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T103-4N, R7W
From, "The History of Houston
County", Taylor Publishing, 1982 Page 55
The township
which bears a "south of the border" name is approximately 43 square miles and is
made up of hills and valleys. The South Fork of the "Root river winds
through the southern part in a northeasterly direction. The Root River is
not far from the northern boundary, which is so arranged as to bring the line
within the valley, and it thus has an irregular outline that carries the
northeastern corner 2 1/2 miles further south than the corresponding corner on
the west. It is bounded on the north by Money Creek and Houston, on the
east by Houston and Sheldon, on the south by Black Hammer and on the west by
Fillmore county.
The first
settler in the area was Edwin Stevens in
1852 followed by Larr, Howe Comstock, McIntire,
Carrier, Lynch, Adams, Gould, Colby, Kelly, Chisholm, Earl, Ellisson, Loveridge,
Jacobson, Lee, Sennes, Thompson and Wilsey.
Yucatan was
established as a township in 1858. Yucatan is unique in that they have two
official town halls: the Stone School in the valley and the Oak Ridge
School on the ridge.
During the
mid-1800s the town meetings were held at the Dedham School and the Oak Ridge
School. Place was determined by vote at the annual meeting. In 1901
the annual meeting was held at Carrier Hall above the Yucatan Post Office.
In March 1894 it was voted to hold the next annual meeting at the Stone School.
During the
1800s eight road districts were designated (later the number was increased) with
an overseer over each, whose duty was to see that every able bodied male between
ages of 21 and 50, help to maintain the roads in their district for two days out
of each year or pay $1.50.
In 1872
Lawrence Lynch was hired to grade a road for
$20.00 with the stipulation that he furnish 1 keg of beer for the legal voters
as the next town meeting.
A special
town meeting was held at the Oak Ridge School in May, 1874 for the purpose of
voting for or against cattle and horses running at large, 44 votes were cast, 43
votes were cast in favor for cattle and horses running at large. They
continued to vote on this topic every year for about the next 25 years. In
1897 it was determined by a majority vote to restrain cattle from running at
large. Then, two Pound Masters were appointed, one in the south, and the
other in the north half to restrain animals that strayed.
A peddlers
license was levied in 1894; for a peddler with team, $5.00; for a peddler with a
horse, $4.00, and for a peddler afoot $3.00
The first
voting to authorize the town to build a town hall was voted down in 1894, again
in 1896 and again in 1903 it was turned down.
When the
first meeting was held to organize the town, the chairman was
Alonzo Adams, other officers were: Clerk, Mr.
Chapman; Treasurer, Mr. Little; Assessor, Hiram How; Justice of the Peace, E.
McIntire. Present officers are: Clerk Gifford Skree; Treasurer, Allen Orr;
Supervisors, Miles Klein, Chairman; Harley Rostvold and Alvin (Jimmy) Gaustad.
The Yucatan
Creamery was established in 1905 about where the old Dedham Mill was located.
The first
buttermaker is unknown, a Mr. Clementson was
the second, followed by Fred Solberg, who
was buttermaker until the creamery closed in 1963.
Fifty years
ago, in 1932, when H. O. Anderson was county
agent and Marjorie Pierrize, club agent, the
Yucatan ladies formed their Homemakers Club. That Year's project was Child
Development 1 with Mrs.
Alfred Flatten and Mrs. Gilvert Brevig leaders. Teere was also
a Child Development II with Mrs. Bernard Orr
and Mrs. Edward Flatten leaders.
The County
Home and Extension groups that year sponsored a county-wide outing for the
homemakers, with an attendance of 500. Each group contributed to the
program.
The present
officers in the Yucatan Homemakers are: Pat Peterson, chairman; Marilyn
Hahn, co-chairman; Judy Lee, secretary-treasurer; Avis Wojohn, historian and
Anna Flatten, sunshine.
In the
western part of town, the River Trails Girl Scout Camp, Whispering Hills which
encompasses over 400 acres, is located.
It has two
supper clubs, the Yucatan Supper Club in the former Yucatan Store and
Countryside, adjacent to Ferndale Golf Course. Countryside and the golf
course are along Highway 16 in the northwestern part of the township.
Submitted by Irene Orr
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