Pope County Arcana

The area that became Pope County was acquired by the US in the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851. Traverse des Sioux was a trading post on the Minnesota River near St. Peter.


A large chunk of what is now west-central Minnesota was transferred to the whites excepting a 10 mile strip of land on either side of the Minnesota river, another in a long line of treaty travesties.


The land was opened for settlement by whites in 1854.

General Pope (Napolean pose)

I had always been proud of the name "Pope", after General John Pope, although I confess to envying Grant County residents. As a kid, I was under the impression that Pope was a hero of the Civil War on the Union side. In fact, he Civil War service is mostly remembered for his role in the Union debacle of the 2nd Battle of Bull Run where his attack on the Confederate center was repulsed by General Jackson's forces, winning Thomas Jackson the moniker "Stonewall" Jackson. Pope, not watching his flanks, was attacked by other Confederate forces and the rout was on. General Pope was then banished to the far west of Minnesota where in 1862 a Dakota Indian uprising needed suppressing. Pope was familiar with this western outpost, having participated in 1849 as Captain Pope in a mission of exploration from Fort Snelling west to the Red River and north to Pembina, passing through what would become Pope County on the "Plains Trail" to the Red River. This trail passed just north of Lake Minnewaska. His post-Civil War military career through the 1880's was spent fighting Indian wars against the Apaches and the Sioux.

I now live in Dakota County.

The boundaries of Pope County were established in 1862 and Stockholm (yes Stockholm) in Gilchrist township was designated as the county seat. In 1866 a convention held in Stockholm petitioned the Governor for the organization of Pope County. In 1867, the county seat was moved to Glenwood.

The only trace of a Stockholm in Pope County I could find is a cemetery east of #104 between Sedan and Sunburg.

If anyone has more info, please comment.

The original log cabin which served as the first courthouse in Stockholm is on display at the Pope County Museum. The current courthouse (#4) was constructed in 1930 at the cost of $153,000. This was at the start of the Great Depression. My great-uncle famously stated that ".. if that courthouse ever gets built, I'll be first in line for a marriage license." He remained a life-long bachelor claiming he proposed to every eligible girl in Pope County and was turned down every time. (See Uncle Dave post)

Glenwood was named in 1866 by Kirk J Kinney and Alfred W Lathrop and named for Kinney's former home of Glenwood, NY. The town was platted on the Kinney homestead. The first building was the Kinney & Lathrop General Store.

The first school was established in 1869. In 1894 a private Norwegian Lutheran School, Glenwood Academy was formed. In 1910 this academy consolidated with Park Academy in Fergus Falls, a trend well ahead of its time.

The Carnegie endowed library was opened in 1908. Although it is called "Glenwood Public Library", the by-laws were graciously changed to allow use by all residents of Pope County. This is one of 65 libraries in Minnesota built via Carnegie endowments and one of 24 still operating as a library. (18 have been razed).

Fron

Starbuck, at the west end of Lake Minnewaska, was named for William H Starbuck, a New Yorker, who financed the Little Falls and Dakota Railroad and was an official of the Northern Pacific Railway, which was completed through Pope County in 1881. A counter-claim states the city was named after Stabekk, Norway, a community just west of Oslo. Given the preponderance of railroad tycoon named villages in Pope County, I think that's a long-shot, but I'm going with it. The village was platted in 1882 and the first building was a boarding house for the railway workers.

Fron Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church dates from 1888.

Cyrus abt 1920

Cyrus was originally established in 1881 as "Scandiaville". In 1882 , a Northern Pacific branch line from Morris to Little Falls was built which gave the town a depot and spurred development. In 1888 the town's name was changed to Cyrus to avoid confusion with another Minnesota village - Scandia. Apparently the name was taken from Lake Cyrus, south of the town. (For detailed Cyrus history, see here.)

Lowry circa 1910 (MNHS)

Lowry was founded in 1886 (or 87) when the Minneapols, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie railway was extended to what is now the Village of Lowry. Lowry was named for the railroad baron, Thomas Lowry, then president of the "Soo Line" and the man behind the extensive Minneapolis/St. Paul street car system. For early Lowry history see earlier posts. (see Lowry Pioneers and The Town),

Sedan circa 1910 (MNHS)

The village of Sedan was originally called "Fowlds", after James Fowlds, an early settler, but in 1893 the name was changed to Sedan, purportedly for Sedan, France and the battle fought there in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Seems far-fetched, but I found it on the internet.

Farwell was a stop on the "Soo Line" in 1886, platted as a village in 1887 and incorporated in 1905 with businesses including a hardware, general store and a hotel. The name possibly stems from the Norwegian word "farvel" which translates to "farewell" in English. Seems far-fetched, but I found it on the internet.

Originally Chippewa Falls, the name was changed to Terrace to avoid confusion with Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The name presumably stems from the terrain of Chippewa Falls township. It was the site of a sawmill in 1871 and as a rare example of a town developing around a mill. Terrace is listed on the National Registry of Historic Sites as the Terrace Mill Historic District .



Villard was established in 1883 and named for Henry Villard, president of the Northern Pacific Railway at the time.

Westport & Grove Lake are too far east to be in Pope County.

Martin Heggestad promised me that he would take me to the metropolis of New Prairie one day and I would be astonished. Never got there tho. It's still on my bucket list.

The most notable landmark in Pope County is Lake Minnewaska: "minne=Water, waska=Good". However, the original Indian name for the lake translated to "Dish Lake", reflecting its basin-like quality. Opinions differ on which side of the lake is more beautiful and whose residents are nicer or more intelligent. Lake Minnewaska's name was changed to White Bear Lake when the Chief was buried on an Indian Mound on the lake's north shore and then to Lake Whipple - after Bishop Whipple of Faribault - and happily back to Minnewaska in 1883 by legislative decree.

Copyright © 2017 Dave Hoplin