This was a farm post office established December 14, 1903 with Mrs. John (Hannah) Park as its first and only pm. It was located in SE 1/4 Sec. 25-150-80, Otis Twp., five miles SE of Ruso, and closed January 31, 1910 with mail to Ruso. Park Twp. (145-79) was named for Mr. Park who came to McLean County in 1892.

This Soo Line RR station was founded in 1906 in Sec. 5-150-80, Otis Twp., just SE of the border point shared by McLean, Ward and McHenry counties. The post office was established December 1, 1906 with Edwin J. Burgess pm. The village incorporated in 1909 and by 1910 reported a population of 141, with a doctor, newspaper and many other luxuries often missing in new townsites. Since that time, however, Ruso has been in decline and had just 12 residents in 1980. The post office, Zip Code 58778, remains open. The name is said to be a Russian word meaning south of us, while others say it was coined from SOuth RUssia, the homeland of many area settlers.

This is a resort community in NE 1/4 Sec. 2-149-80, Horseshoe Valley Twp., and SE 1/4 Sec. 35-150-80, Otis Twp., about twelve miles south of Velva, which was named for the long lake around which it is located. The lake was an important landmark on the military trail between Fort Totten and Fort Stevenson, but modern interest in it began in 1932 when a dam was built at its south end to stabilize the water level. In the early 1950's Neena Severson opened a tavern and restaurant at the south end of the lake, and by 1953, when a second dam was built, the area had developed into a popular resort. It first appeared on road maps in the late 1970's and current telephone listings show about fifty families, a few businesses and a fire department at the site.

Strawberry School  Section 26

Ruso Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery  Section 09

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