The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-05-07
= {. -. q g. - : -
D0uaL COUNTY. /
OsAKIs, DoUGLAs Co., MINH,,1
April Goth. 1853.


]. terms; in fact, often read in THs Joua
= NAL, glowing descriptions Of tho Sank Val
!. 10y and tho entire country between 81
Cloud and Breckenridge; yet with all thes,
= means OF information had failed TO form
i. proper estimate Of the ''lay Of the coun'
i try" and the richness Of the soil, oompar.
ed with opinions formed after had th.
: pleasure Of visiting it. Being my first Wis.
2 It, and at . season Of the year when The
1 face Of the. country can DO seen just a. Il
really Is, am ready to exclaim, ".hs hal,
has not been told me 2" Those who may
have passed over the road from St. Cloud
to this point, six Or seven years ago, would
DO more than surprised At the extensive
farming improvements that ara already
made and in process 0: being made. Far
~ tho eye can reach, on either side Of the
road, you see the smoke curling up from
the settlers cabin: while hard by the
} stury owner with his teams is breaking the
prairie sod, building fences, or erecting
) barns or granaries, into which he hopes to
soon gather grain, raised from fields that =
year or two since. were one vsst wilderness
that yielded no supply, and which, he will
In short space Of time. cause to bloom
and blossom as rsse.' The transition
has been great as it has been sudden. IT,
OsAKIs AND osAK1s LAKE.
When reached this place, I was most
agreeably surprised, not only at tho beau
tiful location and charming surroundings,
but also At the improvements that have
been and are being made. To describe the
beauties Of the lake, on the border Of which
tho town is located, would require more
artistic pen than that welded by your cor
respondent. You and your readers will
therefore have to be content with the plain
statement that it, is fourteen miles long.
seven miles wide, and beautiful beyond de-
soription. Through the kindness Of Mr..
Donald Stevenson, the gentlemanly and
big -hearted proprietor, and founder of the
village Of Osskia. 1 have been enabled TO-
gather few facts respecting tho town and
village which give to your readers. !
The town Of Osakis is one among the first
organized in Douglas county, and is quite
Tricky settled yet there is very good land |
lying within i've miles Of the lake shore,
in alternate sections, that can be procured |
At tho government prices; but all til:able.
lands within five or six miles Of tho village
is taken up by actual settlers and is in pro-
cess Of cultivation. -*'5'.i'.':-A 81
The village is favorably situated at the
southeastern portion of the lake, through
which passes the stage road, direct from
Sank Centre to Fort Abercrombie, with =
branch road to Glenwood. There is also
stage road, nearly completed, from this
point to Otter Tail distance forty-two
miles,) on which there is any amount of
government land subject to claim or entry.
The place already contains about eighty
Inhabitants, all Of whom are working with
4 fixed determination to make their little
village as inviting to strangers as their
present limited means will permit.
There has already been erected and now
in operation, frst-clsss 40-horse-powsr
steam saw-mill, with cutting capacity Of
six thousand feet hard wood lumber per
day. The lumber manufactured here is
the best quality Of oak, and finishes up
well. There are two stores in the place,
both Of which seem to be doing q safe and
profitable business. There is also one
blacksmith and one wagon makers shop,
and lumber on the ground for the erection
Of = steam grist mill, with capacity for
grinding two hundred bushels wheat per
day. One among the many attractive fea-
lures Of the place is the large and com mo-
dious hotel erected At . heavy cost by Mr..
Warren Adley, Who ''knows how to keep .
hotel" and is keeping it with great credit
to himself and the place. This hotel is the |
largest north Of St. Anthony and Minnesp-
oils, and would be no little credit to either |
Of them. The rooms are large, well venti-
lated and comfortably furnished; and be-
Jog situated near the foot of the lake, is |
certainly one Of the most inviting places |
for invalids I have yet had the pleasure of !
visiting.
Were An invalid, seeking relief in the |
refreshing and invigorating atmosphere of
Minnesota, Adley's Hotel and the beautiful |
scenery surrounding ito say nothing Of
the opportunities afforded for fishing and
hunting-would be the place selected for !
spending the summer months. Being less
than two and half days travel from st. |
Paul, invalids would not be 50 far removed |
from the "outer world" as they might be
led to imagine, and I advise all, under |
whose eye this correspondence may chance
to fall. who may be desirous Of finding |
pleasant, quiet retreat, to give Lake Osa-
ks and the Adley House trial.
On examination of the soil in this section
Of the country, find it to be . rich sandy |
loan, With clay subsoil; most excellently
adapted TO fruit growing; and hope the |
farmers win Immediately turn their atten-
ton to planting such fruits a. will grow
and do we'll in this State. The soil here is |
we'll suited to the prosperous growth and
perfection Of such qualities and species, as
the Tradscendent, Duchess Of oldenburg,
Hyslop and Siberian apples, while al the
small fruits viii yield abundantly.
Taking it altogether, have seen no
place in my travels through the State, that
offers greater inducements to the farmer or
| the mechanic than tho town and village Of
Osakis. ..a,.:@n-: s1s ELK; -. -. .....
There are other places through which I
passed, and at which I stopped, that l
would like to mention, but with your con-
! sent, would prefer to make, each the sub
u ject Of Z separate letter. @asasEaG ".r~
''" |"'*'"'" - Yours rsspsetfully, j:.@s@ 49,
.'-c- --.r-. ,-..--.-~ CURIOSITY. -
r." - ~ II VIEW ADHERTzs E1ENTs. ">
Is .4 ,El:,4 w \ N1mHr.