Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Big Blake photo blog
Nancy Krieger Hochschild, who has a place on Big Blake, pointed me to a blog (mostly photos) from Big Blake.
Check it out at Blake Lake News
Check it out at Blake Lake News
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Map illustrating history
I found an old USGS map at Sidetrack. It was published in 1950 (aerial photos taken in 1947, field checked in 1950).
It seems to show that all of Section 26 of Georgetown Township was made up of government lots. Sections are usually divided into quarter sections and quarter-quarter sections, etc. Government lots describe areas where bodies of water "interrupt" the quarter section scheme. There don't appear to be any quarter sections in Section 26 that don't include water.
Back in 1880, George Anderson homesteaded lots 2, 3, 4, and 5. Since I haven't seen the plat book (that will have to wait until I get to Balsam Lake some weekday), I don't know where Government Lot 1 and the lots are located. We do know that the Holy Rosary church was located in Government Lot 3, on the south edge of Section 26.
Also Al Anderson's 1915 cottage was on the west side of Lot 4, and that might have been on the east side of Little Blake.
(It will be interesting to see the plat book.)
In 1950, there were 9 cabins along the west side of Little Blake. There were none on the east side of the lake.
There were 18 cabins on the east side of Big Blake and 24 along the west shore (with two more on lots away from the shore).
Neighbor Larry and the former owner of Sidetrack told me the Belisle farm was (and is) located on the very southern end of Little Blake, just west of the bridge over the channel between the Blake Lakes. Have to check with Mayor John on that detail.
Don't forget to check out and join the Blake Lakes Fans group at Facebook.
Monday, May 18, 2009
MidMay
I got here on Friday afternoon. If I thought it was cool and windy for the fishing opener a couple weeks ago, that was nothing compared to the rain, wind, and cold Friday night and Saturday. Sunday was still cold, but at least the sky was blue and the sun shone.
Before the clouds covered the sky, I did find a silly blossom on a plant (a lungwort) I put in the terrace last fall. What's with this thing? I was also able to sit on the deck and read some. While there I did see an eagle and saw and heard a loon.
Then the overcast appeared. Around dinner time, it began raining and kept raining until after I went to bed.
Somewhen during the night the wind began blowing from the southwest. I woke a couple times during the night to the sound of the air moving rapidly through the trees.
In the morning, the temperature was just about 40° and the wind kept blowing. I could feel it blowing through the walls. I kept the space heater running and it had trouble keeping the temperature comfortable.
Saturday morning, I went to Cafe Wren for breakfast and contact with the outside world. Later in the day, there was too much wind chill to do any work in the yard. I had to nap and read and sit and meditate on the beauty of the lake and thrashing of the tree branches.
There's a lot to be said for semi-enforced inactivity.
Sunday morning was time for coffee with the neighbors and getting reacquainted after the winter. That felt good. And things were gorgeous as usual. The loons were loud. The vistas across the lake were really fine. I want to go back. NOW.
Before the clouds covered the sky, I did find a silly blossom on a plant (a lungwort) I put in the terrace last fall. What's with this thing? I was also able to sit on the deck and read some. While there I did see an eagle and saw and heard a loon. Then the overcast appeared. Around dinner time, it began raining and kept raining until after I went to bed.
Somewhen during the night the wind began blowing from the southwest. I woke a couple times during the night to the sound of the air moving rapidly through the trees.
In the morning, the temperature was just about 40° and the wind kept blowing. I could feel it blowing through the walls. I kept the space heater running and it had trouble keeping the temperature comfortable. Saturday morning, I went to Cafe Wren for breakfast and contact with the outside world. Later in the day, there was too much wind chill to do any work in the yard. I had to nap and read and sit and meditate on the beauty of the lake and thrashing of the tree branches.
