Laserfiche WebLink
0 William H.Houlton(1840-?)was a native of Houlton Maine.64 <br /> His family settled in Monticello,Wright County in 1856.After <br /> the Civil War William and his older brother Horatio operated a <br /> general store in Elk River.In 1873 he purchased a share of the <br /> flour and saw mills originally built by Ard Godfrey.As noted, <br /> his business evolved into Elk River Milling Company and his <br /> lumber interest as W.H. Houlton Co.Houlton also owned <br /> over 3,000 acres of farmland wand was active in Minnesota <br /> politics. He sold his interest in the Bank of Elk River,founded <br /> in 1885,to W.L.Babcock and Henry Castle in 1899.In 1896 <br /> Houlton and Babcock opened a real estate agency.65 Houlton <br /> also established the First National Bank of Elk River in 1907. <br /> William's brother Horatio Houlton(1834-? )farmed in <br /> Monticello before operating a train to bring Hudson Bay goods <br /> from St.Cloud to the Red River.In addition to operating a <br /> general store with his brother William,Horatio opened an Elk <br /> River sawmill and expanded his lumber interests in St.Paul <br /> and West St.Paul. <br /> Tohn Quincy A.Nickerson(1825- )was the first of his family to <br /> play a leading role in the development of local industry. <br /> Nickerson was a native of Maine and arrived in Elk River in <br /> 1853. He was in the lumber business until the 1870s,and also <br /> operated a hotel and a general store. <br /> IIIElectrification and Water Supply <br /> In these days of advancement and progress,electricity is the <br /> key to success and is constantly coming into more general <br /> use,not only in the larger cities and towns,but in nearly all <br /> the smaller communities as well. Without electricity a city <br /> or town cannot expect to keep up with its rivals,but is sure <br /> to remain stagnant,while its more enterprising neighbors <br /> continue to grow. <br /> Sherburne County Star,July 2,1914,p. 1. <br /> Electrification was well underway in small Minnesota towns <br /> by 1912,and with its waterpower resource,city leaders were <br /> frustrated that the city had no generating plant.In 1914,F.D. <br /> Waterman founded the Elk River Power and Light Company. <br /> A new 250-foot reinforced concrete dam powered by a 40-inch <br /> waterwheel and a 150-kilwatt generator was built.A concrete <br /> and brick powerhouse measuring 30 x 30 was located on the <br /> east end of the dam.In 1915,a contract for an electrical <br /> distribution and street lighting system for was awarded to <br /> Sterling Electric.66 <br /> Private wells served Elk River before a municipal water system <br /> was installed in 1920(?).The present downtown water tower <br /> dates from 1920.It was manufactured by the Minneapolis Steel <br /> and Machinery Company. <br /> • <br /> Elk River Historic Contexts Study Draft 5/2002 <br /> 31 <br />