Transwiki:1996 History of Lake George
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| 1996 History of Lake George |
Lake George is one of the clearest, quietest and most enjoyable lakes in the Twin Cities area. It also has a long history which dates back to the formation of the lake nearly twenty thousand years ago.
As the last glacier retreated northwest across central Minnesota, a series of particularly warm years accelerated the glacier's retreat. This resulted in a large amount of water and sand being released. The warm spell started when the glacier was just north of the Mississippi River near the present location of the city of Anoka and ended when the glacier was near the present location of Princeton and to the east of the present location of Cambridge, Minnesota. As the glacier retreated, a large piece of ice (a mile in diameter) broke off at the present location of Lake George. The result was a relatively flat sand plain of alluvial deposits called an outwash plain. As the water and san from the retreating glacier continued to flow southward it gradually surrounded the block of ice which had broken loose. Later as this ice melted, it formed a depression that became Lake George. Lake George is an (Ice Block) lake whose characteristics are defined by a sandy shoreline and an oval shape.
In about 1680, the first Europeans arrived in the vicinity of Lake George. They were Father Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan monk and two companions. According to records kept by Father Hennepin, which are" still preserved, a band of over 100 Indians captured them near Lake Pepin planning to kill them but finally decided to keep them as slaves. The Indian villages were located on Mille Lacs Lake, but as they traveled toward the villages, the canoe in which the Europeans rode was destroyed. This happened a few miles below St. Anthony Falls and Father Hennepin and his companions were compelled to walk the long wean' miles to the villages of the Sioux. During this trek they camped near the present site of St. Francis, Minnesota. Father Hennepin gave it this name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order. Thus, St. Francis can lay claim to the oldest place named in the State of Minnesota.
The first recorded mention of Lake George resulted from a notable Indian battle. In 1845, shortly after its establishment, the United States Army based at Fort Snelling called a peace conference between the Lakota and the Ojibway Nations (the original purpose for establishing Fort Snelling was to bring peace to the warring Indians on the frontier). Representatives from the two tribes attended - The Lakota from the Southwest and the Ojibway from the North. The results of the conference are not recorded. However, the following facts are important. It is known that at the end of the conference, the Lakotas were to depart southward upstream on the Minnesota River and the Ojibways upstream on the Mississippi River to the Rum River and hence to the area around Mille Lacs. However, the Lakotas took pursuit of the Ojibways. On the second night of their journey, the Ojibways were 10 miles up the Rum River encamped on the southern shore of Lake George. The next morning the Lakotas discovered their camp and a battle ensued. The battle lasted three days resulting in over 200 dead on both sides. We know this because in 1847 United States government surveyors came through the area .to establish the boundaries for sections of the townships, which would be necessary for future settlement. They found the graves and mounds of the fallen Indians. At that time, the surveyors recorded these locations in their surveys. The chief surveyor of the party discovering these artifacts was George Arbuckle who gave his name to the lake (Lake George). The notable battle of lake George is the basis for the name ""Indian Ridge Road" on the southwest shore of the lake.
Anoka County was formed in 1857 and Oak Grove Township was chartered in the same year. The first land claim filed in Oak Grove was David Rogers in the spring of 1855, followed by Moses Seelye who put in the first crop that summer.
In later years, the attractions of Lake George became apparent to nearby urban communities and summer cabins were constructed on the shores of Lake George. The following excerpt from the Anoka Herald of April 1906 illustrates this:
"Lake George is one of Minnesota's many beautiful lakes. It is situated in the northern part of Anoka County within easy reach of hunters and fishermen. The west shore for a half mile is an old beaver dam. The beach is fine white sand free from weeds and moss. Along the north shore may be found reeds, wild rice, mud bottom and shaded pools well Beloved by certain game birds and fish that frequent this vicinity.
The banks are high and thickly wooded on the east shore. The water is shallow and clear, points which make that section of the lake a good place to spear fish. Back of the island is more wild rice. There also, many of the big fish are taken. Good camp grounds abound in any direction. The lake is very deep and surface affords ample room in which to work yachts about the three mile course.
