USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 20
USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 20
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
DOUGLAS COUNTY AS A SUMMER RESORT.
Douglas county is a famous summer resort. Its two hundred lakes of pure, deep water, with their beautiful, timbered shores and sandy beaches,
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
furnish a resting place and recreation for many hundreds of people from all parts of the United States during the summer months. The finishing is of the best, among the varieties of fish to be found in the lakes being pickerel, wall- eyed pike, Great Northern pike, crappies, and at least six varieties of bass, including the gamey, small-mouthed gray bass and the black bass, all of which attain a size wholly unknown outside of the Minnesota park region. While the tourist resorts center at Alexandria and Osakis, good accommoda- tions also are provided at many small resorts and farm houses throughout the county.
REGISTERED FARM NAMES.
The Minnesota state Legislature passed an act in 1909 under the pro- visions of which any farm owner in the state may secure exclusive right to a name for his farm by having the same recorded with the register of deeds in the county where he lives. A fee of only fifty cents is charged to cover the cost of the clerical work. Up to August, 1916, one hundred and nine- teen farm names were registered in Douglas county, and the owners and location of the same are set out in the following paragraphs :
"Birch Hill"-Owned by C. H. Jenson; registered on July 2, 1909; located on section 24, township 128, range 37.
"Riverview"-Owned by Oscar Erickson; registered on July 2, 1909; located on section 32, 33, township 129, range 40.
"Lakeside"-Owned by Newton, J. Trenham ; registered on July 9, 1909; located in section 18, township 128, range 37.
"Pleasant View"-Owned by C. H. Cooper; registered on July 10, 1909: located on section 13, township 129. range 37.
"Lund"-Owned by Ole Haglund; registered on July 13, 1909; located on section 17, township 128, range 38.
"Eagle Point"-Owned by E. E. Hedeen; registered on July 20, 1909; located on section 12, township 129, range 39.
"Lake Shore"-Owned by Jacob E. Jacobson; registered on July 20, 1909; located on section 13, township 129, range 39.
"Cloverdale"-Owned by Leander Kellogg : registered on July 23, 1909; located on sections 28, 29, 32, 33, township 127, rdnge 37.
"Runboholm"-Owned by. Oscar Wolf; registered on July 26, 1909; located on section 2, township 127, range 39.
"Coney Island"-Owned by Paul W. Hanson; registered on July 26, 1909; located on section 2, township 127, range 39.
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"Elmwood"-Owned by C. E. Warberg; registered on July 27, 1909; located on section 25, township 129, range 36.
"Urness Lakeside"-Owned by E. J. Olson; registered on July 28, 1909; located on sections 14, 23, township 128, range 40.
"Greenwing Pass"-Owned by John E. Anderson; registered on July 28, 1909; located on section 12, township 127, range 40, and section 7, township 127, range 39.
"Elm Grove" -- Owned by C. J. Peterson ; registered on July 28, 1909: located on section II, township 127, range 39.
"Maple Hill"-Owned by Annie Johnson; registered on July 28, 1909; located on section II, township 127, range 39.
"Lakeview"-Owned by Louis Morris; registered on July 30, 1909; located on section 20, township 127, range 37.
"Oak Grove"-Owned by Peter N. Johnson; registered on July 31, 1909; located on section 26, township 128, range 38.
"Maple Lane"-Owned by George A. Swaren; registered on August 2, 1909; located on section 27, township 128, range 37.
"Sunnyside"-Owned by Ambrose Peet ; registered on August 14, 1909; located on section 23, township 128, range 38.
"Fairview"-Owned by C. O. Weatherwax; registered on August 16, 1909; located on sections 21, 22, township 129, range 37.
"Riverside"-Owned by F. W. Craig; registered on August 21, 1909; located on sections 13, 14, 24, township 129, range 36.
"Korum Farm"-Owned by Aune O. Korum; registered on August 28, 1909; located on sections 5, 6, township 128, range 39.
"Fairfield"-Owned by Anton Lund; registered on September II, 1909; located on section 15, township 128, range 38.
"Butternut Lawn"-Owned by Carolina Miessner; registered on Sep- tember 18, 1909; located on sections 27, 34, township 120, range 39.
"Evansville Fairview"-Owned by Ellen J. Okerlund; registered on September 23, 1909; located on sections 29, 31, 32, township 129, range 40.
"Cosy Nook" -- Owned by Ellen J. Okerlund; registered on September 23, 1909; located on section 32, township 129, range 40.
"Sandvik"-Owned by C. H. Larson; registered on September 24, 1909; located on section 14, township 128, range 37.
