History of West Albion
Presentation to the Annandale
History Club
May 1, 2006
Tom Jarl
West Albion History presentation by Clem Mikkanen, 1993
Wally Gloege, President of the Annandale History Club, announced that it has been 15 years since the Annandale History Club was organized. Barb Ostlund brought newspaper articles and minutes of past meetings for attendees to enjoy. The June 5th meeting will be a potluck picnic at Barb and Al Ostlund's Lake Sylvia home. All are welcome.
There were 55 attendees, many with West Albion connections. Wally introduced Tom Jarl, who was his classmate at Annandale High School. Tom's father, Tom Jarl, Sr., was the manager of the West Albion Creamery from 1929 to 1948. Tom was born in the creamery house in 1930. Tom brought a painting by Lavona Keskey depicting West Albion creamery and store in the 1930s.
The first town called Albion started in 1856 at the south end of Albion Lake. During the Indian uprising of 1862, settlers moved to Monticello and other places and didn't come back. The town disappeared. Later, two new towns were established, Albion Center and West Albion. April 6, 1858, the township of Albion was divided into two townships, Albion and French Lake. Part of West Albion is in Albion Township and part is in French Lake Township.
The Forest City Trail (County 37) was formed in 1857, but settlers passed that way much earlier. The trail passed through Jake and Alice Hoikka's land (formerly owned by Archer). The Hoikkas found an 1856 gravestone for a three month old child. There were also older grave markers east of Dykeman corner.
School was held in homes in the early days. Donations were sought to build a school in Albion, but funds were lacking. At first the school term was three months, because children were needed for farm work. West Albion students later attended French Lake Township District 138, Gunnary School (open 1909-1952). Gunnary School teachers that boarded at the Jarl's creamery house were Vivian Eastling Nelson and Martha Strolberg Jacobson.
In 1879 the 2 year old daughter of J. F. Spencer went missing. A search was started immediately. 200 people searched for her. She was never found. There were a few renegade Indians and a band of Gypsies around, but her disappearance remains a mystery.
Some of the early names in Albion Township were Israel Poket (land later owned by Mikkanens and Rimpeys), Rahier, Andrew McDonald (Colin McDonald's relative). The McDonald land was later owned by Raisanen's, and Niilo and Paul grew up there. The Ives who started Ives Lumber Company in Annandale lived in Albion Township. Fashant and DeChaney were also early land owners.
Stores - John Peter Ryti purchased a farm in West Albion in 1896 and moved there in 1900. He built a round barn on the property in 1913. In about 1918, he traded the farm to Alex Lantto for a store (started some time before 1900). In 1936 the store was sold to a group that started a Co-op. Martin Lampi, Fritz Carlson, Katka, and Everett Samuelson were Co-op store managers. The Co-op store ended in about 1969, and Gus and Gloria Goltz kept the store open a few more years. It is now the residence of their son. On the south side of the creamery there was a Co-op produce store. Bill Nelson ran the produce store, where eggs were candled. Another store was run by Jacob Lantto and later by George and Irene Lantto. Someone remembered that the stores sold three cans of snuff for 25 cents in the 1940s. Other businesses were a tavern (closed soon after WWII), a car garage started by Ed Forare, and an auto body shop owned by Otto Hendricks.
Creamery - The West Albion Creamery started in 1903 as a wooden building. It burned down in 1913 and was replaced by a brick building the same year. The creamery was run by steam with a 100 horse power boiler and steel rod and pulleys. The REA came through in 1937, which eventually eliminated the need for the labor intensive job of hauling ice from French Lake and packing it in loose sawdust in ice houses. There were two ice houses in town, one behind the creamery. At first the creamery made only cream and ran Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. After the infamous day, December 7, 1941, the creamery went to whole milk and ran seven days a week. Brown's Ice Cream bought unsalted butter from the Albion Creamery and homogenized it into their ice cream, making a very creamy product.
Al Wright was the first buttermaker. Tom Jarl, Sr. was buttermaker/manager from 1929 to 1948, when he became a state dairy and food inspector. Managers after 1948 were Harold Nelson, Victor Luebie, and Marlyn Hempel. Creamery helpers over the years were Al White, Leo Mikkanen, George Forare, Floyd Johnson, and Virgil Johnson (whose wife Gladys was in attendance today). Tom Jarl also worked as a creamery helper. Truckers were Robert Davidson, Bill and Armice Maki, Roy Oliver, and Harry Batti.
A few people who served on the West Albion board of directors over the years were Gerald O'Loughlin, Ray Saksa, Andrew Rimpey, John Erickson, Jack Hoikka (Jake's brother), Martin Lampi, Reynold Johnson, Oscar Korhonen, and Andrew Annala.
By 1958 the Hempels had left and a new manager came in. The creamery went big and a drying plant was installed. In 1963 the NFO (National Farmers Organization) started, and there was a strike at 1st District. West Albion farmers participated in milk dumping. The creamery closed about 1965, and Floyd Johnson bought the house and creamery. The creamery was torn down in about 2004.
Co-op Picnics - The Co-op picnics started before 1939. They were jointly sponsored by the store and creamery and were held in Hoikka's woods. Picnics were discontinued during the war years, but resumed after the war and continued until the late 1950s. Iver Swanson from Litchfield brought in an airplane and gave rides. Oscar Pippo also gave airplane rides. The picnics were well attended and featured food, prizes, and music (the last featured musician was Harry Habata, accordianist). Kermit Lundeen said that he remembered one group of musicians called the Alfalfaneers. One year Orville Freeman spoke at the picnic.
Lakes - The many lakes in Albion Township were favorite fishing spots noted for clear water and good fishing. Albion and Swartout Lakes no longer have clear water. Matt Leinonen told Tom that he fished at a lake now called Hokkanen's swamp.
1940 Windstorm and Tornado - 50 barns were lost in the extended area, among them John Leinonen's, Norman Smith's, Annala's, Rimpey's, Kelly's, Hautojarvi's, Lemke's, Hjalmer Olson's, and Otto Johnson's, which ended up in Mud Lake. The first barn to go was on the Kokko (now Maikkula) place south of French Lake on County Road 3. The storm was treacherous because it was a combination of straight line winds and a tornado. At Annala's farm, rented by Norman Smith, milk cans held the barn up. The survivors, Mrs. Smith and children, crawled out through the gutter, but all of their cows were killed. The Jarl's creamery house moved about two inches. Hoikka's barn stood. Lucille Nelson said that the storm is documented in Annandale Advocate newspapers.
Round Barns - Among the round barns in the area were the Paul Raisanen barn, Korpela barn on the Crow River, and the barn that Ryti built at West Albion.
There was a bachelor in West Albion named Evert Hautojarvi, who got married for the first time at age 79. Some people at the meeting attended the wedding.
Someone asked how the Finns drove all the Irish and French out of the area. The answer given by an attendee was that after the St. Ignatius Catholic Church moved to Annandale, many of the Irish and French moved to the Maple Lake area or elsewhere. Several families stayed in French Lake and Albion Townships.