History of Bass Lake Lumber
Bass Lake Lumber was started by Allen and Charlotte Selander. In the mid 1960's, Allen changed professions from dairy farming and began a construction company. The company was incorporated on May 3, 1967 and named Allen Selander Construction, Inc. Allen specialized in agriculture buildings and was a Berg dealer serving farmers in Burnett, Polk and Pine counties.
In 1971, Allen and Charlotte purchased the former Bass Lake School property to store materials and better serve their customers. The property included a solid two-level brick building, a small garage, and 2 acres of land; it had not been used as a school since 1968. The property was 1/2 mile away from Allen and Charlotte's home. Shortly after purchasing the property, people stopped in wanting to purchase building materials. Orville Murphy was hired as yard manager and Bass Lake Lumber was set up as a division of Allen Selander Construction, Inc. In the 1970's, Allen was also a dealer for prefabricated home called Midwestern Homes that were factory built in Rapid City, SD. Throughout the 70's, Allen and Charlotte operated both the construction company and the lumberyard; each business continued to develop. The two sons, Dean and Craig, grew up working in the family businesses. 1978, Dean graduated from high school and continued full time in the construction company; Craig graduated in 1980 and followed suit. Allen passed away suddenly in December of 1980. |
Dean took over the lumberyard management duties along with Charlotte and was elected President of the Corporation. Craig was elected VP and went on to school at Dunwoody Industrial Institute; he graduated in 1983 with a diploma in Architectural Drafting and Estimation. After graduating from Dunwoody, he returned to work at the lumberyard until 1990 when he returned to school to pursue a career in Architecture.
Charlotte retired in 1995. Craig also returned that year to open his architect office in Grantsburg. Craig continues to assist Dean in management of the lumber yard but is not involved in the day to day activities; he does provide a design/drafting service to our customers. In 2003, we purchased 3 acres from neighbor Doug Anderson and began a significant lumberyard expansion to improve material storage and customer service. That year, Lynn Selander-Olby joined the family business as bookkeeper and was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the Corporation. The former two-room Bass Lake School building that Allen, Dean and Lynn attended is still the main office. We have added over 26,000 square feet of storage to provide efficient and easy access to all building materials. We primarily serve customers and a number of contractors within a 40 mile radius of the lumberyard. We look forward to meeting and assisting you with all your building needs. |
History of Bass Lake School
Bass Lake Lumber is located in the former Bass Lake School which operated as a school from 1939-1967. The school district was organized in 1877 and five different buildings have served as the school through the years. The first was located new County Road O; the school was in session for one year and was later used as a home. The second Bass Lake School was built near the SE corner of Section 17 and was in that location for seven years. In 1889, the school moved to its present location on one acre of land bought from P.A. Edlof for $12.00 with an additional $6.00 spent for clearing. In 1898 a primary room was added by G.E. Hakanson for $165.00. The two room school operated until 1900 when it reverted to a one room because of an attendance drop to 67, which climbed back to 80 at the end of the year. The school was the third state graded school in the county in 1908. This building was used for a garage next to the present building. It was used for storage until it was torn down in 2006 for expansion of the current lumberyard facility.
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The current brick building was started in 1936 and finished as a WPA project at a cost of approximately $16,000.00. The building was dedicated on May 18, 1939 and served as a school until consolidation of the district in 1967. Currently three of Bass Lake Lumber's employees attended the Bass Lake School. 3
Fond Memories: Mrs. Fairbanks home cooked meals. Snowball fights in the winter. The Big Room (grades 4-6) and the Little Room (grades 1-3). The Danger Zone and the Safety Zone. End of the year school picnics along with a softball game. Miss Christopherson's plays and musical productions performed on the stage in the lower level of the school. If you would like a memory added to this page, please fill out the form on the contact page! |