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The Nickerson and Houlton farms were among the largest of <br /> the local dairy and cattle businesses.In 1878,Henry Nickerson <br /> built a farm at 436 3'1 Street N.W. Henry was a brother of J.Q. <br /> A.Nickerson,who owned much of the original townsite of Elk <br /> River. By 1908,W.H.'Houlton's 3,000-acre farm at Houlton <br /> Siding included"400 head shorthorn of registered stock and <br /> sixty angora goats for clearing brush." The Elk River Cattle <br /> Company owned by Henry C.Hastings had 600 head of <br /> cattle za <br /> Creameries <br /> Two creameries served Elk River's dairy farmers.The first was <br /> the Farmer's Coop Creamery of Elk River,a two-story frame <br /> building located on Jackson Street north of the railroad.The <br /> cooperative was incorporated in 1889. In 1918,the creamery <br /> was leased to the Twin City Milk Producers Association, <br /> another farmer's cooperative.'By 1910 the Crescent Creamery <br /> of St.Paul also occupied a Main Street location. <br /> In 1921,the Twin City Milk Producer's Association built an Elk <br /> River facility.Designed by Clarence Wigington of St.Paul,it <br /> was located at the entrance to the city on the Jefferson <br /> Highway and Main Street.zb The association felt that it was an <br /> ideal spot for a creamery,with about 350 members in the <br /> vicinity. <br /> The design of the split-level,brick and tile building was <br /> . innovative,with gravity systems rather than pumps to move <br /> milk and cream.The plant also processed cheese and <br /> powdered milk."The creamery closed about 1957,when milk <br /> was hauled directly to the Twin Cities for processing.The <br /> building was used for City Hall and police offices and also <br /> housed a tavern.It was torn down in 1991. <br /> t � <br /> x un+ <br /> s <br /> ,� � ' Twin City Milk <br /> x Producer's Association <br /> ate• Creamery in ca.1925. <br /> �' Razed.Photo:MHS. <br /> : <br /> Through the twentieth century,much of Elk River's <br /> agricultural land has gradually been transformed into <br /> residential and commercial use,although Christmas trees and <br /> nursery plants have been important new additions to <br /> • agricultural production. <br /> Elk River Historic Contexts and Phase H Downtown Commercial Area Study <br /> 15 <br />