Sherburne History Center Blog

  In reviewing the history of Sherburne County, significant attention is given to the agriculture industry, or to transportation, specifically the railroads. An area of the economy in Sherburne County that receives very little attention, an area that warrants greater attention, is the hospitality industry. From the beginning of the county to today, hotels and hospitality played a significant role in the county.   Starting with Brown’s Hotel in Big Lake and continuing with the Riverside House and the Blanchett Hotel in Elk River.   Also, we need to note the inn at Bailey Station in the 1870s.   All of these establishments played a significant role in the economic history of Sherburne County.               Brown’s Hotel in Big Lake marks the beginning of hospitality industry.   Before the county was created, Joseph Brown advertised in the Sauk Rapids newspaper, promoting Big Lake as a stopping off point...

In recent weeks the history of hotels and hospitality in Elk River has been area of study.  The primary focus centered around the Blanchett Hotel, also known as the Merchants Hotel, and the Riverside Hotel, also known as the Elk River Hotel.  Now we are giving attention to a lesser known boardinghouse/hotel in Elk River.     As late as the 1950s, the hotel above Kemper Drugs was the Hamlet Hotel.  Originally known as the Princeton Hotel, the space served more as a boardinghouse for long term residences, in contrast to the short stay hospitality of the Blanchett and the Riverside.   To locate each of the different hotels, this 1894 map has been brought out from the collections to help us visualize the area.  The Riverside Hotel is located on the corner of King and Main.  The Blanchett is located on the east side of Jackson (Princeton) and on the north west corner of Jackson (Princeton) is the Hamlet Hotel.  The Great Northern Railway ...

The Brown Hotel, the Riverside Inn, the Sherburne House, these are just a few hotels once operating in Sherburne County.  A hotel often overlooked, yet important to the history of Sherburne County is the Blanchett Hotel of Elk River.  Although the hotel served only a short time in Elk River, the forward thinking owner set high expectations for competitors and future area hotels.   Moses C. Blanchett, born in St. George, Illinois in 1863, moved to Minnesota in 1883, and began mastering the hotel business. In 1901 he took over the Merchants Hotel and renamed it the Blanchett Hotel.  Immediately he improved the inn and built a reputation of forward thinking and luxury for his guests.   Newspaper reports suggest Moses Blanchett enjoyed immediate success.  Regarded as a wealthy, Elk River business owner, the newspapers reported he owned the second automobile in Sherburne County.  The first was owned by transportation commissioner Charles Babcock....