Spring Lake Village

Construction on the Spring Lake Township Hall, 2007. From the SCHS Collections.

On June 10th, 1857, the Shakopee Valley Herald printed a small article under the headline “Another Town”. The article noted that “Thomas Holmes, A Holmes and Company have purchased property on Spring Lake and will immediately have the same surveyed off into lots,” It continued “We predict that, in a very short time, this will be a flourishing town, being 7 miles from Shakopee over a good road, will, we have no doubt, induce many of our citizens who want to spend the day fishing, gunning or having a sail on the lakes, to visit this pretty place”.

Ten years later, the area had become well known for its natural beauty. In 1867 the Shakopee Spectator ran an article outlining the attractions of the area. “It is not generally known that Scott County can boast some of the most desirable summer resorts, in point of scenery, surroundings, healthfulness and grandeur, that adorns any locality in the country”. It mentioned the village of Spring Lake, then goes on to describe the excellent fishing in the lakes themselves in detail, declaring that Spring Lake is “nearly round but with an occasional bay jutting out from the main body of water with a beautiful gravel beach the whole way around it”, and Long lake is ““quite appropriately named, being some four or five miles long, with several beautifully wooded islands rising from its bosom. Its shores are uneven, rendered indescribably romantic by numerous bays and coves”

As more European American settlers came to the area, the farmland became more important. On Sept 17, 1877, the Shakopee Courier described farming conditions in Spring Lake: “This section is composed of heavily timbered land, so as a result farms are not as large as is the case in open or brushland towns. The farmers, however, raise good crops, particularly as far as wheat is concerned…the corn is not as good, there being so little rainfall” 

The village of Spring Lake was expanding as well. An early store was owned by Patrick Thorton, who is described as “an old resident with 22 years standing”. Thornton’s store also served meals.  Another store was owned by postmaster Cates. The article notes Notes “The exact population of Spring Lake town we do not know, but votes cast at last fall’s election reached the round number of 300”.

Spring Lake Today 

The emphasis on farming in the area continued for almost a hundred years, into the 1960s. At that point, the need for housing began to expand, and almost 40% of the housing stock in the area was built during the ‘60s and ‘70s. The village of Spring Lake never grew to the size of surrounding towns, and although there are many amenities nearby, Spring Lake Township continues to be an overwhelmingly rural area. Today the township boasts a few bars, and many recreation opportunities, including Fish Lake Park, South Shore Park, and Raymond Park, camping, fishing and hiking. The Fish Lake shoreline is also undergoing a prairie restoration project.

Fish Lake Immanuel Lutheran Church

Print of Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1971. From the SCHS Collections.

Early European American settlers in Spring Lake Township township included a group of Lutherans of German descent who came by way of Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. For their first ten years in Scott County, this group met for religious services in a log cabin in Bellefontaine - a settlement in the southeast corner of section five near Spring Lake. Lots were platted in Bellafontaine, and a few were sold, but it never grew into a town. These services were conducted by pastors riding circuit. 

Eventually the congregation outgrew the cabin. On December 17th, 1870, 2.5 acres on the north bank of Fish Lake were purchased for a new church. They were sold by Henry and Ann McCartney for $37.50. The first pastor of the new church was Henry Raedeke from Carver who served for 15 years. Soon after his arrival, the first church was built on the site for appx. $1000.00

Over time, this structure became cramped as well, and in 1926 money was raised by the congregation for a new building which still serves today. The present church was built under Rev. Karl Schroeder and dedicated on May 9 1926. The dedication program included a supper cooked by the ladies of the congregation, and a performance by “a male quartet of fine male singers” iin German and English

A January 1926 article in the Jordan Independent describes Rev. Schroeder as an “energetic and popular pastor”, and the new church thusly” “Located on a south frontage, giving a fascinating view of the pretty sheet of water known as Fish Lake. It is of an architectural style very pleasing to the eye of the beholder.” The building site for the new church was The site was part of the homestead of Civil War Veteran David Maloney.

