Anoka in Anoka County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Washburn Saw Mill Chimney
⎯⎯⎯
Pease Printery

Photographed by McGhiever, June 4, 2023

1. Washburn Saw Mill Chimney / Pease Printery Marker

Inscription.

Washburn Saw Mill Chimney, also, Pease Printery. . Washburn Saw Mill Chimney. On July 13, 1907, in front of a crowd of 3,000 onlookers, the iconic 90-foot Washburn Saw Mill chimney was razed. The chimney was constructed of approximately 125,000 Kelsey bricks; a high-quality brick manufactured near Round Lake in Andover, Minnesota., It was reported the chimney was felled according to a plan outlined in Scientific American for the successful falling of chimneys in Bavaria. On the north side of the chimney, several rows of bricks were removed to create a gap two feet in height and slightly more than half the width of the chimney base. As the bricks were removed, wooden struts were inserted in their place. When the removal of bricks was complete, the weight of the chimney rested around the struts. Oil-soaked rags were wrapped around the struts, and 15 gallons of kerosene were poured over wood and kindling inside the chimney. At 3:44 p.m., the fire was lit. The chimney stood for 20 minutes after the fire was started, causing many to wonder if the chimney would ever fall. Suddenly, the struts at the lower corners cracked, the corner props gave way, and the chimney gracefully fell to the ground within a few seconds., After the dust cleared, about three-fourths of the bricks remained intact; and, after cleaning, would be used to build the Pease Printery building at the northwest corner of Harrison Street and Second Avenue. Local youths were paid to clean them at the rate of $1 per 1,000 bricks., Chimney pictures were made into postcards and sold at the Witte drugstore., Pease Printery. The Pease family's connection to the Anoka Union Newspaper, and their legacy in the newspaper business, began when Granville Pease started working as a press operator in 1866. Within a year Pease became a partner and soon after bought out the business to become sole owner., Four generations of Pease family members worked at and ran the paper and print operations between 1866 and 1989. Granville's son, Thomas (a.k.a. T.G.J.) joined the paper in 1893 and began running it in 1921. T.G.J.'s wife also worked at the paper as the editor of the society and news pages. His sons, Gleason and Archie (a.k.a. Arch), were writers. In 1946 T.G.J. passed the paper down to Arch. In 1959 Arch expanded the business by purchasing the Anoka Herald newspaper, their main competitor since 1885. The Anoka Herald became the Coon Rapids Herald and continued to be published by the Pease family., In December 1907 the newspaper moved its operations into this building on the east bank of the Rum River. The building was constructed of reclaimed bricks from the Washburn Mill Chimney. The Union was printed here from 1907 to 1953. In 1953 a new building large enough to house modern press equipment was constructed on Jackson Street and the business moved again., In 1989 the Pesae family management of the Anoka Union came to end when the business was sold to ECM Publishers, Inc., Arch Pease with mother T.G.J. (Mamie) Pease in printery office - circa 1930, Arch Pease 1948, Photos and historical information courtesy of the Anoka County Historical Society.

Washburn Saw Mill Chimney
On July 13, 1907, in front of a crowd of 3,000 onlookers, the iconic 90-foot Washburn Saw Mill chimney was razed. The chimney was constructed of approximately 125,000 Kelsey bricks; a high-quality brick manufactured near Round Lake in Andover, Minnesota.

It was reported the chimney was felled according to a plan outlined in Scientific American for the successful falling of chimneys in Bavaria. On the north side of the chimney, several rows of bricks were removed to create a gap two feet in height and slightly more than half the width of the chimney base. As the bricks were removed, wooden struts were inserted in their place. When the removal of bricks was complete, the weight of the chimney rested around the struts. Oil-soaked rags were wrapped around the struts, and 15 gallons of kerosene were poured over wood and kindling inside the chimney. At 3:44 p.m., the fire was lit. The chimney stood for 20 minutes after the fire was started, causing many to wonder if the chimney would ever fall. Suddenly, the struts at the lower corners cracked, the corner props gave way, and the chimney gracefully fell to the ground within a few seconds.

After the dust cleared, about three-fourths of the bricks remained intact; and, after cleaning, would be used to build the Pease Printery building at the northwest corner of Harrison Street and Second Avenue. Local youths were paid to clean them at the rate of $1 per 1,000 bricks.

Chimney pictures were made into postcards and sold at the Witte drugstore.

Pease Printery
The Pease family's connection to the Anoka Union Newspaper, and their legacy in the newspaper business, began when Granville Pease started working as a press operator in 1866. Within a year Pease became a partner and soon after bought out the business to become sole owner.

Four generations of Pease family members worked at and ran the paper

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and print operations between 1866 and 1989. Granville's son, Thomas (a.k.a. T.G.J.) joined the paper in 1893 and began running it in 1921. T.G.J.'s wife also worked at the paper as the editor of the society and news pages. His sons, Gleason and Archie (a.k.a. Arch), were writers. In 1946 T.G.J. passed the paper down to Arch. In 1959 Arch expanded the business by purchasing the Anoka Herald newspaper, their main competitor since 1885. The Anoka Herald became the Coon Rapids Herald and continued to be published by the Pease family.

In December 1907 the newspaper moved its operations into this building on the east bank of the Rum River. The building was constructed of reclaimed bricks from the Washburn Mill Chimney. The Union was printed here from 1907 to 1953. In 1953 a new building large enough to house modern press equipment was constructed on Jackson Street and the business moved again.

In 1989 the Pesae family management of the Anoka Union came to end when the business was sold to ECM Publishers, Inc.

Arch Pease with mother T.G.J. (Mamie) Pease in printery office - circa 1930

Arch Pease 1948

Photos and historical information courtesy of the Anoka County Historical Society

Topics.

Marker with the Pease Printery (now The Mill Site event center) at right image. Click for full size.

Photographed by McGhiever, June 4, 2023

2. Marker with the Pease Printery (now The Mill Site event center) at right

This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.

Location. 45° 12.094′ N, 93° 23.327′ W. Marker is in Anoka, Minnesota, in Anoka County. It is at the intersection of Harrison Street and 2nd Avenue, on the right when traveling west on Harrison Street. The marker is on the Rum River Regional Trail at Harrison Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 Harrison Street, Anoka MN 55303, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Washburn Saw Mill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Anoka Independent Feed & Grain (about 300 feet away); Freeburg Companies

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(about 300 feet away); Lumberjack Vocabulary (about 500 feet away); Anoka Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away); Log Stamps (about 500 feet away); Rum River Dam (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Rum River Dam (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anoka.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 288 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 18, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Washburn Saw Mill Chimney⎯⎯⎯Pease Printery

Washburn Saw Mill Chimney
⎯⎯⎯
Pease Printery