There's a lot to be said for semi-enforced inactivity.Sunday morning was time for coffee with the neighbors and getting reacquainted after the winter. That felt good. And things were gorgeous as usual. The loons were loud. The vistas across the lake were really fine. I want to go back. NOW.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
More history of the Blake Lakes
Not long ago, I had the chance to trace the history of land ownership of the land in Section 26 around Little Blake Lake. Property abstracts are great things.
The story really begins with Annishinabe (Ojibwe) people who hunted, fished, gathered wild rice, and farmed in the area. Even before the Straight River was dammed to create the Blake Lakes, there was almost certainly wild rice along the river south of what's now known as Big Round Lake. There were probably lots of fish and decent land on which to grow small plots of maize, beans, and squash. And judging from the number of deer around now, hunting was probably good. There were probably elk as well as deer around -- maybe even moose. Bears probably roamed the woods. Beaver, muskrats, and other small game were probably plentiful. The maple trees might also have been tapped for the sweet sap.
Canadians and Europeans started showing up in the late 1830s. Logging was the primary attraction. As the forests were cleared, farmers were attracted to area, even though the land wasn't the greatest for Western-style farming. Polk County was organized in 1853, five years after Wisconsin became a state.
In 1880, George P. Anderson homesteaded Government Lots 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Section 26 of Township 35 North, Range 18 West (Georgetown Township). That means he acquired them from the U.S. government "pursuant to an Act of Congress approved on May 20 1862." (That was the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act.)
Those lots surround most of Little Blake Lake and the south end of Big Blake Lake.
In the next few years, Anderson acquired more land in the area. The 1888 Polk County Plat book lists Anderson as the owner of
184.65 acres near Blakes Lakes in Section 26,
40 acres in Section 25,
29 acres in Section 24 on Clem Lake, later known as Clara Lake,
160 acres in two parcels in Section 18,
80 acres in Section 16,
40 acres in Section 6,
and
84 acres on Borders Lake in Section 4 of Balsam Lake township, and
80 acres in Section 13 of Apple River township.
Back in the 1870 Polk County census, there was a 45-year-old farmer named George Anderson who lived in Balsam Lake township. He'd been born in Virginia, married Sarah, who had been born in Ohio. They had 4 daughters and 2 sons, ranging in age from 1 to 17. Same guy?
His land, in 1870 was valued at $1000 and his "estate" was valued at $250. That made him one of the 4 richest people in the township. He was Balsam Lake Township Chairman in 1871.
By 1882, George P. Anderson was Georgetown Township Chairman.
In 1893, George P. Anderson sold the land in Section 26 to John W. Shay for $1700, and loaned him $700 to finalize the sale. Shay was a local farmer who owned 40 acres in Section 26 and 40 acres in Section 36 (T35N, R16W) and had been township chair in 1891.
However, Shay died in 1894. His will left his estate to his widow and children, but the loan to Anderson wasn't repaid. Thus in 1897, Anderson foreclosed on the property. At a sheriff's sale on November 3, 1898, George Anderson bought the property in section 26 for $786.61.
Two years later, Anderson sold the property to Alfred and Arthur Bellisle (sic) for $1500. Bellisle made a $650 downpayment with an agreement to pay the rest by May 1, 1904.
In 1902, the loan was paid off and George P. Anderson deeded the property to Arthur and Isidore Bellisle.
That was the end of George P. Anderson's connection to the property. He died in 1906.
Arthur and his wife Minnie, used their half interest in the property as surety for a few months when they borrowed $40 from Charles T. Rogers in 1902. In 1904, they borrowed $1500 from Luke Gallant and used the land as collateral. They paid off the mortgage in two years, but the fulfillment was not filed with the county until April of 1917.
Also in 1904, Isidore used his half interest in the land as collateral for a $100 loan from the Polk County Bank. He paid off the loan in two years. Shortly after paying off that loan, Isidore and his wife Jessie gave (actually sold for $1.00) part of Lot 3 to the Holy Rosary Church. A church was built there and a cemetery established.