Fish Lake Immanuel Lutheran still welcomes worshipers Saturdays and Sundays in the historic 1926 church.

History of Lydia- Part 3: Lydia School

The Lydia School District, District 21, was established in 1857. There is unfortunately no record of where the first classes were held, how many students attended, or the identities of the first teachers. An official school building was finally built in 1889. It was initially a single room. The school was closed for most of 1900 because of outbreaks of scarlet fever, measles and mumps,  but in 1901 a second room was added. The Lydia district was small, and one of several districts contained within Spring Lake Township. This was due to a early Minnesota policy that stated that “no student should have to walk more than two miles to school” 

Lunch tray cup from Lydia School, 1960. From the SCHS Collections.

The school started with a single teacher, but once the second room was built, a second teacher was added. One room housed grades one through four, and the other grades five through eight. Until the 1940s it was understood that many children would not be attending school for the entire year. Some were “winter children”, who would be in school October through April, and some would attend summer school in April through June depending on farm work at home. Pupils from the early years recall that for many years the school did not have running water, and students would be sent to the farm across the street several times a day to fetch water for their class. 

Lydia’s original school building was in service until 1950, when a new school was built. This building had two rooms, a gym, and a kitchen for hot lunches. Later, a third room was added. Lydia students attended classes in this building until 1960 when the Lydia district merged with Jordan. Afterwards, the building was used for the area’s Head Start program. 

In 1968, several of the county’s school districts came together in an attempt to provide services for special education students. Previously, many of these students had been unable to attend public school, staying at home, or attending private day programs. Blind, deaf, and physically handicapped students also often fell into this category, and districts were unable to meet their needs. 

New legislation was changing the requirements of what students districts were asked to provide services for, and many superintendents felt that it was their duty to make sure as many students as possible were able to receive an education. In spite of this several Scott County superintendents did not think their current schools would be adequately able to meet student needs. 

As a result, the Lydia school building was refurbished to serve as a special education school, which opened in 1975. The school provided two psychological services personnel, a behavior coordinator, a speech services coordinator, and a director of special education services. The goal was to provide an education for learning disabled, hearing impaired, vision impaired and physically handicapped students. Known as the Lydia Education Center, the school closed in 2014. 

History of Lydia- Part 2: Fire!

Downtown Lydia around 1970. Photo from the SCHS Collections.

The history of Lydia has been shaped by fire, specifically two disastrous blazes, one in 1901, and one in 1933. 

The 1901 Lydia fire has been described as “one of the most disastrous fires in the history of the county”. It occurred in the middle of the night, sometime between midnight and one, and the causes are still unknown. The blaze began at the Ludke Brothers Store, formerly owned by F. J. Vogel. 

An article published at the time described the scale of the fire: “The flames when discovered were already beyond the controllable stage, even with a well equipped apparatus. Such an apparatus is wholly lacking in Lydia and the neighbors who came to the scene had no better means of combating the fiery element then buckets and wet blankets”. It continued, “Not a thing was saved except the books, and the boys consider themselves very fortunate at being able to snatch them from the flames. The residence, which was attached to the store building, was also destroyed along with every article of furniture and clothing it contained”

Losing one of the town’s general stores would have been a challenge for the small community, but that was unfortunately not the extent of the fire. “The blacksmith shop, operated by Adolph Wandschnieder went up and the smithy building belonging to Chris Busse. Also destroyed were John Ries refreshment stand and 600 lbs of butter and 50 cases of eggs...Busse’s house caught fire, but was saved. Miller Bros’ store was also in jeopardy, as the wind bore towards it. The heat was so intense that it burst the glass in front of the store. Wet blankets saved it... Were it not for the good wells of Lydia it is hard to imagine what the damage would have been” 

Store owner Frank Ludke almost died in the blaze. He went into the store to try to save some of the records, and passed out due to smoke inhalation. Luckily firefighters were able to pull him out. Rather than rebuilding, after the fire the Ludke brothers moved to Montana where they started a hotel that catered to traveling miners. 

