Exterior view of the Isaac Staples Sawmill Building at 400 Main Street North in Stillwater, Minnesota. The building is also known as the St. Croix Lumber Mills- Stillwater Manufacturing Company and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This mill was built in 1853 by Seth Sawyer and Alvah Heaton. It was purchased in 1869 by Isaac Staples. He was a powerful lumber baron in the St. Croix River Valley during the logging boom of the late nineteenth century. Staples arrived in Stillwater, from Maine in 1853 as a representative of eastern investors. Hersey, Staples, andCompany became the largest single owners of timberland in the St. Croix valley. Aside from his massive holdings and operations in timber, sawmills, and the St. Croix Boom Company, Staples was also the region's most successful farmer and an important banker.
Commander Building in Stillwater, Minnesota. The elevator, built in 1898 by the Woodward Elevator Company was connected to the flour mill building six years later, located on Main Street and Nelson. An overhead spout connected the buildings, both operated by the Minnesota Flour Mill Company until 1908.
Freight House in Stillwater, Minnesota. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Freight House and Depot is overlooking the St. Croix River on the eastern fringe of Stillwater. The freight house and depot, built in 1883, is a simple vernacular building. Exterior ornamentation consists of a series of arched doors and windows on both sides of the building. Constructed of limestone and brick the building measures 200 feet by 40 feet. The limestone foundation walls measure approximately two feet thick. The brick bearing walls are eighteen inches thick and thirty feet high. (The limestone was quarried in the nearby North Quarry.) Date of its construction is 1883. The mill construction and truss system of the building are significant as examples of .wood structural engineering. The first map of Stillwater (1848) indicates that the present site of the building was once Lake St. Croix. Therefore, the building required elaborately engineered pilings to support the tremendous weight of the limestone foundation and brick walls. One of the most interesting features of the building was its dual use - passenger and freight. The building served as a freight house and passenger depot until 1955.
Exterior view of the Isaac Staples Sawmill Building at 400 Main Street North in Stillwater, Minnesota. The building is also known as the St. Croix Lumber Mills- Stillwater Manufacturing Company on the National Register of Historic Places. This mill was built in 1853 by Seth Sawyer and Alvah Heaton. It was purchased in 1869 by Isaac Staples. He was a powerful lumber baron in the St. Croix River Valley during the logging boom of the late nineteenth century. Staples arrived in Stillwater, from Maine in 1853 as a representative of eastern investors. Hersey, Staples, andCompany became the largest single owners of timberland in the St. Croix valley. Aside from his massive holdings and operations in timber, sawmills, and the St. Croix Boom Company, Staples was also the region's most successful farmer and an important banker.
Ivory McKusick's small French Second Empire bluff-top home reflects McKusick's successes in lumbering and government supply contracts during the Civil War. The heavy mansard roof was the height of style during the era, and the home is on the National Register of Historic Places. The original house was built in 1866, with a prominent addition in 1872 becoming the front, or main, part of the home. Ivory was one of several McKusick brothers who established themselves in lumbering in Stillwater. The house is located at the corner of North Second Street.
Judge Hollis R. Murdock built the original house in 1859 at 210 Laurel Street East in Stillwater, Minnesota. Also known as the Mildred Houghton Comfort home.
The Warden's House is a 14 room house constructed for the Wardens of the Minnesota Territorial Prison in 1853. The house is at 602 Main Street North and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Roscoe Hersey home at 414 South Fourth Street is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Eastlake/early Queen Anne style Roscoe Hersey House is an irregular plan 18 room structure made by machine-produced decorative woodwork. Roscoe Hersey played an important role in the early development of Stillwater's lumber and mercantile development. His house reflects the commercial success of the Hersey-Staples partnership, the strong link between the St. Croix Valley and Maine capital and personalities, and the boom years of Stillwater's lumber years. Roscoe Hersey was the eldest son of Samuel F. Hersey, Isaac Staples financial partner. Roscoe Hersey moved to Minnesota in 1867, after serving in the Civil War at the age of 26 to look after his family's business. He took charge of the Lake City branch of the Hersey, Staples and Co. In 1872 he moved to Stillwater and entered the firm of Hersey, Bean and Brown, a land, lumber, merchandise firm. In 1878 he was elected and served one term as a state senator. Hersey built the house in 1879-1880 and occupied it for seven years.
Norwest Bank at 101 Main Street North in the McKusick Block on the corner of Myrtle and Mulberry in Stillwater, Minnesota. In the background, looking north are Cat Ballou's at 110 Main Street North, Stillwater Book and Stationary at 114 Main Street North, and Stillwater Paint.
Two buildings that were built pre-1884: Cat Ballou's at 110-112 North Main Street and Stillwater Book and Stationary at 114 North Main Street in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Downtown Stillwater Minnesota looking north on Main Street from the far south of the downtown. Included in the picture are Wolf Brewing and Vittorio's restaurant at 402 Main South
The north part of downtown Stillwater Minnesota looking north on Main Street. Maple Island Food Products and a 76 gas station are in the foreground of the picture.
View of Main Street North in Stillwater, Minnesota. Businesses include Stillwater Book and Stationery at 114 Main Street North. Stillwater Paint, and Main Street Antiques are in the Excelsior Block, built in 1882, at 118-126 North Main Street.