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French Lake Township
1855:
Wright County, Minnesota Territory, was organized and surveyed.
Township120 North, Range 28 West (future French Lake Township) was
surveyed in September 1855 and subdivisions surveyed in November 1856.
French Lake Township is bordered by
Southside Township on the north, Cokato Township on the south, Albion Township
on the east, and Kingston Township, Meeker County, on the west.
Until June 9, 1865, French Lake Township was part of Albion Township.
1856:
A pioneer road, the Forest City Trail, was surveyed from Monticello to
Forest City. In October Ernest Howard
from Belgium and his family, traveling to Forest City with oxen and wagon, were
stranded in the future French Lake when their rented oxen wandered off.
With winter coming, they built a cabin in Section 15 one-half mile west
of the present French Lake Corners.
In the spring, they decided to stay.
1857:
First wedding: Casimer Brasseur
from Canada married Miss Genevieve Howard, daughter of Ernest Howard on March
15, 1857.
Sidney Shaw of Machias, Maine, and Henry Averill of
Louisville, Kentucky, laid out a town they first called Twin Lakes in Section 14
by two lakes, later named Dan’s Lake and French Lake.
In the summer a 320-acre town named Portland was surveyed and platted.
A hotel was erected by James Curtis from Maine, which was used for two
years. Settlers in 1857 were
Andrew, Daniel, and George McDonald from Nova Scotia.
March 3, 1857, congress granted to the territory of
Minnesota 4,500,000 acres for railroad land grants, odd sections in a strip 12
miles wide (six miles on each side of the proposed road and their branches.)
1858:
Minnesota became the 32nd
state on May 11, 1858. John Howard, born
October 10, 1858, was the first recorded birth in the future French Lake.
Settlers in 1858 were M.C. O’Donahue and Thomas O’Loughlin.
1859:
The Howards were almost destitute.
The arrival of ginseng buyers in 1859 enabled them to pay for their land.
They received a land patent, United States to Ernest Howard, on August
22, 1861. Settlers in 1859 were the
Philip Gerard family and other Belgians and French Canadians.
The first settlers purchased their land directly from the government for
$1.25 per acre.
Certain improvements were required by law before entering a
townsite. The proprietors of
Portland were in default of these laws.
In the spring, Mrs. Hannah O’Loughlin, a widow from Missouri, came to the
area looking for a claim. She
learned of the case, pre-empted the claim and took possession of the Portland
land in 1859.
The French Lake post office was established in 1859 with
Michael O’Loughlin, postmaster. The
French Lake post office was discontinued in 1905.
The last postmaster was Andrew Lindberg.
1861:
The first school was taught by Peter McCormick in the spring of 1861.
1862:
The first death in French Lake Township was that of John Kean, January
10, 1862.
1862:
Homestead Act of 1862 became effective January 1, 1863.
1862-1863:
The U.S.-Dakota War lasted about five weeks, August 17-September 23,
1862. Most of the settlers left for
safety and some never returned. On
------David Hart was killed by an Indian near Swartout Lake in Albion Township.
On July 1, 1863, James McGannon was killed by Hi-Uka, Little Crow’s
son-in-law, near Lake Union in neighboring Southside Township.
1863:
First schoolhouse was built in Section 14.
1865:
June 9, on petition of 30 legal voters, the Township of French Lake was
set off from Albion Township which was organized in 1858).
The following officers were elected:
Supervisors, Michael O’Shea, Patrick Kennedy and Michael O’Loughlin.
Clerk, M.L. O’Loughlin; Treasurer, Michael O’Loughlin; Justices of the
Peace, M.C. O’Donahue and M. L. O’Loughlin. (History
of Wright County, P. 751)
French Lake Township has a total area of 35.5 square miles
land and 2.0 square miles water.
1875: St.
Ignatius Catholic Church, organized in 1873, completed a church in Section 13 in
1875. The church building was sold
to a Finnish church (present Our Saviour’s Lutheran) in 1907 and moved to French
Lake Corners.
Nels O. Nelson was the first Finn in French Lake.
In 1885 he donated one-half acre in Section 22 for the Crow River
Apostolic Church aka Riverside Church.
1879:
A.D. Kingsley built a dam, saw mill and roller mill on the Crow River
near the bridge.
