Fergus Falls: River City

Fergus Falls: River City. The Lake on the Hill. , Lake Alice Has Become an Important Focal Point for the People of Fergus Falls, Lake Alice , (2 blocks west and 1 block north of this spot) , Lake Alice has been a leading attraction for residents since Fergus Falls was first settled in the late 1860s. "The Grove," a wooded area along the south end of the lake, was a pleasant discovery for early home builders and picnickers., Although there is virtually no boating on the lake today, rowing was once a favorite local pastime on summer evenings. Sailboats and launches provided rides to those who didn't have their own boats., Skating has always been a popular activity on Lake Alice, and long-time residents describe the lake as having been "black with skaters" on winter evenings, Sundays and holidays., Lake Alice Historic Facts and Dates , 1871/1872: Lake Alice was named for a prominent female Fergus Falls pioneer; unfortunately, it is unclear just which "Alice" the lake honors., One story says that a group of fifteen or twenty young men met on the south side of the lake on a Sabbath afternoon in March 1871 and christened the lake for Alice Faber, "the first young lady inhabitant of Fergus Falls.", Another story asserts that Fergus Falls promoter George B. Wright named the lake in the spring of 1872 for Alice Page, the wife of his friend Henry G. Page. At the time, Wright was trying to persuade the Pages to move from Minneapolis and open a bank in Fergus Falls., 1873: A sailboat was seen on Lake Alice for the first time. , 1874: A fountain in the lake threw a stream of water 40 feet high. , 1874: A summer grand regatta was held, with two boat crews rowing against one another. , 1886: A floating bandstand was built for evening band concerts. Progressive citizens succeeded in having a sidewalk laid on the south side of Lakeside Drive, enabling one to walk halfway around the lake on concrete. , 1895: A Mr. Cheney started a steamer launch. , 1904: Jacob Hoffman made a balloon ascension and came down in Lake Alice shouting, "Get a boat, get a boat!" He became entangled in a mass of weeds a hundred feet from shore near Cascade Street and drowned, even though he was an expert swimmer., One lap around Lake Alice is 1.2 miles, a popular spot for walkers, runners and bicyclists., The Levee: Geese Everywhere! , The Department of Natural Resources and a group of sportsmen developed a goose refuge in 1963. Fergus Falls was at the center of this 1,500-square mile project and what started with six pair of Canada geese quickly grew. Adding 40 yearlings annually for many years, there are now breeding pairs in virtually every slough in the area., Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center , (formerly Fergus Falls State Hospital) , Minnesota's first mental hospitals had been established in St. Peter in 1866 and Rochester in 1877, but overcrowding in the 1870s led the state legislature to call for a third facility., The new center was to serve western and northwestern Minnesota. Warren B. Dunnell, a well-known Minneapolis architect, was retained to draw up the plans, and construction of the main hospital building began in 1888. O.R. Mather and John Lauritzen built much of the structure, which was made of stone and cream brick manufactured in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota., The State Hospital operated a farm for nearly a century. From 1891 to 1969 patients, employees, and townspeople produced food and other products consumed at the hospital. In the late 90s treatment for people with mental illness was shifted to small group homes. Advances in medicine also made congregate living obsolete and the State Hospital was closed. The State sold it to the City of Fergus Falls and it remains stoic on the hill, awaiting reuse or preservation., Fergus Falls locations on the National Register of Historic Places , (as of 2020) , . Barnard Mortuary, 119 N. Union Ave.; currently an office building. , . Charles C. Clement House, 608 N. Burlington Ave.; currently a private residence. , . Fergus Falls City Hall, 112 W. Washington; still used as city hall. , . Fergus Falls State Hospital Complex, N. Union Ave.; now Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center. , . Hotel Kaddatz, 11-113 W. Lincoln; currently an art gallery and historic apartments. , . John W. Mason House, 205 W. Vernon; currently a private residence. , . River Inn, 133 Mill St. S.; currently an apartment building and office space. , . Otter Tail County Courthouse, Court St. S. and Junius Ave.; still the courthouse. , . Park Region Luther College, 715 W. Vernon; now Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. , . Charles J. Wright House, 831 E. Mt. Faith; currently a private residence. , . U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, 118 S. Mill Street; now a Federal Courthouse., Captions: , Lake Alice , Is this the "Alice" for whom the lake was named? , Bicyclers on Lakeside Drive S., Fergus Falls, circa 1895. , Regional Treatment Center aerial – 2001