The focus of this category is on Rock Creek, Minnesota, a small city in southern Pine County.
Its boundaries extend east and west from a point south of Pine City and north of Rush City, and from West Rock, west of I-35, to the St. Croix River and the Wisconsin border. Although the population of Rock Creek was just over 1,600 at the time of the 2010 census, it is the largest city by area in Pine County. Rock Creek is largely rural, and without a post office. Businesses and residents of Rock Creek receive their mail through the Pine City post office.
Prior to the white settlement of the area, it was inhabited by the Dakota. During the 1500s, the Chippewa or the Ojibway came to the region, forced out of their homelands by the Iroquois, and there were frequent battles between the tribes.
After the US-sanctioned Chippewa and Sioux treaties of 1838, white settlers and lumbermen began to come into the area.
To encourage settlement of the Minnesota Territory, President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862, which 160 acres to anyone over the age of twenty-one who would live upon it, and make improvements. At the same time, railroads were laying track into the region.
Rock Creek was first established as a lumbering and milling operation, aided by the railroads, which were necessary in order to bring the lumber to market. As was usually the case with mill sites, a settlement grew up there. Long's Spur was at the site of a railroad spur about a mile south of Rock Creek. The mill was owned by men named Long and Winston. Before long, there was a store, boarding house, stables, and a schoolhouse there.
Additional small settlements grew up around other mills in the area that was to become Rock Creek. Two of these were known as Dowlan's Siding and Milburn.
With the depletion of its conifers, lumbering gave way to agriculture, and wheat became the primary cash crop, as well as for flour for home consumption. Wheat was hauled to Sunrise, or to Grantsburg when the Saint Croix River was frozen over.
When more land was cleared, it was found that potatoes did well and, as the populations of Minneapolis and Saint Paul grew, there was a good market for potatoes. Rock Creek had four potato warehouses along a railroad spur that went to the southwest. They were owned by Rush City Mercantile, Hinckley Produce, Beggs and Company of North Branch, and Erickson Brothers.
However, due to shallow top soil, production fell off the a point where growing potatoes was no longer profitable. Rock Creek began shipping out hay and cordwood. Because of the abundance of hay, dairy production became an important industry. Butter, eggs, and poultry became a bartering product. In time, cooperatives were organized, and local farmers were able to ship, butter, poultry, and veal to market by rail. In 1899, the Rock Creek Cooperative Creamery was organized, and it remained in operation until 1969 when it was sold to Land O Lakes Creamery, which closed it soon after.
The first general store in Rock Creek was probably one built by Hewson and Scanlan in 1878. It was sold to the Erickson Brothers in 1890, to A.M. Challeen in 1905, and to the Farmer's Cooperative Mercantile in 1910. The Farmer's Cooperative Mercantile sold to A.P. Erickson in 1915, and it became known as Erickson and Son. In 1918, Gust Erickson bought out his father. It remained in the Erickson family until 1945, when it was sold to Charles and Elsie Erickson, who were not related. In 1962, it was sold to Lawrence Petersen.
Rock Creek was named for the creek that flowed through the area, and was settled soon after the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad was completed in 1869. A railroad station was established around 1873, and John Holmberg was the first railroad agent at Rock Creek. In 1893, a larger depot was built on the north side of Rock Creek Road, which burned in 1918, and was replaced in 1919. The station was closed in 1952, and the depot was demolished in 1965.
The first post office in Rock Creek opened in 1872, with Captain Enoch Horton as postmaster.
As for churches, the Methodists held services in the Rock Creek schoolhouse in 1889, and a Methodist Episcopal Church was built later that year. In 1885, the Swedish Baptist Church was organized. They built a church building between Rush City and Rock Creek in 1889. In 1911, they moved to Rock Creek, becoming East Rock Creek Baptist Church.
In 1874, the Roosevelt School was the fourth district organized in Pine County. Beginning as a one-room schoolhouse, it was replaced by a two-room structure in 1905. In 1967, the district merged with Pine City.
Several other District schools were organized in the late 1800s, all of which either closed or merged with Pine City in the late 1900s. Rock Creek students now attend school in Pine City.
Recommended Resources
The annual community gathering at Anderson’s Rock Creek Relics Threshing and Sawing Show takes place during the weekend after Labor Day and has been held since 1994. Featuring a collection of antique tractors, hay mowers, loaders, plows, planters, cultivators, and corn pickers, there is also a corn maze, a threshing show, and other agricultural events. Its history is told, and photos from past shows are displayed.
http://www.andersonsrockcreekrelics.com/
The official city website publishes its comprehensive plan and lists office hours, a mailing address for the city, and contacts for city officials. The city council and planning commission are identified, ordinances may be viewed online, along with policies and fees, a zoning map, and links to county and other community-based links. Rental policies and fees for the Rock Creek City Center are stated, and a calendar of events is included.
http://www.cityofrockcreek.org/
Find A Grave: Rock Creek Cemetery
Located in Rock Creek, Pine County, Minnesota, the community supported site includes a map showing the location of the cemetery, and a list of persons interred within the cemetery, including photos of most of the headstones, dates of birth and death, family members, and other details. Memorials and headstone photos may be uploaded to the site, photo requests may be made, and spreadsheets can be added with additional information.
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1977156/rock-creek-cemetery
The farm equipment business is located along Minnesota Highway 70, west of I-35, in Rock Creek, Minnesota. Schedules of upcoming farm equipment auctions are posted to the site, along with a calendar of upcoming auctions or sales, each of which can be clicked on for additional details. Available machinery and announcements are featured, and market reports are displayed. Regular auction dates are posted to the index page.
http://www.heidelbergerllc.com/
Meeting at City Center in Rock Creek, Minnesota, on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, the club is part of Lions Clubs International. Its site features announcements about club news, meeting schedules and locations, a calendar of programs and special events, and reports on club projects. Other resources include a gallery of photographs, a list of club officers, and contact information.
http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/rockcreeklionsmn/
Located in the St. Croix River Valley of east-central Minnesota, the kennel is owned and operated by Scott and Denise Kossan. The site includes a description of the breed and several photographs. Information about its litters is offered, including the likelihood that any pup that a reader might want to purchase would be from future planned breeding, as litters are generally spoken for before they are born.
http://www.pudelpointers.net/
The full-time taxidermy studio includes a shop and showroom east of Rock Creek, Minnesota, along Minnesota Highway 70, as well as a drop-off and pick-up site at its original location in Cyrus, Minnesota. An overview of the work done by the shop is put forth, along with several photographs of its work, which includes bear mounts, fish mounts, upland birds, whitetail deer, and even a tiger and a giraffe.
http://www.willowtaxidermy.com/
