Unique landmarks dot the county

Park Rapids

► The original Hubbard County Courthouse, located at 3rd St. and Court Ave., was built in 1900. A fine example of Victorian design, it is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It is the home of the Hubbard County Historical Society and Nemeth Art Center.

► The U.S. Post Office, at the corner of Park Avenue (Hwy. 71) and 3rd St., was occupied in 1939. In 1940, well-known Minnesota sculptor Alonzo Hauser carved oak figures for the post office as part of the Section of Fine Arts, administered by the U.S. Treasury. These large figures depict a lumberjack, an Indian and a scene of lakes, deer and pines and are located in the lobby. Atop the brick building are a cupola and unique weathervane. The old granite steps were removed in 2006.

► Main Avenue parking – a street wide enough to accommodate center and side parking – is a curiosity and a memorable feature of the town. It is said since Park Rapids originally was a logging community, the street was laid out so wide to allow teamsters to turn their horses around. It also has been said the street was made wide so piles of lumber could be stacked in the center to dry. Both stories may be right.

► The fire bell, displayed in front of the fire hall on U.S. Hwy. 71 south, was purchased in 1896 for $149, according to the Hubbard County Historical Museum. Inscribed on the 900-pound bell are the words “presented to the fire department of Park Rapids by J. B. Cutler.” In 1895, Cutler donated a lot to the fire department for the purpose of generating revenue. The lot was raffled off at $1 each, with 150 tickets issued. The Park Rapids Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its centennial in 1991.

► The Fish Hook mill pond and dam at Rice Park (and the state fish hatchery) still bear evidence of what was once the site of the town’s first sawmill and flour mill. They were built by Franklin C. Rice who came here in 1881 and founded the village of Park Rapids. In 1908 the voters gave Rice the franchise for the town’s electricity.

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Nevis

Muskie Park, located just north of Highway 34 in Nevis, is the home of the Tiger Muskie erected in the early 1950s. Trees were planted in the park in honor of Nevis’ World War I dead and now the park has a veterans memorial with a lighted flagpole, flower bed, honorarium benches and a walkway. A pavilion was dedicated in the park in 1993 with an enclosed stand for food sales and shelter for picnic tables.

Two Inlets

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Mary’s Church, Two Inlets, is a replica of the one in France with life-size statues of our Lady and Saint Bernadette, Stations of the Cross set in fieldstone frames and an outdoor altar.

Dorset Area

First English Lutheran Church in Dorset, dedicated in 1936, is built of hand-split fieldstone gathered from neighboring farms.

Akeley

Paul Bunyan’s statue on State Hwy. 34 in Akeley is the world’s tallest of the legendary woodcutter. He kneels holding his ax in one hand and stretching out his other hand as a seat for picture taking. It was dedicated in 1985 in a ceremony at Memorial Park, which is also the home of Paul’s cradle and an historical museum operated by the Paul Bunyan Historical Society.

Osage

Straight Lake is the source of Straight River. The 15 river miles between the dam at Straight Lake and the river’s confluence with the Fish Hook River is one of the premier brown trout streams in the state. Such natural reproduction is a rarity. Trout Unlimited promotes catch and release so trophy-size fish can continue to thrive here.

The former school on Hwy. 34 was built in 1938 during the WPA era. The building was the center of activity when Osage celebrated its centennial in 1991. The parade was so long, organizers considered having the parade stand still and the spectators walk around so the front would not catch the back and block the streets.