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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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History of Anoka County
And the Towns of Champlin and Dayton
In Hennepin County, Minnesota
by Albert M. Goodrich
pub. 1905 - Hennepin Publishing Co., Minneapolis


              page 211-212
              
                JAMES T. ELWELL was born July 2, 1855, in Ramsey county,
              Minn., on a farm adjoining Hennepin county. When an infant
              his father removed to Morrison county, where he platted a
              townsite. There the family remained until the Indian out-
              break in 1862, soon after which they removed to Cottage
              Grove, Washington Co., where Mr. ELWELL grew to manhood.
              After attending the common schools he took a course at Carl-
              ton college at Northfield. About 1871 he invented a spring
              bed, and going to Minneapolis, began its manufacture on 
              the present site of the Windom block. The business soon
              grew to large proportions, and extensive buildings were
              erected in East Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Furniture Co.,
              now owned by GEORGE H. ELWELL, and the Minneapolis Bedding
              Co., owned by C. M. WAY, the largest concerns in their lines
              in the West, were the outgrowth of that business. In 1882
              Mr. ELWELL platted Elwell's Addition to Minneapolis, con-
              sisting of 240 lots, and later platted some 500 lots in 
              subsequent additions besides building some fifty or sixty
              houses thereon within a short time. A few years later he
              purchased immense tracts of marshy land in the eastern
              part of Anoka county. The wonderful transformation which
              took place in this region after Mr. ELWELL had demonstrated
              the possibilites of drainage on a large scale is described
              everywhere. Mr. ELWELL was married in 1882 to LIZZE A.
              ALDEN. They have nine children: JAMES T., MARGARET, EDWIN S.,
              ALDEN, ELIZABETH, RUTH, MARY, LAWRENCE and WATSON.
              
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