Perham
The Town Came Alive With the Arrival of the Railroad
Right on Track with the Northern Pacific
Talking Trail Audio Story
![Northern Pacific Train Station, Perham [#9018 from the collections
of the Otter Tail County Historical Society]](https://eadn-wc02-557916.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/9018dpi600-1024x683.jpg)
Josiah Perham
The city is named after Josiah Perham, who became the first president of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1864. Perham was a wealthy man, but lost all his money and property in an attempt to build a railroad from Lake Superior to the Pacific Coast – a plan that was called “insane” by Congress and eastern investors. Although he never lived to see it, his dream was eventually fulfilled when the Northern Pacific reached the west years later.
The railhead arrived at Perham on September 30, 1871, bringing an influx of settlers, trade and prosperity. Flour mills and lumber mills flourished, providing employment for hundreds.
Pioneer of Commerce
Henry L. Kemper, an early settler established the area’s first store at Rush Lake. When the railroad arrived, he and his partner Henry Drahmann moved the store to Perham, forming the firm of Kemper Bros. and Drahmann. The Drahmann family ran the business until 1964, when it was sold after 97 years of continuous operation.
Famous Firsts
Kemper and Drahmann also operated a grain elevator and the Toad River Flour Mill, which shipped the first carload of wheat ever hauled by the Northern Pacific Railway in the fall of 1872. In July 1874 they started the first newspaper, which changed hands several times and finally became the Perham Bulletin. The industrious Kemper also started the town’s first bank in 1899, and served as Perham’s postmaster at a salary of $12 per year.
Tuffy’s Pet Foods
Born in Verndale, Tuffy’s owner Darrell Nelson grew into a high-spirited boy who was small for his age. However, his size didn’t keep him from putting bullies in their place. His playmates dubbed him “Tuffy,” and it stuck. In 1947 he started the Pine Lakes Feed Co. with little capital but a lot of ambition, Tuffy worked day and night to make his business grow. Over the years, it evolved into the highly successful Tuffy’s Pet Foods, manufacturing a line of pet food products.
By 1971, he sold the business to H.J. Heinz Company. Under Heinz ownership, production became automated enabling the company to expand into the national pet food market.
Barrel O’ Fun & Kenny’s Candy
In 1973, Tuffy’s son Kenny joined the firm and together they started Barrel O’ Fun, a snack food company. In 1987, after the passing of Tuffy in 1986, Kenny went on to expand the company by starting Kenny’s Candy.
In 1995 Kenny formed KLN Enterprises Inc. and in 2001 bought back Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. returning the plant to hometown ownership.
Nelson Family Recognition
The Nelson family businesses were a prime source of employment in the Perham area. The firms have also been a major purchaser of agricultural products, mostly from the Red River Valley.
In 1990 the Tuffy Nelson family received the Builder of the Valley award at the Red River Valley Winter Show in Crookston, Minn. The award is given to businesses in the Valley that have demonstrated unusual creativity and leadership.
Preserving the Past
History Museum of East Otter Tail County
The History Museum of East Otter Tail County is located in a historic stone
structure built in 1887. The museum highlights the people, places and events of the area through photographs, interpretive exhibits and original motion pictures.
![Pioneer Village, Perham, circa 1975 [#7893
from the collections of the Otter Tail County
Historical Society]](https://eadn-wc02-557916.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/7893dpi600-714x1024.jpg)
Paul Miller Park Located on the southwest edge of Little Pine Lake, Paul Miller Park was once the summer hunting grounds of the Ojibwe. For centuries the Dakota tribe dominated the bountiful hunting grounds surrounding the tributary of the Red River of the North now called Otter Tail River. But the peace of the Dakota ended with the arrival of the Ojibwe in the late 17th century. After fifty years of bloody fighting, the Dakota were driven from the area.
The park was named in honor of Paul Miller, a longtime Perham mayor, whose collection of artifacts and memorabilia are displayed in History Museum of East Otter Tail County.
Pioneer Village, just north of downtown Perham, consists of authentic log houses and other historic buildings that have been meticulously reconstructed using original materials.
