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 27
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The assessed valuation of Northland in 1905 was $43,578; in 1919 it was $36,403. Taxes in 1905 amounted to $763.47 ; in 1919 they were $1,681.82. so that there does not appear to have been much advance in the township, excepting in expenditure.
Northlands is still in School District No. 34, as it was in 1905 when first organized. The school district also covers congressional township 53-16, in which there are 240 inhabitants. There are four frame schoolhouses included in the property of that school district, but seemingly only three are used, as the school board only employed three teachers during the 1919-20 school year. They were paid an average monthly salary of $75. The enrollment was thirty-two schol- ars. School tax, in 1919, was $2,675.49. School Board officials : Jesse F. Keeney, clerk, Canyon, Minnesota; John Swanson, treasurer ; Frank Anderson, chairman of directors. School property valued at $4,500.
Township officials, 1920, were: Ole Berg (chairman). Alfred Peterson, supervisor; Jesse F. Keeney, clerk ; E. M. Austed, assessor ; Peder Ericksson, treasurer.
Owens .- John Owens, a pioneer of the ranges of St. Louis County, first president of the villages of Tower and Virginia, and now resident of Duluth, was one of the pioneers of agriculture north of Virginia and the Mesabi Range. He was the first to take up resi- dence in the township which now bears his name.
Organization .- The Township of Owens, which embraces thirty sections of congressional township sixty-two north of range eighteen west, was organized in 1912, and for six years prior to that was part of the Township of Field. The setting apart of Owens on August 6, 1912, resulted from the petition of residents of sections seven to thir- ty-six of township 62-18, who wished that territory separated from Field. The petition was sworn to before O. J. Leding. justice, on May 30, 1912, and early in June was filed at Duluth Court House.
The matter came before the county commissioners at the session of June 6th, and possibly at the July meeting. Hearing of remon-
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strances against the separation from Field, and the erection of Owens Township, was announced by the commissioners, who set August 6th as the day upon which they would hear objections to the petition. Apparently, there were no objections, for on August 6th the Town- ship of Owens was organized, the commissioners then ordering the notices to be posted in conspicuous places throughout the township calling residents who were legal voters to gather at the Cook School- house on section 17 of township 62-18 on Saturday, August 24, 1912, to elect officers for the Township of Owens.
Valuation .- In 1912, the assessed valuation of the township was $68,516. In 1919 it became $102,332, the increase representing agri- cultural development. It is one of the richest agricultural townships north of the Mesabi Range, and in 1919 paid $7,597.11 in taxes, including a school tax of 37.1 mills.
Education .- For school purposes, the township is part of the Unorganized School District directed by the county school superin- tendent. The principal community is at Cook, a growing village, and a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, which connects Duluth and Winnipeg. Leander, on the border line of Owens and Angora townships, is also a station on that system.
Present Township Officials. - The officials of the Township of Owens in 1920 were: Fred Anderson (chairman), Oscar Magnuson and John A. Pearson, supervisors; Chas. Fogelberg, clerk; D. G. Winchel, assessor; G. J. Francis, treasurer; August Buboltz and L. F. Luthey, justices.
Village of Cook .- The Village of Cook, when August Buboltz, who now is its principal storekeeper, came to it in 1904 consisted of not much more than a tent, in which was a printing plant, upon which the "Northland Farmer" was printed, published and circulated almost to the Bear River, by its editor-owner, James A. Field. The paper plant was hauled into Cook on a sleigh, over the Vermilion Lake.
With the clearing of timber, the land in the Township of 62-18 was seen to be good for agricultural purposes, and with the Duluth, Rainy Lake and Winnipeg Railway possibilities, the. possibilities of a farming center developing somewhere in the vicinity, attracted some who were interested in town planning. The Goodhue Investment Company of Duluth, acquired land in section 18 and a townsite was surveyed and platted for them by the Duluth Engineering Company.
The first lot was sold to John Nelson, of Taylor Falls, a lumber- man, now deceased. Upon his lot now stands the Farmers and Mer- chants Bank.
The first building in Cook was that erected for August Buboltz by John B. Shaver, of Virginia. When completed, it was opened as the Little Fork Hotel, and conducted as such by Mr. Buboltz until 1909, when he went out of that business, and later took up merchan- dizing and other enterprises in Cook and the vicinity. He built many houses in the place.
