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

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In 1888, Houlton built a new sawmill on the Mississippi River southwest of the Main Street bridge.94 This was a steam -powered band -saw mill that employed thirty-five men. It had a capacity to cut 40,000 feet per day.JS Logs were diverted off the main course of the Mississippi River by a series of booms into a smaller branch of the river on which the mill was located. The lumber was cut at this mill and then finished at the planing mill, located by the dam on the Elk River. There was also a boarding house a short distance east of the mill for the men who worked there. This mill was destroyed by fire in June 1893. 96 By March 1894 Houlton had built a new sawmillin the same location. The new mill had the capacity to cut 40,000 feet per day but only cut about 25,000 feet per day. It employed about twenty-five men.' For about a month in 1899, the sawmill ran two twelve-hour shifts per day to meet the demand for lumber." The Houlton sawmill operated until 1903 when the mill was sold to E.W. Cundy of Anoka, who sent the machinery to other mills." (9)PlaningMills (See Figure 1) The first planing mill in Elk River was built in 1873 by Thomas S. and W.C. Nickerson."' It was located on the Elk River waterpower near the Mills and Houlton sawmill and at some point the mill came into the possession of Mills and Houlton. This first planing mill was destroyed in the May 1887 fire.101 Another planing mill was in operation by 1890 and was most likely in the same location as the first planing mill. This mill was initially powered by the Elk River but by 1894 a steam plant was built for additional power. Lumber that was cut at the sawmill on the Mississippi River and was then brought to this mill for finishing touches. A vast lumber yard occupied the area between the sawmill and the planing mill.102 The planing mill operated until 1903 when the sawmill machinery was sold and the operation shut down.103 The building was then used as storage for a number of years by the Houlton family for the farm located near the mill and the offices in the mill were used as a residence for a time. In March 1923 the planing mill was destroyed by fire.104 (10)Horatio Houlton Saxmill This mill was built by Horatio Houlton, his brother William H. Houlton, and Thomas S. Nickerson in 1868.105 It was located along the Mississippi River just south of where Highway 10 now crosses Main Street.'06 In 1870 this mill was operating six months out of 32