Women in the 1890s - 1930s battled social stigmas, pegging them as physically and mentally inferior to their male counterparts. Unable to vote, most women could not hold certain jobs, or participate in sports, the majority of women were molded from birth into the role of housewife. As a result, many women found their education and skills neglected and underutilized by society.

For women seeking to unearth their buried talents, clubs provided them with an avenue to address social and political issues near to their hearts. The same was true for the women of Cokato.

​​Cokato High School boys basketball team was formed when the girls team disbanded in 1904, and the sole basketball was now up for grabs. Their first game was played outdoors against Howard Lake, resulting in Cokato losing 13 to 19. The next few years were developing years, with varying amounts of interest from the Cokato boys. Eventually, in 1907, Cokato basketball became an official varsity sport. The first game was played in Stevenson Hall, and resulted in a loss to the Acme Athletic Club.

For over a century, lumberyards played an integral role in the development of Cokato’s community. It’s hard to say who started the first lumberyard in Cokato. In the early 1880s, there were a smattering of very short-lived lumber yards, and many farms in the area had their own sawmills. In time, Cokato’s lumberyards were consistently housed at four        primary locations: Broadway Avenue and 1st Street SW; Millard Ave; Jenks Avenue and Third Street SW; and Century Avenue and 1st Street SW.