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Bushnell Road in Minnesota

Started by bugo, November 05, 2014, 03:41:26 PM

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bugo

This is a repost from MTR. I thought one of you guys might have the answer.

Many years ago, I remember a story in the news about a guy who was single handedly building a highway between Duluth and Fargo way.  I tracked down the story to Charles Kuralt.  The guy was Gordon Bushnell.  He died in the early 1980s.  He actually built 13 miles of road during the final 25 years of his life. Does anyone happen to know where this road is, and what became of it?  The only clue I have is a newspaper story that says that it was between and roughly parallel to US-2 and MN-210 north of Wright, MN.



NE2

From 1940:
http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16022coll2/id/30722
QuoteIt was decided to call the group "The Cross-State Highway Association" and membership cards will be issued at a later date. Memberships will be sold at $1 to provide funds to carry on the work. The sole object of this group of public spirited men is to have the state highway department take over this designated route and build a state highway from Duluth to Fergus Falls. This route will carry traffic through Pine River, Nimrod, Sebeka, Perham and on to Fergus Falls. A number of maps of the route have been made and may be secured from Arvid Lundin by anyone interested.
Bushnell was supposedly part of this association.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0AwhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UXMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4582%2C324393

There is in fact an Inter-County Highway D signed from MN 64 east through Pine River and Emily to the county line. Bushnell's portion was farther east, but I can't determine exactly where. The land he owned may have been along the county line, see the parcels labeled Steven Bushnell and R. Bushnell. A local with a day to waste might be able to find records of the easements.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

froggie

Assuming the "highway" is adjacent to the Bushnell's land (and there's three of them showing up on that Haugen Township plat), the likely suspect would be the equivalent of 490th St...1 mile north of Aitkin CSAH 32.  Problem is, as best as I can tell from aerial imagery, that "road" is only about 4 miles long, while the AP article from 1979 says he had built about 9 miles.  It also mentioned that he had to travel along "dirt washboard roads, avoiding potholes and sand pockets" in order to reach his highway.

The guess I made at the time of the MTR post, which I still think is the more likely suspect, is this road west of Floodwood, though we can't rule out "490th St" either.

Scott5114

uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

froggie


NE2

Quote from: froggie on November 07, 2014, 08:48:59 AM
Blame Safari.  Try this.
With multiple sources saying it's just north of Tamarack or Wright, I doubt it. This would be clearly described as west of Floodwood.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

froggie

It was a theory at the time, but one that meets the distance criteria, given the distances he claimed to have built already.

The High Plains Traveler

It was not long after I moved to Minnesota (1977) that KSTP-TV's Jason Davis did a feature on this Bushnell Road project. Would have been no later than early 1980s.
"Tongue-tied and twisted; just an earth-bound misfit, I."

teamotto

#8
i know where Bushnell Road is, or at least a section of it.  it is my understanding that if in fact there is 9 miles "completed" they are not necessarily all in one stretch.  I am a little hesitant to share openly where the road is.  the locals are not super friendly about tramping in and out of that trail"road".  The trail is not much to speak of and on it's best day back in the '80's was not possible by anything much more than a four wheeler.  In fact some of the people that owned land adjacent to the easement cut trees down a crossed the trail to prevent trespassers.

My heart really wants to share about the road and the little log cabin built by Bushnell but my brain is telling me to keep things close to the vest.

i would share some pics but i do not see how to here.
http://imgur.com/a/SEORe

Scott5114

Quote from: teamotto on July 10, 2017, 01:32:50 PM
i would share some pics but i do not see how to here.

You can upload them to an image-hosting site like http://imgur.com and then paste the share link here.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

froggie

@teamotto:  could you at least let me know if I'm in the ballpark with my "490th St" guess from a few years ago?

teamotto

Froggie, you are close.  there are a few sections that never got connected.  most of which are not even a decent trail and some are now private driveways...  a great old story that will likely get eaten up by the forest



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