Lexington

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Lexington

    Before the city of Lexington officially became a village, this area was all farm land in Blaine.  In 1941 because of the construction of the Twin City Arsenal (Ordnance Plant) on state Highway 10 and 96 in Moundsview/New Brighton, Mr. Eastman of Suburban Properties Incorporated purchased some of the land in this area and built homes for the employees who wished to live closer to work.

    The original owners of this land in Section 35 of Blaine were: Frank Faymoville who came about 1885 and had 80 acres; d. Louis Faacks who arrived here about 1875, and had 40 acres that were sold to Anna Kirkpatrick in about the 1950's; Fred Bjorkman who arrived in Blaine about 1905 and died in 1939, so his 60 acres were purchased by his daughter, Esther and her husband, Arthur Otte and Carol and George Otte.  The house that Fred Bjorman built in 1913 is the house where Esther was born.  John Nawrocki came about 1905.  His daughter Sophi Schocinski and her family there.  In Section 26, George McCauley and his son Arthur settled on 160 acres; and Mike Fizgerald on 20 acres.  This is a total of 440 acres, less than one square mile.  This area is bordered on the East by Lexington ave., or Co. Rd. 17; on the north by the Random Inc. Homes and Restwood Rd; on the west by Hamline Ave. and Naples St. and Flowerfield rd. on the south side.

    Because the Lexington area people were opposed to a cooperative form of a village and government, in February 1950 meetings were held to discuss the forming of their own village.  Leo Ryan, who came to this area in 1946 was selected as the chairman.  A petition for incorporation of Lexington was resented to the Anoka County Board of Commissioners and May 5 was designated as the election date at Church of Christ on Lovell Rd.  out of a intriguing population of 560, incorporation was approved by 93 and 61 opposed it.  It was incorporated on May 21, and the first election of the council was held on June 20, 1950. Elected as the first Mayor of Lexington for two years was Cyrus Palmquist; the first councilmen were: Arthur Otte, also as pro-tem Mayor; Martin Bistram; Robert Johnson; Ted J. Chapman as clerk; and Joyce Nygaard as treasurer.  The first council meetings were held in the Mayor's home.  The first police officer was Joseph Matzke who was a part time volunteer and used his own car on the job.  Laurance Bultman has been inspector for 28 years.  For the first few years policemen, firemen and councilmen were all volunteers serving without wages. Carl Olson was the first Justice of the Peace.

    The name Lexington was chosen by Leo Ryan because the area bordered by Lexington Ave., on the east side and because Lexington, Massachusetts was the birthplace of the Unites States army.  In France during World War I, Leo served in the oldest regiment of America - "The First Pioneer Infantry Regiment" of Boston, Mass.  The First pioneer was organized in 1736 and has now been named the "First provincial Infantry" of Boston.  They met the British in the Battle of Lexington, Mass. The Minute Man, Paul Revere, is the emblem of Lexington City.  The names of the streets in the Paul Revere Mobile Homes Park are: Minuteman lane, Boston Lane, Patriot Lane and Liberty Lane. 

    In 1951 the municipal off sale room and bar were financed through issued revenue bonds that were paid for from the profits of the liquor operations. In 1957 a municipal council room and office and a liquor lounge were added  to connect the first fire station building to the first off sale liquor building creating one building.  Additional rooms were added for  a police department and a maintenance department. All of this was funded through revenue bonds and profits that were also used for financing some of the street improvements.  No taxes were ever used for any of the funding of any of the municipal buildings except for the 1973 addition of the fire barn.

    Municipal water and sewer were made available in 1966-67 and also natural gas was provided from a  private company.

   The population in 1950 was 569.