1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

698 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
centre, and Cusson the largest village, being the logging headquarters
village. Pelican Lake, probably more than half a congressional township
in area, is situated in townships 64 and 65, range 20, a fraction
of it breaking into range 2L There are several other smaller lakes,
and the township is rapidly becoming cleared of timber, and promises
to eventually be good agricultural land.
Organization.—A petition, dated August 27, 1907, signed by
Frank Korpi (or Karpi) and thirty-four other freeholders of congressional
townships 64 and 65, range 19, and of township 64-20,
sought to obtain the permission of the county commissioners to the
organization of the territory into one township, under section 451, of
the Laws of Minnesota, 1905, said organized township to take the
name of Leiding, who was the main projector. It stated that the
residence of Charles Leiding would be a convenient place at which
the voters might assemble for the holding of the first town meeting.
The petition was sworn to by Carl Laitenen, of Pelican Lake (Gheen
P. O.), on August 27, 1907, and was filed with the county auditor,
at Duluth, on September 10th.
First Election.—The county commissioners met, in monthly session,
on that day, and the petition came before them for consideration.
They approved it, and set apart the three townships at that
meeting, and designated the territory "Leiding" township. They also
ordered election to be held on September 28, 1907.
In April, of 1909, Charles Oakman, Nils Johnson. William Orr
and seventeen other residents of township 65-20 sought to attach that
congressional unorganized township to the township of Leiding.
Petition to that effect was filed with the county officials on April 12,
1909, was approved by the county attorney May 4th, and considered
by the board of county commissioners at their sessions of May, July,
August, and October, 1909. They finally fixed a date, December 3d
of that year, upon which they would hear remonstrances against the
projected annexation. On December 3d they granted the petition.
Township of Pelican.—An attempt was made in 1914 to detach
from Leiding, the two townships of range 20, so that they might be
organized as the Township of Pelican. Petition was circulated in
those two townships toward the end of the year. It was signed by
Nils Nilson, William Orr, and others, and sworn to on January 6,
1915, by Fred Swartz, who testified to the accuracy of the statement
that the legal voters in the territory at the time of the circulation
of the petition did not exceed fifty.. Thirty-three signed, asking for
organization under section 452, General Statutes, 1913, and indicating
that election place could conveniently be the Town Hall at Orr, in
the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1 of township
64-20.
Movement Defeated.—The petition was considered by the commissioners
at their January, 1915, session, and they set a hearing of
objections for February 15th next. Nine days before that date, however,
the petitioners requested the commissioners to withdraw the
petition ; consequently, the petition was dismissed.
Valuation of Leiding.—The Township of Leiding had an assessed
valuation of $613,397 in 1907; in 1919, the valuation was only
$422,400, notwithstanding the increased acreage. The tax levy in
1907 was $10,024.93 ; in 1919 it was $28,773.94.
Population.—There were only 22 people living in Leiding Township
territory in 1900; in 1910 there were 610; and in 1920, it had