Marine, MN

History of Marine on St. Croix, MN.

By Nancy Eike

Marine on St. Croix is located twelve miles from Stillwater overlooking the St. Croix River. With an old-fashioned charm, Marine on St.Croix looks today very much like it did in the nineteenth century. Many of the Colonial design structures are still standing today, a testament to the New Englanders and Southerners who built them well over a century ago. From its inception as a rough lumber town, to the quiet tranquility of a resort community, the oldest town in Minnesota has nary changed a bit. The town is on the National Register of Historic Places.

When the early settlers arrived the area was thick with sugar maple, oak, ash, birch, hickory, and many other species of trees. With such an abundance of trees, it is little wonder that lumbering became Marine’s tour de force.

Marine Mills was settled in 1838 by Lewis F. Judd and David Hone on behalf of a contingent of thirteen men from Marine, Illinois. In the fall of 1838, the two men were sent to the newly available land in search of an optimal spot for a lumber mill. After traveling on the steamer, Palmyra, for three weeks, the two men disembarked at a spot just above what is now Stillwater. Judd and Hone then poled a flatboat upriver approximately thirty miles, and apparently unable to find a suitable spot, turned around and headed downstream. It was on this return trip that they spied the desired site and staked a claim of the area which would become Marine.

In the spring of 1839, all but three of the contingent made their way to the settlement with much needed items in tow, including: three oxen, two cows, and household goods. Among them, Orange Walker, who would become one of the most successful and prominent men in the history of Marine. Walker, a tanner by trade, haled from Vermont and remained with the Marine Lumber Company for over forty-five years. Several of the other men from the contingent went on to become very successful and influential in Marine, including: Asa Parker, William Dibble, Hiram Berkey, Samuel Judd, George Judd, and Samuel Berkleo.

Shortly after the men arrived at Marine they set up temporary shelter, and began construction on the first lumber mill in the St. Croix Valley. In the fall of 1839, with a Muley saw and a flutter wheel in place, the business of lumbering began. During that first winter, 800,000 feet of timber were cut. Also during that winter, Orange Walker opened the first goods store.

In the second year of operation, the mill was equipped with an overshot wheel and an additional saw to increase its capacity to 1,000,000 feet per annum. The mill processed lumber at this rate until 1852, when it was torn down to allow for construction of a larger mill with higher capacity. With additional saws and implements added, in the 1870’s, this new mill would eventually process over 9,000,000 feet per annum. The Marine Lumber Company also owned a boom at Marine which made the small settlement a force to be reckoned within the lumber industry.

Over the years, business relationships between the original company members were dissolved and new ones formed. Some of these changes were due to the untimely deaths of Lucius Green, in 1845, and Lewis Judd, in 1848, while other changes were due to shifting interests in the company. In 1863, Orange Walker became the sole proprietor of Marine Lumber Company, and in 1866, he formed a new business, Walker, Judd, and Veazie.

The settlement was platted in 1853 and was for a time known as Marine Mills. Marine Township was organized on October 20, 1858, and was incorporated in 1875. During this time, Marine also included May and Scandia townships, until 1893, when they became autonomous from Marine. Since 1893, Marine is comprised of an area of about five square miles. In 1917, Marine was officially renamed to Marine on St. Croix.

In the late 1840’s, other settlers moved into the area from Ireland, Germany, England, and mainly Sweden. The immigrants focused on farming, and planted crops of wheat and rye. In the winter, many of the Swedish immigrants would help out in the pine forests or sawmills to supplement their small incomes. Due to the increasing amounts of grain being produced in Marine, James Gaskill, from Troy, Illinois, moved into the area and entered into an agreement with Judd, Walker & Company to construct a flour mill in 1855.

A passable road where settlers could travel from Stillwater to Marine was opened in 1841. The first government road which ran from Point Douglas, to Superior City, on Lake Superior, and through Marine, was completed around 1852. In 1853, four horse coaches made their first appearance on village streets. Many of the streets were given names to honor the early settlers, and to pay homage to the industry that had put Marine on the map. The streets were named, but unmarked, because many felt that street signs would be unnecessary. In 1856, another mode of transportation was brought into Marine, the ferry. The ferry, which was the only means of crossing the stretch between Marine and Western Wisconsin, was operational for more than 100 years.

On January 1, 1844, Reverend J. Hurlburt, a Methodist missionary, preached the first sermon in a log structure near the mill. Marine did not have a regular church service until around the mid 1850’s when the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church was built.

The first jury trial in the St. Croix Valley was held in Marine in 1840, where the case revolved around a jumped claim in Prescott, WI. Several of the early settlers were jurors on this historic case.

Over subsequent years, businesses were established to accommodate the settlers and their burgeoning town. There was a hotel, blacksmith shop, company store, general store, brewery, café, among others. It wasn’t until 1848 that the first frame dwelling was built for Samuel Berkleo and his family. Other stately and beautiful homes were built for the principal holders of Marine Lumber Company. The first school house was constructed in 1853.

The golden age of lumbering in Marine reached its pinnacle in the decade of the 1890’s. Shortly thereafter, with the tree population diminishing, the lumbermen left the valley for the Pacific Northwest where the forests were thick with trees.

In 1964, residents established the Restoration Society whose purpose is to maintain the historic and nostalgic feel of Marine. Currently, Marine on St. Croix is home to approximately 700 residents who undoubtedly treasure the charm and mystique of their little corner of the world. This charm is evident in the town square which boasts a general store, town hall, library, ice cream shop, and café. A charming post office, the stunning Christ Lutheran Church, and the historic “Stone House,” built in 1872, featuring Swedish stone work, rounds out the nostalgic feel of the downtown area.

Many people have come to recognize the beauty and nostalgia of Marine on St. Croix; Garrison Keillor has even compared this quaint spot to his beloved, Lake Wobegon. It is a place where visitors can reminisce about a way of life and a time that has slipped away.