Businesses on the Northeast Corner of Judd & Maple

The Marine Lumber Company started the first commercial sawmill in Minnesota at Marine Mills in 1839. Within a few years, it added general merchandising to its lumber business. The area’s growing lumber industry rapidly increased the market for provisions, which justified building a larger company store.

Judd, Walker & Company Ledger — Judd, Walker & Company ledger. They had a store here when Marine Mills was still part of Wisconsin Territory (W. T.).

Judd, Walker & Company Store

Between 1848 and 1849, the growing lumber company reorganized as Judd, Walker & Company and moved their merchandising business into a new company store built on the NE corner of Judd & Maple. There they constructed a two-story frame building with the merchandising store located on the first floor and sleeping rooms on the second floor. The new store served all the St. Croix Valley, selling “a little of most everything,” as newspapers reported.

Judd Walkerand Company ad 1857 — The Judd, Walker & Co. store advertised a wide variety of goods. From the Stillwater Messenger, July 21, 1857.

George Judd — George B. Judd. He was one of the founding partners of the Marine Lumber Co. before starting his own general store in 1862.

George B. Judd Store

By 1859, the Judd, Walker & Company consisted only of Orange Walker, George B. Judd, and Dr. James Gaskill. In 1862, that partnership dissolved, with Walker taking control of the lumber business and sawmill and Judd and Gaskill getting the merchandizing business and the store on NE Judd & Maple. That store operated as Judd & Gaskill until it burned down in 1864. Many of the Judd, Walker & Co. business records were lost in that fire. It also broke up the partnership. Judd bought out Gaskill and promptly rebuilt the store on the same site, this time as a 1 ½-story building. George B. Judd operated his store there until he died in 1872. His daughters took over for a while but closed the store permanently in 1875.

Rose Store 1893 — The John G. Rose Store about 1893. John Rose and Swen Magnuson occupied the former George Judd building in 1882.

John G. Rose Store

The George Judd Store likely remained closed until the property was purchased in April 1882 by two Marine businessmen, John G. Rose and Swen Magnuson. John Rose was involved in several local business ventures, including another store on this intersection and Marine’s flour mill. During this period, the John G. Rose store, as it was known, was in competition with his other store and the lumber company store on opposite corners.

Charles Strand first store — Charles Strand store about 1910. Strand bought the John Rose store in 1895.

First Charles Strand Store

Charles Strand purchased the John G. Rose store in 1895 after working many years as a clerk at competing stores on Judd & Maple.

Charles Stand and August Lund 1895 — Charles Strand (right) with ferryman and saloon keeper August Lund (left) about 1895.

Charles Strand was born in Chisago Lakes and moved to Marine in 1882 at the age of 21. He started his career as a retail clerk at the Schmidt & Graf general store (on the southwest corner of Judd & Maple). After working there for three years, he moved across the street to work at the general store of the newly organized Marine Lumber Company, which took over the Walker, Judd & Veazie lumber company in 1885. After Marine Lumber Company was sold in 1888, Strand continued as a clerk for the new owners, Anderson & O’Brien. He remained in their employ for ten years until 1895, when they too went out of business as the lumber industry in Marine came to an end. Then, at 34 years old with thirteen years of experience working in Marine’s general stores, Strand bought the John G. Rose general store and started his own business.

Hunting teddy bears — These ladies were “hunting teddy bears” in Strand’s first store in 1907.

As Strand opened his store, the former lumber company store was taken over by a competitor, Charles H. Burris. Strand and Burris went head-to-head on this intersection for 18 years. Eventually, Strand prevailed. In 1914 he bought the C. H. Burris & Company business and moved his store into the much larger lumber company building. Strand would continue to own and operate that store with his sons for almost 50 years.

Marine Post Office 1930 — Marine’s post office in the former George Judd building in 1930 just before the building was razed.

The Marine Post Office

After Strand moved out of his first store on the northeast corner of Judd & Maple, the building supported a variety of uses. For a time, it was occupied by Fred Holmstrom’s Confectionary, which sold “ice cream, fancy candies, cigars and tobacco.” In the mid-1920s, the building was Marine’s post office.

Unfortunately, the historic building built by George B. Judd was razed in 1931 by Burton C. Johnson and replaced with a “pseudo-Spanish gas station”, barber shop, and new post office. Neil and Malcom Springsteen ran the gas station from 1942 until it was closed in 1978 and converted to other uses.

— Andrew Kramer and the Marine Historic Signage Committee