From The Dreams Of Men

In 1870, three brothers by the name of Tibbetts, working for the Northern Pacific railroad, recognized the potential of locating a town near the Mississippi. From this point, men and materials could be brought in by rail and transported via the Mississippi to pinery camps upriver. This was the first access point to the Mississippi by rail from Duluth. The idea caught on and a town developed by 1871.

Transportation Industry Quickly Develops

No sooner than the town of Aitkin was platted and buildings built, a fledgling industry developed that was centered around transporting men and materials via the Mississippi to pinery camps upriver. The wild lands to the north contained a wealth of timber but were not accessible by good roads.The river and steamboat transportation provided the best access to those regions. Between 1870 and the 1920s, steamboats operated between Aitkin and what would later become Grand Rapids.

A Town Evolves From The Wilderness

As Aitkin developed around its steamboating industry, it also became a supply station to regional lumbering operations. Businesses that directly and indirectly catered to lumbering operations began to arrive. Later industries relating to timber harvest began to spring up, such as sawmills and a hoop mill (cooperage). As the peak of the pinery camp passed, the community provided goods and services to the settlers, including immigrants, that sought the fertile lands that were cleared in the wake of the timber industry. This shift meant river and transportation began to serve agricultural needs as the Jack Pine industry boom passed, being replaced by hardwoods like White Oak. Timber production and agriculture still exist today, but gone are the passenger trains and steamboats that served them.

The Rough Edges Begin To Come Off

In Aitkin's early days, the streets were filled with men from the pinery camps during the summer months. Many had a pocket full of cash and nothing but time on their hands. At one time, no less than 16 saloons catered to the pinery camp 'boys.' The sheriff was usually kept busy breaking up brawls, closing down sporting houses and illegal stills that all sought to capitalize on the paycheck of the lumberjack. Gunplay and knifings were not uncommon.

As families and businesses began to arrive, there became a steadily rising cry for higher social standards and conduct. By the 1890s, church socials, costume balls, and vaudeville performances had replaced the street brawls, public drunkenness and occasional gunplay common a decade earlier. Local culture by then often included literary lectures, recitations and magic lantern travelogues from around the world. The construction of the Aitkin Opera House by the turn of the century brought the community vaudeville, theatrical plays and musical entertainment--which even included a performance by a very young Francis Gumm, who would later become known as Judy Garland.