The prevailing wind is from the east and there are very few days during the summer when heat is not greatly ameliorated by these cooling breezes.
It is an easy matter to reach Lake George. From Minneapolis or St. Paul the best way is via the Great Northern to Cedar where all sorts of conveyances may be rented of John Green. Mr. Green meets trains when requested and transfers parties to the lake charging, fifth cents a passenger. Those who prefer to take the Anoka route can secure teams at Anoka at moderate rates from any of the liverymen located in the city."
The Chicago group (Mob) would occasionally visit from their Wisconsin headquarters for certain business dealings (can't you picture Ma Barker walking the beach in her 3 piece wool bikini?). The location of these establishments are shown below:
The Lake George Conservation Club was formed in the late 1930's to help keep the lake clean and to preserve fishing and nearby hunting quality. At that time, almost all the residents of Lake George were summer residents. By 1962, the Lake George Conservation Club was well established as the "Voice of Lake George". The last Director}' of that year shows some 108 lakeshore residents. These were still mostly seasonal residents. This Directory is available in the archives of the Club.
In 1967, the club instituted an Annual Dogfish* Contest as a fund raiser. Each year the contest was held on October 31st. The prize for the largest dogfish caught was a boat and motor. After three years of this event, an assessment revealed that nobody had ever entered the contest. Therefore, it was discontinued. The motor was offered to Ralph Thorn who charged $3 to haul it away and the boat was sold to a newly arrived lawyer in Ramsey for $5. He wanted it as a tub for champagne bottles at a party he was hosting.
The single most compelling issue of the club in the early 70?s was the fluctuating level of the lake. One member remarked "the only time this lake is normal is when it is passing through". There were hour of discussion as to the cause of the problem and several attempts were made to raise or lower the level of the control dam. Finally, a member flew over the ditch and with a camera recorded the fact the ditch was completely choked by cattails at its midpoint. As a result, the entire club treasury was committed to hiring a blasting contractor to open the ditch. With the club's minimum funds, the contractor decided to only bury one stick of dynamite ever 3 feet along the length of the ditch. The sticks were connected with primacord and a spectacular blast ensued. Unfortunately, the result was to severely damage the upper portions of the cattails and little else. Later, a successful fund-raiser consisting of a lottery was established. This was the main source of the funds used to open the lake level control ditch in 1988.
In the early 1970's, the character of the Lake George neighborhoods started to change rapidly with permanent homes replacing summer cabins. The heritage of the Lake George Conservation Club was not well known to the new residents and as a result, the activity of the club dwindled. Then, in 1981, as issues concerning the regulation of motor horsepower on the lake galvanized the residents to action. This led to reconstituting the club and it has been active ever since.
The Lake George Conservation Club is now in effect as a Lakeshore Owners Association and is concerned with any issues that affect the quality on or near the lake. The club's recent efforts have been:
- Funded swimming lessons at the county park.
- Provided leadership and gun safety instruction for youth.
- Provided trash barrels for campers and fisherpersons for the last 60 years.
- Conducted an Annual Paint-a-Thon for many years.
- Assisted in the pheasant feeding program during several severe winters.
- Worked to enlarge the wood duck population on the lake.
- Conducted a rough fish trapping and removal program on the lake.
- Provided scholarships in science and environmental studies for St. Francis High.
- Worked with the City and Park Board on the planning of Lake George Regional Park.
- Worked with the sheriff’s office and DNR regarding boating regulations and lake -safety.
- Provide twice a year high clean-up for a portion of County Road 9.
- Actively participate in Oak Grove Acorn Days.
In 1966, the club discussed the confusing street names and house numbers that have no relationship to location and zip codes. These problems are a direct consequence of unplanned growth. To address this problem, the Lake George Conservation Club produced an Owner's Directory.
In 2004, we are updating that directory and are sad to say that the confusion continues. In fact, things appear to have become worse since the Regional Park, located on the north end of the lake was built.
*The state record dogfish was caught in Lake George in 1943. Herman Reiman landed this 48 pound monster while fishing for bluegills on the south shore near what is known as Dogfish Swamp.
Historic update provided by Will Ridge 1996
