Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-06-19
so Years Since
Railroad Came
To County Seat

Among the other events to be cele
brated on the Fourth of July at Pin,
City is the Goth anniversary Of thu
opening of the railroad through Pine
City from st. Paul to Duluth. Though
Pine City had service from st. Pau
in 1862. the railroad was not com
pleted to Duluth until the following
year. The committee in charge OF III,
celebration is endeavoring to have il
Pine City one Of the early engines
which came through here.
A glance at the celebrities of other
days those who did their substantial
bit to make the town and to keep il
growing, brings out the following:
In 1872, Pine City BEGAN the cOun
ty seat. Hiram Bracket, George
Goodwin, and Edward Jackson were
elected to be the first county com
missioners. Adolph Munich was aud
i.or. and Don l.. willard, resi ter of
deeds.
The county was new. having for
Iiclly DctN Il part vi vi SdSo CounIs
and the finances, naturally were in
deplorable condition. In 1875, Ere
A. Hodge was elected county auditor
and under his careful guidance, the
financial condition improved.
The first District Court in Pine City
was held in October, 1872. Judge
Grossly presided. John ID. Wilcox was
clerk; later he was superintendent of
schools. He was the father of Gene
Wilcox, present county commissioner,
John ID. Wilcox, Jr., Mrs. Stees and
Mrs. AL Lloyd, all of whom reside in
the vicinity of Pine City.
In 1871, the schools of the county
began to be organized and the list of
names of those who had been county
superintendent is quite long and re-
plete with names of those who have
done more than their share to the
improvement of the community. Nor
ton Brien was the first superin-
tendent. Then there was James COch-
ran, Fred A. Hodge who had been
town clerk and postmaster at Hinck-
y,
later he was county auditor until he
became associated with the First
State Bank in 1885, Levi McKusick,
father of Fred McKusick who resides
at Pine City, superintendent the schools
before he became a lawyer, served the
district in the state senate, as county
attorney, and was at all times inter-
ested in Republican politics. ]. A.
Hay is very well known to the COM
munity because of his excellent ora
tory and his good work i'm the far
mer's cooperative movements through
his work in the state agricultural de-
partment. There were also Dr. E. l..
Stephan, now of Hinckley and r. H.
Blankenship. The latter two still
reside in Pine county.
Many of those who made Pine City
history are still living and are car
rying on the good work of the past.
j. Adam Bede, once congressman, is
now living in Duluth and delighting
audiences with his interesting speech
es. Cap CrantOn, James Hurley, w.
H. Hamlin, Charles Stephan, George
Robinson and the many others who
have contributed to the welfare of
Pine City, are still living.
In the vicinity of Pine City, there
are two lakes that have been the
scenes of history. Lake Pokegama
a beautiful lake five miles to the west
OF Pine City on the Snake river, was
the scene of the great Indian battle
between the Sioux and the Ojibways.
Mission Island, an island in that lake
is the home of one of the earliest
missions of the state. Cross lake is
at the east end of the village At
the foot of Cross lake and on the
lower Snake river is the Chengwa-
tana dam, dam which has caused
more legal history than any other
dam of its size and age. Both lakes
have contributed to the advancement
of the lumber industry and are even
today contributing, as they did in
the past, to the recreation and sport
OF those who visit them.
These are but few more events in
the history of Pine City which will
be recalled at the coming celebra-
ton of the anniversary of the day
of independence. 1t will be interest
ing and certainly well worth attend
ing.
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