Milling District

In 1836 explorer Joseph Nicollet sketched a waterfall on Little Elk River just above this point. Twenty years later pioneer businessman William Sturgis established the town of Elk City, opened a general store and constructed a sawmill by the falls. The first mill and dam were destroyed in an 1858 flood. Sturgis soon rebuilt, adding a grist mill. By 1870 the mills annually produced tons of meal, flour, feed and a quarter-million board-feet of lumber. Retired Indian Agent Ashley Morrill bought Little Elk Mills in 1885 and, by adding steam power, increased the output of the grist mill to 125 barrels of flour a day. In 1892 Little Elk flour was shipped to markets as far away as England. In 1897, due to lack of running water in the river, Alfred Tanner moved the mill to Little Falls, thus ending a colorful 40-year history of milling at Little Elk.

Minnesota · United States