Avon Township

Avon City

Avon is situated in the northeastern portion of the county, and is contained in township 125 north, range 30 west. It was originally covered with timber. It abounds in small lakes and marshes. The principal lakes are Pelican Lake, in the northwest portion of the town, and Spunk, Kepper, Anna, Lenman and Minnie lakes, in the vicinity of Avon village. The most beautiful of these is Spunk Lake. The area of the town is 23,040 acres. The St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad, now a part of the Great Northern, passes through the southern portion of the town,

The first settler whose veins could lay any claim to the possession of Caucasian blood, was James Tanner, an Indian halfbreed, who settled where Avon village now stands, in 1856. John Barrett settled on section twelve in 1859. Among other early settlers were, Peter Gothard, Nicholas Theisen, Andrew Agthman, John Knoblach, Mathew Solinger, Nicholas Kepper, and his brothers, Nicholas S. and John.

When Brockway was organized, in 1858, it embraced a large tract cf country, and included the present territory of Avon, until the organization of the latter, in 1866. The formation of Albany, in 1868, reduced Avon to its present limits.

The first election was held at the house of Nicholas S. Keppers, and the following officers elected: Supervisors, Nicholas S. Keppers (chairman), Isidore Obermiller, and Paul Obermiller; clerk, John Brakefield; treasurer, Nicholas S. Keppers; justice of the peace, William Murphy; and assessor, John Schwinghammer.

The township is divided into several school districts. The first school taught was by Mary Sutrup, in 1870, in the house of N. S. Keppers. District number sixty was organized in 1872, and the building erected on section twenty-eight, near the station. District number seventy-two was organized in 1876, and the school house located on section nine.

Avon Village

The village of Avon is situated on the beautiful Spunk Lakes in Sections 27 and 28 of township 125, range 30. It is an elegant place for summer resorts; having many lakes and excellent railroad facilities and not too far from the large cities of the state. It was incorporated in February, 1900.

The first permanent settler in the present village was Nick Keppers, who moved on his claim from St. Joseph in the year 1863, living in a one-room shanty where the residence of Math. Grosman now stands. He was the owner of the present townsite. Wm. Murphy conducted the first general store in 1863. The first elevator was built in 1880 by N. S. Keppers.

The first building was erected by Nick Keppers in 1863; the succeeding buildings of early times being as follows: Wm. Murphy, general store, 1873; Thos. Hussey, saloon and hotel, 1875; residence and wagon shop, N. S. Keppers, 1870; Catholic church, 1872; sawmill by Ball, Bryan & Dickinson, 1873; the business men also put up residences. The first school was taught in the wagon shop of N. S. Keppers by Mary Situp in 1870, ten children being enrolled.

The Great Northern Railway, then known as the St. Paul, Minneapolis Railway Company, was graded through here in 1872, but was not completed until 1873. Up to that time the mail was brought here by stage and the postoffice was then known as Spunk Lake. As soon as the railroad was completed mail came by rail and the postoffice was changed to Avon, its present name. The first postmaster for Spunk Lake was N. S. Keppers. The first postmaster for Avon was Wm. Murphy. The first depot agent was J. Holmes; Herdernt Simpson is the present.

The village was incorporated in February, 1900. The first officers elected were: President, Frank Schmid; trustees, B. E. Davis, Joseph Keppers, Thomas Reh; recorder, Nick Radden; treasurer, Robert Welz; constable, John Flesch. The present officers, elected in March, 1915, are: President, B. J. Oster; trustees, B. J. Keppers, M. Immerfall, T. F. Roche; recorder, N. J. Terhaar; treasurer, John Rass; constable, S. Rass; justice, J. J. Welte.

The creamery at this place was organized in March. 1900, by F. M. Whitman and F. Schmid, who are the sole owners, and began operations the following month. An addition was built in 1901 to be used as a feed mill. During the past year (1914) 86,000 pounds of butter was made and $21,- 000 was paid to patrons, of whom there are 100 with about 400 cows. The creamery still occupies the original building. A cooperative creamery had been built In 1892 or 1893 by a Chicago concern at a cost of $5,000, for which the farmers gave their notes. During the two or three seasons it was run the results were unsatisfactory in every way, and the plant was finally sold for a trifle to a dairy farm near St. Cloud, where it was set up and was nearly ready to run when struck by lightning and burned to the ground.

Avon village has a population of three hundred and is located fifteen miles west of St. Cloud on the Great Northern Railway. It has a Catholic church, a bank, a hotel, a creamery and a grain elevator.