The Saint Paul globe., 1903-10-05

1ul Q1Strlct IN features ana appear
ance, and is peculiarly favored in its
vast wealth of natural resources. The
far-famed Park Region" is a section
of attractiveness in all respects. The
country is one of dense forest lands,
rolling praries, natural alluvial mead
ows, hills and wales, fine streams of
pure water, and myriads of charming
lakes, whose waters are ceol and salu-
brious in effect, abundant and ex-
pansive, and clean as the crystal sea
of the Apocalypse. The soil is
nearly every acre of it-fertile and
fruitful, and in all particulars the
Park Region is worthily named.
In the eastern portion Of this splen-
did eXpanse, 100 miles or more north
west of ST. Paul, lies Todd county,
created Feb. 90, 1862 and named for
Capt. John B. Todd, of the regular army
and afterwards governor of Dakota
territory. It's eastern boundary borders
upon the hill county of northwestern
Minnesota and within dozen miles of
the upper Mississippi river. Its area
is little more than 1000 square miles,
practically that of the state of Rhode
Island. The number of acres of land
in the county, aside from the territory
Included in the town and village plats,
is 5O3,43S, of which, according to the
best estimate, $4,000 acres are yet un-
improved and awaiting the coming
and occupation of home seekers.
County Has Many Advantages.
Todd county has many superior ad-
vantages. The soil is universally fer
tile. The greater portion of the county
is what is commonly called timber
land, and thirty five years ago was
covered with heavy and Valuabla
of hor firnhor The
principal varieties of the timber are
oak, hard maple, ash, linden or bass
wood, elm and birch. From the first,
the people of the county have had an
abundance of building material and
fuel at their doors. AS is well known,
the very best lands for the farmer are
elm, maple, basswood and birch lands.
They are always productive, are shell
tered from driving winter storms, and
are practically inexhaustible. There
are many excellent tracts of timber
yet in Todd county which may be easily
cleared and brought under the sub
lection of the plow. The wood cut
from these virgin tracts is always in
demand, finds a near market, and the
proceeds of its sale will far more than
repay the cost of opening the farm.
In the northeastern division of the
county there were originally extern
siderable tracts of fine lands. Small
tamarack swamps exist throughout the
county, but these lands will, in time.
be cleared and drained and prove to
be most productive and valuable.
There have been for years saw mills
at various points, and a great deal of
the hardwood has been cut and con-
verted into lumber. Hundreds of
cords of fireWood are always ready for
market OF the various railroad stations,
and this material constitutes a large
factor among the county's productions
for sale.
The prairie portions of the county
are also naturally rich. Homes upon
them are seldom far from wood and
timber, rendering their situations ideal
ones for a farmer and stock grower.
The general surface of the county is
either level or gently rolling, although
in the southeastern part the land
scape is diversified to some extent with
hills and elevations formed, as is be-
lieVed, during the glacial period. The
three southwestern townships are
mainly prairie, and throughout the
county, especially along the streams,
are smaller prairie tracts. The Long
Prairie, the Round Prairie and Stoves
Prairie are open tracts, each of several
square miles in extent.
T1dS SOOu ndlITOaQ FdCllIpleSs
The county is we'll supplied with
railroads. Both the main line of the
Northern Pacific and a branch called
the cutoff" pass through the northern
and northwestern portions of the coun-
ty, While the Great Northern and the
Little Falls & Morris branch (called the
Little Falls & Dakota) furnish abun-
dant transportation facilities to the
southern portion. An important branch
of the Great Northern runs through
almost the center of the county from
south to north, passing through Long
Prairie, the county seat, and other
towns. The 500 is also surveying a
line through the county.
Prior to 1884 there were but two or
three little villages in Todd county,
but now there are a dozen or more
towns and villages, all thriving, active
and growing. Long Prairie, the county
seat, is on the CasS Lake branch of
the Great Northern, in the south
central part of the county, 1877 miles
northwest from st. Paul. 1t is on Long
Prairie river and finely situated gener-
ally. 1t is the oldeS town in the coun-
ty. In the territorial days it was the
site of a Chippewa Indian subagency.
A town was laid out, but the Sioux In
dian outbreak of 1862 resulted in the
destruction of the little hamlet which
had sprung up.
The present town started in about
1867. 1t has grown steadily, keeping
abreast with the march of the county's
development. 1t now has population
of about 1000. The town is organized
as an incorporated village and governed
by board of trustees. There are Bap-
tist, Lutheran, Methodist, PresbySa-
rian and Catholic churches, and Eng
lish, German and state high school.
Three we'll printed and we'll edited
newspapers are published. The Todd
County Argus, by A. w. Sheets, is the
Oldest paper in the county, having
been established in 1876, and now near
ing its 29th volume. The Long Prairie
Leader, N. D. Barker editor and mana
ger, is in its Goth volume. The Long
Prairie Democrat, by Graham & Rosch,
is the only Democratic paper, and was
established about year ago.
Long Prairie a Progressive Little City.
Long Prairie is superbly equipped
little city. 1t has an efficient fire de-
partment a board of trade, an opera
house and hall, hospital Ito be) elec--
trio light and water works, two banks,
three grain elevators, flour, saw, grist
and woollen mills, a number of good
stores and busy shops, etc. A fine prai-
rie country abounding in farms eX-
tends northeasterly from the town for
many miles and all the surrounding
and tributary country is exceptionally
good a great deal of shining is done