Marine Mill

Last updated
Marine Mill Site
Marine Mill historical marker.jpg
The Marine Mill Site historical marker
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationJudd Street, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota [1]
Coordinates 45°11′53″N92°46′6″W / 45.19806°N 92.76833°W / 45.19806; -92.76833
Area7 acres (2.8 ha)
Built1839–1873
Part of Marine on St. Croix Historic District (ID74001043)
MPS Washington County MRA (AD)
NRHP reference No. 70000311 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 26, 1970
Designated CPJune 28, 1974

The Marine Mill, established in 1839, was the first commercial sawmill in what became the U.S. state of Minnesota. Now in ruins, it is currently a historic site managed by the city of Marine on St. Croix in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society. [1] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Marine Mill Site in 1970 for having state-level significance in the themes of exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. [3] It was nominated for being the birthplace of the region's seminal industry—lumbering—and a major landing on its crucial transportation route, the St. Croix River. [4] The site is also a contributing property to the Marine on St. Croix Historic District. [5]

Contents

Operational history

Lewis Judd and David Hone identified the site, with a swift-flowing stream for power and a bank suitable for steamboats, as ideal for a sawmill during an 1838 scouting expedition. They were members of a group of New Englanders who had come west in search of new lumbering opportunities. They returned to their home base in Marine, Illinois, and chartered the Marine Lumber Company with six other business partners. In May 1839 the eight partners, plus one member's wife and two children, arrived by steamboat with a load of milling machinery. [5] In just 90 days they had completed their sawmill, cutting lumber for the first time on August 24. The land, only purchased by the United States in 1837 through treaties with the Ojibwe and Dakota people, was not yet legally open to settlement. [6]

The original mill cut less than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of lumber per day, so it was replaced in 1852 with a larger mill powered by a 40-foot (12 m) water wheel. However the whole building burned down in a fire in September 1863, idling workers for three years until a replacement was constructed in 1866. [4] To keep pace with its competitors, that mill was almost completely remodeled in 1873, at which point it could cut up to 30,000 feet (9,100 m) per day. [6]

The mill, then known as the Walker, Judd, and Veazie Mill, was at its most profitable in the early 1870s. However a widespread economic depression triggered by the Panic of 1873, delays caused by a series of log jams on the river, and the valley's dwindling lumber supply soon changed that, and the mill went bankrupt in 1885. Various attempts to reopen the mill failed, and the business was dismantled in 1895. Over its 56 years of operation the mill had produced some 197,000,000 feet (60,000,000 m) of lumber. [6]

Later history

The Marine Mill site lay abandoned for nearly 70 years. It wasn't until 1964 that a resource commission recommended acquiring the land as a historic site. No action was taken until a local committee formed in 1970 to advocate for preservation, and the following year the Minnesota Legislature appropriated funds to buy the site. The local committee also cleared decades of revegetation, uncovering the foundations of support structures. The land acquisition was completed in 1972 and the property transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society. [6]

Description

The scant foundation ruins of a mill complex building MarineMill.jpg
The scant foundation ruins of a mill complex building

At its peak the mill complex occupied about six acres (2.4 ha). In addition to the sawmill there was a planing mill, storage sheds, the steamboat levee, and piles of cut lumber, shingles, and laths. Between 1888 and 1895 all the wooden buildings were dismantled and the machinery sold off. All that remained were the stone walls of the 1873 sawmill and its water wheel. [4] Today a historical marker stands by the entrance to the property, and an open lawn leads to an overlook of the sawmill ruins. A short interpretive trail leads past the faint foundations of two other mill complex buildings. The stream that powered the mill still runs through the site. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Marine on St. Croix or Marine on Saint Croix is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 689 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1839 as Marine Mills. The city was the site of the first commercial sawmill on the St. Croix River. A substantial portion of the city is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places and by the state of Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Anthony Falls</span> Waterfall in Mississippi River into the Mississippi River Gorge in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Saint Anthony Falls, or the Falls of Saint Anthony located at the northeastern edge of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River. Throughout the mid-to-late 1800’s, various dams were built atop the east and west faces of the falls to support the milling industry that spurred the growth of the city of Minneapolis. In 1880, the central face of the falls was reinforced with a sloping timber apron to stop the upstream erosion of the falls. In the 1950s, the apron was rebuilt with concrete, which makes up the most visible portion of the falls today. A series of locks were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s to extend navigation to points upstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota)</span> River in Wisconsin and Minnesota, United States

