Edge of the Wilderness
Marcell, MN

Welcome to Marcell. When rail lines moved, communities that wanted to survive moved, too. Born from the logging industry, "Olde Marcell" was built in 1901 - 1905 not far from here on Turtle Lake. With the closing of logging operations in the original area and a new railroad spur to Ranier Lake, the buildings were moved here and a new Marcell was built near the railroad tracks in 1911-12. Marcell was truly a town on the move. The town's name honored Andrew Marcell, the first conductor of trains for the Minneapolis and Rainy River Railroad. Even today, Marcell is a logging town.