The rousing newspaper ads in Michigan, New York and other eastern areas lured many settlers to Minnesota during the 1870s and 1880s – and so the town of New York Mills was born. In a few short years a wilderness was turned into a community of hardy, adventurous people looking for a new place to earn a living and raise their families.
The First New York Mills Sawmill
The First Sawmill
Dr. Van Aernam, a veteran politician, saw the opportunity to develop a big lumber business in the New York Mills area. In a partnership composed of Van Aernam, the man with the dream; Olcot P. Boardman, the financier; and George L. Cornwell, the lumberman, the New York Mills Company was organized in Olean, New York, in 1872.
The Impact of the N.P.
The Northern Pacific Railway had reached Otter Tail County in 1871, passing through New York Mills. The first car-lot shipment of materials to arrive by train in the village were supplies for Van Aernam’s sawmill. The railroad made it possible for local mill hands, sawyers and homesteaders to earn a living while they established their farms. Most of these early settlers were single men who lived in boarding houses.
Dakota Lumber Company
Lumber Shipping Center
New York Mills was noted for its lumber industry, and was also a center from which the lumber of other areas was shipped to market. Most of the lumber from north of the community, including the output of Paddock’s Mill about 12 miles away, was brought here for shipment.
First Brick Building
More Mills
Construction of downtown buildings began in 1876. The New York Mills Company was dissolved in 1882 and the mill was torn down. That same year, the Dakota Lumber Co. built a mill south of the railroad tracks across from the depot, and was in business for many years. Two other lumber mills were also in operation.
Land in litigation
The New York Mills Company, which owned much of the land in the village, retained ownership after going out of business. Disagreement between the company partners and their agent resulted in legal action that tied up most of the property for eight years. People who wanted to purchase lots couldn’t get title to them. In 1890, a lawyer named William V. Smith from Olean, New York, began working to remedy the situation. He later gave the property known as Smith Park as a personal gift to the village.
The First Brick Building
Olaf Pary came to town in 1881 to start a general merchandise store. In 1885 he built the large brick building which years later was occupied by the Karvonen and Son Furniture and Appliance store. This was the first brick building in the village, and is now the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center. Stroll down the street and visit the gift shop and gallery.
Finnish Newspapers
New York Mills has been a center of Finnish culture for more than 100 years. August Nylund, founder of the Uusi Kotimaa newspaper, arrived in New York Mills on the day it was declared a village in 1884. That fall, Rev. J.W. Lahde started the Amerikan Suometar. The two papers were consolidated and continued publication here until moving to Superior, Wisconsin in 1931.
Its successor, the Minnesotan Uutiset was published in New York Mills from 1932 to 1985, changing its name to the Amerikan Uutiset in 1960. Two other Finnish newspapers published in New York Mills in the 1890s were the short-lived Raittiuslehti (Temperance Paper) and Valoa Kansalle (Light for the People).
Lund America
“Sometimes a man’s hobby becomes his lifetime occupation. And in my case, it did!” ~Howard Lund
Howard Lund built his first metal boat in Albert Lea, Minnesota, in 1939. After six years in California he returned to New York Mills in 1948 and built his first aluminum duck boat. Lund began producing aluminum hunting boats in 1950; by 1957 he had fifteen employees and a distributor in St. Paul. The business was incorporated in 1958 with twelve local stockholders.
Deciding the company wasn’t growing fast enough, Lund bought out the original stockholders and formed Lund Metalcraft, Inc. In 1968 he purchased Shell Lake Boat Co. in Shell Lake, Wisconsin; in 1972 he opened a fiberglass plant in Steinbach, Manitoba.
Howard Lund
Mr. Pike 16
The innovative “Mr. Pike 16” fishing boat was introduced in March 1978, featuring pedestal seating, casting platforms, aerated livewells, carpeted interior and built-in storage areas. It served as a model not only for new generations of Lund boats, but for Lund’s competitors as well.
Lund Today
Throughout the years the ownership of Lund Boats has changed, but the company continues to grow and new boat models continue to evolve with innovative designs. The number of employees has risen from fifteen in 1957 to 520 in 2020. While Howard Lund has passed away, the premium quality remains an integral part of the Lund DNA which is proudly manufactured in New York Mills still today.
