The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-07-07
The Little Fork Country

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Editor Burgess of the Tower
News has the following to say of
the prolific Little Fork valley, a
farming country second to none in
the state and the finest dairying
and stock raising section imagin-
able. Mr.. BURGESS opinion is
not exaggerated one bit and we
cheerful1y substantiate his state
ments. He says:
In company with County Com
missioner Grant McMahan and
Editor Schaefer of the Ely Miner,
the News man enjoyed a trip to
Cook and through the farming
district tributary thereto the fore
part of last week. Two days were
spent in the district and to say that
the trip was an eye-opener would
be very mild way of expressing
it.
The Little Fork country has set
tied up rapidly within the past
few years and that the residents
are thrifty, hard working class is
evidenced by the large c1earings
which have been made, the we'll
titled fields and general prosperous
appearance of their homes. Some
of these settlers went into the dis
trict when it was little less than a
wilderness; when there were no
roads and most of their provisions
had to be packed in from Tower
over Indian trails. Those who
stuck it out are now congratu1ating
themselves on the move.
Most of the farmers have from
90 to 100 acres of land under cult
walton and some of them have even
more. Oats, wheat, hay, alfalfa,
potatoes and other vegetables are
the principal crop. Everything,
except potatoes, for which the
season has been somewhat wet, is
looking fine, and by this time the
hay crop is being harvested.
The Little Fork valley is natur-
ally grass country and will, in
time, and that time is not far off,
become one of the biggest and best
dairying districts in the state.
John Olson, who owns fine farm
adjoining the township of Cook,
told us that he expected to cut 125
tons of hay from his 40 acre mea-
dow, and most of his neighbors
will do as we'll.
The soil is a rich black loan COW
ering a clay sub-soil for depth of
from 2 to feet. The land is easily
cleared of the poplar and other
small timber with which it is COW
cred and is rolling enough to allow
for good drainage. There are no
rocks.
Churches and school buildings
are found at intervals of every 2 or
3 miles. Two telephone lines are
maintained by cooperative COM
panies controlled by the farmers
and most of the homes are equip
ped with phones.
Land values are not high consid-
ering the richness and rapid growth
of the country, but there is little
land for sale at any price. There
are some tracts which are partially
improved, offered at from $50. 90 to
$500 an acre and wild land is
quoted at from SIS. 90 to 81 90 an
acre.
County Commissioner McMahan
has large amount of road work
under way whereabouts. A number
of new roads are being built and
old ones are being widened and
Strengthened out, graveled, ditched
and put in good shape, and when
the work is completed we venture
to assert that the Cook district
will have some of the best roads in
the state.
Mr.. McMahan also has big
crew of men, under forman Oscar
Johnson, working on the Tower
and Itasca road 8 miles west of
Tower. He has been working
there about six weeks and has COM
pleted soma3 miles of the best piece
of road ever built in this section of
the state. This road will be COM
p1eted clear through to the Miller
Trunk road.
Cook is thriving little village,
and located as it is in the heart of
so rich farming district, is des-
tined to become a good sized town.
1t now boasts of three general
stores, two hotels, two blacksmith
shops, implement dealer, two con-
dictionaries and pool halls, saw
mill, livery, and several other
business places.