Sherburne History Center Blog

The folklore regarding the settlement of Elk River and Sherburne County carries with it an image of industrious farmers taming the land and creating a home for their families.   Yet, at least one early resident of Sherburne County arrived to invest in community development, sell his investment and leave for more opportunity.   Ard Godfrey was not a farmer, nor a settler in Sherburne County.   He arrived in the area as an investor and quickly left after his investments returned a profit.   An overview of his life might help explain a new interpretation into the settlement or Elk River and Sherburne County. Early in the 1850’s, probably 1851, Ard Godfrey and James Jameson arrived in Sherburne County, at the convergence of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers.   An experienced millwright from Maine, Godfrey recognized the particular course of the Elk River offered a potential mill site. Godfrey set about obtaining the land and building a mill.   His efforts ...

Logging on the Mississippi River near the confluence of the Elk River Logging and lumber industry seem to be overlooked as a factor in the growth of Sherburne County.  Scanning newspaper columns and searching the local histories of Elk River suggest an importance of logging and lumber to the county in the 19 th century.  The lumber mill, one of the first buildings in Elk River reinforces the important role of logging.  Equally significant to the lumber industry and the Elk River history was the boom company working in the Mississippi River.  Lumber industry has long been recognized as significant to the settlement Elk River.  Some of the first structure built in the community included a dam and sawmill along the Elk River.  For several decades the mill in the community chopped up huge amounts of wood to be sold locally or transported to markets in the twin cities.  As early as 1878 the Orono sawmill reported processing 15,000 feet of lumber e...

Sherburne County’s early settlers dreamed of creating a county based on industrial strength.  The economic crisis and 1857 Depression killed the dream.  Instead, Sherburne County became a farming center.  Several industrial towns and plat sites planned for Sherburne County hints at a potentially different character of the county.  If only dreams had come true. Elk River originated as an industrial settlement by first building a saw mill and grist mill.  The Elk and Mississippi Rivers’ steady water supply guaranteed success to the mills.  The Great Northern Railroad railhead stopped in Elk River until 1866.  The community was destined to grow into an industrial giant.  At least four communities in Sherburne County failed to develop like Elk River.  Developers platted and planned sites around the county.  All failed to develop.  The failures included: Liberty, a site planned for industrial growth in Big Lake Township; Marseil...