The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-07-03

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south, and IL miles in width, East and west, con
tanning IS townships, or an area of 345 600 acres
composed OF prairies and groves Of timber. The
SOIL Is OF rich sandy loan. and is very product
I've. Seed when it is sown germ;nates very quick.
~ as the soil is very warm and active, therefore
capable OF raising as good wheat or other cereal
crops as any land in the United States or Terri
tories.
TIMBER AND WATER.
The amount of timber land in the county.is es-
tlmated at 10O,OO acres, consisting of oak, elm,
maple and tamarach in the southern portion and
pine IN the northern portion. The Crow Wing,
Shell, Leaf, Wing, Red Eye, Partridge and Cat
rivers, and Union Crock and several other small
streams afford an abundant supply of pure water
wells can be made at depth of from ~ to Is
feet
LANDS
There arc $4,000 acres of government land in the
county subject to presumption or homestead settle
nent The Northern Pacific railroad company
has $4,000 acres for sale at an average price of
$500 per acre, and spectators hold about OC00
acres which is for sale an average price OF $500
per acre. Farms from either of these sources are
IN reach of any who wish to purchase as they can
have plenty of time to pay for them out of the re-
ceipts of their crops.
POPULATION
The population of the county is about Oo0 CON-
posed principally Of Americans with few intell-
igent English, Scotch, German and Norwegiaus
These figures, however, will be greatly increased
by the time another crop is harvested.
CLIMATE.
The climate of Northern Minnesota is exceed
ingly healthy. being dry, pure and steady The
summers are simply delightful with long twlishts
and cool evenings. The winters are about the
same length as in northern New York with the ad-
vantage of being more steady. The mercury runs
perhaps little lower, but the cold is not Us disa-
greeable or penetrating.
ORGANIZATION AND GROWTH.
The county was organized by an act of the legis-
latnrc iapproved Feb. 21st 1878, and in 1874 the
population was about 800. In 1878, 1000 acres
were under cultivation and in 1883, (last year)
about 25,ooo acres were under the plow. The aver
age yield of wheat is from II to 20 bushels to the
acre, although our good farmers find no difficulty
in producing from rs to 80 bushels per acre. Rye
natures in 80 days and yields largely. Corn is
successfully raised and all kinds of vegetables do
exccleItly. In 1877 Wadena county carried off five
premiums including the sweepstakes at the Min
ncpolis Fair. There are three towns in tho coun-
ty along the N. P. Railroad, all of which are doing
a good business and destined to be live -go-ahead
towns. The county seat and largest town in the
county is
WADENA
which was created tho county scat by an act of
the legislature approved Feb. 21st, 1878, and the
churcc5 for removing the county seat are very
slim, as Wadena now has a population of about
800 1t is located on the main limo of the North
ern Pacific Railroad, 1872 miles west of St. Paul,
And Isl miles from Duluth, at the Junction of the
F. & B. H. r. R. with the N. P. r. r. It is finely
situated on a small, but high rolling prairie, sur
rounded at u short distance by groves OF decduous
trees 1t is an incorporated village, and is very
pleasant place to live in. 1t is very healthy here
being SO high and dry; has good water, and good
church and school accommodations, There arc at
present six church associations here, the
Methodist, Congregational, Episcopal, Catholic
German Evangelical and German Methodist
The Methodist and Congregational churches have
neat and commodious houses of worship, and the
Catholics have very neat church in the course of
erection. The Episcopals have good parsonage
and will no doubt erect church building in very
short time. Tho German Evangelical Association
are now building parsonage and soon as that
is completed, will commence the erection
of a church. the plans being already drawn.
A new School House was erected last year at cost
of $4,000 and three teachers are now employed
fourth teacher will have to be employed next
term, and the school will then be graded as to fit
the scholars for the University. There are five
Hotels, several Boarding Houses, four General
Stores all carrying large and we'll selected stocks Of
goods, two Grocery Storcs one Clothing Store, one
Jewelry Store, two Millinery Stores, two Banks
with capital of $50.000e each two Hardware Stores,
one Boot and Shoe Store, two Harness Shops, one
Furniture Store three Drug Stores one Restaurant,
one Bakery, three Machinery Dcpots, one Roller
FIouring Mill, with capacity of 1CO barrels day,
one Planning and Sash and Door Shop, one Saw
Mill, two Lumber Yards, one Plow Shop with
Foundry and Machine Shop attached, two Wagon
Shops, two Blacksmith Shops, one Photograph
Gallery, two Livery Stables, two Barber Shops, one
Brewery, five Saloons, one Real Estate Office, two
Meat Markets, six Attorneys, three Physicians, two
large Grain Elevators, one Merchant Tailor, two
Dray Lines, two Surveyors and Civil Engineers.
Dentist: one Laundry ono Roller Skating Rink,
two Stationery and Confectionery Stores and one
presented here by the following Lodges: wadena
Lodge No. 1885, A. F. & A. NJ; Wadcna Lodge No.
49, X. p; Wadena Lodge No. 60, A. o. U. W; and
Wadena Hope Lodge NO. 70, I. O. G. It. The
County Agricultural Fair Grounds are located
here, on which is fine Floral Hall and a hulf mile
track. Stages carrying the mail run from Wadena
to Wrightstown and Parkers Prairie, and also to
Long Prairie via Stowe Prairie and Clarsse. The
Black Hills r. R., leaves the Northern Pacific here
and is built 12O miles due west, and it will probab
ly be built as far again inside of another year.
The matter of building a railroad from this place
due north, through the famous Shell Praries. is
being strongly talked of. An incorporation has
already been formed under the title of the Wade
na & Park Rapids R. r. There is no doubt but
what cars will be running between Wadena and
Park Rapids inside of IS months.
VERNDALE
is the next town in size to Wadena, and is pleas
antly located near the Wing River. Verndale has
apopulation of about 700, and is an incorporated
village. She has number of church societies and
the Mcthod!sts have a very commodious church
building There are three Hotels, two Banks, a
Grist Mill, using power supplied by the Wing
River, good Public School, newspaper office,
from which issues the Journal, three General
Stores, two Hardware stores, two Millinery Stores,
one Grain Elevator, two Meat Markets, one Sta
tioncry Store, ono Drug Store two PLY sicians one
Flour and Feed Store, two Livery Stables, one
Lumber Yard, one Barber Shop, two Blacksmith
Shops, one Planning Mill, two Saloons, two Skat-
ing Kinks, number of Boarding Houses, and
other places of business. Stages leave semiweek
ly for the Shell Prairies. Vern6ale is enjoying a
fair growth, and bids fair to become quite vii
lage.