Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-06-29
A Trip Through the County x
feet, which will necessitate raising tn
1on0t an6 oi1okraol q wall
BY THE EDITOR.

feet, which will necessitate raising the
depot and sidetrack as we'll.
We began our work upon securing
facts for the county history in the
southeast quarter of the township.
After q drive diagonally thru the town
We spent The first evening at the home
of John Wicklund. Mr.. Wicklund
lives on the edge of q natural grove
on = high promontory above Lake
Kasota, Is the north arm of the Little
Kandiyohi lake Is called. A deep "a
vine courses below his place to the
west, and the east bank of the same Is
wooded. This ravine is the natural
drain for many square miles of low
land to the north, and in the spring
the freshets thunder down the same in
q great stream. A path down along
the side OF the bank, in the deep shade
where beautiful ferns grow in profu-
sion, makes an ideal retreat during
warm weather. This portion of the
ravine with the grove was included in
the portion reserved for the park
in the old Kandiyohi townsite, OF
which Mr.. Wicklund's farm is q part.
Mr.. Wicklund takes considerable in
terest in fruit culture, and has q fine
orchard started. He took the fret
prize at the last Willmar Street Fair
with his apple exhibit. He has done
. lot of experimental work in the line
of grating plum trees, and his grove
Of plum trees, including q number OF
the best varieties, we believe Is the
finest of its kind in the county. Not
content to rest with the splendid or.
chard from which he is now gathering
bounteous rewards each year, he ia
ever adding to the same. Lately he
received number of gratis of differ
cit varieties of apples grown In Swe.
den from q friend over there. These
he has grated upon the branches OF
some of his apple trees, and q number
OF them have started nicely. He hopes
to secure some of the prizes offered by
the State Horticultural society for the
Introduction Of hardy varieties of fruit
trees. We took up good deal OF
Mr.. Wicklund's valuable time In 20.
ing over the records of the various
organizations with which he IL or hat
been connected, and were kindly treat.
ed at this splendid home. Mrs. Wick.
lund's strawberry beds yielded of til
luscious fruit for the table. We had
an interesting interview with Andreas
Broman, who Ia the father of Mrs.
Wicklund, another daughter and five
sons. The latter, one of whom Is dead
all acquired fine farms in this vicini.
ty and haye been an important factor
in the development of the wilderness
into cultivated garden. One of these
places, the home of F. E. Broman, 10.
Gated upon the west shore of Lake Ks.
sofa, we visited upon the evening be.
fore. Hidden away in the thick foil.
age Of the natural grove extending
between Kasots and Swan lakes q
mile from the public road, this home
IL comparatively safe from the visits
OF the itinerant. 1t was In this grove,
little farther to the south, where g
number of the families who first Get.
tied upon the Kandiyohi prairie made
their winter homes In dueouts, in or
dor to secure shelter from the storms
and water for their cattle. ~ =
During the following afternoon we
visited the homes OF John Peterson,
another sturdy son OF Smaland, and
Il: o Olson, who lives with wife 6nd
youngest daughter on the place which
was frat Pehr Norberg's claim near
Little Kandiyohi lake. Formerly the
waters Of the lake came up within /.
short distance Of the home, but of late
years the clear water line has receded.
The Qlsons hail from the loo ality ID