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 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ùÓÈÃûØÏÓÎÓÉÈÊÛÈÍÊ <br />Ñ°»² «²¬·´ º·´´»¼ <br />ëØÇÔØÆÎ×ËØÊÈÐØÊnüÈÖÈÊÉ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ùÍÏÏÇÎÓÈà <br />A vibrant community and historic river town, the City of Elk River is home to nearly 23,000 people and the <br />county seat for Sherburne County. Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Elk Rivers, it covers 44- <br />square miles making it one of Minnesota’s largest land-based cities. The City of Elk River has grown rapidly <br />over the last decade, increasing its population by nearly 40 percent. Its population is projected to be 35,000 at <br />full build-out. Currently urban services are available to about one-third of the land in the city. <br />Elk River’s convenient accessibility to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul and St. Cloud metropolitan areas is a <br />significant factor contributing to the city’s dramatic growth. Major transportation routes serving Elk River <br />include Interstate 94, US Highways 10 and 169, and State Highway 101. In addition, the new Northstar <br />Commuter Rail continues to have one of the largest ridership numbers along the rail line that runs from <br />Minneapolis to Big Lake. <br />Officially designated as Energy City by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative in 1997, Elk River is <br />recognized nationally and around the world for demonstration projects that advance renewable and energy- <br />efficient technologies. <br /> <br />ôÓÉÈÍÊà <br />Zebulon Pike passed through the area on his 1805 exploration of the upper Mississippi River and named the Elk <br />River after the herds of animals he saw. The area was not settled by Europeans until David Faribault built a <br />trading post near the confluence of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers in 1846. The site was a good location for <br />trading not just because of the rivers, but also because of the proximity of the Red River Trail. <br />In 1851, Ard Godfrey, a native of Orono, Maine, saw the potential of the Elk River’s water power and built a <br />dam and a sawmill. The dam operated until 1912 when it was destroyed by an ice storm. A hydropower plant <br />electric plant was constructed in 1915, creating the present day configuration of Lake Orono. <br />The village of Elk River incorporated in 1880 and did not become a statutory city until 1974. Consolidation <br />with Elk River Township occurred four years later giving the city its current boundaries. <br />