HISTORICAL NEWS EVENTS Crow Wing County has experienced many big news stories over the decades. Here’s a look at eight of the biggest stories over the past 150 years: COLLAPSE OF RAILROAD BRIDGE IN 1875 In July of 1875, the bridge over the Mississippi River in Brainerd collapsed under the weight of a 22-car train carrying steel rails and merchandise killing the engineer, fireman and one or two caboose passengers. Barrels of flour, port and other merchandise floated down the river. Constructing a new bridge in quick fashion was critical since Brainerd’s economy had become dependent on railroad jobs over the decades. RAILROAD STRIKE IN 1922 A nationwide railroad strike in 1922 set Brainerd in a turmoil as the city depended on the industry as it was estimated that 90 percent of the families were dependent on the railroad in the 1920s. The Brainerd Dispatch reported that 1,250 shopmen laid down their tools and walked off the job on July 1, 1922. The eight-month union strike brought bitterness to the area for many years as replacement workers were brought in to
keep the railroad shops open. Street fights broke out almost nightly between strikers and replacement workers. MILLFORD MINE DISASTER OF 1924 On Feb. 5, 1924, water from Foley Lake flooded the Milford Mine in Crosby, killing 41 miners in Minnesota’s worst mining disaster. Only seven miners climbed to safety, as in less than 20 minutes, the mineshaft flooded to within 15 to 20 feet of the surface. Recovery efforts were both delicate and dangerous, as the mine was filled with mud and debris and workers worried about potential cave-ins It took months to recover the men’s bodies. The body of the last victim was recovered nine months after the disaster. The mine resumed operations soon after that. In 1932 with the decline of the need for steel during the Great Depression, the mine closed. WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FIRE IN 1928 One of the more memorable structure fires in Crow Wing County history occurred when Washington High School in Brainerd was destroyed during Easter vacation in March of 1928. Nearly all the school records were destroyed by the fire except for those saved by Principal Mary Tornstrom and Superintendent W.C. Cobb.
Crow Wing County facts: •Year county established: 1857 •County named after the Crow Wing River •Population in 2017: 64,424 •Population in 2010: 62,500 •County seat: Brainerd •County square miles: 1,157 •Current courthouse built in 1920 (Brainerd) •Senate District: 10 Congressional District: 8 •House District: 10A, 10B •University: Central Lakes College (Brainerd) •Daily newspaper: Brainerd Dispatch •State forests: Crow Wing •State Forest, Emily State Forest •Recognizable lakes: 417 •Largest county lake: Gull Lake (9,419 acres)
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Until a new high school could be built at the site, classes were held at sites throughout the city - at the Methodist church, city hall, the old Crow Wing County courthouse and at the old jail next to the courthouse. The new high school, which cost $400,000 to build, was completed in 1929 and the school was dedicated during a ceremony in Tornstrom Auditorium on Jan. 28, 1930. In 1938, the Brainerd junior college began offering classes at Washington High School. The superintendent’s office also was there. In 1942 bus service was offered to Washington High School students who lived in rural Brainerd. In 1960 the student population continued to grow so another addition was constructed to the high school building. The Brainerd junior college moved into its own building in 1964 and the superintendent’s office was moved to the basement of Lincoln Elementary School but Washington again was becoming overcrowded. On March 1, 1966, Brainerd School District voters approved a $3.5 million bond issue to build a new senior high school. Construction of the current Brainerd High School building began in 1967 and the first