"Oakland"-Owned by Charles O. Anderson; registered on October 4, 1909; located on sections 31, 32, township 129, range 37.
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"Grand View"-Owned by Mina O. Newhouse; registered on October 9, 1909: located on sections 29, 32, township 129, range 39.
"Woodland"-Owned by John Anderson; registered on October 9, 1909; located on sections 26, 27, 35, township 128, range 39.
"Maplewood"-Owned by B. W. Blakesley ; registered on October 23, 1909: located on sections II, 13, 14, township 127, range 38.
"Clover Crest"-Owned by William Hermanson; registered on October 26, 1909; located on section 7, township 129, range 38.
"The Oaks"-Owned by R. J. Ballentine; registered on November 10, 1909; located on section 7, township 128, range 37.
"Glen Oak"-Owned by C. Nauman; registered on November 17, 1909; located on sections 27, 28, township 129, range 37.
"Birch Lawn"-Owned by E. H. Boerner ; registered on November 17, 1909; located on sections 28, 29, township 129, range 37.
"Oakdale"-Owned by Erick E. Ekdahl; registered on November 24, 1909; located on section 35, township 129, range 38, and section 2, town- ship 128, range 38.
"Lake Center"-Owned by J. N. Tilleskjor ; registered on November 26, 1909; located on section 11, township 128, range 40.
"Clover Leaf"-Owned by John S. Wagner; registered on November 30, 1909; located on section 33, township 130, range 39.
"Oak Lawn"-Owned by John Kelly; registered on December 8, 1909; located on section 28, township 130, range 38.
"Willow Grove"-Owned by Christian Pitirson ; registered on Decem- ber II, 1909; located on section 22, township 128, range 38.
"Lugn Vik"-Owned by Per Hanson; registered .on December 16, 1909; located on section 2, township 127, range 39.
"Cranberry Farm"-Owned by James Lauda; registered on December 28, 1909; located on sections 2, 3, 1I, township 129, range 39.
"Broadview"-Owned by J. O. Brandon; registered on December 31, 1909; located on sections 32, 33, township 128, range 39.
"Park Hill"-Owned by A. J. Peterson; registered on January 13. 1910; located on section 9, township 129, range 39.
"Pine Hill"-Owned by A. H. Englund ; registered on January 2.4, 1910; located on section 15, township 127, range 39.
"Lilac Grove"-Owned by Gustaf Olson; registered on January 26, IGI0; located on section 15, township 127, range 39.
"Lake Park"-Owned by P. A. Lofdahl; registered on February 7, 1910; located on sections 20, 21, township 130, range 39.
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"Prairie Violet"-Owned by Amund Holverson; registered on Febru- ary 7, 1910; located on section 2, township 128, range 40.
"Woodside"-Owned by Paul E. Foslin; registered on February 7, 1910; located on sections 15, 16, township 128, range 39.
Geneva Hill" -- Owned by F. O. Erickson; registered on February 14, 1910; located on section 15, township 128, range 37.
"Green Briar"-Owned by Erick T. Sletto; registered on February 19, 1910; located on sections 17, 18, 19, 20, township 128, range 39.
"Prairie Home"-Owned by J. H. Cooley; registered on February 26, 1910; located on sections 7, 8, township 127, range 37.
"Spring Hill"-Owned by E. J. and Jennie Robards; registered on February 28, 1910; located on sections 4, 5, township 127, range 37.
"Hazel Grove"-Owned by J. W. Lund; registered on March 17, 1910; located on section 26, township 128, range 37.
"Carlos Lakeview"-Owned by John P. Peterson; registered on March 21, 1910; located on sections 16. 17, township 129, range 37.
"Andrewborg"-Owned by Andrew A. Anderson; registered on May 9. 1910; located on section 21, township 128, range 39.
"The Blom Farm"-Owned by John J. Blom; registered on May 14, 1910; located on section 15 township 128, range 38.
"Oakwood"-Owned by Charles Guenther ; registered on May 23, 1910; located on section 20, township 130, range 38.
"Hampton"-Owned by Gustav Tonn; registered on May 27, 1910; located on sections II, 12, township 129, range 37.
"Golden Willow"-Owned by Louis Thoreson; registered on May 31, 1910; located on section 2, township 128, range 37.
"Fosmoe Farm"-Owned by John Fosmoe; registered on June 7, 1910; located on section 28, township 128, range 39.
"Summit"-Owned by L. G. Hermanson; registered on June 22, 1910; located on section 12, township 129, range 39.
"Meadow Lawn"-Owned by Fritz Lindstrom; registered on August 8, 1910; located on section 33, township 129, range 40.
