Clear Lake Twp. is filled with historic landmarks that most people hardly notice.
Town hall is merely a place to go to attend meetings or vote in an election. Businesses have come and gone a few remain from the original days of establishment in 1856.
Few folks think about the rich heritage surrounding these and other treasures in Clear Lake. Some of those treasures are intact, like McDonald’s Meats along Hwy. 24. Others like the Clear Lake High School have been converted or torn down.
Thanks to the progressive minds of Gary Gray, Joe Goenner, Bud Stimmler Terrance VanderEyk and others, people interested in Clear Lake would be able to view said history through the lens of time in a book featuring stories and pictures, facts, historical references as well as good ol’ back porch reminiscing.
The developers of the book are looking for individuals who would want to be part of a committee to “construct” the township’s history — piece by piece — all the way back to the early settlers, the trading posts, the stagecoaches, the businesses — to the present day. Members of the committee would be tasked to gather artifacts, meet and interview some of the elderly of the community, gather and share information and do research to assemble the best collection of historical facts to be included in the book.
The area is rich with generation-after-generation of Imholtes, Goenners, Kiffmeyers, Stimmlers and others that still live in the area and have a wealth of familiarity and wisdom necessary to make the book worthy.
Students and staff at St. Cloud State University have volunteered to “write” and assemble the book when the project is ready to be published.
The goal is to have the book printed and ready for sale in two years.
Again, volunteers are needed to get the project off the ground and for those who are interested, please contact Twp. Clerk Mary Mathison at township
hall at 320-743-2472 or by email at: clearlaketwp@hotmail.com.
Also, the committee will be very interested in individuals willing to share their stories, artifacts and/or pictures to be included in the book and are asked to contact Mathison at the above telephone number or email address.
All artifacts and photos would be gently cared for and returned to the original owner.
The goal of the book is not only to preserve the rich, inherent history of Clear Lake, but to make connections from yesteryear to modern day through the photos and stories and depict the heritage of the area in printed form.
And maybe those long lost and ignored landmarks will deserve a second look.
