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

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 705
an election was ordered to be held at the schoolhouse, lot 32, block 1,
of townsite of Mesaba Central Division, on July 7th. It was duly
held, and resulted in seventy-seven of the eighty-two votes cast being
in favor of the incorporation.
First Officers.—Election for offtcers was held at the same place
on July 25, 1891, when the following named residents were elected:
E. P. Lowe, president; F. S. Colvin, recorder; A. G. McKinley, treasurer;
John L. Olson, James Caza and E, A. Taylor, trustees; D. B.
Clark and J. H. Woodman, justices; Fred Nelson and A. H. Allen,
constables.
Petition to annex land in the south part of the north-eastern
quarter of north-western quarter of section 21 was presented to the
county officials early in March, 1893. Election was held in the village
on May 16th, and, of 31 votes cast, 28 favored the addition to
the village.
Village and Township Assessment.—The village of Mesaba has
almost passed away. Its population, never big, has dwindled to an
insignificant number. In 1910 there were 84 people living in it, and
in 1920 only 54. It had had two or three spurts of activity in its
history, but they have not been of long duration or much consequence.
It is rather remarkable that, in 1914, a Town Hall of brick and stone
was built at a cost of $9,000, and a water and lighting system installed.
While there are several mines in the township, the assessed valuation
of both village and township does not exceed $440,000. And the
population of both township and village has dropped from 697 in 1910
to 115 in 1920.
The village officials in 1920 were: John Wallace, president; Geo.
H. Saliday, Jack Reed, and A. D. McRae, councilmen ; A. P. McRae,
clerk; Chas. W^allberg, treasurer.
Not many of the old pioneers of the village and township still
reside in it. Judge A. D. McRae is probably the oldest resident, and
he dates back, in residence, only to 1899.
There is a fine school building at Mesaba, but the village and
township school system is under the direction of the Aurora district
(No. 13).
Organization of Township.—The incorporation of the village of
Mesaba preceded the organization of the township of that name. The
township was not formed until September, 1892, fifteen months after
the village took corporate power. It was then brought about in
response to a petition signed by A. M. McKinley, E. P. Lowe, D. B.
Clark, F. S. Colvin, and others, the commissioners granting the peti-
tion on September 6th.
First Township Officials.—Election was held, "at the Mesaba
Lumber Companv's store building in the village of Mesaba." on September
24, 1892, and brought the' following into office: N. B. Shank
(chairman), Thos. McDonald and Frank Schue, super\-isors ; G. J.
Hardv, clerk; F. S. Colvin, treasurer; Jas. A. Robb, assessor; D. B.
Clark and John L. Olson, justices; Fred Nelson and Fred Clark, constables.
According to custom, the clerk notified the county auditor
of result of election. After listing names of officers he added: "all
good Rej)ublicans but one."
Mining in Township.— Mining has not been appreciable in the
township. John Mailman's work of test-pitting and shaft-sinking did
not create or hold interest after the great discoveries further west on
the Mesabi range in 18