The first store building in Cook was that occupied as a general store by Lee and Hanson of Tower.
The first church was the Swedish Mission, which was built in
* Lantz. about 1906. The first minister in Cook was the Rev. * *
The first school was that erected about one and a half miles east of Cook. It was built in 1905, and the first teacher is stated to have been Miss Payne.
The first physician was Doctor Kurtz.
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There are two state banking institutions at Cook. The First State Bank of Cook, was established in 1912, by L. F. Luthey and others. L. F. Luthey was elected president; C. H. Alcock, cashier ; L. M. Burghardt, vice-president; J. L. Owens and J. Whiteman, directors. The capital was $10,000 and is still the same. The institution opened for business in the building it still occupies. Present directors are : L. F. Luthey, president; L. M. Burghardt, vice; A. H. Erickson, cashier ; R. C. Pickering and J. Whiteman, directors. The other bank, the Farmers and Merchants State Bank, of Cook, was estab- lished September 20, 1917. The capital was $10,000. There is now a surplus of $2,000. W. H. Benton, of Minneapolis, was the first president and Peter Burtness and August Buboltz were prominently identified with the organization of the bank. Present officials are : Peter Burtness, president; August Buboltz, vice-president; G. J. Francis, cashier ; Fred Anderson and Austin Lind, directors.
Cook has two newspapers, the Cook Newsboy and the Cook Journal. The "Newsboy" was established in 1915, by C. A. Knapp, who still owns and edits it. The "Journal" is a continuation of the Bear River Journal, which was established in 1906, by J. P. Hayden. It was purchased in 1911 by G. F. Peterson, of Hibbing, who moved the plant and paper to Cook in 1918. Thereafter the publication became the Cook Journal.
There are four churches, the Swedish Baptist, Swedish Mission, Catholic and Congregational. The members are drawn from among the people of Cook, and residents of Owens Township.
Cook was originally known as "Ashawa." It was platted as such and the village first became known as "Cook."
At least two attempts have been made to secure corporate powers for the village. A petition dated February 26, 1915, and signed by E. W. Carey and twenty-five other residents on land "originally platted as 'Ashawa,' and later known as 'Cook,'" sought the approval of the county authorities to their wish for incorporation of the vil- lage. Included in the boundaries of the incorporated village, the projectors sought to get blocks one to sixteen, inclusive, and out- lots one to five, inclusive, as platted in the southeast quarter of north- west quarter and northeast quarter of southwest quarter of section 18, township 62-18, as well as what was known as Balliet's addition to Cook, and certain other adjoining tracts. Petition asserted that census taken on February 26, 1915, showed that on that day there were resident in the district for which corporate powers were sought 220 persons.
Later, it developed that a clause calling for the inclusion of about one thousand acres, additional, had been inserted in the petition after it had been signed. At all events, such was the allegation made by certain of the freeholders, who filed remonstrance with the county commissioners, that paper also stating the fears of objectors "that incorporation would re-introduce saloons, which had been eliminated some years earlier." The remonstrance was signed by twenty-two of the signers of the original petition, and was dated March 17. 1915. It delayed action by the county commissioners.
However, on March 29th of that year another petition, favor- ing incorporation, was prepared by L. T. Luthey, and signed by many residents. eventually reaching the office of the county auditor. On April 28, 1915, Chas. E. Adams, special counsel for the County of St. Louis, advised the county commissioners that this petition was "legally sufficient in all respects." On May 3rd. however, it came
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to the knowledge of the commissioners that twelve of the signers of the second petition wished to withdraw their signatures. The with- drawal of these signatures made the petition "insufficient to require any action" by the commissioners. Hence, the village is still with- out corporate powers.
Pike .- A petition dated January 2, 1904, and signed by the major- ity of the inhabitants and legal voters of unorganized township sixty north of range sixteen west, asked the county commissioners to con- sider their wish that the township be organized under the state laws and named "Pike."
The document was filed with the county auditor on January 5, 1904, and considered by the county commissioners on the next follow- ing day. Charles Kangas took oath on January 5, 1904, to the accu- racy of statements made in petition and on the sixth the commis- sioners decided to order election to be held in the township on Janu- ary 23rd, at the schoolhouse situated on section 29. On that day township organization was perfected.
