Oliver H. Kelley Homestead

A National Historic Landmark. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

From the record

“The Oliver Kelley Farm is a farm museum in Elk River, Minnesota, United States. From 1850 to 1870 it was owned by Oliver Hudson Kelley, one of the founders of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, the country's first national agrarian advocacy group.”
Wikipedia article Oliver Kelley Farm, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 5 National Register listings published here for Sherburne County · listed in 1966 · category: District · a National Historic Landmark.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Listed as. Kelley, Oliver H., Homestead - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
Address. 2 mi. SE of Elk River on U.S. 10, Elk River, 55330
When was it listed? October 1966
Category. district
City. Elk River city
National Register reference number. 66000406 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

48 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 48 fires within 5 miles of Oliver H. Kelley Homestead between 1992 and 2018, burning about 450 acres in total. None started naturally. 12 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Arson/incendiarism	12
Debris and open burning	12
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	11
Equipment and vehicle use	5
Railroad operations and maintenance	4
Other causes	1
Recreation and ceremony	1
Misuse of fire by a minor	1
Smoking	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
8 August 2006	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
15 August 2006	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
15 August 2006	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
4 June 1992	Misuse of fire by a minor	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
3 June 2009	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
6 May 2013	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
6 May 1992	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.0 acres	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
4 May 2018	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named

Every fire recorded in Sherburne County

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Oliver H. Kelley Homestead: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Elk River Sand & Gravel	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
	Kreger Pit and Mill	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer

Every working recorded in Sherburne County

Storms near this property

60 of 75 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Elk River, the town this property stands in, in 75 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 37 hail, 31 thunderstorm wind, 3 funnel cloud, 2 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$3,000,000	Garage destroyed. Roof ripped off nursery. Estimated windspeed. Many trees blown over. Damage estimate for entire county.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$100,000	Numerous trees were blown down, along with damage to a farm's fence. Extensive damage occurred in the town of Elk River Minnesota, including the Sherburne County Fair where tents and sheds were blown over.
September 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$100,000	A used car sales trailer at Elk River Ford-Dodge-Jeep dealership was rolled; the dealership also incurred damage to a sign and some vehicles. Part of a townhome roof was blown off in the Kliever Lake Fields subdivision along County Road 12, just west of Fillmore Street. Some garage doors in the subdivision were pushed in, and one garage was damaged. An area along Yale Street, behind Broadway Bar, saw some damage, as did Park Pointe development. A garage door was blown in at the Furniture and Things warehouse on Ulysses Street. A semi-trailer outside a restaurant was blown over. Trees were blown down and signs were bent. Most information provided by the Annandale Advocate and the Elk River Star newspapers.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$25,000	Multiple trees and power lines were blown down near Elk River.
August 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$25,000	Roof partially removed from apartment building.
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	$500	Several large tree branches were blown down in an Elk River parking lot.
July 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Ten-inch tree broken by thunderstorm winds.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Dispatch relayed multiple reports of trees down in Elk River.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Tree fell on house and tent, three people had minor injuries. Time based on radar and dispatch report.
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A few trees and power lines were blown down in Elk River.
June 2020	Hail	Elk River	-	A social media picture of mainly dime to nickel size hail was noted.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A large tree was blown down in Elk River.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Several large trees were blown down northwest of Elk River.
June 2015	Hail	Elk River	-	There were several reports of hail west and south of Elk River. The largest hail stone was nickel size.
May 2012	Heavy Rain	Elk River	-	A local observer measured 3.50 inches in the last 24 hours.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Several large oak trees were blown down north of Elk River.
May 2011	Hail	Elk River	-	Hail fell at County Road 33 and Twin Lakes Road.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A large tree blew down in a church parking lot in Elk River.
June 2010	Hail	Elk River	-	Several reports of hail up to the size of half dollars, occurred around Elk River, Minnesota.
July 2008	Funnel Cloud	Elk River	-	Occurred one mile West of Elk River golf club.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Eight inch diameter oak branch severed.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Four to six inch tree branches down.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A boat lift near Big Lake was thrown in the air and landed across the lake.
September 2006	Hail	Elk River	-	Occurred at the County Law Enforcement Center.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A tree was downed at the intersection of 147th Street and Highway 10.
September 2005	Hail	Elk River	-	Hail ranging from three quarters to two inches in diameter was reported by a trained spotter and an off-duty National Weather Service employee. A deck was dented, a light fixture was broken, some roofs needed repair, and 3 squad cars were damaged in the area.
September 2005	Heavy Rain	Elk River	-	A total of 3.5 inches of rain caused street flooding.
September 2005	Lightning	Elk River	-	Lightning struck an empty home. The resulting fire destroyed a garage and two bedrooms.
September 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A tree was downed onto a house on the east side of town.
September 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Hundreds of trees down, including some on houses and across roads. Section of roof off an apartment building, displacing 50 residents from 24 units. Gust of 72 mph measured at the fire station.
April 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Trees and power lines were downed on the east side of town.
May 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	A few trees and power lines were downed.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Four 2 foot diameter oak trees were downed.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Scattered trees and power lines down. One tree was blown down across a road.
July 2003	Hail	Elk River	-	Hail covered ground.
June 2003	Flash Flood	Elk River	-	The Southern portion of Sherburne county flooded. Five to ten inches of precipitation were common, including 8.19 inches measured in Elk River. Some township roads were washed out, along with street flooding in and near Elk River. Low Lying areas near the Elk River were also flooded.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Estimated windspeed.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Six inch tree branches severed. Winds estimated.
June 1998	Hail	Elk River	-	Hailed for 10 minutes.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Large tree branches down. Estimated windspeed.
August 1997	Hail	Elk River	-	Crops damaged.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	Roof blown off apartment building. Numerous large trees down. Estimated windspeed.
September 1993	Hail	Elk River	-	Severe thunderstorms packing large hail moved through southern Minnesota, during the early morning hours of the 13th.
July 2023	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	no account filed
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2019	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2019	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
June 2015	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
June 2015	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
June 2014	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
September 2013	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2012	Funnel Cloud	Elk River	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
August 2010	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
June 2010	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2009	Hail	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Elk River	-	no account filed
July 2008	Funnel Cloud	Elk River	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Sherburne County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

2 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph	Property	Distance	Listed
	Elkhi Stadium	3.6 miles	2004
	Elk River Water Tower	3.6 miles	2012

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 66000406 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Sherburne County	All 5 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.