A second fire started in 1933. This one was equally devastating to the town, destroying   a restaurant, the barber, a garage, and Gerlich’s Harness Shop & Dance Hall. The timing, during the Great Depression, was not fortuitous. Many of the business owners did not have the cash on hand to recover. Of these businesses, only the garage was rebuilt after the blaze. 

History of Lydia- Part 1: Lydia Businesses

Downtown Lydia around 1970. Photo from the SCHS Collections.

We have a great deal of information about life in early Lydia thanks to the dedicated work of the Lydia Area Historical Society. The group started in 2001 as an opportunity for older Lydia residents to gather together and share stories of the town. Over time, the Lydia Area Historical Society has scoured historic newspapers for items pertaining to Lydia’s history and invited long-time residents to join meetings and share their stories. This has resulted in the publication of a book on Lydia History and a public monument dedicated to Lydia. The Lydia Area Historical Society will also be creating an exhibit about Lydia for the Scott County Historical Society which should be opening in 2022. 

Lyia History

According to the Lydia Area Historical Society, the first European American residents of the area were a group of Irish immigrants who relocated to the ara in the 1850s. They were followed closely by a wave of immigrants from England. 

The Lydia Post Office opened in 1861, and ran until 1903, when the community became part of Jordan’s rural mail route. The first postmaster was named Calendar Pewthere. Perhaps more known in the community was Calendar’s wife, Lydia. She ran the first general store, and was on hand to help residents collect and send mail. The community still bears her name today. 

Miller’s Store

In the late 1870s, an entrepreneur named William Miller came to the area. He opened a sawmill, feedmill, and sorghum press . In 1880, at the suggestion of one of his customers, Miller took some of the excess wood from his mill and used it to build “Miller’s General Store”. 

William Miller’s enterprises proved to be successful. The sorghum press suffered a setback when a 17 year old worker, Ed Dorn, lost one of his hands in the press. This temporarily closed the business, but soon William Miller’s sons, George and Edward, opened a new press just south of Lydia.

Alvin Ebel, a lifetime Lydia resident, recalled his childhood memories of the Lydia Sorghum Mill for the Prior Lake American in 1976. He stated “...steel wringers like those of an old washing machine would press juice from sticks of sugar cane. The liquid was boiled in a vat until a sweet molasses was produced. Farmers would put this on pancakes or bread or whatever else pleased them. On the way home from school we would always pass by the sorghum press and put our fingers into the mixture. It was delicious”

 Eventually William Miller’s sons also took over operation of the store. One of George and Edward Miller’s trademarks was the acceptance of goods in trade. Instead of only taking money, the brothers allowed farmers to pay in chickens, ducks, calves, hogs, eggs and produce. They would then take these agricultural items to St. Paul for resale. 

In 1920, George and Edward Miller sold the store to William Bussman. William unfortunately died of tuberculosis soon after, and his brother Freddie and Freddie’s wife Martha took over operation. The couple continued the tradition of accepting goods as payment from local farmers, and ran the store until they retired in 1974. Eventually they expanded inventory, even selling tractors and other large pieces of farm equipment. 

Vogel’s Store

By the late 1880s, demand was high enough in Lydia that a second general store opened. F. J. Vogel’s Store was located directly across the street from Miller’s store on Lydia Road. 

In spite of his entrepreneurial enterprises, F. J. Vogel’s true passion was for politics. He was elected to the state legislature on the Republican ticket, and held office until he died from tuberculosis in 1898. After his death the store was sold to the Luedke family of Prior Like who owned the business until it burned down in 1901. 

Lydia Blacksmith 

Calendar from Wandschneider Blacksmith, 1908. From the SCHS Collections

The first blacksmith shop in Lydia was built by the Hornke family. They ran the enterprise until 1890 when they sold it to Adolph Wanderschnieder. Wanderschneider was known for being excited about using the latest technology. He first ran the shop on horsepower using a treadmill, and was one of the first in the are to transition to operating on a gas engine. 

