The famous "ANOKA" Potato
Reuel L. Hall having returned from a trip to Maine, where he had acquired a knowledge of the method
whereby starch could be extracted from potatoes. With considerable difficulty he obtained new facts and
figures pertaining to the business, and at that time formed the plans of the factory which he afterward built in
Anoka on the bank of Rum River.
When returning from Maine to Minnesota, he stopped in Boston to talk over with the largest starch
dealer in the United States, the advisability of engaging in such an enterprise in Minnesota. This firm
handled nine-tenths of all the foreign and domestic starch used in this country. Much to his surprise,
these Boston men threw cold water on his project, and among other things, said that there was all the
potato starch being manufactured that could be sold, and further stated that western potatoes did not
contain sufficient quantities of starch to warrant starting such a business. But Mr. Hall knew the method
of testing potatoes for starch, and his tests convinced him that the starch was there, and that he could get
it out.
Shortly after his return to Minnesota, the firm of Leland & Hall built at Anoka, in the summer
of 1886, the largest potato starch factory in the United States, and the first in the West, at a cost
of $25,000. Then Mr. Hall's troubles began. With a large plant on his hands and in a community
not accustomed to raising potatoes in large quantities, the result was that the factory lay practically
idle for the first two years, and not until the third year did it have anything like a decent run. This crop,
while not a large one, convinced those who planted that the potato crop, even at factory prices, paid
much better than any other crop raised. From that time on, Mr. hall had no trouble in securing acreage.
When this fact became fully demonstrated, the value of land doubled and in some instances tripled in price.
The large production of potatoes through this section, brought in shippers from all over the country, thereby
giving the farmers two chances for marketing their fields of potatoes.
Two years later, Mr. hall built a factory at Monticello, and within a year or two, one at North Branch
and one at Harris, Minnesota. All of these factories proved successful and of great benefit to the farmers-so
much so that people from other localities investigated and built factories. There are now over twenty factories
in the West, as a direct result of Mr. Hall's enterprise; consequently potato raising has become a large business
in the West and is increasing every year.
The potato crop of Anoka county has jumped from 68,000 bushels in 1879 to 421,000 in 1889 and
to 717,000 in 1899. It was probably close to the million mark in 1904.
Anoka county potatoes have become famous for their excellent eating qualities, and have been shipped
to every state in the Union, meeting with a ready sale everywhere.
Taken from: ANOKA FREE PRESS, ANOKA, MINN - THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 1902
LOCAL STARCH MANUFACTURE
Potato starch manufacturing at this place is now in progress and every indication points to
a long run.
The Farmers factory is not now running, but the R.L. Hall factory is running both night and
day and has been since Aug. 18. Owing to a disabled boiler the factory is only using half its
capacity but will be in full blast in a short time.
This plant was constructed in 1886 at an estimated cost of $20,000.
The capacity depends entirely upon the quality of the potatoes. There is an average of
3,000 bushels of potatoes consumed every 24 hours, producing an average 8 pounds of starch
to the bushel. The length of the season's run is governed by the potato crop. In 1895 the
factory run continuously from Aug. 7 to Dec. 24, consuming 26,000 bushels of potatoes and
producing about 1,200 tons of starch -the largest run since its construction. The year before
some 4,200 bushels of potatoes were consumed, producing 34,000 pounds of starch - the
smallest year.
The quality made here is known as prime goods, and after it is put in 220 pound sacks,
it is shipped east to the states producing cotton goods. It is used for sizing all kinds of
cotton fabrics and is also boxed and put on the retail market for household use.
Process of Manufacture: The potatoes when brought in by the farmers are first weighed
and dumped into bins in the basement where the loose dirt is sifted out. Then they are
conveyed to large hoppers on the upper floor and from there to the grater. The potatoes
are fed into a trough where a shaft with numerous arms conveys them, through a continuous
steam of cold water that runs in an opposite direction from the potatoes, thus extracting the
dirt, to the grater where they are ground to a fine pulp. The pulp is carried out on sieves and
there the pumice and starch is separated by the aid of plenty of cold water. The pumice
is allowed to pass out into the river, while the starch is pumped into large tanks or vats.
Plenty of ice cold water is a very necessary article in the production of starch as it
cleans it and keeps the pumice from souring, should there be any in the starch.
The starch is allowed to stand in the vats for 10 or 12 hours when the dirty water is
run off as the starch settles to the bottom. The vats are then partly refilled with clean water
and stirred vigorously for a time and then allowed to settle as before. After undergoing this
process several times the starch is pumped to the upper floor where it is treated in a like
manner until every particle of dirt is removed. Then all the water is run off and the starch,
which is snow white, is conveyed to the drying rooms and distributed on the tables. After
it is thoroughly dry it is sacked, ready for the market.
An artesian well, 356 feet deep furnishes the water, which is an essential part in the
production of first class starch.