Pike has no railway facilities, but is within comparatively easy distance of two railways. There is only one community center, the small village, or hamlet, of Pike, but the increase in population shows that the township is being developed satisfactorily. Federal census statistics do not record any figures for township 60-16 in 1900; in 1910 the population was 340, while in 1920 the population of Pike Township was shown to have increased to 564. Nevertheless, the township may be stated to be yet in its initial stage of agricultural development.
In 1904, when Pike Township was formed, the assessed valua- tion of the territory (real and personal property ) totaled to $37.490; in 1919, the figure was $48,045. Tax levy increased in the fifteen years from $1,154.69 in 1904 to $3,483.26 in 1919.
At one time Pike was in School District No. 37. but that school district appears to have been merged in the Unorganized School Dis- trict conducted direct from the county school superintendent's office. The school levy is 37.1 mills.
Township officials in 1920 were: Leander Lundstrom (chairman), John Bukkila and Jacob Anttila, supervisors; Gust Kivela, clerk; W. Matts, assessor; Arvid Jokinen, treasurer.
Portage .- The Township of Portage was until recently known as "Buyck," the name being changed in 1919, as noted hereunder.
Organization of Buyck Township .- The few inhabitants of con- gressional townships 65 and 66, range 17 west, and townships 65 and 66, range 18 west, and township 66-19, sought in 1906, in which year the territory was practically wild land, to secure township powers and benefits for that territory. The petition dated September 5, 1906, was signed by Charles Buyck and fifteen other settlers, the instru- ment declaring that not more than fifty people lived in the five con- gressional townships at that time.
Petitioners asked that the proposed township be named Moose, or Deer, and the county commissioners at their September session granted the petition, on September 7, 1906, deciding that it be named "Moose," and ordering first meeting of voters to be held at the school- house in township 65-17 on Saturday, September 22, 1906. It was, however, found that another township of that name pre-empted the designation, therefore, before the first meeting it was decided that the township about to be organized be called "Buyck."
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Name Changed .- The boundaries have since 1906 remained unchanged and the territory is still in great part undeveloped. In 1919, twenty-five residents of the Township of Buyck, and repre- senting fifty-five per cent of the votes cast at the 1918 general elec- tion, prayed the county commissioners to adopt the name of Portage in place of Buyck. The commissioners thereupon posted notices in public places throughout the territory stating that they would hear objectors to the proposed change at the Court House, Duluth, on October 6, 1919. No opposition developed and on that day the com- missioners ordered the change of name.
Taxes .- In 1906, when Township of Buyck first organized, the assessed valuation was $267,315. Total taxes levied, $4,651.28. In 1919, the total valuation for the Town of Portage was $286,895, and the total taxes levied for all purposes in that year $22,747.37.
Population .- The population was stated to have been fifteen in 1900. It was 287 in 1910, and the 1920 census shows 307 residents in Buyck, which is now Portage Township.
School Statistics .- Part of the township has no school, but town- ships 65-18, 66-17 and one-half of 65-17 are embraced in school dis- trict 47. In that district there are four frame schoolhouses, valued at $10,000. There was an enrollment of sixty-six scholars in 1919-20, and the teaching staff consisted of one male and two female teachers, the average salary being $96 a month.
The officers of school district forty-seven are: John G. Handberg, Buyck, clerk; Ed Mankus, treasurer; Wm. Lippanen, director.
Present Township Officials .- The township officers in 1919-20 were : William Lipponen (chairman), Perry Fransk, Valentine Sinsta, supervisors ; Carl M. Harrison, clerk; Louis Gruska, assessor ; John H. Laine, treasurer.
Prairie Lake .- A petition, dated at Floodwood, Minnesota, April 13, 1906, and signed by Andrew Korhanen and others, all legal voters of townships fifty north of ranges twenty and twenty-one west, sought the approval of the county commissioners of their wish to have those congressional townships organized and named "Prairie Lake," under the provisions of section 451, and others, of the Laws of Minnesota, 1905.
The document was filed with the county auditor on April 16th, and came before the board of commissioners on May 8, 1906, on which day they granted the petition, ordering first town meeting to be held at the schoolhouse on section 30, of township 50-20, on Sat- urday, May 26, 1906, when officers were elected and the township organization became effective.
Three years later, on November 27, 1909, a petition by residents in the eastern congressional township (50-20) of Prairie Lake, prose- cuted an inclination on the part of voters therein to separate from Prairie Lake Township, and organize another, to be known as "Fine Lakes." The division eventually was effected. (See Fine Lakes, this chapter.)
