An angler’s dream unfolded one hot weekend in July 1955. Huge muskies began hitting “anything and everything” in the northeast corner of Leech Lake, a 175-square-mile reservoir in north-central Minnesota. Before a storm blew in a few days later and ended the run, anglers swarmed the headwaters of the Leech Lake River and landed more than 100 trophy muskies. The Minneapolis Star described the scene:

It was like shooting fish in a barrel. (Grand Rapids Herald-Review photo)

NOBODY KNOWS WHAT CAUSED IT BUT IT’S A DREAM

Fantastic Musky Mob Scene Panics Leech

By JACK CONNOR
Minneapolis Star Outdoor Writer

This is a fantastic story about that fantastic fish – the muskellunge.

Only those who have seen or caught the evidence can believe it.

The little town of Federal Dam, Minn., where Leech Lake river empties into Leech lake, is wild with excitement.

Since Saturday, huge muskies from 15 to 43 pounds have been on a rampage. No one can explain why – not even state fisheries bureau biologists.

The action started, quite by accident, Friday afternoon. From then until noon Tuesday a total of 83 big muskies have been landed.

They were hitting anything and everything.

And they were in an area of the lake where no one thought there were muskies before. At least none had been caught there in years.

The area is five miles south and west of the five boat landings at Federal Dam among a field of bulrushes in 15 feet of water.

Today proprietors of the five boat landings were booked solid for the rest of the week and into next week. Launches were converging on the area from all parts of expansive Leech Lake.

The fantastic story goes back to last Friday afternoon when Mr. and Mrs. Al Storer went out fishing walleyes on nearby Boy river. Mrs. Storer had a minnow and spinner walleye hookup. But a muskie estimated at 25 pounds took it. She lost the fish when it got near the boat.

That evening they drove over to Merle Wescott’s landing below Federal Dam on Leech Lake. They were fishing for walleyes again. But they got two muskies instead.

Next day, Saturday, there were back on Leech with Morris Cohen and Art Green, both of Chicago. The four of them got nine more muskies. Westcott, his son, father and a cousin also were out. They got five.

That started the muskie rush. The word passed like a prairie fire out of control.

“It was like a dream,” Mrs. Storer said today. “You could see those big muskies lying right on top of the water.

“There were boats everywhere and in every one somebody was landing a big muskie or playing one at the end of his line. They were leaping all over the place.”

From Saturday until yesterday 20 big muskies were brought into Neurer’s landing. The largest weighed 42 pounds, 6 ounces, and was caught by Walter Kreutner of Shellsbury, Iowa.

That one set a new season record for this or any other state.

Twenty-four more big ones were brought into Stillman’s landing, 20 into Wescott’s landing, seven into Warren’s landing and 11 into Bader’s landing.

The best at Wescott’s weighed 39 pounds and was caught by Walter Foster, Harvey, Ill. George Durkee, a Federal Dam guide, brought a 38½ -pounder into Bader’s. Rusty Lego, another guide, came into Stillman’s with a 37-pounder.

Warren Bridge of Warren’s landing brought a small one in, only 24½ pounds.

Dick Spadafore, Deer River editor, checked all landings today. “You couldn’t get a boat. But there’s a public landing at Sunset bay on Leech lake.

“I don’t know how long this will last, but it’s been a merry-go-round since it started. No one knows what caused it. Even the guides have no idea.”

Postcard image: Doc’s Lodge, Leech Lake, in about 1953. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

Little Arania Max was the first person killed by an automobile in St. Paul, according to the Minnesota Historical Society’s “This Day in Minnesota History.” The story of her tragic end made the front page of the Minneapolis Tribune. It’s a dramatic account, rich with detail and good quotes but marred by typos and inconsistencies.

CHILD KILLED
BY AN AUTO

ARANIA MAX OF ST. PAUL, AGED
8, STRUCK DOWN BY H. IR-
VINE’S MACHINE

IS RELEASED TILL THIS MORN-
ING – WOMEN SWOON AND
MOTHER IS HYSTERICAL

Arania Max, the eight-year-old daughter of Peter Max, 661 Hague Avenue, St. Paul, was run down by an automobile at St. Albans street and Selby avenue last evening and instantly killed.

The chaffeur was Horace Irvine, son of Thomas Irvine of 673 Dayton avenue, and in the automobile with him were William Ernst and Miss Allen and Miss Fitzpatrick. The little girl’s death was caused by a fracture at the base of the skull.

Mr. Irwin had recently purchased the automobile at a cost of $2,500 [more than $59,000 in 2008 dollars] and last evening invited his friends for a ride.

They had not been out long when they drove down Selby avenue after a spin on Summit avenue and other streets on the hill.

Witnesses say that the automobile with its aristocratic occupants drove several times up and down Selby avenue on that portion of the street paved with asphalt and at one time had a brush with a machine of lesser proportions.

