The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-02-24

Alexander Moore, hunter, pioneer
lumberman and builder-the origina
founder of the city of Sank Centre
was by far the most important per
sonage of the early life of this com
munity. ~
Strange as it may seem, at this
late date little is known of Alexand.
er Moore, the man.
Even the decendents of Mr.. Moore
who still make their home here
know but little of the instincts, de-
tails and inspirations which led Mr.
Moore to come here and to establish
the business which he headed fol
years and which reacted so admir-
ably, upon the community's future.
Stearn and vigorous by nature
Mr.. Moore probably did more to
round out the future of this locality
than any other one man. 1t was for
him to see the advantages of the wa
ter pawer of the Sank River and to
convert it to his uses. 1t was he who
by giving employment to the settlers
enticed immigrants to this place and
enabled them to make livelihood
and to maintain Sank Centre as their
home.
It was known that Mr.. Moore NAM
ed Sank Centre. An explanation of
his choice of a name is lacking in de-
tail but relatives of this pioneer main
tain that he considered this point on
the Sank, the "Center of Activity
along the river.
AS related in last weeks chapter,
Mr.. Moore erected a saw mill on the
north side of the river in 1858. The
claim he took was first shared by a
business partner who remained only
a short time and then disposed of
his interest and moved away from the
village site.
In the days of Mr.. Moore's early
milling activities, the country sur
rounding here was found to be full
of virgin timber. Hardwood, and the
material for the finest lumber. Mr..
Moore's saw mill was a hardwood"
mill. 1t was not necessary to find
market for his early product and all
lumber cut up in the mill was used
by the settlers here about in the
erection of their homes.
In later years, about 1867, the
first and perhaps only attempt to
maintain navigation upon Sank Lake,
was established by the mill manage
ment. Timber cuttings were being
made at the upper end of the lake,
and small steam boat or tug, was
built here to tow log RATS down the
lake to the mill. At the same time
a lumber yard was founded upon the
site of the present city park.
The name of this boat and the
members of her crew, have long
been forgotten. At the closing of
the milling project, the machinery
was removed from the boat and the
craft was placed in Ordinary" So
far as is known, this was the first
and only time that Sank Lake was
ever used for commercial purposes.
A story in the life of Mr.. Moore
Of interest, was that of an at
tempt made by Moore to have some
corn hauled from st. Cloud. All pro-
luce then brought into Sank Centre
lad to come by the way of St. Cloud
md in numerous instances, Mr..
Moore had employed one crew of
eamsters to do this hauling for him.
Like many of the earlier woodsmen
lis penmanship was not of the best.
IN this particular occasion, Moore
wrote to a teamster asking him to
20 to St. Cloud for load of corn
which in those days was hauled in
acks. Imagine Mr.. Moore's surprise
he following day when this teamster
walked into his office, and Offered to
,ay for the corn he had stolen, main
aiming that he had not taken it all,
tut that others had had hand in the
leal."
Moore had not been informed that
my of his corn had previously been
stolen. The teamster, reading his
etter, had believed Moore to be ask
ng pay for corn stolen, which, as
/ matter of fact, he knew moth
ng about. Poor penmanship, in this