The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-28

WITH many pubic Improvements, all
paid for, and low rate of taxation.
The present officials are as follows: D.
:. Long, president of council; George
Hogan, Dave Long, H. B. Lund and
John House. councilmen; C. B. Burpee,
recorder; Louis M. Larson, treasurer;
!. q. Ormond, attorney; A. L. Stenger
and J.. G.. Morrison, justices of the
peace; Thor. Thomson, assessor; H.
Clarke, street commissioner; Erick Pc
terson, marshal
The problem of heating and light
ing Is an important one in every COM
munity. Electric light plants are to
be found in every enterprising town.
Morris has one. There is feeling here
as elsewhere that gas can be made
TO do both-heating and lighting, or at
least good deal of both The electric
light plant only half solves the prob
lem. Several towns in the state with
electricity are now putting in gas. The
gas plant can be operated economi-
cally after it is established, and there
promises to be a revival of that meth
3D. The gas system is one worthy of
careful investigation by all of our
Western towns.
Chokio.
The village of Chokio is situated
on the Browns Valley branch of the
Great Northern railway, in the west
ern part of Stevens county, near the
Big Ctone and Traverse county lines.
The town is only about twelve years
of age, SO to speak but has popula-
ton of about 500, and is rapidly and
substantially growing. Among it's other
business institutions Chokio has six
grain elevators, which handle half a
million bushels of wheat annually; two
banks; two churches; a newspaper,
the Stevens County Review, by Charles
E. Seeley, etc.
In August, 1891, ]. H. McNalIy built
the first building and opened the first
store on the town site Of Chokio. The
newly built railroad had not then built
a platform at the station, and Mr.. Nc
Nally was for a considerable time alone
on the beautiful and wide prairie He
came first to the country in 1876, from
Minneapolis. where he had been en-
gagged in business.
The name of the town is corrup-
/ ton OF the Sioux Indian word Cho-
kah-ya (accent on the second sylla-
ble), signifying the middle or center.
Long ago there was a claim shanty
where the town now stands and this
point was half way, or at the middle
of the distance, between Morris and
Graceville. The Sioux of the Slsse-
ton reservation applied their word
"cho-kah-ya" to the point and this
became known to the whites who mis-
pronounced the word, however-it may
be purposely for enphony's sake-call-
Ing 1t Cho-ki-o. (accent on the second
syllable), and when name was sought
for the new town the Indian designa-
tion was chosen. While upon the
subject 1t may be well to say that
ho-kah-ya is used by the Sioux only
as an adjective, the word for middle
in the form or office of a noun is
20 cho -kah-yah."
The tributary country to Cholxio Is
rich and productive and becoming
more valuable every day.. 1t Is settled
by an Industrious and thrifty class OF
farmers, all OF whom have prospered
The natural beauty of the country
Immediately around the village has
been improved by it's development,
and the region itself is splendidly oc-
cupied and its advantages utilized.
There are no finer and more attract
i've farms and farm lands anywhere
than those adjoining the village of
Chokio.
The stores and shops of Chokio are
all creditable to the town and fully UP
to the times. They are modern in
structure and appointment and their
capacity Is well tested by the bust
ness carried on within them.
AS has been stated, j. H. McNally,
dealer in general merchandise Is the
pioneer merchant of Chokio. His first
store is still standing Immediately
north of his present place of business.
For a considerable time after their
first settlement in the country Mr. Nc
Nally and his brother were the only
men in this section with valid deeds
and titles to their lands, and were the
only taxpayers contributing to the
support of the public schools. Mr..
Mentally was the first postmaster OF
Chokio and held the office for eight
years His present store is large and
comprehensive and a most successful
institution.
The firm of Ness & Johnson, dealers