OTTER TAIL COUNTY
The “Park Region” of Minnesota.
Fergus Falls, the chief city and county seat of Otter Tail county, is a bustling city of 7,000 people, the manufacturing, trades and financial center of the Park region and the Red river valley. Its fine water powers are all utilized to furnish various industries with power which have started up on the banks of the river. Moderately but steadily its manufactures are increasing and are fast becoming recognized through the surrounding country which it is destined to supply. It is only a question of time when a large jobbing trade will be carried on in Fergus Falls. It stands upon a firm foundation, and its splendid facilities for manufacturing, its ample means for distributing, together with the rich agricultural country around it, give it a pre-eminent position among the cities of the Northwest. The Red river [now Otter Tail River] flows through the very center of the city between the two principal business streets. The Red river descends from higher lands to the level prairies below. In doing this it falls several hundred feet in a few miles, which forms at Fergus Falls one of the finest water powers in the Northwest. The city has fine drives, one of which is around Lake Alice. Just beyond the lake is the Fergus Falls state hospital for the insane, built at a cost of $500,000. No city of its size contains handsomer homes. It stores are not only ample, but are metropolitan in appearance. Its public schools are not surpassed by any in Minnesota. Fifteen handsome churches have been built by the various denominations represented.
Few cities excel its public improvements. There is a complete system of water works. It is the best lighted city in Minnesota; it has an elaborated system of sewerage, by which all the principal neighborhoods are reached; its streets are graded and graveled, making them as firm as pavement; it has a handsome theater, and large and commodious hotels – in short, it has all the advantages which make a city a pleasant one in which to reside. It has two colleges, three flouring mills, sash and door factory, casket works, the new government building, costing $150,000, a very fine court house, one creamery, Fergus Foundry company, one high school, four graded schools, wholesale grocery house, two state banks, two national banks, two private banks and county jail building. The water works are owned by a company, and the electric light plant is owned by the city; commercial club and also Chamber of Commerce, daily newspaper and four weeklies. Wheelock’s Weekly, owned by H. W. Wheelock, is the main paper of the county. Fergus Falls is the home of State Senator A. B. Cole.
The city has about six miles of cement walks and nice lawns and shade trees all over the resident portion of the city. The secret orders of Fergus Falls are the Masonic order, Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Republic, Knights of Pythias, A. O. U. W., Independent Order of Foresters, Royal Arcanum, Modern Woodmen of American and W. C. T. U. The Chippewa club of Fergus Falls is the business men’s social club, where they meet once a month and get acquainted with each other. The rooms are finely furnished, at a cost of $2,000, and they have a membership of 115 members and money in the bank. The president, Cyrus Beall, is taking a great interest in the club and is making it a success.
I do not know of any city in the Northwest that can boast of the water power and inducements for men of capital that the city of Fergus Falls can, and you will find the business men ready at all times to show you their city or county.
Otter Tail county, the empire county of the “park region” of Minnesota, lies slightly north of the center of the state, while its west line is about twenty-five miles from the dividing line between Minnesota and Dakota. It is 173 miles from the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and 180 miles from Duluth, at the head of the great lakes. It is crossed by the two great transcontinental railways, and either can be used to reach it.
The county has an area of over 2,200 square miles. There are a large number of lakes in the county, and the Red River of the North [now Otter Tail River] flows through it almost diagonally. The Pelican river, rising in the north, flows southward, and joining the Red river near Fergus Falls, and also many smaller rivers and streams, furnishing drainage as well as water for stock. It is the last county of the rolling country known as the Park Region. Otter Tail county is the great agricultural county of Minnesota. School houses are to be found in every township of Otter Tail county. Here is an ideal spot for a farmer’s home. A slightly rolling country, a fertile soil, a wonderful assemblage of lakes, a sufficiency of timber to furnish fuel and shelter, a rainfall always adequate, a climate, whether warm or cold, that is always healthful, and capable of maturing any crop grown in a northern latitude. Otter Tail county contains more lakes than any other county in the United States. These lakes have a great influence upon the temperature in warding off frosts and for the supply of water which they furnish stock. It is a paradise for the sportsmen.
There are still many thousand acres of land in this county which are awaiting settlers. There are still some government lands. The climate here is cold in winter, but it does not have the enervating effect upon man or beast that the warmer and damp winters do in states farther south.
Crops.
