The Original Townsite Plat of White Bear Lake

The Original Townsite Plat of White Bear Lake. . The summer of 1971 marked the centennial anniversary of the original townsite plat of White Bear Lake. During the 1860's officials of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad purchased the land which was to become the nucleus of the village of White Bear Lake. Gates A. Johnson, a company surveyor platted a townsite at this location in July of 1871 under the direction of Frank Clark, president of the line, and Jacob Stewart, its agent.

Thereafter this plat governed the form and growth of what is now the central portion of the city. The basic plan, which divided most residential blocks into plots measuring 75 by 150 feet, provided spacious lots for summer cottages and permanent abodes. The owners of blocks 46 and 62 reserved them for resort hotels.

This plat designated street and avenue names and allowed for roadways 60 feet wide. Two exceptions were Stewart Avenue, which measured 90 feet wide, and Clark Avenue, which was 150 feet wide. Track routes for the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad and the Stillwater and St. Paul Railroad were laid out as well.

With commendable vision, the city planners preserved the lands along the lake between Fourth and Seventh Streets as public parks. Similarly, the roads were dedicated to public use. Established in an orderly and farsighted manner with this townsite plat, White Bear Lake grew as a resort and residential community.