1898:
A general store was operated by A. J. Lindberg on the southwest corner of
French Lake Corners. In 1907 a new
schoolhouse was built where the store once stood.
1907:
A new schoolhouse was built on the southwest corner at French Lake
Corners, Section 15. In 1971 French
Lake School closed and consolidated with Annandale Public Schools.
Cokato, French Lake, Albion American Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church
(renamed Our Saviour’s Lutheran in 1951) moved the old St. Ignatius Catholic
church building to French Lake Corners.
The congregation built a new church in 1925 using some of the lumber from
the old church.
1908:
Abe Lantto purchased Bergstrom’s Store at French Lake Corners.
Lantto’s Store has been owned
in turn by
Abe, his son, Ernest, and grandson, Chris Lantto.
Lantto’s French Lake Store celebrated
100 years
in 2008. A new store was built across
the road in 1999. The old store is
still a landmark in French Lake.
1914:
With the prospect of the Luce Line electric railroad, French Lake
townsite was platted. When plans
for the railroad failed, the plat was not filed.
French Lake townsite has remained unincorporated.
Also in anticipation of the railroad, a bank was established in French
Lake by Howard Lake and French Lake citizens.
The Farmers State Bank at French Lake opened for business in September
1914 and closed in October 1923.
The 1914
unfiled plat included the following roads and streets.
The north-south roads were State Highway (now Wright County Rd. 3),
Central Avenue and First Avenue.
The east-west roads were Park Street, County Road (now County Road 37), Elm
Street, and Maple Street. Roads,
avenues, streets, six alleys and 123 lots were platted west of present-day CSAH
3.
1915:
History of Wright County, Page 752:
“French Lake village is a thriving little business center with a
population of about 100 people. It
is located 25 miles west of Buffalo and six miles south of Annandale.
It is an inland village and has a bank, a creamery, two general stores
and a blacksmith shop. Not far away
is a good mill.”
1920:
According to Lillian Barberg, French Lake was a busy settlement in the
1920s with a creamery, bank, blacksmith shop, barber shop, township hall, two
general stores, school with two teachers, two churches, flour and feed mill,
temperance hall and several houses.
1923:
The National Finnish Church sold their log meeting house by the Crow
River bridge and built a new church at French Lake Corners.
This church was sold in November 1955 to Immanuel Lutheran Church for use
as a dining hall. Immanuel sold the
church building in 1995.
1924:
The French Lake Roller Mills located by the Crow River bridge since 1879
was dismantled and rebuilt in Richmond, Minnesota.
1928:
Fire in French Lake Corners destroyed two general stores (A.W. Nelson’s
and Lantto’s), a bank and Lindala Brothers’confectionary.
Only Lantto’s Store was rebuilt.
1930:
“Incorporation of Bethany Old Folks Home of the Minnesota Conference of the
Finnish Lutheran Church, made possible by generous donation of Cokato man, J.W.
Swartz, who died c.1926. It is
expected that the home will be located in the former parsonage.” (Annandale
Advocate, March 13, 1930).
This home was later the Kaskinen home on County Road 37 in French Lake.
The home was razed when they built a new one.
1931:
French Lake Co-op Creamery became a cream station when it merged with
West Albion Co-op Creamery. The
French Lake Creamery became a co-op in 1916.
There was a creamery in French Lake as early as 1895.
1938:
Electricity became available in French Lake Corners. Lantto’s Store
turned electricity on for the first time March 24, 1938.
Businesses, homes and farms got
electricity when their owners could afford to wire their buildings.
1958:
The French Lake Speed Bowl organized by
Floyd Nolan existed 1958-1960.
1971:
A new District 5 Wright County Highway Department maintenance facility
was constructed at French Lake Corners.
Wright County Highway Department previously rented a building in French
Lake.
1986:
A new French Lake Township Hall and maintenance building was constructed
at French Lake Corners. The old
Township Hall and storage building still stand next to the old Lantto’s Store.
Current (2016)
French Lake Township Businesses and Dates Established:
1908:
Lantto’s Store established in former Bergstrom Brothers’ Store.
The store was started by a Rousseau.
1956:
French Lake Auto Parts
1987:
A beauty shop opened in December 1987.
