Garen, Minnesota
Garen is an abandoned settlement in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. Garen was located south of Forest Lake, on present U.S. Route 61.
History
Garen was founded after a spark from a Northern Pacific Railway train ignited a fire in a peat bog located there.
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. A boxcar was used as a station.
The settlement was named for Frank and Sarah Garen, whose farm had been affected by the fire.
Garent prospered during the early 1900s, and had a store, and a school that was used as a community center. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Half-Way Inn was located there.
References
- ^ Peterson, Brent (January 12, 2018). "The Lost Community of Garen". Forest Lake Times.
- ^ "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
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 | |