Little Blake Lake

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.

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