|
•
<br /> Cannon rivers,and along the tributaries of the Upper
<br /> Mississippi.Early farms were subsistence operations,with
<br /> farmers supporting their own families with little to trade at
<br /> market. Improved transportation and new agricultural
<br /> machinery and techniques expanded the market for farm
<br /> products,and agricultural journals and societies assisted
<br /> farmers in finding the best crops suited to their land. The
<br /> Benton County Agricultural Society was founded in 1852,the ;'A.;.,..4i, ,ok #. ,
<br /> first such county organization in Minnesota. Elk River's Oliver
<br /> H.Kelley was among the founders.
<br /> tea','y" ;la.
<br /> Elk River's first farm was reportedly that established by Silas •-
<br /> Lane in 1850.9 Lane claimed acreage in Section 33 that
<br /> included frontage on the Elk River and a promising mill site.
<br /> This mill site was immediately noticed by Ard Godfrey and
<br /> John G.Jameson,and was purchased by them in 1851. In 1855,
<br /> Godfrey platted the townsite of Orono on a portion of Lane's _° - '`
<br /> farm. Lane's claim was followed by Charles M.Donnelly's in Anineteenth-century barn and
<br /> Section 32,and those of L.B.Culver and Richard Davis in early twentieth century silo on
<br /> Section 31. Main Street in 2002.
<br /> The 1860 census shows that many early Elk River township
<br /> farmers were natives of Maine,with others from
<br /> Massachusetts,New Hampshire,and Illinois and a few from
<br /> New Brunswick,Canada,Ireland,Hamburg and Prussia
<br /> (Germany). By 1900,more Germans and farmers from Norway
<br /> • and Sweden were represented,but the community's roots were
<br /> still predominantly from New England.1° Some early farmers
<br /> found winter work in the lumber camps of Northern
<br /> Minnesota and Wisconsin.
<br /> - „ k
<br /> ,. ' r SRr _•&n v sea.ar, t-d. --1,_
<br /> . ra t.." 13.'"..11r-Iii,...„,.. Tr as azt,...;. <» a a n
<br /> (RSAZ d S 4f).Or UUg ,.i6..v.¢ f yr J
<br /> Z"- 4"; 1 , --- S AS„ ,ax ■
<br /> rx,E.R,.,a. ... ,xa 1 ?R 4 rt"' .':: 7 gy .n ER.: ..
<br /> {
<br /> t x.nra✓ ® `t , x r urni ! „ >r n, a
<br /> L y.
<br /> ...x. "'J., a k 4. 7 �,,, Northeastern Elk River
<br /> q -t g a ,, ! i. . -•_ w , ,-ar Lma Township in 190.3 Shows
<br /> ,VA'"";'-'-' Yy,` ' , _, - : AN_ Hungarian family farms.Atlas
<br /> I°
<br /> 1 7 -'-'— :e.,..!_S.,m„,, ,,, , . :g,,._,..,.,.,,„n -' + ' of Sherburne County.
<br /> •
<br /> Elk River Historic Contexts and Phase II Downtown Commercial Area Study
<br /> 12
<br />
|