Historic Gallery

The North Chisago Historical Society was organized to discover, preserve and bring to life the area's fascinating history. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit, membership driven, donor-supported organization.

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North Chisago lies in Minnesota's upper St. Croix River valley, a fertile land of rolling hills, hardwood forest and clear northern lakes, rivers and streams. Largely inaccessible until the mid-nineteenth century, North Chisago was home to the Sioux and later the Chippewa and a few white hunters and trappers.

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In 1855, the military/trade road from the Mississippi River to Lake Superior opened North Chisago to settlement. Strong, determined, hardworking families, many from New England, built farms and towns in this beautiful land and made North Chisago their home.

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In 1859, Sunrise, North Chisago's first town, was built around a flour mill on the Sunrise River. Sunrise grew and prospered. The area developed northward as North Branch, Harris, Rush City, Stark and Rush Point grew to serve the farmers. Today, farming remains North Chisago's predominant industry.