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History Day, Greaney, Rauch and Silverdale CLICK ON ANY PICTURE FOR A LARGER IMAGE History Day August 8, 2009
Of Silverdale, Pete Hanson and Bullshit Larson
Picture taken at the center of Silverdale
Society the Anshus Store and Tavern
August 19, 2006 History day and Picnic
Saints Peter and Paul Russian Othodox Church, Bramble, Minnesota, just South of Rauch
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August 21, 2004, we had a very enjoyable time as we attended the History Day of this community. I was surprised at the large attendance to this first annual event. Something I thought interesting was the large map on the wall showing the original homesteads. Also so many picture and documents which copies were available for those wanting to purchase these records. There are many young people in the community that are descendants of the founders of Greaney-Rauch-Silverdale that still live and work here. This would be a very nice place to live as the people work well together.
Credit must go to Ruth Huismann and John Kochevar and others involved in getting this event off the ground and seeing that it was as successful as it was. The organizers thought of everything and no community could be better served by the people that worked to make this event a great success. Thanks to the community for doing this event for people like us that just have to show up to enjoy ourselves.
This is an interesting community which was made up of a number of nationalities, on the map starting on the Indian Reservation were the Italians and Finns. Silverdale was made up of Swedes and Norwegians. Greaney was Yugoslavians, further south at Rauch were the Russians. Over the years I was in the automobile business I sold many cars in this community and I found them to be honest people and enjoyable to do business with.
What a great time we had visiting with all the people that live there or lived there or like us are just plain interested in local history. A very tasty "picnic" lunch was available for people to enjoy that day. The Hall sure is a nice place for the community to gather on such occasions. It is good to see the people working to keep the community together. |
The Greaney-Rauch-Silverdale Community Center with Fire Hall to the right.
Gabriel and Rudy Jackopich are second generation residents. They have lived on the family farm all their lives
Louis Zeleznikar will be 93 years old next month. He was born and lived on the family farm near the Little Fork River until a couple years ago when he moved to the Homestead Apartments in Cook. He was the last member of his family having outlived his seven brothers and sisters. Mike & Melissa Hahne are the new owners of this most beautiful site in Northern Minnesota.
Andy Lucachick is another life-time member of this community having been there his entire life. He and his wife Florence (McCue) have lived over fifty years on the family farm. Andy is also the caretaker of the Russian Orthodox Church which has stood since 1917 on a corner of his farm. Andy is shown ringing the bell.
One of the younger former residents enjoying the History Days Celebration was Anne Haugen (Wayne, 79, 1991) Wierimaa who was raised in Silverdale and attended the Silverdale Lutheran Church. She now lives in Orr. Her daughter Julie also enjoyed touring the historical sites.
What great workmanship and all done by hand, no powers saws in those days. Also remember they had to cut the trees down and use a broad axe to square the timbers. We assume the corners had pegs set. Maybe the worst part of constructing these log buildings was dealing with the mosquitoes. This log barn was open for touring this day. It is located on the old Ollikkala Farm which is now owned by Mike & Melissa Hahne. They have made this place look like a park.
The Russian Orthodox Church
The Silverdale Lutheran Church
The Greaney Catholic church
Logging was a big part of the history of the Greaney-Rauch-Silverdale communities and it still is. The truck to the right is a 1941 Ford belonging to Joe Udovich. Note these men were unloading by hand, now that took some very strong fellows to do that day in and day out, they did not have to exercise after working all day. I am sure they must worked up a very good appetite. I assume they are at the old Gheen railroad siding. I remember Joe (Dorothy Benko) Udovich as a very hard working man. Most mornings you could seen him passing through Cook by 8am., on his way back from delivering a load of pulpwood to Cloquet. His sons Dennis (Mimi Fisher) and David (Carol Luecken) Udovich have followed in Joe & Dorothy's footsteps as hard workers and they are both in the logging business plus other ventures.
The Zeleznikar Bridge, This wood decked bridge was built in 1877 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Sometime around 1937, this 378 foot long wrought iron bridge was disassembled, transported and re-established at its current location to allow then new Highway 65 to cross the Little Fork River in this very remote wilderness area. This bridge is scheduled to be replaced in a few years by the Minnesota Highway Department as this is State Highway #65. This highway starts north of the City of Little Fork which is about 60 miles north of this bridge. This road continues south through downtown Minneapolis and as far as you can drive.