Garen is an abandoned townsite in Washington County,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

History

Garen was a town just south of

Forest Lake, Minnesota Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, located 27 miles northeast of Saint Paul. The population was 20,611 at the 2020 census. The 2021 population is 20,608. History Forest Lake began as a stop on the St. Paul ...

. It was located on present

U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designate ...

and 190th Street. Garen South School in District No. 72 opened in 1893. It had 5 grades: A, B, C, D, and E. The school eventually burned to the ground. A former Forest Lake historian recalls: "A labor of love that impressed me was to learn about the thoughtfulness of the mothers on cold, winter days. They took turns bringing a hot dish, soup, home baked beans or scalloped potatoes to add to cold lunches the children brought from home in their lunch pails. There also was an oil stove for cooking. Sometimes they had hot chocolate to drink, which at times was a little scorched."

History

Further reading