By Sue Sylvester
Rasset City
The Haverty’s lived about 6 miles from Maple Lake and 8 miles from Waverly. Remember this was the horse and buggy days and that was a long way to haul milk or head to a grocery store. The Haverty family history states that around 1900, Jack leased land from the Bergstrom (Borgstrom) family at the crossroads of CR 8 and CR 35. He then preceded to build a general store which would have been on the west side of CR 8. Also in 1900, across CR 8 east from store on CR 8 and CR 35 a creamery was built. Later a blacksmith shop was built just north of the creamery, The name Rasset according to the Maple Lake Centennial book history stated that Ed Rasset, Pete LaBore, Jack Haverty, Hjalmar Bergstrom, and S.A. Anderson met together to choose the town’s name. “Each man was given a slip of paper on which to write his choice of a name. The slips were placed in a hat, from which one lucky winner would be drawn. Ed Rasset submitted the winning name-Rasset City.”
Mary stated that “Jack farmed the land, ran the store and was treasurer of the creamery. After working all day at the store he would work on the books for the creamery, becoming very frustrated with his dip ink pen. He would throw many of them on the floor. Then he would walk home about ½ mile away and try to keep the farm going. Unable to continue with this heavy load of farm and store, Jack sold the store about 1910 to Mrs. Pete Kalstrom, who moved it across the road.” Most of us remember where the Rasset store sat. It was just east of the creamery, then there was a residential home (the buttermaker resided there in the early 1900’s,) and then the store. The Maple Lake Centennial book also gives us some more information. They stated that the Rasset post office was located in the store from 1900-1904. The Rasset store was in the Maple Lake Telephone Directory in 1905. The original store that Jack built was replaced in 1917 with a new structure. However I read in a 1973 article by Les Nelson that they felt the rebuilding was in 1913-14 by Ed Zimmerman. I concur with Les Nelson. I looked up records that showed Zimmerman bought the property from Elizabeth Kalstrom Couette and George Couette in 1913. He also bought additional property from Swas A. and Anna Anderson which extended the property further east and north to build the bigger store. (Mary said the original store was behind the new store. According to Jack’s obituary of 1958, that original building was torn down on the summer he died.)
I only have one problem with the family story. I refer you to the plat map of 1901. The store building should have been noted in the very corner of Borgstrom land, west of CR 8 and CR 35. Since family history stated the store was open in 1900 but there was no building drawn on the map. (I added the building to the 1901 plat in a blue color so you would know its placement) The Borgstrom farmhouse was drawn on the plat, you can see Jack’s farmhouse, and his brother Tom and mom Mary’s home are also on the plat. The creamery was drawn on the east corner of CR 8 and CR 35. Then you clearly see a building marked Rasset PO east of the creamery about where the Rasset Store/Bar Grill we knew stood. For once I am at a loss for words. Was the store really built on Borgstrom leased land and later moved? If the store was built in 1900, why wasn’t it on the map?