The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-12-12
s'ass company havs . station. here, sud 4
~ Eoed stepping r,.ee !, kept BY J:c.
SavhrfiI.f }G& .N4;Iu 49,: - fEE- - .,@ffTt u.
N0Se LIZ. nj. 4

ne country is rolling, and IL principsll;
prairie,, but with lumeient timbe,r for d
needs, The soil is good. Chippewa II ;e I.
also passes through this, ,town. Thirt,
families came in during the past year, ant
IN addition 70 building houses end shslte,
Tor their stock, Of which, they havs,a quan
tity, have fenced. and broken come 6v,
hundred acres Of land Much greater i'm.
provements are intended within the nex1
twelve months: = -" :. ~ - =
-; 49, -. : -: !r.t-. - ,'r' 'L- .
LEAF VALLEY.
TO the eastward Of Chippewa, and bor-
dering on Otter Tail county, is Leaf VAL
ley township, which is quite equ.l to the
average Of the other towns, and ia. some
respects superior. Over one thousand
acres Of breaking have been done within
the year. As in almost all other portions
OF the county, the sugar maple grows in
great abundance, and one man has made
one thousand sap buckets for u.e in the
spring. Two parties from wisconsin, are
preparing to te2sxtensively into tbs hop
raising business, and in this 4Aey show i.
wisdom much greater than that 'evinced In
most Of tho oldaf. .,AhAA's-- r. - 60 -
The culture Of hops offers = most lemunsr-
tive field for those who 60 into il: ''<'
HOLMES CITY. ,.>.- -, p
Three congressional town,hips' il the
south-westetn corner Of the county COM
PRISE the township Of Holmes City-per-
hsps tho very best in Douglas county, and
that is mo- mean !prsias. The soil is rich
loana with clay sub-soil; the ssr,aes il
rolling timber and ptsiris sre equally ap-
porttoned, and there are in this town moro
miles Of lake skore, as shown BY the sur
veyors' "meanderings," than in any other
iu the State. Some Of ths lates are very
large and beautiful. C The .1.p;dity Of the
settlement % he. been almost without prees
dent. One year ago there were but . half
dozen families in the township. while Last
fall the poll list esntaas1sd one Hundred and
eighty names, indicating population Of
At lesst nine hundred persons. The settlers
are almost entirely swedes and Norwe2
gians, an intelligent; hardworking class of
citizens, ....:- ....
On Grants lake is the toWn-site Of Holmes
city. A store is kept here BY Mr.. Geo. l..
Mendlesen, and there are several families
on the town. While on this trip We could
not but think back to tic time in 1861,
our frs: visit to the place. when the only
sign Of life or oeeapsney the town Afford
ed was huge black bear which sgslloped
leisurely past tho door, Of The solitary log
house that, tensntless and forsaksn. stood
to mark the wheresbouts Of theosseity." -
Then Of the kunartds5of stout arms that
now compel fruitful service from tho soil
there were none, aud the rich fields lay
during the coming and going Of II, ssa7
sons with NO man to tillthem. The change
can best be appreciated by those who have
seen both times. .aofi's 's'i14r
49,. ,ATK1NsvlLLE. .... -.
: One congressional township. cut off from
Holmes City, has the above name. The
remarks concerning the township last spo-
ken Of will also apply to this. It has a
rich soil, large lakes, groves, and in the
southern part some heavy bodies Of timber.
.. MAPLE LAX.
Adjoins Alexandra on the south. The
appearance Of this township is very attrac-
tive, long stretches Of prairie, 1t times per-
fectly level and again swelling in slight
undulstions, with timber to right Of them
and timber to left Of them, reach for
miles. Signs Of cultivation are constantly
in view. A. one time We could count over
twenty farm houses, while many others
were hid in the groves and woods which
skirt the prairie. A. number Of farms Of
considersble size have been opened during
the pat year.. among which We may men
.ion that o. F. r., Chiids, who hiss one
handred and twenty-five acres broken, and
L Childs, <1h1 have over one hundred acre.
bsoken. TIM house. are:of good size. and
utually weltbailt. Excellent hay is cut on
lie high pra;rie. The settlers are almost en-.
,ire'y Americans, .na haze come in within
rwo years. ottThs town takes its name from
Maple Lake.: /. lovely sheet Of water
= "An atoand it the forest trees, e.
% shivsI and whisper in 30 bresze.
almost obseurins il from: view The sell i,
rich, though perhaps lttle sandy. 70 thi'
may probably be assigned in part the caus,
/: erfasesaap. e.psaep.t stxeellssesSifi.. leaa,
\ ,hsdgA i, r portion ~ country en-
there 10 ~ ysdnplaiat5 il Ills p.1t;sslsr
Ever'vhers' arfs u the;y' smooth, E1 h9rd, snd dry
! Any ono '~hs has passsd over them-edr IN
dssd s.slaose i:any. * slinaesota@ resds-ca,
share n >the hearty tribute ef.ths lrishi.i,an
! xhe, driving along in. wonder. enths,ia.
ticslly exclaimed; ''ses aods A:n;6h.y'
roads, without . hsnd'sS turn 81 ~: nm T.
Ths;lattsr past contained tss him, psrha pi
tAs most .sreeabls susg>seiea,> . :-'s s.S3 20
ri :, anal. - LAKE Mary, y .:- e -
Corners on Alexendria On the southwest
and is composed Of one iiS : CON gres,iua.l town
ship. The northern part is principally tim
ber, and the; southern part. prairie. Th
SOIL isa excellent. There il 4 eensiderabl
quantity Of meadow land in this township
also several lakes, from one Of vhich1isr,
ceiveS its name. - -, n: : , 49,. -.
! COUNTY orr1c gRs. %. ,'.-
The 6rst election Tor county officers ~
in 1856. 'rhsfoiowing IL the list, one 4
two Of The names on which were chose,
last fall: ~. ...: 49,. :.,...1: ,..,T
Capt: Geo: G. Whitcomt, County Aud
itor and Register Of Deeds :; ~ :. ;
f. J: n: Vsndyke, Treasurer and Clerk {
The District Court. g = q. - j*s...'2
! F. B. Van Hosson. County Attorney.
/ A. L. Robinson, Sheriff. IS ~ .
! 1900 Shotwell, Judge Of Probate. :" :,
r.. Henry Blackwell, Couaty; Surveyor.
f. Stephen ], Russell, Maple Lake; \. I
I Johnson, Holmes City :. aud o.. Lincolr
Osakis, County Commissioner y -. sr1 ~
Al: ~ Republicans, tho county beiu
Overwhelmingly strong in the true faith.
4 = Seven Of the adjoining counties, Steven
Otter Tail, Andy Johnson, Traverse, Cl.,
Becker and Polk, arc attached to Dourl.
7 for judieial and record purposes. sessio,
of tho District Court AZ regularly held
Ale.sadria, Judge MoKelvy having pr
sided at the term in October.e ~ ~. ..... ,sa.:
4 >,t">E e o~i',: coSoLuslox., -5i ~, ~ II;
In richness Of soil, tlenrable proportio,