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boast “a boarding house and a saloon”. In order to make the
divorce from Marine more complete, a separate town was organized,
which was called Otis after the first settler of the place,
and an election was also once held there. The town lots were
sold for $60 each; on some of them houses were built, but here
as in most of the newly-founded towns many bought lots on
speculation. Hopes were entertained that the new place would
grow into a big city and that the town lots would rise to high
prices. This metropolis was expected to reach such great
proportions that it would soon absorb Marine, two miles away. At
this time there was plenty of money and wages were high.
The severe money stringency, which in the year 1857 struck
both Europe and America, had not as yet reached this remote
part of the world. Finally its widespread arms reached even
here and put an end to all speculations and hopes. The growth
of the new town stopped abruptly. Through carelessness on the
part of the working people the steam engine for the sawmill
was destroyed, and the owner, the aforesaid Register, whose main
income had been the money which came from the sale of town
lots, now found himself, because of the hard times, deprived of
this source of income and was not able to set the saw in order
again. With the closing of the sawmill the hopes for the
future prosperity of the town disappeared. The town slowly
went backward; soon the store, the saloon, and the post office
were closed. The new town was again united with Marine. On
the site which twenty years ago was so promising are now found
only a few buildings, most of which are occupied by farmers.
Still another little town or trading post existed in the
settlement, which also flourished for a while. We mean Arcola on the
St. Croix River, between Marine and Stillwater. Already about
1845 a one-blade sawmill was built there by some young
Americans, who had come from the State of Maine. They were poor
men and themselves did all the work in cutting the timber,
driving, and sawing it. That one-blade sawmill still stands there
and it is now owned by Martin Moor. Later a steam sawmill
was built on the place, which for a couple of years has not been
sawing any material. A store was also established there, but
even this is closed. A few dwelling houses, as well as a boarding
house, are still to be found in the place.
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