Birchwood
In common with the other small Washington County communities near White Bear Lake, Birchwood was originally a part of Grant Township (organized in 1858 as Greenfield). It became a part of Lincoln Township, formed from the western part of Grant, in 1918. Although land sales began in this area in 1854, after the surveys were made, the land west of Wildwood Park, was still just farmland and swamp in the late 19th century, owned by F. L. Saunders and Warren B. Preston.
Development was inspired by the extension of streetcar service from Wildwood Park to White Bear Lake along the western end of the lake in 1904. The village of Birchwood was incorporated in 1921 from earlier developments platted as Lakewood Park and Orchard Homesites. These early plats, laid out about 1900, featured small lots and generally modest cottages. Later plats had larger lots advertised with “tracts for orchards, gardens, vineyards, and chicken ranches.”
The Lakewood Park Association stated: “The way to get the most out of life and save money is to live at the lake during the summer, when the rent you save in one or two seasons will build your cottage. All lots are serviced by the electric car that crosses the back of the properties, with convenient stops. A 600-foot center park with driveway on either side is located in the middle of the plat, and each lot has water piped to it from the water plant. . . .Health, recreation, and the enjoyment of Nature in its more delightful forms can be obtained at Lakewood Park. It is one of the most beautiful spots, unexcelled for sailing, rowing, bathing and fishing.”
Residents could also travel to shop in White Bear Lake by water. Two lake steamers, the Wildwood and St. Paul, would stop at Birchwood to take on and discharge passengers. Children went to school in Mahtomedi on the streetcar.
In 1912 the St. Paul Automobile Club moved to Birchwood from Lake St. Croix Beach and opened its headquarters in a white stucco clubhouse at the west end of the village. This, of course, attracted automobile tourists to the area and was a popular spot for dining and dancing. It competed with the nearby Ramaley Winter Garden Pavilion, which in the 1930s became The Plantation night club. (Still later, The Plantation became a summer theatre where WCCO news personality Dave Moore is said to have got his first professional role.)
Villagers and summer residents got their groceries from farmers who delivered fresh produce and milk, as well as ice. There was a small grocery store conveniently located next to a ball field at Churchill Corners. Back in the ’30s the store also featured penny and nickel slot machines.
By 1940 there were about 90 year-round residents, swelled in the summer by dozens of renters. However, the growing popularity of automobile travel had caused streetcar riders to decline, and in 1932 the streetcar company got permission to abandon their line. In 1940 the village bought their right-of-way to put through a road, now Hall Avenue. The problem of getting to White Bear Lake and St. Paul was solved by the South Shore Transportation Club, which operated a twice-daily bus.
The ’50s brought many improvements to lakeside living including water, gas, sewer, and blacktopped roads. By the time it became the City of Birchwood Village in 1974, the community had grown to around 900 residents, as new developments sprang up around the edges. Today most of the modest summer cottages have been replaced by large, year-round lake homes that make it hard to see the lake. However, dock associations let residents have shore access: Birchwood is still a desirable place to live.