In 1906, the assessed valuation of Prairie Lake Township was $66,542, for the two congressional townships; in 1919, the assessed valuation of the one township (50-21) was $68,160, Fine Lakes Town- ship being almost as valuable.
Prairie Lake at one time was in School District No. 19, but now belongs to no district, or, to be more correct, is part of the immense Unorganized School District directed by the county school adminis- tration, that being apparently more economical.
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In 1900, townships 50-21 and 50-20 had a population of forty- one; in 1910, the two townships had 199 inhabitants; and in 1920 the census-taking showed 136 in Prairie Lake, and Fine Lakes Town- ship was credited with 189 residents.
The officials of Prairie Lake Township, in 1920, were: C. H. Johnson (chairman), Frank Lahti and John Rostvelt, supervisors; Carl T. Johnson, clerk; R. B. Jones, assessor; Anton Heikkila, treasurer.
Rice Lake .- The Township of Rice Lake was one of the first to be established. The name appears on the county tax sheet for 1873, when the townships of St. Louis County were Duluth, Oneota, Fond du Lac, Rice Lake and Hermann. All are shown as town- ships, the City of Duluth and "outside lands" being the only two other divisions shown on the tax sheet of that year.
Rice Lake Township borders the limits of the City of Duluth on the south; on the east. it adjoins Lakewood Township; on the north is Gnesen, and on the west Canosia Township. The limits of Rice Lake are those of congressional township 51-14, the two most southeasterly sections, Nos. 35 and 36 being within the city limits. The Vermilion road passes through the township, but there are no railway facilities.
In 1873, the assessed valuation of the township was $62,254, and the tax-levy thirty-one mills. In 1919, the assessed valuation of real and personal property in the township was $331.597. The develop- ment has, therefore, not been substantial, although during the last two decades the population has been steadily increasing. In 1900 showed 231 persons to be resident in the township; in 1910 the popu- lation was 580; and in 1920 the census-taking recorded 916 inhabitants.
The present officials of Rice Lake Township are: Thos. Wright. chairman; Emil G. Beyer and Michael Dulinski, supervisors; T. A. Rogers, clerk ; Wm. B. Doig, assessor; Ed Ball, treasurer.
For educational purposes, Rice Lake Township has been divided, part of it being in School District No. 30, part in School District 55. part of the township pays a school levy to School District No. 5, and part to School District No. 71. All these school districts are referred to elsewhere, excepting No. 30. School District No. 30 has adminis- tration over the bulk of the township, however, and for its purpose has a good brick schoolhouse, valued in 1919 at $20,000. Seven female teachers constitute the school staff, the average salary being $80.00 a month, for a school year of nine months. The enrollment in 1919 was ninety-six. School Board: B. W. K. Lindau, clerk ; L. N. Young, treasurer ; T. J. Bowyer, chairman of directors.
St. Louis .- The Township of St. Louis (now part of the Town- ship of Bassett) was organized in 1900. that action being taken by the county commissioners after petition of Henry Conners and other residents, of township fifty-eight north of range thirteen west, had been presented to them, praying for the organization of that congres- sional township, under the name of "St. Louis."
The township was formed on December 4, 1900, and the first town meeting held, "in the office of Nolan Brothers and Laird," on December 22, 1900.
The first officers of the township were: Peter Norman (chair- man), Frank Alger and Hugh Ermetinger, supervisors; Chris. O. Gavic, clerk: Mike Smith, treasurer; William Gavin, assessor; B. Airhoit and Amos Ramsey, justices ; Geo. Bennison, constable. Reso-
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lution was passed at the first town meeting: "That no saloon license be granted in this town."
A resolution was adopted by the county commissioners, on December 7, 1917, legalizing the consolidation of the townships of Bassett and St. Louis, under the name of the former (see Bassett, this chapter).
Sandy .- The Township of Sandy, 60-17, was set off as such on September 8, 1916, the county commissioners then approving a peti- tion, signed by twenty-nine of the freeholders of unorganized town- ship sixty north of range seventeen west. The petition was sworn to on July 12th of that year, and asserted that census taken at time of circulation of petition showed that there were then forty-seven frec- holders living in the township. The petitioners wished to have town- ship organization and privileges, under the name of "Sandy," but suggested alternative names of "Britt" and "Perho."
