Southside Township

Southside Township

Southside is in the northwest corner of Wright county and embraces an area of 18,000 acres. Its northern boundary consists almost entirely of lakes, which form a part of the course of the Clearwater river. In the southern part are several lakes, the largest and most notable being Twin lake, Lake Sylvia and Lake John, Stearns county is on the north, Meeker connty on the west, Corinna township on the east and French lake on the south. The soil is a dark loam with a clay subsoil, The surface is undulating. In the south and east it was originally covered with heavy timber, while the north and west was mostly brush land.

The first permanent settler is said to have been Nathan J. Robinson, who is declared to have taken a claim in section 13, in 1857. Seoville is believed to have come at about the Same time. According to the government records the first to secure a title to land in this township were Julia Prescott and L. Dumaree, who received their patents June 23, 1857, the first named in section 13, and the last named in section 24. Four days later, Mr. Dumarce also seeured a patent to land in section 13. In the same year, A. A. Dean secured land on August 27, in seetion 9; A. Montgomery, land in section 10, on the same day; J. 8. Abell, land on October 2, in seetion 14; C. H, Rogers, on October 21, in section 27, and A. J. Brackett on November 6, in section 29. The settlement of the town was slow, not half of the land had been taken in 1870, and some was still untaken as late as 1877.

Southside was organized in 1868, and the first election held at the house of N. J. Robinson on March 9. The officers chosen were: Supervisors, Joshua Mayhew (chairman), Thomas Ewing and Jeremiah Gould; clerk, Thomas J. Noyes; treasurer, N. J. Robinson; assessor, J. B. Robinson; justices of the peace, N. J. Robinson and P. Gould, and eonstable, Abel Lambert.

The town is a favorite summer resort, its lakes making it an ideal place for hunting, fishing and recreation, Its advantages in this respect are becoming more and more widely known. Since the coming of the railroad much of the activity of the town has centered in the village of South Haven, Before that the village of Fair Haven, in Stearns county, was the principal trading point.

South Haven Village

South Haven owes its existence to the Minneapolis & Pacific Railway, now a part of the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, and commonly known as the '*Soo"' line. When the line was projeeted, it was thought that it must pass through Fair Haven, which at that time was a point of considerable importance. Those in Fair Iaven were so strong in this conviction that they failed to give the company any encouragement whatever, which fact, together with the disadvantages a railroad would encounter in reaching the place, changed the course of the line, and Fair Haven's depot and side tracks were located 'a mile and a half south of the village,'' as the Fair Haven ''Cireular"' expressed it at that time.

steer the road into Fair Haven, but he did his duty and guided the surveyors along a line which was approved as a desirable one for the best interests of the road.

It is appropriate to mention here that Mr, Van Dervort located the town of Annandale, South Haven, Kimball, Watkins and Eden Valley. After the road was built he remained with the company several years, as claim agent,

The first trains were run over the new road early in 1887. There was nothing here then, except a grain flathouse, which was built before the railroad was in operation, the lumber being carted from Clearwater.

The same year the first store building was built. It was owned by A. G. Lano and James Monitor, and oecupied by the same gentlemen with a general merchandise line. Later Mr. Lano purchased Mr. Monitor's interest. Mr, Lano was succeeded by William Quade, and he by R. A. Marquardt and Alex Kersten. Mr. Marquardt has been engaged in the merchandise business in South Haven ever since, with the exception of a short period.

When the first store was established the first postmaster of the village was appointed, in the person of A. G, Lano. The building consisted of two stories, the second floor being occupied by Mr. Lano and family as a residence. In 1891 the building and contents were totally destroyed by fire, and the family barely saved their lives. They were all obliged to escape through the second story windows. Mrs. Lano undertook to save her two children, Clara and Harry, but in getting through the window she dropped Harry within the building, and was obliged to jump with only Clara in her arms. Attempts to rescue Harry were made, but the fire was so hot, and the smoke so dense that for a time it was thought that he must perish, Finally Adolph Tessman succeeded in getting inside the window, and by groping about in the dark and smoke he found the child and carried him down. Harry was unconscious, being suffocated by the smoke, but was revived,

South Haven's second business enterprise was a general store owned by Moniter & Perry. Then followed a saloon, hardware store, meat market, ete.

