Friday, September 20, 2019

Lost Communities in Pine County, Minnesota, Part 3

Researched and written by LaJune Troolin

Fortuna Village - Finlayson Township, Section 11 - Fortuna was platted in January 1857 and was incorporated May 19,1857. It was to be the county seat for the new Buchanan County (May 1857- March 1861), which is now the northern part of Pine County. The investors believed the village would grow because of the stagecoach stop that was already there and with lumbering companies coming to the area. Fortuna had a hotel, and traces of other foundations that might have been businesses or houses have been found. The Rocky Dam Relay Station was on the site before Fortuna. It was a stagecoach rest stop that was built in 1855 for $5,000 and was owned by Burbank Merrian & Co. of St. Paul. Some have claimed that Fortuna was on the site that later became Sandstone, but it was not. Sandstone is actually about six miles farther south.

Sandstone the Quarry City-page 11; Pine County and its Memories-page 107

Friesland Village - Dell Grove Township, Sections 25 and 36 - In 1895 the Theodore F. Koch Land Company was hired by the St. Paul & Duluth Railroad to sell railroad land in Pine County. It started sending out advertisements to the Dutch communities of Holland about the great farming land in Pine County, Minnesota. Friesland was built to accommodate the immigrants that were coming from Holland. They had a number of businesses, a post office (1896-1917), and a railroad station.

Minnesota Place Names-page 442; Pine County and its Memories-page 96

Groningen Village - Dell Grove Township, Section 1 - Groningen started out with the name of Miller Station. The St. Paul and Duluth Railroad established a flag stop and section house in 1870 at Miller, and by 1890 a depot was moved there. A post office called Belknap was established (1877-1881) at Miller. After the 1894 fire the immigrants that were coming from Holland purchased land in and around Miller and changed the name to Groningen. The village had a number of businesses, a school, and a post office (1896-1913 and 1917-1954).

Minnesota Place Names-page 442; Pine County and its Memories-page 96

Harlis Village - Nickerson Township, Section 1 - The Soo Line Railroad had a depot at Harlis. The village had a school and a post office (1914-1932). There were also a few houses built around the depot. Nothing is left of the village now.

Minnesota Place Names-page 442; Pine County and its Memories-page 253

Holly Community or Center - Danforth Township, Section 21 on Fleming Road - This community was a staging center for loggers' supplies that were coming from Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and also a location for loggers to pick up their mail.

Pine County and its Memories-page 209

Hustletown Community - Chengwatana Township, Section 19 - There are a number of nationalities that settled near Hustletown. The community had a school and a church with a cemetery.

Pine County and its Memories-page 3; One Hundred Years in Pine County-page 135

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