These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
October 20, 2024
Peat Lands were on fire in this district 90 years ago. This article published in the September 20, 1934
issue of the Roseau Times-Region tells about it.
District Ranger Dick Willems of Warroad made a brief stop in Roseau Monday morning. He was on his
way west towards Karlstad to check over the firefront in that section.
Mr. Willems stated that about 40,000 acres of peat soil are on fire in this district. The fire line extends
from near Karlstad eastward into Roseau, Marshall, Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties. The Twin
Lakes bottoms are on fire, and whatever hay is stacked there on peat soil is in danger. The same holds
true of other sections where peat lands were sufficiently level to permit cutting of hay.
Warnings had been given time and again by the ranger and the fire wardens to not leave hay in those
areas unless an ample fire guard down to mineral soil had been provided.
Most of the fires are in farming and marginal lands, with very little if any in the forest areas, stated Mr.
Willems. The fires cover too much territory for his forces to be able to cope with it successfully. Fires that
are extinguished are started again making it an endless job and beyond the capacity of the department.
Mr. Willems urges neighbors to co-operate in helping each other when peat fires threaten. Mr. Willems
and his men will try to cover as much ground as possible.
William Rombach of Algoma township lost a stack of hay by fire Sunday. The loss was estimated at about
$75. The blame for this fire was laid at the door of hunters.
A week later this related item appeared:
A number of people the past week have been making inquiries at the court house in regard to
unoccupied burned over land in the eastern part of the county.
There is a reason for this. Some excellent crops have been raised on such lands. Where the drainage is
good and the soil underlying the peat is good clay soil, grains and grass seed crops flourish on these
lands. Considerable of this sort of lands are waiting for willing hands to clear and put them in readiness
for crops.
On October 11, 1934, this story tells that the fire took a life.
Gust Harthun of Clearriver township lost his life by burning yesterday afternoon. He was found by his
son, Robert, at about 4:15, but it is believed that the tragedy happened about 2:30.
Mr. Harthun was last seen by his son and daughter at 11 o’clock in the forenoon. They were hauling hay
from a stack in 160-37, and Mr. Harthun was fighting fire a mile from there. Fires are burning all around
in that neighborhood. The fires were being driven by a strong wind and threatened the stack, and this
Mr. Harthun probably saw and rushed to save his hay. What happened is that he was overcome by
smoke a short distance from the stack, for his body was found 30 feet from it, with clothes burned off it
and the body badly charred.
Coroner Carl Listug was called shortly after six o’clock. On investigation he decided no inquest was
necessary.
Mr. Harthun was born in Germany, May 31, 1885. He owned a nice 80-acre farm in Clearriver. He leaves
his widow and seven children, whose names are Mike, Philip, Viola, Robert, Adolph, Violet and Herbert.
His mother, two brothers and three sisters are living. The Harthun farm is located a mile west of
Clearriver.
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