Stockholm Township

Stockholm Township

Stockholm is the extreme southwestern town of Wright county, and contains an area of about 23,000 acres, of which 3,617 are under cultivation. The surface is rolling and in some parts hilly. The soil is mainly a dark loam with clay subsoil, and very fertile, producing excellent crops of the variety common in this latitude.

Sucker creek rises in the west central part, flows in a northeasterly course, and crosses the town line south of Cokato village. The principal lakes are Rice lake, in the eastern part; Little lake, in the northwestern part, aud still farther west, Collinwood lake, lying partly in Meeker county. Timber and prairie are about in the same proportion as in Cokato, adjoining it on the north.

The early history of this town is so closely identified with Cokato as to require little detail in addition to the written history of that town, to which the reader is referred.

The present organization was effected in 1868, the first town meeting being held on August 15, when the following officers were elected: Supervisors, Henry Bull (chairman), Ole H. Holmberg and Andrew Swanberg; clerk and assessor, Carl Carlson, and treasurer, Andrew Almquist.

The first settlers were Hugh MeNulty, on section 3, in 1856, Mr, Kincade in 1858 and later the Dustin family. The first Swedish settlers came in 1862, the first three of whom were Swan Swanson, John Brown and Andrew Johnson, About four years later, a large Swedish emigration was directed to this town, that nationality now being the leading element in the town.

The Farmers Club of Stockholm was organized December 19, 1913, and its purpose is to get the farmer and his family together more closely and to get the farmers interested in social life so as not to make farm life dull and monotonous. At the meetings, held about onee a month, a speaker or two from the Agricultural College is present and gives a general discourse on any farm topic suitable for the oceasion. Better markets, good roads and such things as will better conditions in the country are openly diseussed on such occasions when possible. Regular literary meetings are given in ¢onneection and everybody is welcomed at the elub meetings. Anybody interested in bettering the conditions of farm life is welvome to join the club, which is free to anyone. Collection is taken up at each meeting, which helps to defray the club expenses, The meetings are held at the schoolhouse or as designated by the program committee. By Albert O. Terud (president).

Vietor is in the southwest part of Wright county, aud is bounded on the north by Middleville, on the east by Woodland, on the south by MeLeod county and on the west by Stockholm, It embraces 22,400 acres, The town has a rich dark soil with a clay subsoil, and was originally heavily timbered.

The surface is gently rolling, trending slightly to the uortheast, as shown by the direction of the principal water course, Twelve Mile creek, which forms the outlet to Rice lake, in the town of Stockholm, entering this town from the west. flowing an easterly, then northeasterly course and erossing the east line at the extreme northeast corner. It also forms the outlet ef Long lake and Lakes Emma and Ann, flowing through the latter. The three last named lie east of the center of the town. as do also Butler lake and Lake Mary. Farther north is Dutch lake. whose western margin forms part of the corporate bound of ILoward Lake village. A few other bodies of moderate size give variety to the more western portion of the town, besides which Iloward lake encroaches slightly from the north.

Morgan V. Cochran erected the first cabin on the south shore of Howard lake in the fall of 1855. Few others came wntil 1856 and 1857. Among the early settlers were: Edwin Brewster, a native of Vermont; A. J. Gardner, who came from New York: John F. Pearson, a native of Ohio; Mark Fosket, from New York; A. D, Pinkerton and others who are mentioned in the land offiee chapter and elsewhere in this work.

The town was originally a part of Middleville. The present town organization was perfected in 1866, and the first town meeting held January 24 of that year, at the residence of Mark Fosket. The following officers were chosen: Supervisors, A. D. Pinkerton (chairman), Jesse Christopher and Abner Pearson; clerk, George MeKinley; treasurer, J. B. Nelson.

Howard Lake Village

Howard Lake village received its name from the beautiful body of water on which it is located. It is said that the surveyors named this lake in honor of John Iloward, the Enelish philanthropist, and were most favorably impressed with its south shore as a desirable site for a future inland city.

The settlement of the village dates from 1855, when Morgan V. Cochran eame here in the interests of a townsite company, employed to erect a house on section 3, within the present eerporate limits, as the nueleus of a hamlet to be called Lynden. He eonstrueted the house and made ready for the platting, but the

The townsite house which he erected afterward beeame the first schoolhouse, the first school being held there in the winter of 1838-59. The teacher, Jane P. Gleason, was married to Mr. Cochran, May 9, 1859. A few months after their marriage, the first religious services in the village were held at their home by the Rey. William Baisley, a Baptist clereyman.

The village attracted settlers rapidly. The beauty of the lovation, the fertility of the soi] and the character of the early pioneers all tended to draw other people here.

Charles Goodsell bought out Mr. Coehran in 1863, and oveupied the place as a farm until the railroad came through. In the spring of 1869 he platted the present townsite and improvements were at onee started.