"Brookside"-Owned by Fred Peterson; registered on August 26, 1910; located on section 13. township 129, range 39.
"Brook Hill"-Owned by Emil Peterson; registered on August 26, 1910, located on section 18, township 129, range 38.
"La Glade" -- Owned by William H. Lee; registered on October 4, I910: located on section 23, township 128, range 38.
"Green Park"-Owned by Ole L. Berglund ; registered on October 29,
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1910; located on section 4, township 129, range 36, and section 33, town- ship 130, range 36.
"Green Hill"-Owned by Charles A. Anderson; registered on October 31, 1910; located on section 5, township 128, range 36.
"Wood Lawn"-Owned by Samuel Preston; registered on December 7, 1910; located on section 30, township 129, range 37, and section 25, town- ship 129, range 38.
"The Willows"-Owned by Frank Danielson; registered on January 12, 19II ; located on section 31, township 127, range 40.
"Botner Farm"-Owned by Ole P. Botner; registered on January 17. III ; located on sections 12, 13, township 128, range 39.
"Shore Acres"-Owned by Jerry L. Blodgett; registered on January 30. 19II ; located on section 31, township 129, range 37.
"The Highlands"-Owned by H. L. Lewis; registered on February 15. IQII ; located on section 15, township 127, range 39.
"Homewood"-Owned by John Bolin; registered on February 28, 19II ; located on section 2, township 128, range 37.
"Victoria Lodge"-Owned by Josephine Helen Van Cleve; registered on March 18, 1911; located on section 21, township 128, range 37.
"Interlachen Lodge"-Owned by Mary E. Finch; registered on June 9, 19II ; located on section 6, township 128, range 37.
"Glendale"-Owned by Albert W. Allen; registered on June 24, 1911 ; located on section 21, township 128, range 37.
"Fair Acres"-Owned by John C. Ames; registered on September II, 19II; located on section 2, township 129, range 38.
"La Grand Lake Park"-Owned by Peter Sweet; registered on Sep- tember 24. 1911; located on sections 2, 3, township 128, range 38.
"Highland"-Owned by J. P. Gran; registered on November 10, 1911; located on sections 1, 12, township 127, range 40.
"Circle Beach"-Owned by Constant A. Wesen; registered on Decem- ber 18, 1911; located on section 24, township 127, range 39.
"Heather Brae"-Owned by J. A. McKay; registered on December 26, 1911; located on section 17. township 128, range 37.
"Oak Hill"-Owned by E. J. Brandt : registered on December 27, 19II ; located on section 30, township 130, range 36.
"Belle Plaine"-Owned by Gust Mattson; registered on December 28, 19II ; located on section 29, township 129, range 36.
"Sunny Slope"-Owned by John Nelson; registered on December 30, I9II : located on section 19, township 128, range 36.
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
"Cloverland"-Owned by August Anderson; registered on December 30, 19II ; located on section 12, township 128, range 37.
"Urness Homestead"-Owned by John A. Urness ; registered on Decem- ber 30, 1911; located on sections 13, 14, 24, township 128, range 40.
"Pleasant Grove .Stock Farm"-Owned by John A. Olson; registered on January 2, 1912; located on sections 17, 18, township 128, range 36.
"Honeydale"-Owned by Albin Anderson; registered on March 18, 1912; located on section 1, township 129, range 36.
"Lakewood"-Owned by Samuel Preston; registered on March 22, 1912; located on section II, township 128, range 38.
"Pleasant Home" -- Owned by Edward A. Olson; registered on April 6, 1912; located on sections 24, 25, township 128, range 37.
"Crescent Grove"-Owned by O. H. Kahlon; registered on June 12, 1912; located on section 1, township 128, range 37.
"The Meadows" -- Owned by E. O. Fritz; registered on August 30, 1912; located on sections 28, 33, township 129, range 36.
"North Star"-Owned by Theodore Walstad; registered on September 12, 1912; located on section 4, township 130, range 40.
"Terre Bonne"-Owned by Stephen A. Blackwell; registered on October 31, 1912; located on section 13, township 127, range 39.
"Peaceful Grove"-Owned by Theodore Johnson; registered on March 8, 1913; located on sections 29, 32, township 127, range 40.
"Oakdene Park"-Owned by W. J. B. Moses; registered on June 23, 1913; located on section 23, township 128, range 38.
"Plain View"-Owned by Augusta Peterson; registered on July 9, 1913; located on section 21, township 127, range 40.
"Ferndale Stock Farm"-Owned by Peter Rutten; registered on Novem- ber 15, 1913; located on sections 1, 2, township 128, range 36.