1992:
The French Lake Butcher Shop was established as a full-time business
southwest of French Lake Corners in Section 18.
1998:
French Lake Curb & Gutter
2004:
CK Septic
2007:
Weber’s Deck was started in French Lake featuring bluegrass music
concerts on scheduled Sunday afternoons.
The music brought many visitors to French Lake.
Music in French Lake continued until 2014.
Water:
The Crow River meanders through 25 miles of the township.
French Creek flows from the west side of French Lake to the Crow
River. Lakes in French Lake
Township include approximately east one-third of Lake Francis (formerly
Lake Hutchins on the Wright County side until the 1940s), southern end of
West Lake Sylvia (formerly Twin Lake) and approximately south two-thirds of
Goose Lake. Also all of
Moses, Pickeral, French, and Dans (named for Dan
McDonald). Birch Lake was
drained in the 1930s.
Settlements:
French Lake (Corners) is the largest settlement.
Portions of
Knapp and West Albion are also in French Lake Township.
The south side of present-day Wright County 35 in Knapp is in Cokato
Township. North Crow River Lutheran
Church is on the south side of County Road 35.
In 2014 there are no businesses left in Knapp.
The west
side of West Albion is in French Lake Township and the east side is in Albion
Township. Present-day Mitchell
Avenue is the dividing line. There are no businesses left in West Albion.
Churches:
Note: All of the churches
have cemeteries except the Independent Finnish Church.
Most of the churches met in homes or schools for many years before
incorporating or building.
French Lake Mission Church (c.1890-c .1967), Sec.
30, existed earlier as Davis Free Church.
The empty church building burned down in 1982.
Swedish
Congregational Church, aka Sunrise or Happy Corner Church (1908-early
1940s), Sec. 30. The church was
torn down in 1946 and the lumber reused for a barn in Maine Prairie.
Grace Lutheran Church (1898-present), Sec. 19,
formerly French Lake Lutheran until 1952.
Immanuel Lutheran aka Emmanuel (1898-present), Sec.
9. Formerly Emmanuel.
Also called the Norwegian Church because of affiliation with the Eielsen
Synod.
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (1892-present), Sec.
15, formerly Cokato, French Lake, Albion American Finnish Evangelical Lutheran
Church until 1951. In 1907 the old
St Ignatius church was purchased and moved to French Lake Corners.
A new church was built in 1925 using some of the lumber from the old
church.
National Finnish Church (1905-c.1955), Sec. 15,
French Lake Corners. The church
building at French Lake Corners is now privately owned.
St. Ignatius Catholic Church (1873-1998),
French Lake Township, Sec, 13). In 1898
the congregation moved to Annandale and rented meeting space until a new church
was built in Annandale in 1900. In
1907 St. Ignatius’ French Lake church was sold to the present Our Saviour’s
Lutheran and moved to French Lake Corners.
Crow River Apostolic Church aka Riverside
Apostolic (1885-early 1950s), Sec. 22.
In 1975 the tin church building was moved to Pioneer Park in Annandale
and restored.
Independent Finnish Church (c.1948-c. 1960s),
Sec. 33; church building is now a home;
Swedish Free
Church at North Crow River (c.1890-1930s), Sec. 34, aka Birch Lake Mission
Church. The deteriorating church
building was moved to a farm on the east side of Cokato in 2001, restored, and
used for family gatherings.
Former Schools:
Kean, Sec. 10 (1867-1953), District 64.
Consolidated with Annandale.
The Kean schoolhouse was moved to the nearby Lindala farm for a storage
building.
French Lake, Sec.
15 (1869-1971), District 68. First
school taught in 1861; first school built in 1863, Section 14.
New school built in 1907 in Section 15.
Consolidated with Annandale.
The French Lake schoolhouse was moved to the nearby Nolan land for a storage
building.
Lake Francis, Section 6 (1886-1964), District 113.
Consolidated with Annandale. The Lake
Francis schoolhouse was purchased by former teacher Mildred Olson and used
briefly as a summer school for special needs children and later as a storage
building. Lake Francis schoolhouse was razed in October 2010.
Myrback, Sec. 36 (1884-1958), District 110.
