; in 1910 it was 357; and 398 in 1920. Zim is the principal community within the township.
The township officials in 1920 were: Jest Mobreten (chairman), Charles Newberg and Emil Johnson, supervisors; H. P. Teed, clerk ; Ole Olson, assessor; Chas. Stenlund, treasurer.
McDavitt township is served by two school districts, No. 31 (see Ellsburg township, this chapter), and No. 80. There is only one schoolhouse in district No. 80. It is valued at $1,000. There was an enrollment of 28 scholars in 1919-20 year. The one teacher (female) received $75.00 a month salary, for a term of eight months. The school board officials, in 1919-20, were: John Mobrotin, Forbes, Minnesota, clerk ; S. M. Anderson, treasurer ; Severin Johnson, chair- man of directors. The school levy amounted to $1,046.30. The school levy (on $45,435) for School District No. 31 was 36.1 mills.
Meadowlands .- The township of Meadowlands was erected in 1903, out of part of the township of Kelsey. A petition was prepared by the inhabitants of congressional townships 53 north, ranges 18 and 19 west, asking that those townships be detached from the township of Kelsey and organized, said new township to take the name of Meadowlands.
Organization .- The petition came before the county commis- sioners at their session of July 13, 1903. They approved the petition, having a month earlier called for remonstrances.
First Election .- The election was accordingly held at the house of L. J. Jochem, situated on section 23, of township 53-19, on July 31st, and the following were elected: Andrew Nelson (chairman), Nels J. Matson and L. Miller, supervisors; Dan O. Anderson, clerk; Gust. Anderson, treasurer; John M. Olson and J. H. Miller, justices ; Joseph Miller and Chas. E. Lowe, constables.
Valuation .- In that year the township had an assessed valuation of $46,058. The land has been much improved since, the valuation standing in 1919 at $253,035. Taxes in 1903 amounted to $1,381.74 ; in 1919 the township was called upon to pay $20.116.28, $12,000 of which was the school levy.
School System .- Meadowlands school system is designated Inde- pendent School District No. 50, which serves all of township 53-18 and part of township 53-19. The district has three schoolhouses, all frame, the three valued at $15,000, in 1919. There is an excellent and large consolidated school at Meadowlands (village). The district
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employs a staff of eight teachers, one male, whose salary was $177 a month. The seven female teachers had an average salary of $139 a month for the school-year of nine months. Professor E. R. Hephner is the superintendent, and the school board officials are: A. F. John- son, Meadowlands, clerk; Andrew Nelson, treasurer ; D. O. Anderson, Charles Palmer, John Sontra and H. A. Heldt, directors. The district has a good reputation, its standard of education being excellent.
General .- The population of Meadowlands in 1910 was 451; in 1920 it stood at 773. It is the center of fine agricultural land, and there are some excellent farming properties in the township. The Duluth and Iron Range Railway Company has a large demonstration farm at Meadowlands. The White Face river passes through the township, and to the west, dividing Elmer township from Meadow- lands, the St. Louis river runs. Its course through township 53-19 places about six sections of that township within the limits of Elmer (see Elmer township, this chapter). Two branches of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern railway passes through Meadowlands town- ship, one branch having a station at Meadowlands, and the other at Birch and Payne. The Great Northern railway also passes through, so that in railway facilities Meadowlands is favorably situated.
Present Officials .- The township officials in 1920 were: Chas. F. Palmer (chairman), Max Bernsdorf and Roy Speece, supervisors ; Max Schleinitz, clerk; Ralph E. Armstrong, assessor; Herman A. Heldt, treasurer.
Mesaba .- The township of Mesaba, the boundary of which is that of congressional township fifty-nine north, range 14 west, seemed at one time to be of much more importance to St. Louis County than it appears to be today. In it were undertaken some of the first explor- ations for iron ore of the Mesabi range.