"Park Region"-Owned by Mrs. H. B. Hobart; registered on Decem- ber 27, 1913; located on sections 34, 35, township 129, range 37.
"Meadow Lane Jersey Farm"-Owned by J. O. Rosenquist; registered on February 6, 1914; located on section 10, township 130, range 36.
"Evergreen Valley Orchard Green Lawn Roadside Farm-Owned by Robert Berglund; registered on February 9, 1914; located on section 3, township 127, range 40.
"Orchard Grove"-Owned by A. G. Carlson; registered on February 12, 1914; located on section 4; township 127, range 37.
"Geneva Crest"-Owned by A. G. Carlson; registered on March 18, 1914; located on section 22, township 128, range 37.
(14)
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
"Brook Dale" -- Owned by J. J. Volker; registered on May 16, 1914; located on section 30, township 127, range 36.
"Golden Summit Dairy Farm"-Owned by George Workman; regis- tered on June 15, 1914; located on section 31, township 127, range 36.
"Hillcrest"-Owned by Ellie L. Hitchcox; registered on July 3, 1914; located on section 1, township 128, range 38.
"Brown's Dale Stock Farm"-Owned by John N. Brown; registered on May II, 1915; located on sections 7, 18, township 129, range 36.
"Cowdry Park"-Owned by John M. Green; registered on May 19, 1915; located on section 14, township 128, range 38.
"Sunny Brook"-Owned by Peter Streed; registered on October 23, 1915; located on section 14, township 129, range 37.
"Garden Grove"- Owned by Frank O. Kullander; registered on March I, 1916; located on section 21, township 127, range 40.
"Pleasant Hill"-Owned by Matt Johnson; registered on March IO, 1916; located on section 28, township 128, range 39.
"Hill View"-Owned by Gust Mattson; registered on April 1, 1916; located on section 35, township 129, range 37.
"Maple Grove"-Owned by E. Herman Peterson; registered on May 2, 1916; located on section 16, township 130, range 36. .
"Alexandria Fruit and Nursery Farm"-Owned by W. H. Horton ; registered on June 17, 1916; located on section 24, township 128, range 38.
"Oak Valley"-Owned by C. Hermanson; registered on July 3, 1916; located on section 27, township 129, range 39.
CHAPTER X.
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION.
From the days of the lumbering Red River carts and the "prairie schooners," with their plodding oxen as motive power, to the wonderful trans-continental steel vestibuled trains that roar amid the lake-begemmed park region comprised within the confines of Douglas county, on their swift flight to and from the coast, and from the creaking wagons of the pioneers to the cushioned ease of the automobile "super-sixes" of the present day is a far cry, indeed ; and yet this amazing transformation in the transporta- tion system of the people has been accomplished within the easy recollection of many persons now living in Douglas county.
White men began to travel through the then wilds of this section of Minnesota as early as the second decade of the past century, the French voyageurs and, later, the hardy coureurs des bois, or rangers of the woods, blazing the ways that later became well-developed and much traveled trails from the rich fur-trading stations of the Red River country to the outposts of civilization on the Mississippi. For many years the voyageurs and semi- wild wood rangers, employees of the various fur companies, ranged through the wilds of Minnesota and traded with the Indian tribes on the Minnesota, the Mississippi, the Red River of the North and other streams. These hardy men penetrated to all parts of the land and explored it mile by mile. Trading posts were established at all convenient points from the headwaters of the Mississippi westward to the Red River of the North, from Lake Superior, Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods on the north to the valley of the Minnesota: many of these posts being carried on by private indi- viduals in competition with the rich fur-trading companies of the East, and the trails through the forests and over the prairies created by these wander- ing and roving traders later became the first highways of the pioneers, the first permanent settlers of the land. Towards the middle of the century communication between the Red River valley and the outside world became all the more frequent. Cart routes leading to the head of navigation on the Mississippi began to be established by traders who, independent of the fur companies, began to locate at Pembina and other points, Mendota,
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near Ft. Snelling becoming one of the chief objective points of the Red River cart trails through Minnesota for many years before St. Paul was founded and became a determined rival of the equally busy port at Prairie du Chein. The aristocracy of the plains in those times consisted of the officers, traders and clerks at the posts and the buffalo hunters. While the Selkirk colonists generally dressed in homespun clothing and lived plainly, the men at the posts had every luxury they could procure, including a stock of the finest liquors. In fact, liquor was one of the essentials of a well-stocked post in that time and there was rarely a lack of the ardent spirits among the roving, reckless people of that day, it not being an infre- quent thing to cache barrels of whiskey at convenient points along the trail, presumably for the better progress of the carters and rovers of the fur country. It is related that Whisky Lake, just to the north of the present village of Brandon, in Douglas county, has its name from the circumstance thad it was noted in those days as the place of one of the best-known liquor caches of that period.
