Plymouth History

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Plymouth History
Congratulations for 50 wonderful years
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Plymouth History
A look at Local History
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Plymouth History
2008
1958
1908
1858
Lets turn the clock back
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Plymouth History
The Big Woods
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Plymouth History
Native Americans Mdewakanton Sioux
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Plymouth History
Indian Club Head Found near Mooney Lake (c.
1970s)
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Plymouth History
Arrow Head Found on shore of Medicine Lake (c.
1990s)
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Plymouth History
Minnesota became 32nd state May 11,1858
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Plymouth History
Early roads followed Indian Trails
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Plymouth History
Land Clearedfarming was the economy
Woods to Farms
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Plymouth History
Schools of Early Plymouth

• Districts
• 202223274748495195104120123127

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Plymouth History
District 48 Parkers Lake School Located at NW
corner of Dunkirk Cty Rd 6 Consolidated with
Wayzata in 1920
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Plymouth History
District 104 Oakwood School Junction of Cty Rd
24, Medina Rd and Dunkirk Lane (Taco
Bell) Consolidated with Wayzata 1956
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Plymouth History

District 104 Oakwood Teacher Miss Lois Curry
(c. 1947)Duties of 20 yr old - teacher, janitor,
nurse, umpire - chopped wood mopped floor
before school
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Plymouth History

District 104 Oakwood Class of 1953
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Plymouth History
District 47 Deziel School Located at NE corner
of Hollydale Lane Rockford Road Dec.
1949 Consolidated with Wayzata in 1956 School
converted to house, burned 1973
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Plymouth History

District 47 Class of 1922-23
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Plymouth History
Times are changing fast!

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Plymouth History

• In 1900s Plymouth Township had improving
  gravel roads but most were still muddy.

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Plymouth History

• Aerial view (c. 1930s)
• Cty Rd 6 (W to E) Cty Rd 101 (S to N formerly
  Cty Rd 13)

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Plymouth History

• Two brothers Franc Ferdinand Kreatz settled in
  Plymouth 1855-1858
• Purchased 160 and 80 acres for 1.25 per acre Oct
  1, 1860
• Both built log cabins near Kreatz lake
• I (Gustav) was born in 1873 in log cabin by the
  lake
• My father Ferdinand and Uncle Franc built homes
  on their farms in 1873
• I (Gustav) married Jennie Hatcher and we had four
  children (Pearl, Lloyd, Ronald Dorothy)
• We lived our whole life on farm and when I died
  in 1941 I was buried at Parkers Lake Cemetery
  (Jennie died in 1952)

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Plymouth History
Gustav Kreatz Farm House Was located where
apartments are today on Cty Rd 6
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Plymouth History
Henry Radintz Farm House still standing, located
across from Messiah Methodist Church
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Plymouth History
Vegetable Stand on Cty Rd 6 (In front of Radintz
farm on Watertown Road)
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Plymouth History

• Aerial view of area 1926
• Looking East Parkers Lake, Medicine Lake
  Keller, Creelman GilfillanFarms

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Plymouth History
James W. Creelman Farm House Still standing on
south side of Cty Rd 6 just before Vicksburg Lane
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Plymouth History

• Aerial view of Methodist Church 1926
• Located on north side of Parkers Lake, now
  business office

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Plymouth History

• Close up of Church

Jacob Raths hay loader and team of horses
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Plymouth History

• Cty Rd 101 (was Cty Rd 13) Upgraded - Oiled
  Surface (c. 1930s)
• Herbs Corner Cty Rd 6 101
• - Purchased land from Gus
  Kreatz ca 1932
• - Herb Johnson open gas station
  1933

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Plymouth History
Evolution of District 284
1857 - Wayzata School District 49 established
9/9/1857 1921- The Wayzata Consolidated School
renumbered to 144, housed all the
students in the district 1946 - Beacon Heights
District 95 consolidated with Wayzata 1951 -
New Wayzata Junior Senior High opened (Now West
Middle School) 1953 - Wayzata Elementary School
(former K-12) renamed Halvor Widsten 1956 -
Wayzata School District renumbered to 284 and
consolidated (Deziel 47, Pouliot 63,
Oakwood 104, Egan 120, Hamel 127)
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Plymouth History
Planning for New School

• School Board discusses need for new school
• September 1956 School Board proposes to purchase
  10-40 acres
• for new school in general area of Cty Rd 6 and
  101
• Citizens sub-committee formed to review school
  properties
• April 8, 1957 School Board authorizes bond issue
  for 1.1 M to
• purchase site, construct and equip new school.
  Also repair
• Widsten and Junior/Senior High
• June 13, 1957 School Board pays 500 earnest
  money for Kreatz
• property
• October 14, 1957 School Board voted to purchase
  41.6 acres _at_
• 1300 per acre for total of 54,080 from
  Kreatz Estate

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Plymouth History
New Oakwood School
Independent School District No. 284
Architect Drawing

• Construction started December 1957
• Bruces Juices supplied refreshments to
  workers
• School opened November 17, 1958

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Plymouth History
1958-59 School Year Begins- Classes Held in

• Beacon Heights Library Stage
• Widsten Audio Visual Room Teachers Lunchroom
• Wayzata Junior/Senior High
• Hamel State Bank Basement
• West Medicine Lake Community Center
• Community Church
• Wayzata Evangelical Free Church Wayzata
• (Now Unitarian Universalist
  Church)

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Unitarian Universalist Church (Formerly Wayzata
Evangelical Free Church)
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Church Cemetery a.k.a. School Playground
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Plymouth History
501 Students Move to New School

• November 14, 1958 School Board Accepts Oakwood
  School
• Total construction cost was 888,038.85 or
  14.80 per Sq Ft
• Architect calls it An exceptionally good buy.

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Plymouth History
New Oakwood Staff
The Principal and his Harem
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Plymouth History
Did you Know?
Pine trees planted by school board member - the
summer of 1959
Play fields exist because of no Jr. High
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Plymouth History
School Memories
A race in the snow
Fun at recess
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Plymouth History
School Memories
Hard at work
Chain Flag Kindergarten 1963
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Plymouth History
School Memories
Thanksgiving celebration 1st Grade 1970-71
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Plymouth History
A Few Memories of Oakwood
St. Phillips held services in gym starting in
January 1959
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Plymouth History
A Few Memories of Oakwood
Home of Wayzata Whirlers Square Dance Club
1970-80s Delores Nielsen Oakwood Cook
Troop
Annual Spaghetti Dinners
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Plymouth History
Happy 50th Birthday Oakwood
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Plymouth History

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Plymouth History
OAKWOOD ELEMENTARY 50TH BIRTHDAY SONG Oakwood
Eagles soaring high 50 years just flew on
by. Nows the time to celebrate. Those weve
helped to educate. Ooooh the friends weve
made Oh the knowledge we have
gained. Fabulous memories fill our hearts WE
LOVE OAKWOOD   Words by Mari Moroz Music
composition by James Moroz
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Plymouth History
An Old Irish Blessing May the road
rise to meet you,May the wind be always at your
back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,The
rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we
meet again...Until we meet again...May you live
well in the heart of your home,Until we meet
again.  Music by Teresa Jennings
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Plymouth History