In 1867 the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad was completed through the county on a line parallel with the general course of the Mississippi river. The North Pacific railroad, since built, runs parallel on the same grade. The depots were built upon the same plan and placed on opposite sides of the two tracks. The stations are Elk River, Big Lake, Becker, Clear Lake, and East St. Cloud. The Manitoba has a branch line from Elk River to Princeton and Milacca, built in 1884.
The first deed recorded was transcribed from the Benton county records, transfers of property from James Beatty to Richard Chute and David Olmstead, and bears date of July 28, 1851.
TOWNS.
The towns in Sherburne are: Baldwin, deriving its name from F. Eugene Baldwin, an old citizen; Big Lake, from the lake on which located; Becker, from Hon. G. L. Becker, of St. Paul; Blue Hill, from a high hill in the town; Clear Lake, from a lake of that name; Elk River, from the river on the shore of which it is located; Haven, from Hon. John Ormsby Haven, who represented his district in the state senate in 1872-73; Livonia, from the christian name of the wife of an old citizen; Orrock, from Reuben Orrock, a pioneer, originally from Scotland; and Palmer, from Dr. Palmer, of Sauk Centre.
Elk River was the first town organized, and included the whole county. The first election was held Sept. 30, 1858, at which the following board of officers was elected: Moderator, Alden B. Heath; supervisors, J. G. Jamieson, Alden B. Heath, J. Q. A. Nickerson; clerk, George H. Davis.
VILLAGES OF SHERBURNE COUNTY.
Orono, a post office, was established at Orono in 1850. The office was merged into the Elk River post office in 1853. This post office, with the mills erected in 1851, became the nucleus of the Elk River settlement, which some years later became Elk River village, within the corporate limits of which Orono is now situated. Orono was surveyed and platted May, 1855; Ard Godfrey, proprietor.
ELK RIVER,
Located originally about a mile below Orono, was not platted as a village until 1865. J. Q. A. and Julia Nickerson were the proprietors. It is on the east bank of the Mississippi, at its junction with Elk river, above which it now extends a distance of two miles. It has a pleasant location. It was incorporated in 1881, with C. S. Wheaton, president; W. T. Struble, recorder; N. K. Whittemore, H. P. Burrell and L. Pollard, commissioners. Elk river affords a fine water power with ten feet head. Mills were erected here in 1851. A great fire in May, 1887, destroyed mill property valued at $50,000. Since the fire a flour mill with a capacity of 250 barrels a day has been completed at a cost of $25,000. A saw mill is also in process of construction. The village has an elevator with a capacity of 10,000 bushels, 2 town halls, 3 churches, Episcopal, Free Will Baptist and Congregational; a first class school building, with rooms for four departments; a school building at Orono, with two departments; and two railroad depots, built at a cost of $9,000.
In June, 1885, a private bank was incorporated as the Bank of Elk River.