The following appeared in the Rock County Star Herald on May 27, 1965.
OLD GN RESERVOIR IS:
Hills’ Recreational Area
Give the people of Hills a worthy project for the community and you need not search far for helping hands. Such is the unanimous opinion of Bud Bush, Dennis Ronning or Fred Nuffer, who comprise the members of the Hills Village Council.
The three members of the Village Council absolutely refuse more than a little credit for offering moral support in the project which is generally referred to as the Hills Recreational Area.
Ed Demuth is generally credited with having the original vision of a park and recreational area, which the community badly needed.
Old GN Reservoir
The whole idea of a local recreational area developed when the old Great Northern reservoir became available to the community. For many years this reservoir served as a source of water for Great Northern Railway steam engines.
Mr. Demuth was named general chairman of the project and he has been assisted by Delmar Larson and Charles Nelson in the general planning and organizing.
The committee envisioned all manner of recreational opportunities. The reservoir, which is several acres in size, offered opportunities for swimming, fishing, water skiing, boating, skating and canoeing. The surrounding area provides opportunity for picnics, camping, games, hiking, nature study and relaxation.
Response From Everywhere
The general plan of procedure was announced to the residents of Hills and surrounding area. Response came from everywhere. People came from the town and country. There was a great big clean up job to be done. Trees, branches and debris that had accumulated through the years had to be removed. Roads and pathways had to be built.
Rock and stone had to be placed to rip rap the pond and protect against wave action. Drainage systems needed to be planned. The Soil Conservation Service offered some help in this area. Farmers came out with trucks and tractors. City folks came with saws and shovels. Money was needed and it came from memberships, at $5.00 each, in the Recreational Development Committee. Nearly 100 memberships were sold. The Village Council voted a little money. Nearly $800.00 was raised. Help came from other sources also. Clem Hatting donated 40 loads of gravel. Fish were requested from the Fish and Game Division of the Minnesota Conservation Department.
Some work remains to be done. Some work will no doubt remain to be done for a long time, but much of the project is finished. The swimming pool will be ready this summer, so will the areas for picnicking. More buildings will be constructed, but these will come from year to year.
For now, the people of the Hills community, whose leaders want no credit for what they did, are very proud of the Recreational Area they built themselves.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.