Several buildings were commenced in the spring of 1869, and pushed to rapid completion, Jones & Algine taking the lead. Their building was the Sherman House, and was lone used as a hotel. J. M. Markley soon had a frame building fit for ocenpancy, in which he opened a general store, and during the summer he erected a larger building for mercantile use. George Bayton had opened a stock of goods in a small building previous to Mr. Markley's. John A. Johnson began the erection of a lumber and grist mill about the same time. Another store was opened soon after by J. F. Pearson, and the village made rapid strides in general development.

The lumber and fiouring mills built by John A. Johnson contributed much to the growth of the village. In 1874, Mr. Johnson took G. W. Thompson as partner, the new firm adding the manufacture of barrel stock. Mr. Draper was admitted to partnership, the firm name being Johnson, Thompson & Draper, In 1876, Mr. Draper retired from the firm, and in 1878, Mr. Johnson leased his partner's share and later purchased it, subsequently operated the business alone. The Jones Hotel was built by IJ. E. Jones im 1878. G. W. Thompson erected two stave factories, but each was destroyed by fire after a brief existence.

The People's Elevator was built in the fall and winter of 1879 by Calvin Mooers. It had a capacity of 20,000 bushels, and was operated by a six horsepower engine. The following year, D. B, Brown purchased a half interest, and the firm name became Movers & Brown. In the early eighties a new elevator was coustructed with a capacity of 40,000.

Howard Lake is especially fortunate in its location, Laid out on a plateau rising from the south shore of a beautiful spring-fed body of water, and situated in the midst of one of the richest farming countries in the state, it is a modest, unpretentious and handsome village, arranged on a generous scale and spreading over much territory. The residence streets are wide and lined with beautiful shade trees, with broad expanses of vreen lawns, ornamental shrubbery and attractive homes, the unfeneed yards being so large as to give to the place a decidedly parklike appearance.

The village is forty-seven miles west of Minneapolis, on the line of the Great Northern, and has a population of about 650. It has Preshyterian, Christian, Methodist and German Lutheran churches. two banks, a hotel, two grain elevators, two creameries, a nursery, flour mill, a brick plant and water works and a weekly newspaper. The principal shipments are nursery stock, grains and live stack,

The village of Howard Lake was incorporated in 1878, and held an election on August 29 of that vear, resulting in the eleetion of the following officers: President, C. F. Carter; trustees, Charles Goodsell, Jonathan Smith and John F. Pearson; treasurer, I. E. Jones; justice of the peace, FP. E. Latham; recorder, Eugene Johnston; constable, C, W. Fogle.

1906. President, A. A, Narverud: trustees, Charles Moore, William J. Rausch, G. A. Koenig; treasurer, G. G. Luhman; reeorder, T. M. Woolley (resigned February 5, 1907), received thanks for his faithful service, and was followed by Otto P. Jungclaus); assessor, R. M. Morgan: justice of the peace, A. N. Carter; constable, C. B. Fleming,

1908. President, Miles E. Wagner; trustees, Charles Moore, Wilham J. Ransch, L. A. Leutz; treasurer. G. G. Luhman; recorder, George E, Means; assessor, R. M. Morgan; justice of the peace, E, C, Tuttle; constable, Charles Stewart.

1909. President, Miles E. Wagner; trustees, L. A. Lentz, Charles Moore, Julius Redmer; treasurer, G. G, Luhman,; recorder, George E, Means; assessor, R. M. Morgan; justices of the peace, A. N. Carter, Gearge E. Means; constable, James Jestus.

The village hall is a sightly and eommodious building which takes the place of a brick-veneer building which was burned. The hall is a brick building and houses the postoffiee, the public brary, court room, council chambers, fire department, a public hail, various offices and a barber shop.

The building was ereeted in 1904. At a special meeting of the couneil held February 23, 1904, it was voted to snbmit to a special election of the voters the proposition to erect a city hall at a cost not to exceed $9,000 and to issue bonds to the amount of $5,000, The special election was held March 8, 1904, and the proposition was carried. The bonds were issued July 1, 1904, payable in fifteen years, and were sold for $5,100, FY. A. Haneock received the contract for erecting the building, Decemher 30, 1904, the building was practically completed, and the council voted to accept it as soon as it should he finished according to suggestions made by the architect. March 20, 1905, the council voted to the ladies of the villaye the free use of the suite of rooms on the north side of the eity hall to be used as a public reading room.

Howard Lake is noted for its excellent schools. The schools are housed in a large brick building, and aside from a thorough eourse in all the grades, has a splendid high school department with courses in domestic science, agriculture and manual training. The Howard Lake Independent district was organized and a building erected in 1870. Only five years later it was found necessary to erect a large brick building with four rooms.

Howard Lake is well lighted. For a time a municipal plant was maintained, April 30, 1912, the voters decided to sell the plant and grant a franchise to the Electrie Livht & Power Co, Further improvements are now suggested.

The Wright County Agricultural Society, one of the oldest organizations in the county, has its headquarters here. It has excellent grounds, with substantial buildings. and the annual fairs which are held are a source of much benefit to the farming interests of Wright county and vicinity.