Prehistoric and Euroamerican Archaeology of Elk River, Minnesota: Current Knowlege and Probability Modeling

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In May 1912 the Elk River Milling Company mortgage of $40,000 was foreclosed against. The property was purchased by the Lawrence National Bank of Lawrence, Mass. The main stockholders of the Milling Company were also the main owners of Lawrence National Bank and so the ownership of the mill remained basically the same." A week after the mortgage was foreclosed, the Elk River washed out the dam and undermined the foundation of the flour mill. Dynamite was used to try and divert the water away from the mill by blasting a passage at the west end of the dam but it did not save the mill.78 Supports were placed under the mill but there was no power to operate the mill.79 The mill stood until October 1913 when the machinery from the mill was sold to Shane Bros. & Wilson, a milling company in Hastings, and the building was dismantled.80 (7)1-eslie Hill Flour Mill In 1919 Leslie Hill from Minneapolis arranged to have another flour mill built in Elk River. The mill was built on lots owned by Nellie Hill (relationship unknown) and was also known as the Elk River Milling Company." It stood about 350 feet north of the old County Court House on the north side of the railroad tracks where present day Fourth Street and Railroad Drive intersect (Grove and State Streets in 1928).12 The Elk River Machine Company is now across the street (north) of where this mill stood. The building, constructed by C.J. Anderson of Minneapolis, was thirty by forty feet with three stories and a basement. It was a type of mill known as a "Flavo Midget" that took up little space. At 60 barrels per day, the capacity of this mill was much smaller than that of the earlier mills on the Elk River. C.R. Remer, who had previously ran a mill in Grace City, North Dakota, was the manager of the mill.$' A fire that was caused by "spontaneous combustion" destroyed the mill in February 1932. The firemen ran one hose from the hydrant on Princeton Street (now Jackson Street) and another across the railroad tracks, which forced them to flag the morning train. The building was nearly leveled an hour after the fire was discovered but continued to smolder for four days. By this time the mill was owned by George S. Wilson of Minneapolis and was managed by Roland K. Wilson.84 FLOUR MILL TIMELINE 30