About the same time (1906), Isidore and Jessie mortgaged their half interest in the rest of the land in order to get a loan of $1395 from Luke Gallant.
Later in 1906, Arthur and Minnie sold their half interest to Isidore for $1800 and Isidore and Jessie sold Lot 6 and part of Lot 5, with lakeshore, to Joseph Belisle for $1100. This is where the division of the original homestead begins to take place.
Nine years later, Joseph "sold" the land to his wife for $1.00.
In 1917, Isidore and Jessie's mortgage was still unpaid. Luke Gallant assigned the mortgage to Artimise Gallant, and a couple weeks later, Isidore and Jessie registered the pay off that loan. At the same time they got a new loan on the land from Artimise Gallant for $1800. That loan was paid off in 1922.
It was at that time that H. W. Radcliff and Edward Belisle filed a claim to the property, asserting that Isidore was not the legal owner. Isidore filed an affidavit citing the 1902 deed when he bought the property from George P. Anderson to back up his ownership. Whether that dispute continued, can't be determined from the legal record. However, in August of 1949, a Polk County court ruled that the sheriff's sale of 1898 was legitimate. There's nothing in the legal record to explain why such a ruling was necessary.
After paying off the loan to Artimise Gallant in 1922, Isidore and Jessie borrowed $4000 from the Federal Land Bank. That mortgage was paid off in 1949.
However, things got complicated in the '30s.
In 1938, the Belisles granted an easement to Polk Burnett Electric Coop for an electricity transmission line. Electricity came to the Blake Lakes area. (The granted another easement in 1949.)
In 1939, Al C. Anderson (a relative of George P.?) filed a claim to a "cottage" on the west side of Lot 4. In his claim, he said Isidore and Jessie gave him permission in 1915 to build the cottage and to cross their land to get to it. It was built on a 5 rod x 7 rod fenced "lot." (That's about 82' x 120') He also assigned the rights to the cottage to his nephew Karl E. Anderson.
Could this 1915 cottage be the first cabin on Little Blake? It seems likely that it was on the east shore of Little Blake Lake.
By 1949, Isidore Belisle had died. The land was inherited by Jessie and their 8 children. There is a complicated set of recorded transactions where Jessie gave land to her children and they gave land to her. The children seem, in the end, to own the land.
Karl Anderson was deeded the land with the "cottage" on it.
Samuel Belisle and his wife Lorraine sold part of Lot 5 to Rudy and Julia M. Andress. The deed contained restrictions about what kind of building could be put up and limiting ownership to Caucasians.
It seems that the land on which Sidetrack sits (another part of Lot 5) was sold in 1949 to Almira Sawby, who borrowed $2000 from Ella O. Klingelhoet in 1950. The mortgage was paid off in 1952. Given this timeline, Almira Sawby is probably the person who had the cabin, now named Sidetrack, built.
in 1955, Almira Sawby Hove sold the land, the cabin, and personal property to Clarence W. and Amanda B. Lindstrom for $5000. This fits with the stories we heard about Dr. Hove (whose name is on the x-rays made into lampshades in the attic) and his art teacher wife (Almira) owning the cabin. (And Almira's students decorating the outhouse that we call the Shakespeare House. See an earlier blog entry about history.)
There's no direct evidence, but in the 1930 census, there was an Almira Sawby, born in 1905, living in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Maybe she was an art teacher at St. Louis Park High School? There was also an Almira Hove who died in Sun City, AZ in 1983. Her Social Security number had been issued in Minnesota. Same woman?
In 1967, Clarence and Amanda Lindstrom sold the property to James H. and Elizabeth H. Cook for $1.00 and the proverbial "other valuable consideration." The Cooks mortgaged the property to the Goodhue County National Bank in Red Wing for $6,375.
The Cooks sold the cabin in October 1970 to H. W. K. for $1.00 and OVC. They then paid off the mortgage. J. K., her husband, named the place "Sidetrack" because it was such a great place to get off the mainline and relax.
