From Trygg Historical Maps, Trygg Land Office, Ely, MN www.trygglandoffice.com/maps.html b=bottom land, m=marsh, p=prairie, s=swamp

Basic Facts: Township N136, Range W42 Government survey 18?? First Settled 18?? Organized March 19, 1879

History

[Copied by Lory Brasel, [email protected], from the book "History of Otter Tail County" Volume I - 1916 by John W. Mason]

Otter Tail county may well boast of its many beautiful lakes and more than fifteen hundred have been ennumerated with the limits of the county. There is one township in the county where the water area actually exceeds the land area and Lida township (township 136, range 42), while it may not claim distinction on any other score, yet has undisputed claim to the honor of having the least land area of any township in the county. It was organized on March 19, 1879, upon the presentation of a petition signed by Stephen A. Card and others, totaling a majority of the legal voters of the territory in question. The petitioners asked that the new township be called Lake Lida, but the commissioners shortened it to Lida. The first election was held at the house of C. A. Rogers on the fifth of the following month.

The petition asking for the organization of the township carried the following signers: Stephen A. Card, George Skeplorn, J. S. Pease, F. W. Vickry, J. W. Rogers, Melvin Stone, W. Wright, H. Baker, F. H. Harris, H. J. Wilson, Louis De Pocher, Henry Hostermann, C. A. Rogers, H. Cummings, A. Cummings and A. E. Rathbun.

Two lakes, Lida and Lizzie, cover more than half of the township, while there are in addition nearly twenty lakes of smaller size scattered over the township. The whole township lies in the Pelican river basin; in fact, the Pelican river flows through Lake Lizzie. The surface of the township is very rugged, especially on the eastern side.

The first store in the township was on the shores of Lake Lida in the northwestern corner of section 14 and the postoffice which was kept in this store was known by Uncle Sam as Lida. Another postoffice, called Bessie, was kept at the house of Benson L. Brown in section 34. It was called Bessie in honor of his wife. Both Lida and Bessie were discontinued in 1905 when the rural service out of Pelican Rapids was extended to cover Lida township. Early in the history of the township a steam saw-mill was put into operation in the extreme southwestern corner of section 11. Another saw-mill was on the farm of Herman Hostermann on the western side of section 7. At the present time there is neither a store, mill nor blacksmith shop within the limits of the township.