The first town meeting was held "at the Christian Association Hall," situated in the northeast quarter of southwest quarter of sec- tion twenty-two, on September 23, 1916, as ordered by the county commissioners.
Big Rice Lake is in Sandy Township, and Lake Junction is a stopping place for trains of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which passes through the western end of the township. Unorganized ter- ritory is to the north and west, and Sandy is bounded by Pike Town- ship on the east, and Wouri on the south. It is becoming good farm- ing territory, although its assessed valuation is now about one-fourth less than in 1916. The township is in what is termed the Unorgan- ized School District, an adequate system of rural schools directly supervised by the county school administration.
The present township officials are: Alex. Pursi (chairman). Nestor Wolun and Wm. Jacobson, supervisors; Otmar Jarvinen. clerk; Lars Koski, assessor; Ed Janhola, treasurer.
Congressional township 60-17, which now is Sandy, is shown in federal statistics to have had a population of sixteen in 1900, one hundred and ninety-nine in 1910, and one hundred and thirty-six in 1920.
Solway .- The Township of Solway, which is one of those of the southernmost tier of St. Louis County, was organized in 1897. prior to which it was part of the Township of Hermann.
A petition, sworn to by George J. Guerson, on April 6, 1897, and signed by twenty-eight freeholders of congressional township fifty north of range sixteen west, was presented to the county com- missioners on that day. Petitioners sought separation of their town- ship from the Township of Hermann, stating, as a justifiable reason, "the lack of roads and other facilities for traveling." which condition made it almost impossible for residents in township 50-16 to attend town meetings.
The petition was considered by the commissioners on April 6. 1897, and they set a date upon which they would hear objections to the proposed separation. The date set was May 4th, but the hear- ing was postponed until May 7th, and on that day the commissioners granted the petition, and organized the Township of Solway. call- ing upon voters in that district to assemble for the first town meet- ing on Wednesday, May 26th of that year, designating the school- house which stood upon the northeast quarter of northwest quarter of section 22, of township 50-16, as the poling place.
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There has been no change in the territorial limits of the Town- ship of Solway since its organization in 1897. Carlton County lies to the south of it, Hermann Township to the east, Grand Lake Town- ship to the north and Industrial to the west. Solway has excellent railway facilities, with stations at Munger, Simar, and Carrol and it is comparatively well advanced, agriculturally. The population, which was 115 in 1900 and 332 in 1910, was shown by the 1920 cen- sus to be 522, a gratifying increase. Its assessed valuation has increased from $76,603 in 1897 to $161,297 in 1919; and of course taxes have materially increased-from $1,838.47 in 1897 to $10,468.17 in 1919.
The present township officials are: John Johnson (chairman), C. Carlson and C. Gustafson, supervisors; J. F. Gans, clerk; W. W. Watson, assessor ; Albert C. C. Miller, treasurer.
It is served by School District No. 43, a comparatively strong school district. There are four schoolhouses in use in the township,
WHEN HIBBING WAS A LUMBER CAMP. (THE FIRST POSTOFFICE WAS IN CANVAS TENT)
all of frame construction and valued at $15,429 in 1919, when for the school year of eight months five female teachers constituted the teaching staff. The enrollment in that year was one hundred and four scholars. Teachers were paid an average salary of $85.00 a month. School Board: A. J. Lundquist, Munger, Minnesota, clerk ; Knute Gustafson, treasurer; A. Bang, chairman of directors.
Stuntz .- The Township of Stuntz, which is the richest township . of St. Louis County and contributes more than one-third of the taxes collected in the county, perpetuates the name of one of the pioneers of the county.
George R. Stuntz .- George R. Stuntz, a surveyor for the United States Government, came to the head of Lake Superior in July, 1852, "to run the land lines and subdivide certain townships." He sur- veyed the state road from Duluth to Vermilion Lake in 1869, and afterwards built the road. He was one of the first surveyors on either of the ranges, and knew of the presence of mineral wealth in one or both of them long before any of the pioneer explorers for
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iron began seriously to prospect. He was in the country at the time of the "gold rush" to Vermilion in the '60s; accompanied Chester in the '70s, and was then on both ranges with that surveyor, who was sent to investigate mineral possibilities. George R. Stuntz undoubt- edly was the best-informed of Duluth pioneers as to what was then termed "outside lands" of St. Louis County, and it is but right that his name should have important place in its history.
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