The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-06-26

Inc county Is 30 miles In length, north an
south, and 1S miles in width, e ast and west. co,
.shn 10 townships SF r eva Of IL Ambe2 SEE
soil is Of a rich sandy loan, and is yerv: n,odnc
.'e' seed when it is sown germnates very quick
ly aA the soil is very warm and active. thararo-
capable OF raising as good wheat or other cereo
crops as any land in the United States or Terri
tories.
TIMBER AND WATER
Inc amount OF timber land in tho countv.is es
tmated at 100000 acres, consisting of oak. elm
maple and tamarnck in the southern portion, and
pine IN the northern portion. The Crow Wing
SMELL Leaf, Wing, Red Eye, Partridge and CA
rivers, ana Union Creek and several other small
sttes'hs alford m abundant supply Of pure water
wells Can be made at dopth of from IL to l!
j feet
LANDS.
Inere are $4,000 acres of government land in the
county subject to pre-emption or homestead settle
ment. The Northern Pacific railroad company
has $500 acres for sale at an average price OF
$500 per acre, and spectators held about 20. .o6
acres which is for sale at average price OF
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-
ccipts Of their crops.
POPULATION.
The population of the county is about ,0aO rom.
posed principally of Americans with a few intel]-
lgent English, Scotch, German and Norwepiaus.
lhese figures, however, will be greatly increased
oy tne time another crop is harvested.
CLIMATE.
Ihe climate OF Northern Minnesota is exceed
'ngly healthy, being dry, pure and steady The
summers are simply delightful with long twilights
ana 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 s not as disa-
greeable or penetrating.
| ORGANIZATION AND GROWTH.
The county WAS organized by an actof the legis-
lature sapproved Feb. 21st 1873, and in 1874 the
population was about 300. In 1873, 1000 acres
were under cultivation and in 1888, (last yesr)
about rs, 900 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 30 bushels per acre. Rve
natures in 80 days and yields largely Corn is
successfully raised and all kinds of vegetables do
excelently. In 1877 Wadena county carried off five
premlums including the sweepstakes at the Min
nepolis Fair. There are three towns in the conn
ty along the N. p Railroad, all of which are doing
q good business and destined to be live-po ahead
towns. The county scat and largest town in tho
county is
! WADENA
| which was created the county seat by an act Of
the legislature approved Feb. 21st, 1873 and the
cnances for removing the county seat are very
| slm az Wadena now has population of about
lSO 1t Is located on the main line of the North
ern Pacific Railroad, 1872, miles west Of St. Paul,
and ISL miles from Duluth at the Junction of the
r. q b. H. r. r. with the N. P. R. r. 1t is finely
situated on small, but high rolling prairie, sur
rounded at short distance by groves of deciduous
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 are 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 Episcopas have good parsonage
and will no doubt erecta church building in yery
short time. The German Evangelical Association |
are now building parsonage and as soon as that
is completed, will commence the erection |
OF church, the plans being already drawn. |
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 so graded as to t
the scholars for the University. There are five
Hotels, several Boarding Houses, four General |
Stores all carrying large and well selected stocks O,
goods, two Grocery Stores, Clothing Store, one
Jewelry Store, two Millinery Stores two Banks |
with capital Of $50 each two Hardware Stores
one Boot and Shoe Store, two Harness Shops, one
Furniture Store three Drug Stores, ,one Restaurant
one Bakery, three Machinery Depots, one Roller
Fouring Mill, with capacity of 100 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.
one Dentist, Laundry ,one Roller Skating Rink.
two Stationery and Confectionery Stores and one
Dress Making Shop. The secret societies are re-
presented here by the following Lodges: Wadena
Lodge No. 1855, A. F. g. A. NJ; Wadena Lodge No.
20, K. P; Wadena Lodge No. 60, A. o. U. W; and
Wadena Hope Lodge NO. 10, I. o. G. T. The
County Agricultural Fair Grounds are located
here, on which is fine Floral Hall and half mile
track. Stages carrying the 1nailrun from Wadena
to Wrghtstown and Parkers Prairie, and also to
Long Prairie via Stowe Prairie and Clarisse. The
Black Hills r. R., leaves the Northern Pacific here
and Is built 120 miles due west and it will probab
" be built as far again Inside Of another year.
The matter of building railroad from this place
due north, through the famous Shell Prairies, is
being strongly talked Of. An incorporation has
already been formed under the title of the Wade
na & Pork Rapids R. R. There is no doubt but
what cars will be running between Wadcna and
Park Rapids inside Of 18 months.
VEENDALE
is the next town in size to Wadena, and is pleas
antly located rear the Wing River. VerIdale has
apopulation Of about 700, and is an incorporated
village. She has mum ber Of church societies and
the Methodists have very commodious church
building. There arc three Hotels, two Banks a
Grift 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
tonery Store, one Drug Store two PLY ysicans, one
r1our ana reed Store, two Livery Stables, one
Lumber Yard, one Barber Shop, two Blacksmith
Shops, ono Planning Mill, two Saloons, two Skat-
ing Kinks, a number of Boarding Houses, and
other places of business. Stages leave semi-week-
ly for the Shell Prairies. Verndae is enjoying a
fair growth, and bids fair to become quite vii
lagc.
ALDRICH.
This bright little village is situated on the Part
ridge River, beautiful stream which possesses ex-
cellent undeveloped water power. 1t would afford
ample power for four or i've miles within a short
distance. 1t is surrounded on all sides by large
forests of oak, maple, bass, pine and poplar. 1t
mas two General Stores, one Grocery Store, one
Hotel, one Blacksmith Shop, one shoemaker's
Shop, Saw Mill, one Saloon and . Public Hall.
SHELL CITY.
A rapidly growing Village in the northern part
of the county on the Shell River, one of the hand
eomeN etrenms IN northern Minnesota, and poss-
ess;ng splendid water power. A steamboat line
has just been incorpora ted between that place
and Brainerd, and boat with a capacity OF "a
tons will be launched on the s1en IL few days.