Garen, Minnesota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Garen is an abandoned settlement in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. Garen was located south of Forest Lake, on present U.S. Route 61.
Garen was founded after a spark from a Northern Pacific Railway train ignited a fire in a peat bog located there.[1]
Local cattle farmers sued the railway, and as part of the settlement, the railway built a siding with cattle pens so farmers could load cattle into boxcars for shipment to the Saint Paul stockyards.[1][2] A boxcar was used as a station.[1]
The settlement was named for Frank and Sarah Garen, whose farm had been affected by the fire.[1][3]
Garen prospered during the early 1900s, and had a store, and a school that was used as a community center.[2] During the 1930s and 1940s, the Half-Way Inn was located there.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Brent (January 12, 2018). "The Lost Community of Garen". Forest Lake Times.
- 1 2 3 "Forest Lake". Washington County Historical Society. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ↑ Friedrich, Alex (November 14, 2015). "Washington County commissioners evaluate names for a soon-to-open library in Forest Lake". Pioneer Press.
Further reading
- Elsie Vogel, The Forest Lake Times; Oct 31, 1991
45°13′30″N 92°58′54″W / 45.22500°N 92.98167°W / 45.22500; -92.98167
Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Minnesota, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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