Wheat is the great money producing crop of Otter Tail county. In 1895 off of 130,000 acres sown about 4,000,000 bushels were threshed. The average yield was nearly thirty bushels to the acre. Oats, barley, rye and corn are also largely raised. Flax has always proven a safe, sure and lucrative crop, and no section of the state can surpass Otter Tail county on the yield of its grain and vegetables.
Otter Tail county is a country of small farms and has never been cursed with bonanza farms.
As far as dairying interests, the county cannot be surpassed, as there is not only feed for the summer, but hay for the winter at little expense, and an abundance of pure water, which is very essential to pure milk, and creameries and cheese factories are in operation at convenient points through the county, so the farmers can send it to them.
The Fergus Falls creamery runs winter as well as summer.
Any county that has the feed, water and the climate that Otter Tail county has is a good stock country.
Beef Raising.
The northern part of the county the last five years has made great strides in beef cattle, and the official returns from seven congressional districts show that Otter Tail county has 21 per cent of the cattle of the state. Much more could be said about Otter Tail county, but any advice to the young farmers of the Eastern states, as well as men looking for location in business, is to take a trip to Fergus Falls and a drive through Otter Tail county and if you do you will never return.
Following are a few of the prominent business men of the town:
E. J. Webber, the mayor of the city, has been in the implement business for twenty-two years and has a very large trade.
Beall & McGowan company run a wholesale grocery and have worked up a very nice business. Mr. Beall was a salesman of the road for seventeen years.
John L. Townley is one of the leading attorneys of the city. He was mayor of Faribault, Minn., for two terms.
John H. Grass runs one of the leading clothing stores, and is president of the Merchants’ association and board of education.
John F. Naugle, the grocer, is president of the Retail Grocers’ association of the county, and has been twelve years in business.
The Fergus Flour Mills company manufactures hard spring wheat flour, with a daily capacity of 500 barrels. W. B. Windsor is the secretary.
Parsons & Brown are one of the leading law firms of the county, and have a very large practice.
The Fergus Falls National bank is one of the solid banks of the county, with a capital of $70,000. J. S. Ulland, the vice president, is secretary of the Ulland Land and Loan company.
Iverson & Lee have just opened a very fine clothing and gents’ furnishing store, which is a credit to the city.
Parks & Kvien are the proprietors of one of the large dry goods stores, and have been in business for three years.
Martin Benson is proprietor of one of the large furniture and house furnishing stores of the city; also undertaking parlors.
H. K. Grainager is proprietor of the Golden Rule department store. This store would be a credit to a city of 50,000 people.
F. G. Troppman is manager of the Bazar Department Store of Fergus Falls, and also runs a dry goods store in Bemidji, Minn.
Hunt Bros. are manufacturers of fine cigars, and have their salesmen in Minnesota and North Dakota. They make the “Emerson,” the famous 10-cent cigar.
The Park hotel is one of the first-class hotels. William Carroll, proprietor.
The Grand Hotel is the commercial travelers’ home, and is first-class in every part. M. R. Curry, proprietor.
Holstrom & Co. are dealers in general merchandise and have a very large business.
Lake & Lowry are one of the leading land firms, and will send you a very fine map of Otter Tail county free. Write them.
J. A. McConkey is the proprietor of a very fine grocery, crockery, glassware and feed store. He came to Fergus Falls in 1890, and was for fifteen years connected with the St. Paul daily papers. He is one of the youngest Grand Army men in the state.
E. Frankberg is judge of probate of Otter Tail county, and has served three terms.
W. C. Lincoln is in his third term as county auditor of Otter Tail county.
John Hay is one of the leading implement dealers of the city.
M. Frankovis runs a general store and has a very large trade.
W. H. Hotchkiss is one of the well-to-do farmers and has a very fine residence in the edge of town.
Kolseth & Bzerkeng Hardware company have been in business for two years and have a very fine trade.
Solberg Bros. are the proprietors of the Christiania café, hotel and tobacco store and have a fine trade.
Billings & Riley have run the main sale and feed stable of Fergus Falls for twenty years.
D. J. Fossen is proprietor of the roller feed mill and dealer in hay and wood.
B. F. Brown is proprietor of the Fergus sash and door factory and does a very fine business.
J. O. Billings is the commission and stock man of the county.
Source:
The Saint Paul Globe
Monday Morning, November 2, 1903
Volume XXVI, Number 306, Page 3