Ghost Town of Burnstad

The ghost town of Burnstad has no active businesses and only a few remaining residents. It was established in 1905 with the arrival the Soo Line Railroad. The village was named for local cattleman C.P. Burnstad. Burnstad grew for thirty years to a bustling 142 in 1934. The community of Burnstad was made up of a diverse population, a mixture of nationalities. The German-Russians were the predominate ethnic group but there were also Bulgarians, Scandinavians and Americans transplanted from other parts of the country. People of all nationalities, class, and religion lived together peacefully in this railroad town. The citizens of Burnstad were fans of good entertainment. Baseball, rodeo, annual field days, political debates, circuses, and live music. Lawrence Welk played for dances in Burnstad.

Two false-faced, corrugated metal-covered buildings remain in Burnstad. One was an old hardware store and one was some type of retail business. The town pump stands in the middle of the town site. The proximity of the ghost town to Beaver Creek and Beaver Lake make it a popular drive-by destination for locals.

Sources:

I. "Destinations." German Russian Country. Accessed July 31, 2017. http://germanrussiancountry.org/?page_id=48.

II. Sprunk, Larry. "Burnstad - Portrait of a Pioneer Town." Prairies 3, no. 3: August 1977, 30-34 36-39