Afterward, the military trails began to open up new lines .of travel, one of the most notable of these being the old military trail that was cut through Douglas county and on to the Red River by Colonel Abercrombie, who established the fort which long bore his name, in the neighborhood of the present city of Breckenridge, and then came the stage lines, enterprising individuals finding that there was enough transient travel developing to warrant the establishment of regular stage routes and stage stations. It was in the spring of 1859 that J. C. Burbank & Company, of St. Cloud and St. Paul, commenced running a line of stages through Douglas county, sta- tions along that route being established in this county at Osakis, Alexan- dria, Chippewa, about two miles from what is now the village of Brandon, and Evansville, the western terminus of the line at first being Ft. Aber- crombie and later St. Vincent. The road followed was the one surveyed by the government the year before and opened by the troops, the same now being the old state road, with certain modifications of route to suit later con- ditions. For years that road was the main thoroughfare of travel between St. Paul, St. Cloud and the Red River region. The stage line was con- tinued by Burbank & Company until about 1874, when the railroad, follow- ing the same general line of direction, reached Melrose, after which, as the distance then was only about forty miles, local stage companies and local freighters began gradually to take over the business and regular stages and freight hauls were established out of Alexandria to the railway station. In 1874 a stage line also was established between Benson and Alexandria
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and the competing lines had the effect to reduce the price of freightage con- siderably.
The railway was graded as far west as Alexandria in the years 1873 and 1874, but owing to the failure of the company, the road was not com- pleted until in 1878, and on the 5th day of November in that year, the first train of the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Company reached Alexandria, an occasion of general rejoicing throughout the entire county. The railway, entering the county at the south shore of Lake Osakis, accom- modating the village already established at that point, proceeded on in a northwesterly direction, continuing to follow virtually the line of the old stage route, through Osakis, Alexandria, La Grand, Ida Brandon, Evansville and Lund township and passed out at a point a little more than two miles south of the north edge of the latter township, the northern boundary of the county, along the south shore of Lake Christina, striking the old stage station at Evansville on its way. The station at Chippewa was passed by on the other side by the railway surveyors and what small commercial activities had been started there were moved over to the railroad and thus began the village of Brandon. Between Osakis and Alexandria another station was established and was given the name of Nelson, in honor of United States Senator Knute Nelson, and later about midway between Alex- andria and Brandon another station was established, which developed into the present village of Garfield. Still later the station at Melby was estab- lished in the upper part of Lund township, just south of the Lake Christina, and all have developed into prosperous trading points, the centers of the extensive shipping interests of their respective territories.
THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD.
The railroad above mentioned, now the main line of the Great Northern railroad, running from Chicago to the coast, is a part of the great system of railroads evolved under the directive genius of the late James J. Hill. At the time of the failure of the banking house of Jay Cook & Company in 1873, and the consequent bankruptcy of the Northern Pacific Railroad, a part of that system formerly known as the St. Paul & Pacific was involved in difficulties with its bondholders and encumbered by a heavy mortgage. It was at that time in the hands of a receiver appointed by the court and a syndicate was formed, under the direction of James J. Hill, which purchased the whole property and reorganized it under the name of the St. Paul, Minne- apolis & Manitoba Railroad Company, George Stevens, of Montreal, being
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
chosen president of the company and Mr. Hill, general manager. On August 22, 1882, Mr. Hill was elected president of the company and the history of the magnificent railway system which he gradually built up, under the name of the Great Northern, is a matter of common knowledge. It was in 1880 that the trans-continental line crossed the Red River and its progress then on over the mountains and the plains to the coast was but a matter of sure and steady pushing along until more than half a continent had been crossed with its iron bands, from the shores of Lake Superior and the banks of the Mississippi to the Pacific.
Douglas county again was penetrated by a railroad in 1902, the Minne- apolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, or "Soo" line entering the county on section 32, of Hudson township, proceeding northerly through that town- ship to Alexandria and thence, through Alexandria township, northeasterly through Carlos township and out of the county, north, on section 2, of Mil- tona township. Forida, in Hudson township; Carlos, in the township of that name, and Miltona, in the township of that name, being the stations estab- lished along the route, besides that at Alexandria, the new line opened up valuable markets to Duluth and the lake. The western line of the "Soo" but in 1887 crossed the extreme southwest corner of Douglas county, enter- ing the same in section 36 of Solem township and crossing the lower part of that township in a northwesterly direction, passing out in section 19 of the same, the village of Kensington being the only station on that line in the county.
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