GEORGETOWN
Georgetown comprises township 35, ranges 15 and 16. This town is abundantly supplied with water by Apple river and its tributaries, and numerous lakes, some of them of considerable size. The largest are Bone, Blake, Powder and Pipe. The timber is hardwood and pine intermingled. Immense quantities of pine have been taken from this town, and still much remains. Wild meadows are plentiful. Georgetown was set off from Milltown and organized Nov. 15, 1879. The first supervisors were David H. Smith, Elisha E. Drake and August Larbell. George P. Anderson was the first settler (1873), and his christian name was affixed to the town. The first school was taught in 1874 by John Burns. A post office was established in 1881 at Bunyan, G. P. Anderson, postmaster. The first sermon was preached by Rev. C. D. Scott, a Methodist. The first birth was that of Lucy Anderson; the first marriage that of Henry King to Etta Clark. The first death was that of August Larbell.
TWO MEN MURDERED
Oliver Grover and Harry Knight, two prominent lumbermen of Stillwater, on July 2, 1864, were exploring for timber and hay on Pipe lake, section 10, in Georgetown. Not returning to their camp, two miles distant, the watchman at the camp, after waiting two days, went to St. Croix Falls and gave the alarm. Many parties went in pursuit of the lost men. Some traces of their presence were discovered on the shore of this lake, but the search was finally abandoned. After some months the Indians confessed that two of their young men shot the two men, disemboweled them, burned the entrails and sunk the bodies in the lake. Their bodies were never found. We append the following newspaper clipping:
"Finale. – The friends of the two Indians that shot Grover and Knight, last Tuesday delivered to P. B. Lacy, of St. Croix Falls, the valuables that were taken from the bodies of the murdered men. They consisted of $113 in gold, $282.05 in greenbacks, $160 in silver, one silver watch, one wallet and one pocket knife. This is probably the closing act of the bloody tragedy which cost two innocent men their lives at the hands of Indians steeped in liquor, and who, fearing the vengeance of the white man, committed suicide."
The two murderers had confessed the crime and shot themselves.
George P. Anderson. – Mr. Anderson was born in Fulvana county, Virginia, 1825; was educated in the common schools; lived in Ohio eighteen and in Indiana fifteen years, and came to Balsam Lake in 1866. Few men have been more active in the opening up of a new settlement. Mr. Anderson has been several times elected to office in the new county, and was a principal actor in the establishment of the Polk County Agricultural Society in 1886. He has a family of fifteen children living.
LAKETOWN
Laketown includes township 36, range 18. It is named from the lakes that dot almost every section in the town. Trade lake, with its tributary from Butternut lake, are the principal streams. The town was set off from Sterling and organized April 6, 1875. The first supervisors were L. Bell; S. P. Heard and N. Fornell. The town was settled largely by Swedes, Norwegians, Danes and Alabamians. The latter settled in the northwestern part of the town. In 1869 Caleb Cushing bought the agricultural college lands in the town to the amount of 7,200 acres. The first school house was built in 1870, in section 8. P. Tierney taught the first school. Lindsey McKee was the first settler. He was also the first to sell out and leave. Daniel Swensbarger, a German, bought him out, and a number of his countrymen settled near him. Jacob Swensbarger started a store. N. Grondund built the first blacksmith shop. Peter Olsen built the first saw mill, at the foot of Long lake, in 1875. The first marriage was that of L. McKee and Mary Addington, by L. Bell, Esq.
LINCOLN
Lincoln includes township 33, range 16, and the eastern tier of sections of township 33, range 17. It is abundantly watered by Apple river and its tributaries, and has numerous lakes of which Sucker lake is the largest. The soil is well adapted to the culture of wheat. There are many fine farms in this township. The surface, originally covered with timber, is undulating. The town was organized in 1860, being set off from Osceola. The first town meeting was held April, 1861. A. A. Heald, M. C. Lane and John Hurness were the first supervisors. The post town is at Lincoln Centre. The Polk county poor farm is pleasantly situated on a lake in Lincoln, and has been well managed for a series of years by Capt. Wilkie.
Amery village is located on Apple river, at the crossing of the "Soo Line" railway. It has two saw mills and a stave factory. The Minneapolis, Soo & Atlantic railway passes through Lincoln from southwest to east, and has a station at Apple River crossing, named Amery, in honor of William Amery, one of Polk county's best citizens.
Wm. Wilson was born in 1828, at Armagh county, Ireland. At four years of age he came to America with his parents, who located at Canada West, where he learned the baker's trade. In 1849 he came to Osceola and followed lumbering eight years. He was married at Osceola to Leah Moody and located on his homestead in Lincoln in 1870. He has three sons. Mr. Wilson has been a useful citizen and has done his full share of pioneer work.
LORAINE
Loraine includes townships 36 and 37, range 15. It is a heavily timbered district, with hardwood and pine interspersed. The surface is undulating and the soil is much of it good. It is well watered by South Clam creek and tributaries, and has a multitude of small lakes. There are some fine farms in the northern part of the township. Loraine was organized Nov. 14, 1872. The first town meeting was held April, 1873. The first supervisors were, Frank J. Williams, George Phelps and John Klinch. Wm. Gallespie built the first hotel and opened it in 1873. The first school was taught by Georgia Lacy. The first marriage was that of James Lago and Almeda Johnson. The first white child was George Phillips; the first death that of a child of J. L. Ellis.
The first settler was C. Loraine Ruggles. He was somewhat eccentric. He published a book embodying his own adventures during the Rebellion, which he called "The Great American Spy." The town was named after him. N. B. Bull and Chas. Anderson were the next settlers.
Wm. Wallace Gallespie was born in Louisville, Kentucky; lived in his youth in Illinois and came to Marine Mills in 1844. In 1851 he married Cecilia M. Ring, widow of Charles Turner, of Taylor's Falls. In 1878 he moved to his homestead in Loraine, where he has a good farm and hotel. He has two sons and one daughter.
LUCK
Luck includes township 36, ranges 16 and 17. It is a good agricultural region and contains already many valuable farms. The eastern half of the town was originally a rich pine wood region. Much of the timber is yet standing. The town is well watered by Upper Trade and Straight rivers and has many beautiful lakes, the principal of which are Butternut and North. Luck was organized as a town Nov. 9, 1869. The first supervisors were Wm. H. Foster, M. C. Pederson and J. J. Bille. The first settlers were Wm. W. Gallespie, W. H. Foster and D. F. Smith (1857). The first marriage was that of W. H. Foster, and his oldest child was the first white child born in Luck. Wm. Gallespie raised the first crops. D. F. Smith built the first saw mill. W. H. Foster was first postmaster. At present there are two post offices, one at the village of Luck, the other at West Denmark. Laura Jones taught the first school in Luck. The town has been settled chiefly by Danes, mostly direct from Denmark. A Danish high school was established in 1884, K. Noregaad, principal, at which different languages are taught. The building cost $3,000. It is beautifully located on Butternut lake. The Lutherans have three flourishing church organizations in this town.
William H. Foster was born in Bangor, Maine, in 1828; came to St. Croix valley in 1844; settled in Luck in 1857 and engaged in farming and lumbering. He served in the army during the Rebellion, and was postmaster at Luck for eighteen years. His father, Daniel Foster, came with him to the St. Croix valley in 1844 and died in 1876. His native place was New Hampshire.
MILLTOWN
Milltown includes township