Nothing of especial interest occurred immediately after this. There was some little improvement from time to time, but August Brage declares that on his first visit here in 1905 he found a place with no graded streets, no eement walks, no hall, fire department, and in fact but little to lend attraction. In 1906, however, a grade was established, and the foundation thus laid for permanent improvements,

Mr. Bragg made another visit to South Haven in July, 1906, and on August 15 the First State Bank was established, with Mr. Bragg as cashier,

Now that the village was incorporated, had two general stores, a bank, and one of the best railroad station houses along the line, interest was aroused, and improvements began, It was this year that the size of the schoolhouse was doubled,

In 1907 a cement walk was laid on both sides of Oak avenue, between Railroad avenue and Grant street. This walk replaced an old wooden walk, which was two and a half feet above the ground in places. The old walk had been built before a grade was thought of, and when hills and valleys remained in their original form. Previous to the grading one standing two blocks north of the depot eould barely see the roof of that building on account of a hill.

The village continued to grow in 1909. In 1910, a new schoolhouse was built te fill a need that had been felt for some two years. It is a well constructed brick building, conveniently and modernly arranged and equipped, steam heated, and is blessed with abundance of natural light.

The building of the new brick schoolhouse did not constitute all the improvements in 1910, however, There was considerable more, not previously planned, which was necessitated by the fire which wiped out a large portion of the business section.

The first fire of that year occurred April 1, when the residence of Mr, Krutznacker was burned. But the big fire took place in the early heurs of April 11, taking all the buildings within two blocks bounded by Lincoln and Ellsworth avenues and Railroad avenue and Grant street, with the exception of R. A. Marquardt's residence. The property destroyed included the hardware store owned by the Central Lumber Co., First State Bank, George Kites' saloon, the hotel owned by John Tufts, barber shop owned by Ed. Wiggins, Bert Blackmer's confectionery store, G. Streeker's meat market and ice house and R. A. Marquardt's barn. This fire caused a loss of fully $40,000.

But even this loss did not deter progress. Within forty-eight hours an army of men was at work removing the debris, and plans for rebuilding were under consideration, That simmer was a busy time in South Haven. as may be judged from the faet that by fall all the burned district was rebuilt and the meréhants and other business firms were comfortably located in their new quarters, The new buildings consisted of a solid brick block facing east on Oak avenue, extending from Grant street to Railroad avenue; on the opposite side of Oak avenue the Hamm Brewing Co.'s building, First State Bank building, both of brick construction, and the Central Lumber Co.'s hardware store, built of steel.

Besides the buildings replacing the burned property, G. Werner and F. 8. Holmes built a brick building on Oak avenue between Grant and Custer streets.

By a peculiar coincidence exactly a year from the date of the first fire, almost to the hour, a second fire oceurred which took the portion of the business district not burned in 1910, The lumber yard and machine sheds of the Central Lumber Co., store building owned by George Kites and stock of merchandise owned by A. bu & C. V. Forsberg were totally destroyed.

The same energy was displayed on this occasion as in 1910, and before cold weather everything was in order again. The Central Lumber Company rushed in a new stock and established a yard in a new location, entirely surrounding the yard hy a steel enclosure. Messrs, Forsberg built a new brick block on the corner of Oak avenue and Grant street and stocked it with a most complete line of general merchandise.

During the rebuilding following the fire of 1910 the village hall was pressed into service to accommodate different business eoncerns. Following the fire of 1911, Messrs. Forsherg secured temporary quarters in the Alson Noyes building. the barber shop being removed to the old school building to accommodate them.

The summer of 1911 was a very busy one in South Haven, which with new buildings being erected, new enterprises coming in, and detectives trying to ascertain the origin of the two big fires, gave the place a decided metropolitan air.

