Max History
The townsite of Max, was originally platted according to a certificate filed by J.G. Sheldrick, Surveyor, on August 8, 1906. Prior to this, people heard rumor that the Soo Line was building north of Garrison by Elbow Lake for the purpose of using water for their steam engines. Businesses were set up on the rolling prairies of an anticipated townsite at this location. The buildings and shacks were arranged in more or less of a haphazard manner due to the fact that they could not be permanently placed until they had purchased a lot.
The name of Max was given to this new town after some controversy. It was, at one time, to be named Junction or Junction City, where the Soo Line tracks from the South branched to the East and West. Max was the first name of the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Freitag. Paul Freitag was the first Postmaster and the first post office to serve this community was on his farm. As the story goes, when the people would go over to the Freitag Post Office to get their mail, Max, a little shaver at that time, would ask the people if they came to his post office to get their mail. The people got in the habit of calling it Max's Post Office and that is the name that stuck when it was moved two miles west to the new townsite.
In January of 1918 the Central Light and Power Co. put up street lights. Prior to this the commercial light and power sold and used by the people of Max was produced by our own P.D. Podhola, in 1915.
A duly signed petition was presented to the Village Board to change to an incorporated city form of government in 1947, with a mayor and council consisting of four aldermen.
In the early fifties, the City Council voted in favor of a new telephone system, waterworks, water mains and sewer. Fire equipment was also updated.