6 minute read
History
Our Town
Our town is small in size and population but during the summer the population grows as we are situated on the shores of Birch Lake and have 127 lakes within a 10 mile radius of town. We have great fishing both winter and summer, sunfish, blue gills, crappies, northern, walleye to name a few. In summer you can go swimming and boating, ride the bike trail, take a great walk and go fishing. Our Sweetheart Days events in July are held to honor Lucette Diana Kensack, the sweetheart of Paul Bunyan. See more information on page 9. Fall brings grouse hunting, deer season and driving through the countryside to see the beautiful fall colors as the leaves change from green to yellows, golds, reds and rusts.
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The snow in the winter gives us the winter wonderland look and it is time to come snowmobiling, ice fishing, skating and cross country skiing. Come play in the snow, do some snow sculpting, take your camera and go for a walk or snowshoe and enjoy the quiet of the north woods on your visit here.
There is a choice of 5 churches to attend on Sunday and 1 on Saturday. We have five different places where you can get anything from a hamburger or pizza to a full course meal, an ice cream cone or even just a cup of coffee and some conversation. For more summer fun we have tennis courts, swim beach, fishing pier, boat landing, kid’s park and play area, horse shoe pits, and lending library. There is a pavilion by the kid’s park and another by the horse shoe pits and, for rainy days or anytime, a 4 screen movie theater.
Our small library inhabits approximately 2/3 of a log cabin built in 1937 through the WPA works. One room holds books for children of all ages and has a nice selection of the Classics. Small tables and chairs for the youngsters and a comfortable chair for mom, dad, grandma or grandpa to sit in and read to children. The center area of the building has adult books including a number by Minnesota authors. No library card needed and no time frame to return. The other 1/3 of the building is utilized to store the fishing gear for the “Kids Fishing Contest” that takes place every Tuesday from mid-June through mid-August at the Fishing Pier adjacent to the statue of Paul Bunyan’s Sweetheart Lucette. You can find Little Paul standing guard by the old jail built in the late 1800’s and the city office building.
Hackensack is proud to have a well trained Fire and Rescue Department, a clinic, and an assisted living facility. Our American Legion and Lions Clubs along with many other organizations volunteer a lot of time to our community and support the Chamber and others with their generous donations.
The Hackensack water tower is in need of repainting, and the Game Changers are looking for your support to make this happen! The picture below is an artist rendition on how the water tower will look after the facelift.
Make a tax-deductible donation today to help us beautify our town's water tower; make checks payable to Hackensack Lakes Area Community Foundation (HLACF) and mail to Lisa Tuller, 4648 Long Bay Rd NW, Hackensack MN 56452 or give online at www.givemn.org/story/ Hlacf-Watertower.
So come and spend some time with us. Spring, summer, fall or winter you will always find things you can do and places you can go.
HISTORY OF HACKENSACK
Settlement in the Hackensack area began in Lothrop, a few miles north of the current community. James Curo built a log building, which housed his living quarters, a grocery, a general store, and a post office. The Ojibwa Indians mostly inhabited the area, but settlers began building around Curo’s enterprise as early as 1884. When the railroad pushed north in 1896, Lothrop was abandoned. No trace of the town exists today. Hackensack was officially put on the map in 1902, and Bye Bartlett and Curo, who came to the area from Hackensack, N.J, decided its name. Industry at the time centered on logging and a sawmill. The Minnesota and International Railroad came through town on the site of the current Paul Bunyan Trail. Most of the retail shops were built of wood, many of which were destroyed by fires. Several of these structures were replaced with brick structures. In 1915 the Royal Ice Cream Parlor was a busy place-serving tourists in the area and was also known as a place to buy fireworks. There were several hotels, general stores, and even a hospital on Pleasant Lake. There was a bank, but the depression led to its demise. Today there are many businesses, as you will see in this guide.
Lucette stands 17 feet high, and the legend of Paul Bunyan’s Sweetheart and wife is not much different than the legend of Paul, himself. Lucette grew much faster than other children and her parents were in need of a bigger room for such a large girl on the family farm in Iowa. Then Lucette’s aunt and uncle issued a plea for help in their north woods logging camp and Lucette went to Minnesota to help out. Upon her arrival, the aunt and uncle realized that they would need to build a larger cabin to house such a big person, so they called upon the legendary Paul Bunyan to help level some trees for the building. Paul arrived, and with one swoop of his axe, leveled enough trees to make her a home. Having never seen the girl, Paul ran into her one day in the woods, when she was poking among the forest undergrowth with her walking stick, seeking mushrooms. Aside from the fact that she was a size more fitting to Paul’s own size, and even appeared to be somewhat deformed on her right hip, he fell in love. Following a suitable courting period, they were married back in Iowa on June 9, 1838. They returned to Minnesota, where she lived in the logging camp. Paul, however, was known to roam far and wide seeking more trees to fell. The chainsaw carving of Paul Bunyan stands a few feet from Lucette and serves as a reminder of him in his many absences.
The reality of Lucette is that local businessman Doad Schroeder felt Hackensack needed something to draw visitors. He came up with Lucette, and constructed her out of wood, cement and sand. He gave her genuine moose eyes. A national contest was launched in 1951 to select a name for this creation, and the name Lucette Diana Kensack was entered by a woman from Iowa. On June 27, 1952, the first Paul Bunyan Sweetheart Festival was held in Hackensack. In 1991, a high wind toppled Lucette’s head, but residents of Hackensack were prompted to repair the damage. When they took her down, they discovered she was pregnant. She returned with a new face, and Paul, Jr. appeared with her and was installed at his mother’s side. In 2005, Paul, Jr. was moved and can now be found in front of the Hackensack City Hall.
Lucette continues to play a role, not only in Hackensack, but also in references found in the University of Minnesota annals and in some school textbooks. We even keep her warm in the cold north winters with a 20-foot shawl, just in time for Back to Hack in January.
Table of Contents
Regular Events/Meetings ...................... 4
Chamber Members/Lakes .....................11
State Forest/OHV Trail Map................18
Take a Walk in Hackensack..................21
Building & Remodeling .........................24
Hackensack Chamber............................25
Lodging........................................................31
