About Ellsburg Township
Ellsburg Township is in township in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The population was 186 at the 2020 census. US Hwy 53 serves as a main route in the township. The unincorporated community of Melrude is located within Ellsburg Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 72.0 square miles; 69.6 square miles is land and 2.4 square miles is water. The Paleface River and Bobcat Creek both flow through the township.
A BRIEF LOOK AT THE FOUNDING OF ELLSBURG TOWNSHIP
Exactly when the first settlers arrived in Valhalla is not known but the Federal survey was recorded in St. Paul in 1880 for township 55-17 and 1881 for township 55-16.
Valhalla was loosely a meaning for townships 55-16 and 55-17. In 1914 a petition was circulated in these two townships asking the state of Minnesota for the right to form a township government unit. Almost every eligible voter signed the petition. Those two townships were incorporated into the Township of Ellsburg on July 7, 1914.
Ellsburg Township history books are available to the public for a $10.00 donation. The book is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in the history of Valhalla-Ellsburg-Melrude, most of which is told through the eyes of the people that lived it! The book includes pictures gathered from area residents. Many show the hardships the early settlers had to endure.
If interested in a history book, please call the Melrude Community Club at 218.393.3749 or Ellsburg Town Clerk at 218.482.3407.