One of the first as well as the best things accomplished in 1911 was the formation of the South Haven Commercial Club, which organization has accomplished a great deal for the advancement of the village, The first officers of the club were F. G. Kersten, president; G. Strecker, vice-president; Dr. A. A. Rankin, secretary; George Kites, treasurer,

The South Haven Rural Telephone Co. was. organized early in 1911, and construction work being pushed with vigor during the summer, the system was in operation early in September.

The Sonth Haven Leader was also lannehed in 1911, the first issue appearing August 3. It may be an item of interest to know that the first job of printing ordered by the new telephone company was the directory, which constituted the first printing turned out by the Leader.

One of the greatest achievements of South Ilaven in 1911 was the installation of the electric light plant, The idea was eonceived by Henry Niklason late in Angust. and early in November all South Haven was lighted by electricity from a modern and well equipped plant. South Haven claims the distinetion of being the first place in Minnesota outside the larger cities having a twenty-four hour service electric light and power system, The plant has never failed to vive complete satisfaction.

The year 1912 brought still further and even more extensive improvements to the village. Among these are the Commercial Hotel and the Weum Hospital. A. N. Kramer's hardware store was established in 1912. A. T. & ©. V. Forsberg built a large addition to their block, which is occupied by the Leader, the South Haven Furniture Store and J. D. De Chaney.

In the matter of beautiful surroundings, South Haven has been most remarkably favored by nature, The lakes and summer resorts are becoming more popular every year, and each season sees new cottages, improved eonditions and larger erowds at the several resorts on both Lake Sylvia and Lake Augusta. These places not only attract large numbers of people from the Twin Cities, but also from distant states, such as Illinois, lowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and other more southern states. At the present rate of increased popularity it will not be long before the lakes are entirely surrounded by summer cottages.

The proximity te the Twin Cities, together with the excellent, train service, makes this a most desirable point. The train service alone gives South Haven a decided advantage, as all trains stop here, which is not the ease at any other point between here and Minneapolis.

South Haven is nineteen miles northwest of Buffalo, It has Free Methodist and German Evangelical churches, a healthy Commercial club, an opera house, a hospital, a bank, a hotel, a creamery and an electrie light plant. Following is a brief business directory: Freeman S, Holmes, postmaster; John Abel, garage; F. H. Boobar, blacksmith; Aug, Bragg, insurance agent; W. H.

South Haven, as already noted. was incorporated in 1902, A petition was presented to the county board and the date of the election set for April 24, 1902. The election, which was in charge of L, C. Holmes, A. R. Kersten and John Maurer, and resulted in twenty-eight votes being cast in favor of incorporation and thirteen against it. At that time the census showed that there were 211 persons living in the village.

The petitioners for the incorporation were: C. H. Vandervort, L. C. Holmes. Fred Block, Frank Wurtzberger, F. G. Kersten, J, F. Laabs, W. M, Fraley, Frank Hessee, A. R. Kersten, Frank Holmes, H. J, Ernst, G. W. Mutters, J. G. T. Rudolph, Edward Marquardt, F. C. Stuhr, A. E, Bennett, R. H. Roberts, Walter Ponsford, William Robertson, R, A. Marquardt, Jacob Steecker, C. M. King, R. Stuhr, William Schmidt. Fred Maurer, John Maurer, Martin Kites, George Kites, H. C. Tessman, C. B. Evert, Adam Haas, John Effinger.

The village limits are deseribed in the corporation act as follows: "'All of See. 16. the W. % of Sec. 15, the E. % of See. 17, the S. % of Sec. 9, N. % of Sec. 21, the S, E. yr. of See. 8, the S. W. qr. of Sec, 10, the N. E. qr. of Sec, 20 and the N, W. qr. of Sec. 22, all in Township 121, Range 28, commeneing at the center quarter post of See. 10, T. 121, R, 28, running thence WwW. 2 miles more or less to the eenter qr. post of Sec, 8, thence S. 2 miles more or less to the center qr. post of See. 20, thence E, 2 miles more or less to the center qr. post of See. 22,thence N. 2 miles more or less to the place of beginning, containing in all four square miles according to U.S. Govt. Survey, a portion of which is platted into lots and blocks."