Sherburne History Center Blog

In examining the history of the Elk River business district, one grocery store continuously receives mention: George’s Fairway Market.  Exploring the brief history of the Fairway Market provides an interesting perspective on the personality of Elk River and the business philosophies of community leaders. In an oral history at the Sherburne History Center, George Dietz remembered the early years of operating the Fairway Market.   Dietz grew up in the retail business.   “My dad belonged to the Minnesota Food Retailer Association,” he remembered.   While moving to several retail operations early in his career, he gained his greatest experience at National Tea.   “I ended up being the produce manager at Excelsior,” he said. The Fairway Market featuring its low prices In August 1953, Dietz bought the Fairway Market in Elk River.   “Ann’s dad was in business in Victoria.   He was on the Board of Directors of Fairway.   There was no way I cou...

Discussing Sherburne County History, the Brown Hotel, in Big lake, is often mentioned as an outstanding example of fine food and hospitality.   In Elk River, the Blanchett Hotel and the Riverside Inn maintained reputations as hotels serving delicious food and cordial surroundings.   Yet, an equally auspicious, but overlooked, hostelry entertained and housed visitors in Clear Lake for 47 years.   The Clear Lake House, an inn offering hospitality to travelers and long-term guests, anchored a section of the Clear Lake business district near the railroad depot.   The history of the inn on the west side of the county warrants attention. Clear Lake House, circa 1900 Built in 1880 by C. W. Potter, the hotel replaced a railway eatery that had burned down a year earlier.   The hotel offered a restaurant for railroad passengers and train crews.   It also provided travelers a brief respite from long rail journeys through Minnesota.   Potter ran the hote...

A goal with this blog is to review the history of Sherburne County and try to create some perspective on the events in the past.   With the current COVID-19 pandemic hitting the world, it seemed a good time to review a pandemic from 100 years ago: In rural Minnesota, during the late 1800s, death by disease seemed accepted as part of life.   Families experienced high mortality rates on infants and the aged.   Individuals living past five years old promised a better chance of experiencing old age.   This all changed with the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 to 1920.   For almost two years, waves of influenza circled the world, infecting an estimated 500 million people and killing anywhere between 17 and 50 million.   On the local level, the disease took hold, yet in actual numbers, the death rate seems quite small.   The county leaders took quick action to prevent the spread of influenza and this way prevented a higher death toll.   Samples of ...

Every so often I strive to recognize Sherburne County men and women in military service.   Individuals who sacrificed for their country.   I want to acknowledge the life of Robert Darrow, a Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, who died in combat in Italy in September 1943.   Robert Darrow, born in Elk River; for a short time, lived in Big Lake before returning to the city.   He graduated from Elk River High School in 1939.   He trained as a pilot at the North Dakota State School of Science.   He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941 and received his commission as Lieutenant in July 1942.   Bob Darrow received some recognition as an excellent pilot.   The Sherburne County Star News published a report of Darrow, during a training session in Louisiana, landing a crippled plane at high speed.   He kept the plane, with damaged wings, in the air for an hour to allow his crew to bail out.   To a man, the crew stayed with Darrow. ...

Earlier, we wrote of the rationing programs effecting Sherburne County during World War Two.   Following up on the discussion, we want to shift gears away from rationing of farm necessities and scrap metal to explore the food rationing programs.   Although the advertisement emphasizes the scrap drives, the theme of rationing for the war effort served as a universal message  Although the scrap drives and farm implement rationing remained significant in Sherburne County, sugar and other food rationing gained importance beginning in the spring of 1942.   In February, the Federal Price Administration developed plans for rationing of sugar, coffee, meat, gasoline, and other household necessities. In Sherburne County, teachers served as the registrants, to record the size and food requirements of each family in the county.   The teachers worked late nights to document members of each family and issue ration books for food and gasoline.   In the case...

With the coming of the new decade, centennial celebrations emerge from the pages of history.   Nationally recognized centennial celebrations include prohibition and women’s suffrage.   Local centennial celebrations include the construction of Elkhi Stadium, also known as Handke Stadium.   Important not only for its age, it also serves as a monument to the center of recreation and outdoor sports in the community.   Handke Stadium circa 1951 Before 1920 it was a mud pit, located next to the public school.   Later, with the stadium construction, the pit serves, to this day, as a landmark to the evolution of the idea of community in Elk River.   Through three phases of construction, from 1921 to 1940, Handke Stadium highlights local initiative and self-reliance that county residents regard as vitally important.   The stadium is often associated with the Elk River schools.   Built in 1898, education officials located the Elk River School...

It has been a few months, but with the new year, I am resolved to post more information about the history of Sherburne County.   So, here goes:   With the anniversary of World War Two, we have all heard about the scrap drives and rationing programs.   Yet, exploring the scrap drives in more detail may enlighten us about the true value of this particular program.   Sherburne county promoted its first scrap drive in the summer of 1942.   Elk River Mayor M. C. Tesch provided some perspective on the value of scrap metal to the war effort.   He noted fifty pounds of scrap metal would help make artillery shells.   Cartridge cases originated from discarded doorknobs. And, 25 tons of steel made a tank.   In this first scrap dive, the city of Elk River urged the citizens to deliver 30,000 pounds of scrap for the war effort.   Although J. D. Flaherty, the chairman of the scrap drive committee, felt the city would surpass the goal, disa...