In 1996, after J's death and her remarriage, H. W. K. J. sold Sidetrack to the current owners.
In 2001, major renovations were made: a steel roof replaced the aging shingles, a new deck was built, new windows and a door were added to the "lake room" on the north end of the cabin, new paint was applied all around, and major landscaping on the east side pushed the hill away from the cabin and created a terraced retaining wall.
And next?
The story really begins with Annishinabe (Ojibwe) people who hunted, fished, gathered wild rice, and farmed in the area. Even before the Straight River was dammed to create the Blake Lakes, there was almost certainly wild rice along the river south of what's now known as Big Round Lake. There were probably lots of fish and decent land on which to grow small plots of maize, beans, and squash. And judging from the number of deer around now, hunting was probably good. There were probably elk as well as deer around -- maybe even moose. Bears probably roamed the woods. Beaver, muskrats, and other small game were probably plentiful. The maple trees might also have been tapped for the sweet sap.
Canadians and Europeans started showing up in the late 1830s. Logging was the primary attraction. As the forests were cleared, farmers were attracted to area, even though the land wasn't the greatest for Western-style farming. Polk County was organized in 1853, five years after Wisconsin became a state.
In 1880, George P. Anderson homesteaded Government Lots 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Section 26 of Township 35 North, Range 18 West (Georgetown Township). That means he acquired them from the U.S. government "pursuant to an Act of Congress approved on May 20 1862." (That was the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act.)
Those lots surround most of Little Blake Lake and the south end of Big Blake Lake.
In the next few years, Anderson acquired more land in the area. The 1888 Polk County Plat book
184.65 acres near Blakes Lakes in Section 26,
40 acres in Section 25,
29 acres in Section 24 on Clem Lake, later known as Clara Lake,
160 acres in two parcels in Section 18,
80 acres in Section 16,
40 acres in Section 6,
and
84 acres on Borders Lake in Section 4 of Balsam Lake township, and
80 acres in Section 13 of Apple River township.
Back in the 1870 Polk County census, there was a 45-year-old farmer named George Anderson who lived in Balsam Lake township. He'd been born in Virginia, married Sarah, who had been born in Ohio. They had 4 daughters and 2 sons, ranging in age from 1 to 17. Same guy?
His land, in 1870 was valued at $1000 and his "estate" was valued at $250. That made him one of the 4 richest people in the township. He was Balsam Lake Township Chairman in 1871.
By 1882, George P. Anderson was Georgetown Township Chairman.
In 1893, George P. Anderson sold the land in Section 26 to John W. Shay for $1700, and loaned him $700 to finalize the sale. Shay was a local farmer who owned 40 acres in Section 26 and 40 acres in Section 36 (T35N, R16W) and had been township chair in 1891.
However, Shay died in 1894. His will left his estate to his widow and children, but the loan to Anderson wasn't repaid. Thus in 1897, Anderson foreclosed on the property. At a sheriff's sale on November 3, 1898, George Anderson bought the property in section 26 for $786.61.
Two years later, Anderson sold the property to Alfred and Arthur Bellisle (sic) for $1500. Bellisle made a $650 downpayment with an agreement to pay the rest by May 1, 1904.
In 1902, the loan was paid off and George P. Anderson deeded the property to Arthur and Isidore Bellisle.
That was the end of George P. Anderson's connection to the property. He died in 1906.
Arthur and his wife Minnie, used their half interest in the property as surety for a few months when they borrowed $40 from Charles T. Rogers in 1902. In 1904, they borrowed $1500 from Luke Gallant and used the land as collateral. They paid off the mortgage in two years, but the fulfillment was not filed with the county until April of 1917.
Also in 1904, Isidore used his half interest in the land as collateral for a $100 loan from the Polk County Bank. He paid off the loan in two years. Shortly after paying off that loan, Isidore and his wife Jessie gave (actually sold for $1.00) part of Lot 3 to the Holy Rosary Church. A church was built there and a cemetery established.
