Minnesota, Washington County, Marine on St. Croix
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"From here, the first log in the race,
Went forth to seek a dwelling place."
Harriet Bishop, Minnesota, Then and Now, 1869
The St. Croix River ranked second only to the Mississippi as a carrier of logs and lumber. The white pine logs from trees that lumberjacks felled in the winter were driven downstream to sawmills in the spring. Millions of logs were milled using water-and-steam-powered machinery. Between 1839 and 1895, more than 197 million board feet of lumber were milled here — enough to build some 18,000 "average-size" homes.
During its lifetime, this mill saw a succession of owner-operators.
David Hone and Lewis Judd operated the mill from 1839 until 1848, when the Marine Lumber Company became Judd, Walker and Company. Twenty years later, the firm was reorganized as the Walker, Judd and Veazie Lumber Company. That operation went bankrupt in 1885, but in 1888 the mill reopened under the ownership of the Anderson and O'Brien Company. Heavy logging depleted the timber of the St. Croix River valley, and in 1895 the mill was forced to close for good.
Minnesota Historical Society
Marine Mill
(Industry & Commerce) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
"From here, the first log in the race,
Went forth to seek a dwelling place."
Harriet Bishop, Minnesota, Then and Now, 1869
The St. Croix River ranked second only to the Mississippi as a carrier of logs and lumber. The white pine logs from trees that lumberjacks felled in the winter were driven downstream to sawmills in the spring. Millions of logs were milled using water-and-steam-powered machinery. Between 1839 and 1895, more than 197 million board feet of lumber were milled here — enough to build some 18,000 "average-size" homes.
During its lifetime, this mill saw a succession of owner-operators.
David Hone and Lewis Judd operated the mill from 1839 until 1848, when the Marine Lumber Company became Judd, Walker and Company. Twenty years later, the firm was reorganized as the Walker, Judd and Veazie Lumber Company. That operation went bankrupt in 1885, but in 1888 the mill reopened under the ownership of the Anderson and O'Brien Company. Heavy logging depleted the timber of the St. Croix River valley, and in 1895 the mill was forced to close for good.
Minnesota Historical Society
Marine Mill
(Industry & Commerce) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