Consolidated with Cokato. The Myrback
schoolhouse was purchased by former teacher Hazel Benson and still stands at the
same location. The schoolhouse is
in disrepair. Named for Myrback,
Sweden.
Lee, Sec. 17 (1899-1971), District 131.
Consolidated with Annandale. The Lee schoolhouse was purchased by Jerry
Bajari, who donated it to Cokato Finnish American Historical Society.
The schoolhouse was moved to Temperance Corner in 1999 and restored.
Gunnary, Sec. 13 (1909-1952), District 138.
Consolidated with Annandale.
The Gunnary schoolhouse was moved to the veterans’ camp at Swartout Lake and
remodeled into a home.
Happy Corner, Sec. 30 (1873-1967), District 47.
Consolidated with Cokato.
The brick schoolhouse, located
one-fourth mile west of Happy Corner, was razed in 1967.
Bill Opsahl built a new home on the site.
Birch Lake, Sec. 34 (1874-1971), District 92.
Consolidated with Cokato.
The former Birch Lake schoolhouse was sold to Harlan Nolan and is now a home at
the same location.
Bridges in
French Lake Township – North Fork Crow River
1873:
The first bridge over the Crow River was built in 1873 on the Old Cokato
Road in Section 27. The 1901 French
Lake plat map shows this bridge located near the east border of Sections 27 and
26 about midway in Section 27. This
bridge no longer exists.
County Road 3
Bridge - 1879: The second
bridge in French Lake Township was built in 1879 by A. D. Kingsley in Section 22
by the French Lake Mill.
1906:
Annandale Advocate, May 31, 1906:
Of the four bridges over the Crow River in this vicinity only one is
passable. There is four feet of
water in the French Lake Roller Mills.
It is reported that a dam at Forest City broke away, thus adding to the
flood.
1908:
A new bridge 160 feet in length of concrete and steel construction was
completed in August 1908.
1975:
A new Crow River bridge was built west of the existing bridge at the
former mill – Bridge No. 86504 on present-day Wright County Road 3.
Happy Corner
Bridge - The original
bridge was constructed circa 1900.
Cokato Enterprise, May 16,
1957: “A contract has been
awarded by the county commissioners for construction of a new bridge over the
Crow River two miles northwest of Knapp.
The cost will be $26,456.” 2006:
The “Happy Corner bridge” on County Road 2, Section 31, was replaced in 2006,
Bridge No. 86529.
Myrback Bridge,
aka Lundeen bridge, Section 25, was replaced in 2002, Bridge No. 86525.
It is not known when the original bridge was built.
County Road 35
Bridge on the dividing road between French Lake and Cokato Townships
(Section 35) was replaced in 2013, Bridge No. 86532.
The original bridge was built in 1939 or 1940.
Wright County
Parks in French Lake Township:
Stanley Eddy
Park Preserve: 879 acres
in four units, including 114 acres in Southside Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Eddy donated the first 40 acres in 1967 in memory of
their son Stanley Eddy, who died in 1963 at age 16.
Betty T. Mason
Canoe Access: County Road 3 at
Crow River bridge, one mile south of French Lake Corners.
The Masons owned the French Lake Mill property.
They donated land to Wright County Parks after the new bridge was built
in 1975, cutting off the small piece of land from the rest of their property.
Carl Johnson
County Forest: 40 acres, Section 26.
State of
Minnesota Land: 80 acres in
Section 28 and 69 acres in Section 3.
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Land: 172 acres in
Section 25; 216 acres in Section 10; 137 acres in Section 3.
Nearby
Railroads: In early 1869
the St. Paul & Pacific Railway reached Smith Lake west of Howard Lake.
In June 1869 the line was completed through Cokato and Dassel.
The first train traveled through Cokato and Dassel to Darwin on July 4,
1869. This line became the St Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba in 1878, the Great Northern in 1889, the Burlington
Northern in 1970, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe in December 1996.
In 1886 the
Minneapolis & Pacific Railway constructed a rail line from Minneapolis west to
North
Dakota and Canada. On December 8,
1886, the first train rolled through Annandale and
South Haven. This railway became
the Soo line in 1888 and Canadian Pacific in 1990.
Compiled by Annandale History Club Secretary in 2016