A Pioneer's Story of the Mesabi .- David T. Adams, now of Chi- cago and Duluth, but in the eighties and nineties of the nineteenth century one of the most successful and capable mining pioneer ex- plorers of the Mesabi Iron Range, writes, under date of December 7, 1920:
"The actual Mesabi range in which iron ore of commercial grade was found is that part lying horizontally in the low lands along the easterly foot of the height of land in Minnesota known as the Mesabi Heights, from a point in township 59, range 14, southwesterly through St. Louis County and into Itasca County, comprising a total distance of approximately 110 miles. It is a hematite formation, and is cov- ered in the main by glacial drifts and erosion from the high lands to the north. A change in the formation takes place in about the center of township 59-14, and from there on, northeasterly to its terminus on the east side of Birch Lake, in the Vermilion range basin, is a magnetic formation, projecting above the surface and surrounding country, and in some places pitching sharply to the south under the gabbro, which is found in that locality. It was not known that the magnetic formation, comprising the eastern end of the Mesabi range, changed in character and had any connection with the hematite for- mation to the west of a point in township 59-14, until some time dur- ing the years 1883 and 1889. Fragments of rock from the formation and clean pieces of hematite ore were strewn over the surface along its entire length, from about the center of township 59-14, St. Louis County, and extending for several miles to the south of the range, and in some places to the north, covering a large area in width, as well as in length. And until the years between 1883 and 1889 no one seemed
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to know anything about the western part of the range, or its trend, excepting to advance the theory that a blanket formation existed somewhere inside of the borders of the drift area, and that commercial deposits of ore could not exist in the formation on account of its nature and horizontal position which was a complete change, and unlike any other iron range in the Lake Superior region, or anywhere known at that time.
"There have been many conflicting stories written by outsiders on the discovery of the Mesabi range, some contending that the range was known to the Indians for generations, and by the earliest white inhabitants of northern Minnesota. Their contentions were true in certain respects. What is known as the eastern end of the Mesabi range, which outcrops boldly and is magnetic in character, was known to exist years before the Mesabi Range proper was dis- covered. * * *
"My attention was attracted to the possibility of the existence of commercial bodies of hematite ore in the southeastern slope, or in the low lands of the Mesabi Heights, in the year 1883. In the fall of that year, I made a trip from Agate Bay (where now is the city of Two Harbors, Lake county, Minn.), accompanied by one James Lane. Our route was across country, following as nearly as possible the survey of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad, which was then being constructed from Agate Bay to Tower. The purpose of the trip was to inspect the country, along the survey, for its mineral possibilities. At a point about one mile southeasterly of what is known as the Mesabi Gap, and south of the Tamarack swamp which lies at the foot of the gap, my attention was attracted by fragments of quartz and clean pieces of hematite ore strewn over the surface, at a point which I learned after to be in section 20, township 59-14. I spent a few days in that vicinity, exploring the country as far east as the magnetic cropping, and southwest over the hematite formation in the footlands along the slope of the Mesabi Heights for some distance. In this latter direction I found numerous indications of drift ore and quartz, as far as I went. I ascended the hills to the north of the places where I found the drift in the bottom lands to be the thickest, and in each ascent I made I found that the drift ore of the character found in the low lands at the foot of the heights disappeared completely, which was conclusive evidence that the numerous pieces of clean drift ore found in the low lands to the south of the Heights did not come from its summit, nor from the Vermilion range to the north, but must have come from an iron formation under the surface of the low lands, im- mediately south of the Heights. The drift ore did not show any great glacial wear, indicating plainly that the fragments of the ore were pressed up from the formation by frost, or broken from the ledge and washed to the surface by floods or torrents descending from the high lands through ancient water courses. The theory I formed at that time on the possible occurrence of merchantable deposits of ore in the low lands along the southeasterly slope of the Mesabi Heights (only more in detail) was never changed, and was always followed by me during all of my explorations in after years on the Mesabi range. I returned from this trip the same way I went in, and did not return to the range again for three years. * *
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