Elk River’s post office opened in 1851, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #162 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it
Most of Elk River was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Oliver H. Kelley Homestead, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1860.
The Elk River post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Elk River Station (1866) and Orono (1867), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 233 in 18602020 census: 25,835175 years
How historic is Elk River?
C
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Elk River post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Elk River’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elk River is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #162 of 273 in Minnesota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elk River’s overall grade.
Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Elk River’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C+. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Elk River’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The last glacier to traverse Minnesota is responsible for the creation of the hardwood-forested hills where Elk River is nestled. These hills are made up of coarse materials, which is why gravel mining is so prevalent in Elk River, and also why much of the area is not considered good farmland for culture and agriculture use.
To the south of Elk River lies the prairie. This natural boundary between the prairie and woods was also a boundary between Indian nations. Two battles between the Dakota and Ojibwe took place where the Elk River meets the Mississippi in 1772 and 1773.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Elk River post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Elk River rank for history?
Elk River is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #162 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Elk River?
Three places: the Oliver H. Kelley Homestead (listed 1966), the Elkhi Stadium (2004) and the Elk River Water Tower (2012).
How old are the homes in Elk River?
2% of Elk River’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1997.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1941
2009
2009
2007
2005
★ Landmark