In the Midst
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Article by Michael Worcester from the Cokato Historical Society's newsletter In the Midst Of, October, 2005, Vol. 25 No. 4.  Standard Oil Station, Broadway and Third. It is known that the first car seen in Cokato appeared in late August 1900. As written in Cokato’s First Century:
“the occupants were a man and wife reported to be en route to Mille Lacs Lake to hunt and fish. The Enterprise editor wrote that the vehicle ‘speeded” along at a rate of 12 miles per hour when on a good road, and the horseless carriage was quite a sight for those who had never seen one before, which probably meant almost everyone in Cokato.” It would be another three years before car ownership arrived in Cokato, when businessman Emil Erickson and farmer John Ojanpera each purchased a new Oldsmobile. Gust Akerlund joined the ranks of car owners two years later, when he purchased a 1905 Oldsmobile from a stranger who drove into town. In that day, there were no service stations to supply the essentials needed for auto ownership. Oil and gas were bought in bulk from hardware dealers. It would be another thirteen years until an actual service station opened in Cokato. And when it did, it was under the ownership of the largest corporate conglomerate in the world, Standard Oil. Written by Cokato Museum Staff Cokato Boat and Cabinet Works was started by Gordon L. Mattson in the garage of his parents, John and Levina Mattson. In the spring of 1948, Gordon moved his boat-building business to a facility on his father's property on Highway 12 in Cokato. He was soon joined by his brother, Milton Mattson, who helped Gordon construct custom made cedar strip boats in 12, 14, and 16 foot sizes.
Article by Ted Peterson from the Cokato Historical Societies newsletter. Photograph of Knapp from Knapp Lutheran Church bell tower, circa 1910. (Cokato Museum Collection) The first church horse barn was built sometime after the second church at Knapp. It was located in the northeast corner of the church plat or close to the Knapp Store and was demolished in the year 1910 or in the latter part of the Rev. Melin's term.
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