10-20-2016 HPC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Handke Pit Address: 1133 4th St NW, Elk River, MN 55330 Handke Stadium, officially named Elk Hi Stadium, is an example of community spirit and co-operation, now on the National Register of Historic Sites. The stadium actually began as a pond, described as a water and muck-filled depression in the otherwise flat terrain. After a near drowning it was drained and filled in the 1920's after many complaints from angry parents of kids who fell through the pond ice. It was then turned into an athletic field, after local farmers volunteered wagons, scrapers and even their own labor. The townspeople got behind the plan as well and Elk Hi Stadium was dedicated in 1925. The stone work was done in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The school building next to the stadium, now called the Handke Family Center, was built in 1930 and named after Robert Handke, a school superintendent for a quarter century. For more than a century, thousands, including four National Hockey League (NHL) stars, have played in the "pit", as the locals call it.The pit was the site of high school foot-ball games, baseball in the spring and summer months and ice skating and sledding in the wintertime. Now days the pit is empty during the summer but come winter months, families and people of every age enjoying the ice rinks below. It was also proudly the site of the 2014 Hockey Day in Minnesota. Elk River is proud of its heritage as hockey town. Handke pit is a local gathering place to play hockey, ice skate, be social and enjoy the outdoors. The 'Pit' as local youths endearingly call it, was the host of Hockey Day Minnesota 2014. Home of Hockey Day 2014, Handke Pit started out as a small pond. During the 1920's the pond was drained and partially filled in, creating the bowl stadium that is still enjoyed today. Over the decades a countless number kids have skated and played hockey in the pit, including 4 who went on to One of the most popular places in Elk River would be the Handky Pit. This is right next to the old Elk River High School and attracts many to the cool looking ice arena. This includes two ice rinks and ice skating around those rinks. Elk River Water Tower Address:Jackson Ave. NW,4th St. NW, Elk River, MN 55330 The water tower was built in 1920 by the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Co. as part of an effort to protect Elk River from fire.The water tower's elevated tank is known as a hemispherical bottom, a name derived from its design which includes a half-globe-shaped bottom. The design was common from the 1890s to about 1940. There are five other water towers of this type in Minnesota in the National Register including Elk Rivers. Elk River water tower is iconic and is something to look for when walking downtown or driving by, erected in 1920.