About the same time (1906), Isidore and Jessie mortgaged their half interest in the rest of the land in order to get a loan of $1395 from Luke Gallant.
Later in 1906, Arthur and Minnie sold their half interest to Isidore for $1800 and Isidore and Jessie sold Lot 6 and part of Lot 5, with lakeshore, to Joseph Belisle for $1100. This is where the division of the original homestead begins to take place.
Nine years later, Joseph "sold" the land to his wife for $1.00.
In 1917, Isidore and Jessie's mortgage was still unpaid. Luke Gallant assigned the mortgage to Artimise Gallant, and a couple weeks later, Isidore and Jessie registered the pay off that loan. At the same time they got a new loan on the land from Artimise Gallant for $1800. That loan was paid off in 1922.
It was at that time that H. W. Radcliff and Edward Belisle filed a claim to the property, asserting that Isidore was not the legal owner. Isidore filed an affidavit citing the 1902 deed when he bought the property from George P. Anderson to back up his ownership. Whether that dispute continued, can't be determined from the legal record. However, in August of 1949, a Polk County court ruled that the sheriff's sale of 1898 was legitimate. There's nothing in the legal record to explain why such a ruling was necessary.
After paying off the loan to Artimise Gallant in 1922, Isidore and Jessie borrowed $4000 from the Federal Land Bank. That mortgage was paid off in 1949.
However, things got complicated in the '30s.
In 1938, the Belisles granted an easement to Polk Burnett Electric Coop for an electricity transmission line. Electricity came to the Blake Lakes area. (The granted another easement in 1949.)
In 1939, Al C. Anderson (a relative of George P.?) filed a claim to a "cottage" on the west side of Lot 4. In his claim, he said Isidore and Jessie gave him permission in 1915 to build the cottage and to cross their land to get to it. It was built on a 5 rod x 7 rod fenced "lot." (That's about 82' x 120') He also assigned the rights to the cottage to his nephew Karl E. Anderson.
Could this 1915 cottage be the first cabin on Little Blake? It seems likely that it was on the east shore of Little Blake Lake.
By 1949, Isidore Belisle had died. The land was inherited by Jessie and their 8 children. There is a complicated set of recorded transactions where Jessie gave land to her children and they gave land to her. The children seem, in the end, to own the land.
Karl Anderson was deeded the land with the "cottage" on it.
Samuel Belisle and his wife Lorraine sold part of Lot 5 to Rudy and Julia M. Andress. The deed contained restrictions about what kind of building could be put up and limiting ownership to Caucasians.
It seems that the land on which Sidetrack sits (another part of Lot 5) was sold in 1949 to Almira Sawby, who borrowed $2000 from Ella O. Klingelhoet in 1950. The mortgage was paid off in 1952. Given this timeline, Almira Sawby is probably the person who had the cabin, now named Sidetrack, built.
in 1955, Almira Sawby Hove sold the land, the cabin, and personal property to Clarence W. and Amanda B. Lindstrom for $5000. This fits with the stories we heard about Dr. Hove (whose name is on the x-rays made into lampshades in the attic) and his art teacher wife (Almira) owning the cabin. (And Almira's students decorating the outhouse that we call the Shakespeare House. See an earlier blog entry about history.)
There's no direct evidence, but in the 1930 census, there was an Almira Sawby, born in 1905, living in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Maybe she was an art teacher at St. Louis Park High School? There was also an Almira Hove who died in Sun City, AZ in 1983. Her Social Security number had been issued in Minnesota. Same woman?
In 1967, Clarence and Amanda Lindstrom sold the property to James H. and Elizabeth H. Cook for $1.00 and the proverbial "other valuable consideration." The Cooks mortgaged the property to the Goodhue County National Bank in Red Wing for $6,375.
