Clearwater Area Historical Society has an active presence in Lynden Township.
Listed in the ‘History of Stearns County’, it was noted that the town of Lynden is situated in the southeast corner of Stearns County, and was originally covered with brush and timber. A few settlers arrived as early as 1853, but it was not until 1856 that any considerable settlement was made. The township was touted as having “rich and fertile soil.”
Early Beginnings of Lynden Township Hall
The first formal schooling in Lynden Township was taught in a shanty in the winter of 1858-59 by J. Kingsley from Vermont. In 1859, the funds for a new building were raised by subscription, with the first teacher in the new building being Marrietta Vorse.
In 1869, School District 153 was organized in the Weyrauch School (now known as Lynden Township Hall) after several area residents from sections 19, 20, 29 and 30 appeared before Stearns County Commissioners petitioning to start a new school district and remove themselves from the Clearwater School District. They were combined with residents of what was then District 50 and thus became the new and larger School District 153.
Weyrauch School was the center of many community activities and was in operation until 1970, when the last graduating eighth grade class included two students, Larry Storms and Terry Storms .
The remodeled and expanded old Weyrauch School sits on the corner of Co. Rd. 44 and Co. Rd. 143, and is used as the location for township meetings and is available to rent for special occasions.
For information about renting the town hall, see the Town Hall Rental Policy & Application.
Acacia Cemetery
Lynden Township is home to the historic Acacia Cemetery.
On October 20, 1866, a committee of the newly formed Clearwater Masons was appointed to select suitable grounds for a cemetery. The committee reported on November 3, 1866, that they could purchase five acres from J.M. Fuller for the sum of $100. The committee was directed to make the purchase and on March 2, 1867, the Masons adopted rules and regulations governing the cemetery. This was the first ground dedicated as a cemetery between Monticello and St. Cloud.
Located in Lynden Township between Hwy 75 and Co. Rd. 143, today Acacia encompasses approximately 8 acres. The cemetery is non-denominational and is governed by the lot owners with an annual meeting setting rates and policies.
If you take an afternoon stroll through Acacia, you will find stones marked with dates in the late 1800’s, and you may recognize many of the family names that are still prevalent in our community today. Several Civil War veterans are buried at Acacia and a memorial was erected to honor them along the west side of the cemetery. Other veterans have been honored by the local Legion Club and family members with special individual bronze stars, markers and flags.
Information from Stearns County History and Clearwater Masons records
For more information about Acacia Cemetery, please visit their website.
Century Farms in Lynden Township
The following farms have been in existence for at least 100 years:
• 1898 – Heaton, Tertius
• 1879 – Murphy, Edward and Beth
• 1867 – Storms, Harold
Information provided by Stearns History Museum
• 1867 – Storms, David C.
• 1859 – Heaton, Lyle
Information provided by Clearwater Area Historical Society