CONFUSED BY CAR.

Mr. Irvine was sitting proudly with both hands on the steering apparatus when St. Albans street was approached. Two little girls, Arania Max and Sadie Mundt, of the same age, were seen playing in the street just below St. Albans.

One of the girls was on the sidewalk while the Max girl was on the street car tracks. As the ponderous vehicle was approaching them the Mundt girl called to her companion.

“Come back, Arania, here comes the automobile!”

A street car was approaching at the same time and the Max child stood in the center of the street somewhat bewildered and then started to dash back again to her playmate. The chaffeur steered his machine close to the curb in an effort to avert an accident and again tooted the horn a couple of times.

It was too late.

The little girl raised her hands above her head and at the same instant she was struck in the right side by the body of the automobile.

She fell face downwards on the pavement and broke her neck, while the vehicle passed over her body and crossed to the opposite side of the street to avoid a second collision with a street car.

Mr. Irvine immediately stopped the vehicle and returned to where the corpse of the child lay in the street in a pool of blood that oozed from her mouth.

The sight shocked the ladies in the automobile, and Miss Allen swooned before she could be assisted to the ground by Willie Ernst. Mr. Irvine was overcome by the sight and stood motionless in the street.

Arania gazed at him, gave on gasp and expired just as Dr. A.P. Kearn reached the scene two minutes later.

MOTHER HYSTERICAL.

The body of the child was gently lifted from the street and rested on the green sward that skirts the sidewalk. Shortly afterwards a weeping mother came and became hysterical as her dead daughter was being bourne to the home, followed by several hundred people who had gathered quickly after the distressing accident.

Mr. Irvine and Mr. Ernest went to the Central police station and informed Capt. Hanft of the accident. They were detained at police headquarters for some time, while an effort was being made to locate County Attorney Kane, who was to decide what course should be pursued in regard to the chaffeur and his companion. Mr. Kane could not be found, and it was finally decided to allow the young men to return to their homes on condition that they report at the station this morning.

MR. IRVINE DISTRESSED.

Mr. Irvine, when asked about the accident, stated that he was so much distressed by the accident that he could not explain the affair very well.

“It was purely accidental,” he said. “I blew the horn at the street crossing and twice again when I was approaching the children. I do not know which part of the machine struck her first.

“I tried my best to avoid the accident, but the little girl ran right in front of me, became bewildered, tried to turn back and fell in front of the vehicle. The wheels of the machine passed over the girl’s body. I do not know exactly what speed I was going.”

Willie Ernst said that he would not state the rate of speed at which the machine was going because he did not know. He said that he did not think it was very fast.

SADIE TELLS OF DEATH.

Sadie Mundt, the 9-year-old companion of the Max girl, who lives with her parents at 656 Selby avenue, said in regard to the accident:

“We were playing wood tag. Arania rant into the street way from me. I saw the automobile coming and I shouted:

“ ‘Arania, come back. See the automobile!’

“It wasn’t going fast. Just like a street car. Arania ran towards me and she was knocked down by the wagon just near the sidewalk.”

E.J. Sullivan, who was sitting outside his store, 676 Selby avenue, where the accident occurred, corroborates the story of the Mundt girl. He says that after running into the middle of the street that she was called back by her playmate and was caught before she reached the curb and mowed down.

Oscar Bergstrom in a car in front of the Pence Automobile Co. on S. Third St., Minneapolis, in about 1903. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

At the peak of their popularity in the mid-20th century, American newspapers were packed with useful information, such as radio listings, pro wrestling results, school lunch menus — and the home addresses of crime victims. This cop short appeared inside the Minneapolis Morning Tribune:

Customer Beats
Man in Dispute
Over One Penny

A Minneapolis filling station attendant took a beating from a customer Tuesday night in a dispute over a penny.

The 27-year-old customer was jailed for questioning.

Larry L. Ludford, 19, 715 N. Upton Av., said his assailant drove into the Clark station at 301 S. Washington Av. and put $1.01 worth of gasoline into his car.

Ludford said the man offered him $1, but he demanded the penny. A passenger in the car gave it to him.

“I’ll come back and put something under your nose and take all your money,” the driver threatened.

Ludford called police and reported the incident and the car’s license number. After Ludford made his report to detectives the man returned and beat him up.

Police soon arrested the assailant, who struggled with officers.

Ludford went back to work. He was interrupted by a caller who said, “Pray.”

It’s doubtful the thug who beat up the Clark gas station attendant would have messed with Bronko Nagurski, shown here shaking hands with gubernatorial candidate Elmer L. Andersen at Nagurski’s gas station in International Falls in 1960. Check out how the pro football legend’s hand dwarfs that of the future one-term governor. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)