5.6. SR 06-07-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Historic Overview (1840s -1930s) E~European Settlet!'l~'nt (1840s -- 18S0s~ The earliest European travel through the Elk River area occurred from the late 1700s to the early 1800s by explorers like Jonathan Carver, Zebulon Pike, Lewis Cass, and Henry Schoolcraft in their explorations of the upper Mississippi River. European settlement did not occur until the 1840s when a trading post was established along the north bank of the Elk River. Accounts differ as to who established this first trading post in Elk River, W,H.c. Folsom says in F#ft.y Years in the Northwest that David Faribault built the post in 1846, That po~': WlIoS late1" purchased by H.M, Rice and S.P. Folsom, who Bottineau then repoJ.'ledly purchased the post from in 1848.4 Bottineau also built a log cabin at Elk River (Lowertown) in 1849, which he used as a tavern. The History of the Upper Mississippi Va'~, written in 1881, says that Pierre Bottineau built the first trading post in 1848 at what would become Orono (Uppertown), but does not report earlier owners.s Shortly after the trading post was established, a small number of fanners began to settle in the area. Silas Lane is given credit for establishing the first fann in Elk River. In 1850, Lane claimed land in section thirty-two of Elk River Township, which included the water power on the Elk River that would later be used for saw and flour mills. Oliver H. Kelley also claimed land in Elk River in 1850. His fann was located along the Mississippi River in section fourteen of Elk River Township. Charles M. Donelly, L.B. Culver, and Richard Davis were other early fanners in the Elk River area.6 Along with these early fanns, a few business enterprises were also started in the early 1850s. In 1851, Ard Godfrey and John G, Jameson purchased Lane's claim and built a dam and a gristmill on the Elk River that same year. They built a sawmill the following year.7 Godfrey also started a general store near the gristmill.8 A year after Bottineau built his log cabin at Lowertown, Francis Delill helped him build a hotel adjacent to the cabin, The hotel was known as the Elk River House and was located where the First National Bank of Elk River now stands on the southeast comer of the King Avenue and Main Street intersection. John Q,A. Nickerson purchased the hotel from Bottineau in 1853 and hired Delill to enlarge the building.9 (For additional information on Oliver Kelley, Ard Godfrey, and agriculture in Elk River through 1950 see the Elk River Historic Contexts S tu4J, pgs. 11-16) 12