The Cooks sold the cabin in October 1970 to H. W. K. for $1.00 and OVC. They then paid off the mortgage. J. K., her husband, named the place "Sidetrack" because it was such a great place to get off the mainline and relax.
In 1996, after J's death and her remarriage, H. W. K. J. sold Sidetrack to the current owners.
In 2001, major renovations were made: a steel roof replaced the aging shingles, a new deck was built, new windows and a door were added to the "lake room" on the north end of the cabin, new paint was applied all around, and major landscaping on the east side pushed the hill away from the cabin and created a terraced retaining wall.
And next?
Monday, May 04, 2009
Red Tom is down
There are reasons that deferred maintenance is deferred. A few years ago we monitored a major construction project and then worked like mad to finish painting and putting Sidetrack back into shape. After that, we relaxed and enjoyed things for awhile. Now, it's time to get back to work.
The weekend just past was mostly a work session. Deferrals can only last so long. All three of us are tired this Monday.
The most obvious result was the felling of Red Tom. (And, yes, for the first time in several years there were a couple "personal water craft" on the lake. Mark said they were visitors. We all hope so. With the wind and 60° temperatures, the riders must have been very cold. (Serves 'em right, noisy buggers.)
The top of the chimney will now be a flower pot marking a corner of a front garden. In a couple weeks, I'll fill it with lots of red flowers. (Suggestions?)
The skeleton is still lying on the lawn. Now, break it up and haul it away or just dig a hole and bury it?
Most of the rocks have become garden borders, after I moved a ton or so them.
We got the dock in the water, but the water's a little cold to install the support posts. So, walking on the middle part of the dock is a bit wobbly. Not something anyone should try after a few beers.
Our star builder made progress on replacing the sliding screen on the south end door. In the process, the door frame got a new painting. She and I made measurements and sketches for future projects. Our star scraper got a good portion of the west wall scraped in preparation for a new coat of paint there.
And we got back to an old practice and played a board game Sequence on Saturday night. The kid won 4 of 5 games.
While we worked hard, I did take time to watch some river otters frolicking just offshore at dawn. That's also when I listened to a loon. A bit later, a huge splash just beyond the dock was probably caused by a muskie lunging for breakfast. (I wasn't able to photograph those.)
And I noticed the Bloodroot flowers in glorious bloom and the quiet, scattered white and blue petals of tiny flowers in the lawn. Yeah, spring!
The weekend just past was mostly a work session. Deferrals can only last so long. All three of us are tired this Monday.
The most obvious result was the felling of Red Tom. (And, yes, for the first time in several years there were a couple "personal water craft" on the lake. Mark said they were visitors. We all hope so. With the wind and 60° temperatures, the riders must have been very cold. (Serves 'em right, noisy buggers.)
The top of the chimney will now be a flower pot marking a corner of a front garden. In a couple weeks, I'll fill it with lots of red flowers. (Suggestions?)The skeleton is still lying on the lawn. Now, break it up and haul it away or just dig a hole and bury it?
Most of the rocks have become garden borders, after I moved a ton or so them.
We got the dock in the water, but the water's a little cold to install the support posts. So, walking on the middle part of the dock is a bit wobbly. Not something anyone should try after a few beers.Our star builder made progress on replacing the sliding screen on the south end door. In the process, the door frame got a new painting. She and I made measurements and sketches for future projects. Our star scraper got a good portion of the west wall scraped in preparation for a new coat of paint there.
And we got back to an old practice and played a board game Sequence on Saturday night. The kid won 4 of 5 games.
While we worked hard, I did take time to watch some river otters frolicking just offshore at dawn. That's also when I listened to a loon. A bit later, a huge splash just beyond the dock was probably caused by a muskie lunging for breakfast. (I wasn't able to photograph those.)
And I noticed the Bloodroot flowers in glorious bloom and the quiet, scattered white and blue petals of tiny flowers in the lawn. Yeah, spring!
Labels: May work
