Alexandria - Minnesota Lakes 2008 Visitors Guide - (Page Cover2)

t’s a landmark year for Minnesota. The “Land of Sky Blue Waters” is 150 years old and coincidently so is our beautiful Douglas County! So, where’s Douglas County in all of this excitement? We are front and center! The Minnesota Historical Society is celebrating this event with its special MN150 exhibit. This list of 150 people and events that shaped our State includes our own U. S. Senator Knute Nelson, the Kensington Runestone and even the glaciers that formed our rolling hills and lakes. I Douglas County was first settled in 1858, the same year that Minnesota became a state. In 1862 the settlement was all but abandoned due to the Sioux Indian uprising and it wasn’t until the treaties of 1866 that immigrants and Civil War veterans arrived to homestead the land. In 1871 Knute Nelson, a Norwegian immigrant and Civil War veteran, moved to Alexandria with his family. Knute practiced law and farmed. From there, he launched his political career, serving as Douglas County attorney, then a Minnesota State Senator and later as a representative to the U.S. Congress from Minnesota’s newly formed fifth district. Nelson was elected governor of Minnesota in 1892 and 1894; he resigned to make a successful run for the U.S. Senate, where he served until his death in 1923. In 1898, Olaf Ohman discovered our other notable, a curious stone tangled in the roots of a tree on his farm near Kensington (15 miles west of Alexandria). Little did Olaf know that he not only unearthed a stone, but a controversy that is still being debated to this day. Many believe the Kensington Runestone is proof that daring Viking explorers visited Douglas County in 1362. Were the Vikings here or not? Scientists, geologists, and linguists throughout the world continue to study the stone and its runic inscription in an effort to discover its authenticity. Homesteaders were the foundation of our County, but in years to come our lakes and relaxed lifestyle introduced Douglas County to the nation. With the advent of trains, travelers from Chicago, Omaha and the Twin Cities would leave the summer heat behind and escape to our cool lakes. Our Lakes Area was no longer an undiscovered gem. It was to become a flourishing community and a vacation destination for generations to come. Special sesquicentennial events are planned throughout the year to celebrate Douglas County’s 150th birthday. The Chamber’s website will have the latest information. You couldn’t choose a better time enjoy our hospitality and find out for yourself why we are Easy To Get To And Hard To Leave!

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Alexandria - Minnesota Lakes 2008 Visitors Guide

Welcome Table of Contents Seasonal Snapshots Motels, B&B's & Graphs Resort Graphs Campground Graph Community Profile Resort & Area Lakes Aaron Amelia Moses Villard Andrew Carlos Cowdry Darling Geneva Victoria Ida Le Homme Dieu Maple Mill Area Map Minnewaska Mary Miltona Osakis Pelican (Ashby) Reno Smith Central Lakes State Trail Winter Page Calendar of Events Golf Courses & Graph Area Dining Antiques & Specialty Gift Shops Lakes Area Services & Activities

Alexandria - Minnesota Lakes 2008 Visitors Guide

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