Historic news events

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.

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

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)

classes were hosted there in September 1968. Washington officially became a middle school in 1983.

BRAINERD BANK HOLDUP IN 1933

The First National Bank in downtown Brainerd was robbed of $32,000 by George “Baby Face” Nelson and four other gangsters on the morning of Oct. 23, 1933.

As the gang left the bank, they opened fire in downtown Brainerd. More than 50 shots were fired, and the bullet marks are still visible on some buildings. The gangsters got away from pursuing officers by throwing roofing tacks on the road, which popped the tires of the police cars in pursuit. Nelson had been staying at a small resort north of Brainerd.

LOSS OF BRAINERD SOLDIERS AT BATAAN

One of the greatest tragedies in area history came in 1942 with the loss of 43 Brainerd men who were members of the 194th Armor battalion sent to fight in the war against Japan. The National Guardsmen left Brainerd and arrived on the island of Luzon in September of 1941, and several months later were in the middle of war. Surrender came on April 9, 1942, on the Bataan Peninsula. The soldiers were placed in groups and the infamous Bataan Death March covering 79 to 100 miles began. Most of the prisoners who didn’t keep up on the walk to prison camps were killed.

CITY FLUORIDATION BATTLE IN 1980

Brainerd’s 30-year fight to keep fluoride from its water supply, or at least decide for itself if the chemical should be placed in the town’s water, ended on Feb. 7, 1980, when, with a flick of a switch, fluoride was injected into the water system as ordered by the state Department of Health. Brainerd gained statewide fame for its lengthy battle against fluoride as reporters and television cameras came to Brainerd to cover the fluoride battle.

HWY� 371 BYPASS OPENS IN 2005

In 2005, the remaining segment of the project that converted Highway 371 to a four-lane expressway from Little Falls to Baxter was completed. This project included a five-mile bypass of Brainerd, which opened in the year 2000. The old route through Brainerd was switched to Highway 371 Business. Before the opening of the Brainerd bypass, Old Highway 371 went through downtown Brainerd and then proceeded west on a two-mile concurrency with Highway 210 before resuming north at its current intersection in Baxter. The bypass made for more efficient travel, especially for tourists visiting the lakes area.

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