Stanchfield Township

The township is named for Daniel Stanchfield, a timber cruiser from Maine who had logged white pine in the area in the late 1840’s.

Prior to its establishment in 1874, Stanchfield Township was a part of Maple Ridge.

While both Stanchfied and Braham have post offices indicated on the map, they both moved when the railroad was built in 1899. Stanchfield’s eventual location is a mile to the southeast, and Braham moved just one-half mile east.

Early settlers in the vicinity of the Stanchfield post office were Peter Sund, Louis Dahlman, M. A. Peterson, Erick Erickson and Hans Larson, all from the village of Orsa in the province of Dalarna, Sweden.

Other early settlers were the Grays, Ridgeleys, Shufelts and Niles’.

A creek from Rice Lake in the northwest part of the township flows into the Snake River in Kanabec County.

School Districts:

• No. 10-Stanchfield, 26
• No. 14-Rice Lake, 8
• No. 22-Elmwood, 11
• No. 39-Elm Park, 29
• No. 41-Pine Cone, 15

Churches and Cemeteries:

• Swedish Lutheran Cemetery, 4 (Rice Lake)
• Swedish Baptist Church and Cemetery, 27 (Stanchfield Baptist) (The Swedish Baptist Church listed on section 22 is the Parsonage.)

Businesses:

• Braham Post Office, 2
• Stanchfield Post Office, 15
• Blacksmith Shops, 18, 25, 26
• Creamery, 2
• Planing Mill, 22
• Saw Mill, 22, 29, 32
• Store, 2

Other:

• Grange Hall, 29

The historical comments regarding each township is taken from Minerva Hixson’s Yesterdays as well as from other documents and records at the Isanti County Historical Society.