Posted on: Polk County Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mn/PolkBios/8 Surname: BULL, BARLOW, LAKIN, CARDWELL, SHERWOOD ------------------------- VALLEY LAND LEADS ALL J.R. BULL, OF ROCKWELL, IA., TOURED WEST FOR LAND BUT RETURNS HERE A REUNION OF IOWANS WAS HELD AT BEAUTIFUL FARM HOME OF MR. AND MRS. GEO. BARLOW SUNDAY J.L. Lakin, of Rockwell, Ia., arrived here last week to look after threshing operations and other fall work on his fine half section of land located on the east half of section 31 in Parnell township, Polk county, and will remain for several weeks. He raised a good crop this year and is well pleased with the prospects. He hires all the work done and finds this more profitable and more satisfactory than renting, as he gets the work done as he wants it. He believes that the Red River Valley has a great future as a corn raising country. Mr. Lakin owns a half section of land near Rockwell, Iowa, which he purchased 27 years ago for $10 per acre, and which he can sell any day now for $110 per acre. He states that far better corn is raised here now than was raised there for many years after he purchased that land. Mr. Lakin, in an interview with the Times yesterday, stated that Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Bull, of Rockwell, Ia., were visiting former Rockwell residents in this vicinity, after an extended tour of the west, where they were in search of land. They purchased nothing out west but will without doubt close a deal for a large farm near Crookston within ______ which they will place two of their grown sons, while Mr. and Mrs. Bull will purchase a residence in Crookston and make their future home here. They are very much pleased with the country about Crookston and believe it will be one of the greatest agricultural sections of the United States. They found nothing in the west which suited them as well, and look at the prices asked for land here as extremely reasonable, believing a material advance is absolutely certain. Last Sunday there was a very pleasant reunion of Iowans at the splendid farm home of Geo. Barlow, east of Crookston, Mr. Barlow owning about 1,000 acres of fine land. Mr. and Mrs. Barlow were formerly of Rockwell, Ia., and the gathering was a most delightful affair. A sumptuous repast was served and practically everything but the sugar and tea and coffee were products of the Barlow farm. Tender spring chicken, the finest of garden produce, grapes, ice cream butter, eggs, corn, water and muskmelons and scores of other delicacies were produced from products of the farm. Mr. Barlow has a fine dairy herd, prize sheep and hogs, beef cattle, etc., and, in addition to other fine crops, has 60 acres of field corn which is ripe and which Mr. Lakin says will go better than 50 bushels per acre. The Iowans present at the reunion included Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Bull of Rockwell, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cardwell of Crookston. H.M. Sherwood of Rockwell, who owns a fine farm near Beltrami, J.L. Lakin, Rockwell; Mr. and Mrs. Goe. Barlow, and daughters, May and Stella.