The hardwood forested hills in which Elk River is situated were pushed up by the last glacier that advanced across Minnesota. These hills are made up of coarse materials which is the reason gravel mining is so prevalent in Elk River and also the reason much of the area is not considered good farmland.
To the south of Elk River lies the prairie. This natural boundary between the prairie and woods was also a boundary between Indian nations. Two battles between the Dakota and Ojibwe took place where the Elk River meets the Mississippi in 1772 and 1773.
Zebulon Pike so named the Elk River because of the herds he saw in the area. David Faribault built a trading post near the conjunction of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers in 1846, which he later sold to Pierre Bottineau. The two rivers and the Red River Trail, which passed nearby, made this area a good location for commerce.
In 1851, Ard Godfrey, a native of Orono, Maine, saw the potential of the water power of the Elk River and built a dam and a saw mill. His dam created the first lobe of Lake Orono (called the Mill Pond), which extended from the present day dam to Orono Cemetery Point. In 1855 the area by the dam was platted and the town of Orono (know as Upper Town) was created.
In the latter half of the 19th century, agriculture replaced lumber as the base of Elk River's economy. Grist Mills and a starch factory, which took advantage of the potato fields to the west, were built.
The Orono-Elk River area continued to grow until by 1860 it had reached a population of 723 people. These early settlers typically came from New England. Elk River's population continued to grow following a slow period caused by the civil war.
By 1870, the Elk River swelled to a population of 2,050 and became the county seat in 1872. Around the same time the railroads replaced the rivers as the main focus of transportation and the Lower Town (the present day historic downtown area) replaced Upper Town as the focus of commerce.
The Orono Dam was destroyed by an ice storm in 1912, but hydropower gave a new incentive to dam the Elk River in 1915. This new dam created the four lobes of Lake Orono as we know it today. In 1916, the Village of Elk River received electricity for the first time. The entire township of Elk River would not get electricity until after World War II.
Charles Babcock, a native son of Elk River and the first Commissioner of Highways for the state, had a visionary plan to "get Minnesota out of the mud." His plan to create a network of paved roads became a model for the rest of the nation and the Jefferson Highway (now Highway 10) became one of the first paved roads in the state. Highway 10 used to cross the Elk River over the dam bridge, but was rerouted to its present location shortly after World War II.
1974 Street Scene replaced the rivers as the main focus of transportation and the Lower Town (the present day historic downtown area) replaced Upper Town as the focus of commerce.
The Orono Dam was destroyed by an ice storm in 1912, but hydropower gave a new incentive to dam the Elk River in 1915. This new dam created the four lobes of Lake Orono as we know it today. In 1916, the Village of Elk River received electricity for the first time. The entire township of Elk River would not get electricity until after World War II.
Charles Babcock, a native son of Elk River and the first Commissioner of Highways for the state, had a visionary plan to "get Minnesota out of the mud." His plan to create a network of paved roads became a model for the rest of the nation and the Jefferson Highway (now Highway 10) became one of the first paved roads in the state. Highway 10 used to cross the Elk River over the dam bridge, but was rerouted to its present location shortly after World War II.
In 1978, the Village of Elk River and the Township of Elk River consolidated to create the City of Elk River. The result was one of the largest land based cities in the state at 44 square miles.
Besides transportation, energy has always played a significant role in shaping Elk River. The first rural nuclear power plant in the US went online in 1960 at Great River Energy's (GRE) site. Meant only as a demonstration site it was dismantled after several successful years of operation.
In the late 1980's, GRE's power plant was converted to burn refuse derived fuel. This innovative source of energy was one factor that helped Elk River receive the designation of "Energy City" by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative in October of 1997. As Energy City, Minnesota's energy industries will be demonstrating cutting edge renewable and energy efficient technologies in Elk River.
The creation of Interstate Highway 94 and the upgrade of Highway 101 to four lanes will greatly accelerate Elk River's growth. Once again transportation is dictating where the focus of commercial activities take place in Elk River as new businesses spring up along the Highway 169 corridor.