Wanderschnieder owned the blacksmith shop until 1920 Igraitz Ratoski. Ratoski was a World War 1 veteran who fought on the side of Germany, but relocated to the United States soon after the war ended. He settled in Lydia and married Vilo Pierre who was, at the time, the teacher for the Lydia school. 

Ratoski’s tenure as blacksmith lasted until World War II, when he and his family relocated to Seattle so Ratoski could aid in the US war effort by by lending his mechanical skills to the west coast shipyards. 

Lydia Creamery 

The first creamery in Lydia was operated by John Diedrich, and opened in 1890. In 1899, area farmers decided to open a cooperative creamery, and soon bought out Diedrich’s enterprise. The creamery was a success, and soon 30-40 farmers were regularly bringing their dairy in to be turned into butter. By 1910, the creamery was enough of a community cornerstone that they sponsored the local Independence Day celebration which included a dairy-themed float and fireworks. By 1921, the creamery had 77 stakeholders. Until electric cooling systems came to Lydia, farmer members would meet each winter on Fish Lake to harvest ice used to chill the butter throughout the year. 

Lydia Creamery, like several other area creameries, suffered a setback during the prohibition years due to a rash of butter robberies in the area. In 1926, thieves made away with 8 tubs of butter valued at $200. The next year there was another robbery attempt, but this time the thieves were foiled by the Floyd Andrews Inc Detective Agency which had been hired by the Land O Lakes company to protect area creameries. 

In 1930 the cooperative ended, and the creamery was purchased by Richard Boettcher,  who used the facility to make butter under the name American Beauty. Facing competition from creameries that specialized in milk, and the rising popularity of oleo (margarine), the business closed in 1940. 

The building continued to stay in use, first as a hardware store, and then as a candy and ice cream shop. It burned down in 1954 and was not rebuilt. 

Gierlich Hall and Harness Shop

In 1890, Frank Gierlich built a harness shop, and added a dance hall upstairs. The hall hosted dances every Saturday. Long time Lydia residents remembered that admittance could be had for a quarter- except for a special week in 1917 where the charge was seventy-five cents, but a motorcycle was given away as a door prize. 

The hall was also a home for community gatherings. The Methodist Church held their chicken suppers at Gierlich Hall, and it also hosted the Lydia Cremery’s annual co-op meetings. Additionally, a local group known as the Lydia Farmer’s Club would put on regular one and three act plays for the community. Every Christmas, Gierlich Hall hosted the Lydia School’s annual holiday program. 

The Gierlich Hall and Harness shop remained a community staple until it burned down in 1933. 

Lydia Feed Mill around 1965. Photo from the SCHS collections.

Lydia Feed Mill 

William Miller owned an early feed mill in Lydia, but the business best remembered as the Lydia Feed Mill was opened by Richard Boettcher in 1926. Richard ran the mill until he passed away in 1940, and ownership passed to his sons Marvin and Eitel. The mill stayed in the family until it closed in 1989. 

The Lydia Feed Mill had one brief closure. During World War II both Marvin and Eitel were drafted. The town of Lydia took up a petition to cancel the draft so that the brothers could continue to run the mill, but the request was denied. Both brothers served, and the Lydia Feed Mill was closed until they returned from their service. 

In 1958 the mill expanded,  Over time, storage bins, a truck hoist, feed mixers and an electric corn sheller were added. In 1985 the Prior Lake American profiled the Feed Mill, at the time run by Eitel Boettcher and his sister-in-law Beatrice. The paper noted that, in spite of modernization, the Feed Mill still had an old-fashioned feel. Farmers continued to leave bags of feed on the doorstep when the mill was closed over the weekend, and “Inside the office, a quarter still buys a bottle of pop, and the weather and the economy are frequent topics of conversation. ” 

Beatrice Boettcher noted that the Feed Mill had become a center of community life “Everyone used to gather at the Country Store, but when that closed last year people started coming here to visit. Later in the day, some of them go to the County Seat Restaurant.”

After the Lydia Feed Mill closed, the building remained empty for several years. It was finally demolished in 1993.