The Lost Towns Of McLeod County
- Bear Lake Store in 1889
Through the years, McLeod County has seen many pioneer settlements flourish, to only later decline and fade away. Twenty eight different villages and towns in all have shared this fate, each with their own unique story. As our 2010 Theme, the McLeod County Historical Society and Museum hopes to explore the story of each of these settlements and bring it to you. Through a compiled history booklet, rotating artifact displays, and interpretative programs, the Museum will learn more about each of these Lost McLeod County Towns and ensure, that although they may have been lost, they will never be forgotten!
The Following Lost Towns are highlighted in “The Lost Towns of McLeod County” history booklet, available through the Museum’s Gift Shop.
Acoma, Cedar City, Clear Lake, Thornton, Brush Prairie, Karn’s City, Collins, Franklin, Fremont, Paris, Glendale, Sundown, South Station, Harmony, Bear Lake, Komensky, Heatwole, West Lynn, Penn Cheese Factory, Bear Creek, South Silver Lake, St. George, Koniska, Fernando, Sumter, Lake Addie, Sherman Station, Rocky Run, and West Winsted.
Over the next year we will feature excerpts from our Lost Towns booklet in each of our monthly newsletters, covering highlights of most of the County’s lost towns. The Museum welcomes any new or added information, artifacts, photos, or documents that could add to our current lost town collection.
i love hearing news specially when it talks about current events,’:
I have old photos and postcards of Bear Lake when my grandmother and great aunt lived in Hutchinson. I have a postcard with the same picture seen here that is dated 1909.
Susan:
That’s great that you have these old photos, to often items like that get lost or thrown out. Its even better that you know who and what the photos are of. Many times the Museum receives photos that are unkown and we then have to figure out who and what they are of. Keep up the good work!
Lori-Executive Director
This stuff is so cool. We live right here on Bear Lake and the bricks are still here from the store photo above. The Bear Lake creamery still stands on the property.
My 3rd great grandparents both died in Sumter – one in 1874 and the other in 1878. I’ll be visiting the museum this summer from Alaska and hope to find information about them.