Marine on St. Croix in Washington County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

REPLACED

CHECK OTHERS NEARBY

Minnesota's First Commercial Sawmill

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

1. Minnesota's First Commercial Sawmill Marker

Southern trail marker.

Inscription. Sawmilling began here on August 24, 1839, when the Marine Lumber Company cut its first pine log.
In the autumn of 1838 two lumbermen from Marine, Illinois, David Hone and Lewis Judd, arrived in the St. Croix River valley, attracted by it's abundant resources of white pine. They selected this site, then known as Fall River, to build a sawmill and named it after their hometown. Lumber was floated down the St. Croix River and then shipped by rail west to the prairies. It was used to build towns and cities, and it enabled settlers who had been living in sod houses to erect wood-frame homes. For more than five decades, St. Croix pine lumber supported the burgeoning economy of Minnesota.

[map] Bird's-eye-view of milling operation, 1888, under the ownership of the Anderson and O'Brien Company.
1 Sawmill • 2 Planing mill • 3 Lumber piles • 4 St. Croix River • 5 Blackstone Hotel • 6 Marine Lumber Company store • 7 Powerhouse • 8 Covered mill stream • 9 Millpond • 10 Judd Street • 11 Burkleo/Berkey House • 12 Village Hall
Minnesota Historical Society
Marine Mill

Erected by Minnesota Historical Society.

Topics and series.

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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Minnesota Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1839.

Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 45° 11.839′ N, 92° 46.122′ W. Marker was in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, in Washington County. It was on Judd Street south of Maple Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Marine on Saint Croix MN 55047, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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

It was also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

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

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: Early Settler's Cabin (within shouting

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

2. Minnesota's First Commercial Sawmill Marker

Southern trail marker.

distance of this marker); Marine Mill Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Marine (about 400 feet away); Historic Marine on St. Croix (about 500 feet away); St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Marine (about 500 feet away); The Marine Township Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Lake Alice (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marine on St. Croix.

Other markers no longer nearby. Powerhouse and Kiln (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Pineries are Gone (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Boom, Then Bust (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Technological Revolution (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. [drawing and map captions]
• What the sawmill may have looked like in 1888. David Geister rendering (2000), Minnesota Historical Society
• Sanborn

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

3. Minnesota's First Commercial Sawmill Marker

Duplicate marker along the northern trail.

Fire Insurance Map. 1888, with an insert from 1898, Minnesota Historical Society

Also see . . .
1. Minnesota Historical Society. Marine Mill. "Today all that remains are portions of the stone foundations of the once huge sawmill." (Submitted on January 17, 2012.)

2. The City of Marine on St. Croix. (Submitted on January 17, 2012.)
3. Sanborn Maps. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on January 17, 2012.)

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

4. Minnesota's First Commercial Sawmill Marker

Duplicate marker along the northern trail.

St. Croix River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

5. St. Croix River

Looking upriver towards an island.
[Number 4 on the map]

Former Marine Lumber Company Store image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

6. Former Marine Lumber Company Store

[Number 6 on the map]

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

7. Judd Street

[Number 10 on the map]

Village Hall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

8. Village Hall

[Number 12 on the map]

Photographed by Keith L, July 23, 2011

9. Nearby Sign

Clues to the Past Archaeological and historic sites hold clues to understanding Minnesota's past. Minnesota law protects archaeological and historic sites. Please help preserve these traces of our state's history by staying on the marked trail and respecting what you find here. Walking on non-authorized paths will cause further erosion of and damage to the mill site.
[photo caption] Minnesota Field Archaeology Act sign, Minnesota Historical Society

Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 17, 2012, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 911 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on January 17, 2012, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. The replacement for this marker • Can you help?