The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-12-26
OTTER Q e TAIL 7 COUNTY.

: As4 . otOres.. b.: ,'"" : 49,:
OTTER Q E ! TAIL 7 COUNTY.
THE NORMAN SETTLEMENT At LAKE
':t ::.--s CLITHERALL.
1sDusTaT' THRIFT AND CONTENT,
:; Z e.: e.: <..E;j :+7-.
o'h'' ~" ''''''s~'':: in the County.
The present route to Otter Tail Connty
Is from Alexandria northeast to Cbippev.
station, and thence directly north. Ieav-
ing Chippewa the road passes through .
section Of country beautiful and fettile-a
wen wooded and well watered rolling prai-
re- After few miles come =; counle Of
lakes known BY the orthodox names ot
Moses and Aaron. arising from their close
resemblance t'other to which.
Eight miles from Chippewa the road
strikes the Leaf Mountains, range which
while it can scarcely be:compAred to the
Alleghanies or Rocky Mountains in altitude.
Is OF very respectable height, and in this
prairie State may we'll insist upon the claim
70 being considered mountains. They are
covered with brush and scattered timber
Of = Ii sht or stunted growth: 4 good pass
has been found, and the drive Of eight
miles over, through or across is, not at al
A troad' and exceedingly level prairie
stretches out on the other side. The soil
is rather light and sandy, and timber is
scarce Ninemiles over this prairie, to the
north east: end Of Lake Cltherall. Follow
ing the road about mile and half around
the lake: to tho north side; the colony gen.
orally known as the
= II pAxt.4. ..AAs sErrn.uENx
is reached. 1t:at7 present comprises eight
cen families, belonging to what are known
as 10; Smith Moruous. In Msy Of 1866
foue families came from 1o](L,to prospect
for / location for a colony, and after pass
ing thfough'a considerable portion of the
State finally selected Lake Clitherall. In
August fourteen more families: came, max
ing tho present number: sixty acres Of
hind were broken that, year, and in the
succeeding Two: years three hundred acres
more. This is all included in two fields,
The fence commencing at Lake CGthera1l
and running back to. Battle Lake, one mile
and quarter: north. , While this fencing
is common PROPERTY (sach man choosing
the number ofssssa he would break and
buildtng q pfeportienate amount .of, the
fence, the enclosed land is distinctly mark
ed out into separate portions, and each one
has the fruits, Of his own labor: The past
season yielded from these III, tthhclosures
1000 bushels of wheat 100 bushels Of
oats; 1900 bush els of potatoes (aome Of
the finest Neshanuocks We have seen this
Itar;) 400 hpehtls Of well lmaturedl yellow
dent corn 1000 bushels Of turnips and ru-
ia bagas; &C. Last year they had speci-
mems Of ruta bagas which weighed 1s}
pounds, and white turnipa weighing 103
pounds: They have also some fne stock,
including Is horses; Is yoke of oxen 30
mich cows 225 herd Of sheep; 80 hogs J;
and 125 head Of young cattle. They make
their own sugar and syrup from the maple
groves and last fall, they gathered 200
bushels Of ctanberries. u Since the settle
ment was formed they have manufactured
and sold about 1900 chairs. They have al
80 made from the raw material almost one
thousand yards. Of excellent weolen cloth.
The settlement is provided with threshine
machine, and two reapers and mowers, be.
sides other agricultural implements
Among the settlers is blacksmith, wagon
mahsr. with carpenters, shsirmskers, SC
The houses, with barns, &c.. are all clns
tered. together for prote ction from Indians
which At the time the colony came prom
ised TO be troublesome. As the land hal
lately been surveyed and will soon be oper
for homestead entriee, =. partial breaking
up Of the settlement will become necessary
in order that each may obtain and hold 4
full qua,ter section.
A schoolhouse and church are united'ir
the same building-instruction being fur
nishcd to forty-seven scholars, while ser
vices. are held each Sabbath. These pso
pie are entirely opposed to polygamy,, hold
ing it ID al utter adherence Is do any 9th
Or denomination. No liquor is to b. fount
|insths1staasnent, sithSes, for sale or other
wise. Ave lstle sssnedieinal purposes
There is no sanhn.s 90 xdyi.n, .nt
the utmost good feeling prsnie. A mum
bse sffanihss ats expected SSxt spring
among The rest some Who; stca.ssan 1866
and without unloading their wagons re
turned. They now regret their course
and intend coming again to Minnesota. .
Lake Clitherall is four miles and hal
long and from ono to ", miles vide. Two
thirds Of it is surrounded by timber. 1t i
6lled with fine fish, including white. fsh
Surface and quarry limestone cap easil,
be obtained for use. =, .
E. A road, shorter than that now Travelled
has been surveyed from Osakis, and an
other is proposed from Alexandria. ]
mail route 70 Otter Tail city, from Ohippe
~ has also been established, ana weskr
4 service is now being performed: - %
! 'V& sArrIr' 1Axs,, = I'd I'd
II ssysl 'ailsi long. .iAad 6oI two to Tin
miles wide, and L. surrounded BY tillhs,i
t,a.. t,sa1.e.pt IL ID sthes sxsit nd The+, i ~.
|no sst,asnsat taset; thensh Ihss,oll i rio
q aad,thss,sasy, ..,.sstive f.'vill not i
nSins suialio&essupijd ii long. s at Ea ego