The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 169 miles (272 km) long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower 125 miles (201 km) of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A hydroelectric plant at the Saint Croix Falls Dam supplies power to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild River State Park</span> State park in Minnesota, United States

Wild River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, curving along 18 miles (29 km) of the St. Croix River. This long, narrow park is shaped somewhat like a sideways 'S', with development largely concentrated in the lower third. The remote upper sections flank the mouth of a tributary called the Sunrise River. The park is managed to provide quieter, more nature-oriented recreation as a counterpoint to the busier William O'Brien and Interstate State Parks downstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate Park</span> United States historic place

Interstate Park comprises two adjacent state parks on the Minnesota–Wisconsin border, both named Interstate State Park. They straddle the Dalles of the St. Croix River, a deep basalt gorge with glacial potholes and other rock formations. The Wisconsin park is 1,330 acres (538 ha) and the Minnesota park is 298 acres (121 ha). The towns of Taylors Falls, Minnesota and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin are adjacent to the park. Interstate Park is within the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. The western terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is on the Wisconsin side. On the Minnesota side, two areas contain National Park Service rustic style buildings and structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Croix State Park</span> United States historic place

St. Croix State Park is a state park in Pine County, Minnesota, USA. The park follows the shore of the St. Croix River for 21 miles (34 km) and contains the last 7 miles (11 km) of the Kettle River. At 33,895 acres (13,717 ha) it is the largest Minnesota state park. It was developed as a Recreational Demonstration Area in the 1930s, and is one of the finest surviving properties of this type in the nation. 164 structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration survive, the largest collection of New Deal projects in Minnesota. As a historic district they were listed on the National Register of Historic Places and proclaimed a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Croix Boom Site</span> United States historic place

The St. Croix Boom Site is a historic and scenic wayside on the St. Croix River in Stillwater Township, Minnesota, United States. It commemorates the location of a critical log boom where, from 1856 to 1914, timber from upriver was sorted and stored before being dispatched to sawmills downstream. The site was developed as a roadside park along Minnesota State Highway 95 in the 1930s. In 1966 it was designated a National Historic Landmark for its national significance in the theme of industry. It was nominated for being the earliest, most important, and longest serving of the log storage and handling operations that supported Minnesota's major logging industry. Virtually no traces remain of the site's original buildings and structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Austin Jenks House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Captain Austin Jenks House is a historic house in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, built in 1871. Austin Jenks was a prominent businessman and river pilot involved in timber rafting on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the themes of architecture, industry, and transportation. It was nominated for its association with Jenks and the importance of water transportation to the region's foundational lumber industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ames–Florida House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Ames–Florida–Stork House is a historic house museum in Rockford, Minnesota, United States, on the Crow River. The house was built in 1856 by New England immigrants George F. Ames and his brother-in-law Joel Florida. Ames and Florida came to Minnesota from northern Illinois by steamship. On the steamship, they met Guilford George, a master carpenter and millwright. The three men formed a partnership and established the community of Rockford clustered around a sawmill and a gristmill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivory McKusick House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Ivory McKusick House is a historic house in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, completed in 1872 for Ivory McKusick (1827–1906). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and commerce. It was nominated as a striking example of Second Empire architecture in the region and for its associations with a notable family in early Stillwater. McKusick had built his wealth via the lumber industry and government contracts during the Civil War. His older brother John had helped establish the first sawmill in the vicinity in 1843, named and platted the community that grew around it after his hometown in Maine, and served as its first mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Lammers House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Albert Lammers House is a historic house in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, built circa 1893. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and industry. It was nominated for its association with a local family that expanded Stillwater's lumber interests into northwest Minnesota, and as the city's leading example of Queen Anne architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roscoe Hersey House</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Roscoe Hersey House is a historic house in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, built 1879–1880. It was designed by architect George W. Orff in a mix of Eastlake and early Queen Anne style. Roscoe Hersey (?1841–1906) was a key figure in Stillwater's lumber and mercantile development, the son and local representative of Isaac Staples' Maine-based business partner Samuel F. Hersey. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having local significance in the themes of architecture, commerce, and industry. It was nominated for its embodiment of the commercial success of the Hersey–Staples partnership, the ties between the St. Croix Valley and Bangor, Maine, and the peak of Stillwater's lumber industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Douglas–St. Louis River Road Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Point Douglas–St. Louis River Road Bridge, built in 1865, is the second oldest known stone arch bridge in the state of Minnesota after Sibley's Ferry Bridge in Mendota, which was built in 1864. It was constructed in Stillwater Township to carry the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road over Brown's Creek. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for having local significance in the themes of engineering and transportation. It was nominated as an example of stone engineering and as a remnant of Minnesota's early government roads.

