Livonia Township, formerly a part of Elk River, was settled in 1856 and organized as a township in 1866. Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English speaking families mainly settled the area. The first settlers in this township were J.H. Felch of Maine, and J. F. Bean of New Hampshire, who settled on section five in 1856. Samuel Hayden located on section nine as well in 1856. These were the first of what has since been know as the Lake Fremont Settlement, just north of the current City of Zimmerman. Livonia Township then formed into three separate areas of settlement, Lake Fremont, Spencer Settlement and Meadow Vale. Lake Fremont and the southeastern area called the Spencer Settlement were first settled in the mid-1850s, while farmers moved into the Meadow Vale area in the later 1870s. A partial list of the first town officers clearly shows the presence of these men. Supervisors were: B.N. Spencer (Chair) and A. C. Whitney; Clerk, Cyrus Calkins; Justice of the Peace and also Town Clerk, A. T. Lougee; W. Wagner became the Assessor. Later in 1908, when a post office was built in town, Ina Bean was appointed postmistress.
The origin of the name Livonia is said to have been given the Christian name of the wife of Benjamin Spencer. Spencer settled in this township in 1864 and acted as the probate judge of the county for two terms. Lake Fremont was named after the western explorer, John C. Fremont. Lake Fremont originally received its name in 1856, when John Charles Fremont was the Republican candidate for president of the United States. Fremont was the assistant of Nicollet who did surveying and mapping of the upper Mississippi region including Minnesota. Lake Fremont was also given the name of Zimmerman by the Railway Company in honor of Moses Zimmerman who sold the land to the Great Northern Railroad for the rail lines and what later came to be known as the Town of Zimmerman. Lake Fremont, or Zimmerman, was incorporated in 1912. Meadow Vale has no known historical reference for its name.
Railroad and Education Influenced by the Bean Family
When the first stagecoach line was established between Elk River and Princeton, it came over the hill of the present village of Zimmerman, and past the Bean home. The “Road to Princeton” as it came to be called, ran through the township and continued north. A major stopping place for the stagecoaches along this route was the Bean family farm just north of what is now Zimmerman. Travelers could stop, rest their stock, eat and even sleep overnight at the Bean’s homestead. A reprint of the family’s ledger logs some of the visits, “Oct. 19, 1879, there were five men, three yoke oxen, dinner, $1.50”. Eventually the Great Northern tracks ran parallel to the road.
Back in the stagecoach days, the Bean home was a drop-off point for the mail as well. Joseph Bean was appointed the first postmaster. Later, when the railroad went through, someone from the Bean Family would meet the train at 5:00 a.m. for the mail.
The first school taught in Livonia, in 1859, was in the house of J.F. Bean. By 1881, the township had divided in four districts. Bessie Bean organized the first Sherburne County School on February 25, 1856. In 1859 she began teaching children at her home, which was also the rest stop for travelers along the “Road to Princeton”.
The Bean family farm was clearly an asset to the township and helped shape the area. As mentioned above, the Joe F. Bean Family farm was the site of the first school for the township, an early post office for the area, and a stopping place for travelers in the late 1800s. The Original Bean family farm remains in the family today and is owned by Joe Bean, Jr. and is also now the location of the North Forty Christmas Tree Farm. The site was designated a Century Farm by the Sherburne County Historical Society in November 1989.
Agriculture and Farming
Early settlers of the Township were farmers who developed mixed crop farms. The land in 1881 was described as “somewhat undulating” according to accounts in a book titled, History of the Upper Mississippi Valley. The eastern part being covered with a good growth of timber. The southwestern portion contained some good timber, but was mostly brush land. The northwestern part had a scattering growth of burr oak, and the soil was “somewhat sandy”. In the Town of Zimmerman, the usual mix of consumer related businesses flourished with a thriving local trade. A livery stable, the creamery, a small bank, several general stores, and a lumberyard prospered in the community. According to History of the Upper Mississippi Valley, the agricultural report for 1880 shows the following products in Livonia: Wheat, 11,252 bushels; oats, 5,711 bushels; corn, 8,533 bushels; rye, 1,008 bushels; potatoes, 1,995 bushels; beans, 112 bushels; sugar cane, 641 gallons; cultivated hay, 1,166 tons; apples, 114 bushels; wool, 195 pounds; butter, 10,475 pounds; and honey, 160 pounds.
Government
Minnesota has 1,793 townships. Typically, the geographical area consists of a six by six mile section of land. Livonia Township was formerly a part of Elk River, but organized as Livonia Township in 1866. The City of Zimmerman lies entirely within Livonia Township. The population of Livonia Township in 1900 was 501. The village of Lake Fremont, or Zimmerman, was unincorporated so the population was counted as Township residents. In 1950, the population was 455 for the Township and 169 in Zimmerman. By 1997, the numbers were 3,605 for Livonia, and 2,330 for the City of Zimmerman. The 2000 census reports 4,391 for a total population for Livonia Township. This figure is increasing rapidly with the growth of the township and Sherburne County.
Telephone Service Begins
Telephone service began about 1903 between Elk River and Zimmerman. The Meadow Vale Rural Telephone Company was maintained by Anton Hanson during the early days, and later by the shareholders of the company. They all helped to maintain the line with little pay. Later, Melvin Westberg and Wilbur Taylor were left to care for the line until Bell Telephone took over the line. Some early shareholders included Sandusky, Frank Sellon, Harry Mickelson, Fred Keasling, A.B. Carson and Elmer Taylor. Originally, there were only two phones in Zimmerman, one at Hanson Hardware and the other was at the William and Maggie Swanson’s General Store. If there was an emergency in the area, one long general ring alerted the community to help.
(Found: Historically Speaking, "Taste of Livonia's History. Vol. 16, Fall 2001)