January 27, 2012 by Hubbard County Historical Museum Director
Years ago there used to be a skating rink near the old high school. Today it would be located near the checkout counters in J and B Foods or there abouts.
It was a popular place to gather and skate during the winter. The excitement of playing crack the whip and trying to learn how to skate backwards.. oh I can still smell the wet wool mitten odor that permeated the warming house. Do you have a skating memory to share?
Category Remember when | Tags: | 5 Comments
January 19, 2012 by Hubbard County Historical Museum Director
Today we continue with the history behind the townships names. Information has been collected from a Newspaper Article by Bill Burnson and from Joyce Stillwell Lake Hatties Historian.
Lake Alice Township was named by Pioneer Settlers for Willard Glazier’s daughter who accompanied him on his second trip to Itasca in 1881. It was previously called Lake Elvira in honor of Glazier’s sister.
Lake Emma Township was named for a beautiful small lake within the township borders.
Lake George Township and the large lake within it were named for a brother of Willard Glazier who was with Glazier on his first trip to the Lake Itasca area.
Lake Hattie Township and Lake Hattie were names taken from Willard Glazier’s 1881 map of the area. Elizabeth the Township Clerk sent me this information:
This is a quote from our historian Joyce Stillwell, written at our 100th anniversary in 2005.
"The information concerning the township name came from it’s largest lake, which is Lake Hattie. This lake was so named by Willard Glazier, an explorer of the area, who "arrogantly" supplanted the original Indian names of several lakes, with names of his own relatives. Exhaustive research has failed to reveal the original, so Lake Hattie it remains." "Previous to 1905 Lake Hattie and Fern townships had operated jointly. At the May meeting in that year, the two boards met for the purpose of dividing monies and property equitably."
Lakeport Township, with the spelling changed was named for LaPorte (meaning door or gate in French) which is also the name of a city and county in Indiana.
Mantrap Township was named for Mantrap Lake. Many of it’s bays and peninsulas entrapped and baffled many boatsman and travellers making their way around the lake.
Nevis Township are believed to have been named for Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in all of Great Britain.
Rockwood Township was named for the first homesteader there Charles H. Rockwell.
Schoolcraft Township was named for the Schoolcraft River along which the Schoolcraft party were guided to present day Lake Itasca in July 1832.
Straight River Township was named for the river from Straight Lake into this township.
Steamboat River Township was named for the steamboats from Leech Lake that traversed the waters on Steamboat Lake and River.
Thorpe Township was named for Joseph Thorpe an early Hubbard County school teacher.
Todd Township was named for Smith Todd a homesteader.
White Oak Township was named for a tree of that name.
It seems that Schoolcraft in 1832 and Glazier in 1881 changed a host of beautiful, colorful Indian and French names to commemorate themselves, their relatives and those they admired.
The beautiful original place names have been lost into the murk of historical oblivion.
**********************************************
I need a volunteer from every township in Hubbard County to represent The Hubbard County Historical Society and Museum at the township meetings on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. I will mail the volunteer and the Township Clerk a letter that requests funds from the township. If you attend your annual township meetings and would volunteer to represent us please leave a message at the museums phone number 732 5237 and I will return your call. Having someone at the meeting speaking up for us and our mission to keep history alive in Hubbard County should spur on township donations.
I need volunteers from the following townships.
Akeley, Crow Wing, Farden, Fern, Guthrie, Hart Lake, Helga, Lake Alice, Lake Emma, Lake George, Lakeport, Mantrap, Nevis, Rockwood, Schoolcraft, Steamboat River, Thorpe, and White Oak.
Category area history | Tags: | 1 Comment
January 12, 2012 by Hubbard County Historical Museum Director
Last week we looked at how Park Rapids was named. This week I will share with you parts of a article by Bill Burnson that appeared in the Park Rapids Enterprise in an unknown year.
Akeley Township and Village was named for Healy C. Akeley whose large sawmills dominated the local scene until closed in 1916.
Argo Township received it’s name from Lake Argo which appeared on Joseph Nicollet’s 1843 map. Lake Argo is now Potato Lake. The Township remains Argo. Argo was a famous French Physicist and Astronomer.
Badoura Township site of the Badoura Tree Nursery was named for Mrs. Mary Badoura Mow. The Mow’s were pioneer farmers and Badoura was the name of an Arabian Princess.
Clay Township was named for its generally clay type soil of glacial drift.
Clover Township’s name was inspired by the lush growth of white clover which grew along the old logging roads in lumbering days.
Crow Wing Lake Township was named for the nine Crow Wing Lakes along the Crow Wing River’s course through the township.
Farden Township was named for Ole J. Farden a Norwegian homesteader.
Fern Township was named in honor of Richard Fern who homesteaded in Lake Emma Township. ( He must have been quite a guy!)
Guthrie Township was named for Archibald Guthrie a contractor/builder of The Minnesota and International Railway.
Hart Lake Township was named for the heart shaped lake. As so happens in history, Hart and other names are merely misspelling of words by early pioneers.
Helga Township bears the name of a daughter of John Shustad believed to be the first white child born in that township.
Hendrickson Township was named for A.H. Hendrickson who owned a sawmill there.
Henrietta Township was named for the wife of a pioneer homesteader Wm. H. Martin who was a distinguished Civil War Veteran.
Hubbard Township, famed for it’s rich prairie is the namesake of Lucius Hubbard the Governor of the great State of Minnesota from 1882 to 1887.
Hubbard County is also named for Lucius Hubbard..we have a very large portrait of him that hangs in the museum.
Well that is 14 townships..there are 28. So you have been introduced to half of them..next week we will tackle the other half.
I need a volunteer from every township in Hubbard County to represent The Hubbard County Historical Society and Museum at the township meetings on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. I will mail the volunteer and the Township Clerk a letter that requests funds from the township. If you attend your annual township meetings and would volunteer to represent us please leave a message at the museums phone number 732 5237 and I will return your call. Having someone at the meeting speaking up for us and our mission to keep history alive in Hubbard County should spur on township donations.
I need volunteers from the following townships.
Akeley, Crow Wing, Farden, Fern, Guthrie, Hart Lake, Helga, Lake Alice, Lake Emma, Lake George, Lake Hattie, Lakeport, Mantrap, Nevis, Rockwood, Schoolcraft, Steamboat River, Thorpe, and White Oak.
Update: I received a volunteer from Lake Hattie township..Thank you Elizabeth!
Category area history | Tags: | 2 Comments
January 5, 2012 by Hubbard County Historical Museum Director
In 1879 when the first settlers left Verndale they travelled fifty miles with their wagons and teams through swamps and forests to the regions of the Shell Prairies. There were three prairie regions. The first (Hubbard), the second (Park Rapids) and the third (Osage).
Homesteading was what drew people to the area. They could get a parcel of fertile land where water and wildlife were plentiful. Logging was a secondary lure to the area, some lumberjacks had been in the area in the 1860’s.
In 1881 two years after the first settlers arrived the village was named. Park for the park like groves on the second prairie. Rapids for the rapids in the Fishhook River.
Frank C. Rice owned the townsite so he had the honor of naming Park Rapids during the 4th of July celebration in 1881.
This is an early photo of Park Rapids. You can see the view of the second prairie.
Category area history, Old Photographs | Tags: | Comments Off
Copyright © 2013 Hubbard County Historical Museum is proudly powered by WordPress.org
