The Heart of the Lakes; The Story of Annandale

Annandale is a small town in Central Minnesota known as "The Heart of the Lakes" due to the 27 lakes within a 10-miles radius of the community.  Annandale is located along Highways 24 and 55.  To help tell the story of Annandale I was joined resident Jill Bishop, City Administrator Kelly Hinnenkamp, and Mayor Shelly Jonas.

Bishop says "There are several versions of the source of Annandale's name. The village was originally named Abbeyville, but a new name had to be chosen when applying for a post office permit revealed there was already an Abbeyville in Minnesota. In one story a showbill for Lizzy Annandale was on display just outside the window when the decision was being made. Another version has the town named after Annie, the sweetheart of James Pratt, the man who platted Annandale in 1886. The third and least colorful account is that it was named after the Annan River in Scotland. Whatever the true origin of the name, Annandale was incorporated in 1888 with 187 citizens and John Buri as the first mayor (president of the council)".

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Annandale's settlement was initially smaller than nearby South Haven, which is 6 miles to the west.  The settlements of South Haven and Fairhaven came before Annandale.  Bishop says due to fires that burned down key buildings in South Haven, Annandale grew larger than South Haven.  The draw of Annandale was it was a mail and water stop for the railroad.  Bishop says "The coming of the Minneapolis and Pacific Railroad, later called the Soo Line, was a key factor in Annandale's early prosperity. Many early towns such as Fairhaven, Silver Creek, and French Lake were bustling population centers larger than Annandale before the railroad passed them by. Before there were decent roads, the rail lines provided the main method of both personal and business travel. Passenger trains provided transportation to and from Annandale until the 1960s, but by then the post-WWII highway system was in place, and again Annandale is fortunate to be located at the intersection of two state highways, MN-24 that passes through the downtown main street, and MN-55 (originally #69). But it was the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s that originally determined its fate and enabled it to grow and prosper into the central town between St. Cloud and Buffalo."

When Annandale's downtown was designed in the 1880s the council decided to put up a wooden canopy system in an old west theme.  Bishop says in 2002 when MN-Dot determined main street had to be widened the canopies had to come down.  She says they were rotting away.  Bishop says the city wanted to maintain a distinct look so they now have an awning system.

Annandale has numerous churches in the community.  Jill Bishop offers this history of churches in Annandale.  "In Annandale, like in most small towns, the churches have always been and still are an integral part of the social fabric. Many were formed by the early settlers and have celebrated centennial anniversaries. More than just places of worship, churches in the 1800s were centers for language and culture brought over from Europe, and many still conducted services in their native tongue in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1928 at the Mt. Herman Lutheran Church the language for services changed from Swedish to English, but not everyone was in agreement. When the pastor said that "God will understand English," another church member replied, "God will understand it, but He's not going to like it."

Bishop continues "The ethnic background of many current Annandale residents relates to the churches of the early settlers, and many of the same names can be found in the old cemeteries and the current phonebook. The Silver Creek Community Church to the northwest of Annandale dates back to Dutch settlers with names like Naaktgeboren and Vandergon. The Finnish, Lampi and Hoikka, are south of town; Germans Kiehn and Schultz are north and west; and the Swedes, Olson, Johnson, and Nordberg, are all around. St. Ignatius Catholic Church was originally located in French Lake, but when it moved to Annandale many of the Irish moved east to Maple Lake."

The first school in Annandale was a log structure put up by settlers in 1869, and when Annandale was incorporated in 1888 the new community erected a 2-story building. That serviceable building later became the city hall and remained standing until 2001 when it was razed to make room for the new city hall.

The 27 lakes in the area make Annandale a lake community.  Bishop says there used to be numerous resorts on the lakes in the area but those have now largely become lake homes.  She notices an increase in traffic Friday afternoon/evenings and Sunday nights during the spring - fall months with people going to their lake homes.  Mayor Jonas says Annandale is the location many lake goers flock to due to their grocery store, hardware store, restaurants, drug store, event centers and Spilled Grain Brew House.

Jonas and Hinnenkamp indicate Annandale has numerous attractions including paint ball, 3 nearby golf courses, Spilled Grain Brew House, and they have another business looking to add an indoor virtual reality option which includes ax throwing.  Hinnenkamp says there is lots of excitement in the community.

Community celebrations include a 5-day 4th of July celebration which includes a carnival, parade, and fireworks.  Jonas says other events include a car show, a farmers market Saturdays and they are a stop on the Christmas train in the winter.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Jill Bishop, Shelly Jonas and Kelly Hinnenkamp, they are available below.