Arcola is an unincorporated community in May Township, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. Arcola is located in the southeast part of May Township along State Highway 95. The northeast part of Stillwater Township is also in the immediate area. Nearby places include Stillwater and Marine on St. Croix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sauntry House and Recreation Hall</span> Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The William Sauntry House and Recreation Hall is a historic property in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, consisting of a late-nineteenth-century house and a 1902 addition styled after a Moorish palace. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and industry. It was nominated for its association with prosperous local lumberman William Sauntry (1845–1914) and for its fanciful recreation hall, one of Minnesota's best examples of a folly and a rare use of Moorish Revival architecture. Now in separate ownership, the recreation hall has been restored as a private home while the William Sauntry Mansion operates as a bed and breakfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Staples' Sawmill</span> United States historic place

Isaac Staples' Sawmill is a historic industrial property in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, consisting of an 1850 stone powerhouse and a 1900 metal-clad factory. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Croix Lumber Mills—Stillwater Manufacturing Company in 1982 for its local significance in the theme of industry. It was nominated because the powerhouse is the only surviving industrial building associated with Isaac Staples (1816–1898), a major figure in Minnesota's early commercial development. The property now operates as a shopping mall with upper level apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcola Mills</span> United States historic place

Arcola Mills is a historic house in the unincorporated community of Arcola, Minnesota, United States. Built in 1847, it is considered the third-oldest and largest all-wood-frame house still standing in Minnesota. It was the home of brothers Martin and John Mower, who established one of the first sawmills on the St. Croix River and the community around it. The house and the remnants of the nearby mill were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as the John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site for having local significance in the themes of architecture, exploration/settlement, and industry. The property was nominated as an "excellent example" of Greek Revival architecture and for its association with the region's early settlement and lumber industry. The property now operates as a non-profit event and education center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Croix Falls Dam</span> Hydroelectric dam in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

Saint Croix Falls Dam, also known as St. Croix Falls Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the St. Croix River between St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin and Taylors Falls, Minnesota. The only hydroelectric dam on the St. Croix River, it is operated by Xcel Energy.

The Pas Lumber Company was a forestry company that owned and operated several sawmills and logging operations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Marine Mill". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. "Marine Mill Site". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  4. 1 2 3 Warren, Jack K. (1969-11-07). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Marine Mill Site". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-12-07.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. 1 2 Hackett, John J. (1974-04-08). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Marine on St. Croix Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-12-06.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Holmquist, June Drenning; Jean A. Brookins (1972). Minnesota's Major Historic Sites: A Guide. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN   0-87351-072-0.