New homes, old memories on Eldien Hill

COOK- Long before it had a paved street and lots for sale, Eldien Hill was a place for picnics, sledding, skiing, and childhood adventures along the Little Fork River.
Those memories were part of the celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 7, as current and former public officials joined Cook residents for a ribbon cutting at the Eldien Addition. A large sign mounted on a wooden stand provided the backdrop, while a strong wind sent billowing clouds moving quickly overhead.
The development, on Eldien Dr. off Fourth St. NW, offers eight residential lots, one of which has already sold. For a small city looking to make room for new residents, the short street and its cul-de-sac represent a sizable accomplishment.
Mayor Dan Manick welcomed the gathering and credited city staff and officials who helped bring the project together. Having become mayor after much of that work was underway, he readily acknowledged that others had done the heavy lifting.
But the occasion also belonged to the family whose name the development carries.
Bennet Eldien Bloomquist, who lives in Virginia with his wife Joyce, shared memories of visits to his relatives Harold and Gretchen Eldien. Their house, visible through the trees, was a familiar destination during family gatherings.
“When we were kids, it was great. We’d have family reunions up here,” Bloomquist said.
The property offered plenty of room to explore, sometimes with consequences. Bloomquist recalled being about four when he climbed into his uncle’s cow pen to pet the animals and promptly became stuck in manure. His grandfather spotted him, pulled him out, and delivered a spanking that apparently settled the matter for good.
His memories of Gretchen were equally vivid. During a January visit when she was about 90, he noticed her tan and asked about it. She said she had just returned from a two-week tour of South America.
“That’s just kind of how she was,” Bloomquist said with a smile.
Bloomquist also brought a letter from his cousin Andy Eldien, who had approached the city about purchasing the property but could not attend the ceremony.
In the letter, Eldien recalled that his parents, Harold and Gretchen, purchased the property from Algot Anderson’s estate and moved from Orr to Cook in 1948. His father had been principal at the Orr school. The original farm encompassed about 160 acres, including land on both sides of Highway 53.
The portion eventually sold to Cook held a particular place in his memories, with its river frontage and large white pines growing on the rocky hill.
“My mom and dad wanted everyone to know the area as Eldien Hill. It was our playground growing up. We had picnics there in the summer and sledded and skied on the hill in the winter,” Eldien wrote.
Other Cook children visited the hill, too, and a spring near the river supplied cold, clear water. Those experiences helped shape Eldien’s original idea of a park when he offered the property to the city. Housing became the development plan, although his letter expressed a continuing hope that some of the land’s history and natural beauty could be preserved for future generations.
The dedication, however, provided another way to carry the family’s connection forward.
“As you can imagine, the property holds many sentimental and emotional memories for me and my family. But the main reason I am writing is to express how honored and thrilled I believe my parents would be to know that this addition to Cook is being dedicated to what will be known as Eldien Addition. My parents loved Cook, its people, and the surrounding area,” Eldien wrote.
“They would have been deeply touched to see their family name associated with this part of the community that they loved so much. Thank you, Mayor Dan, and thank you to everyone who had a part in making the dedication to honor the property and our family in this very special way.”
The city’s role began with Eldien’s contact with then-city administrator Theresa Martinson. In May 2021, the council approved purchasing 13.75 acres for $38,100, beginning an effort that took about five years to reach the ribbon cutting.
Martinson was among those attending the ceremony, along with former longtime council member Liz Storm, who helped move the project forward through her work on the Housing Committee.
Former Mayor Harold Johnston credited Martinson and engineer John Jamnick for helping bring the project to this point.
The city had done its part, he said. Now it was time for the homes.
“It’s finally here. I’ve been hearing we need housing. We need housing,” Johnston said. “Now there’s no reason why we can’t get housing, but it’s up to the private sector to do this.”
The lots now have streets, water, sewer, electricity, and fiber optics in place.
For officials at the ceremony, the development’s value extended beyond the infrastructure.
State Rep. Roger Skraba spoke of the opportunity to build Cook’s tax base and thanked the family for working with the community. County Commissioner Paul McDonald, whose district includes Cook, pointed to the opportunity for young families to live near the area’s school, outdoor recreation, and Lake Vermilion.
County Board Chair Mike Jugovich put the emphasis on the people those lots could bring.
“This is opportunity for economic development. This is opportunity for tax base, but more importantly, this is opportunity for families. You want to grow Cook, and this is how you do it,” Jugovich said.
Council member Liza Root, speaking for the Housing Committee alongside fellow council member Ron Bushbaum and community member Eric Burckhardt, owner of Cook Building Center, thanked the staff and partners who had helped bring the development to this point.
“Today marks an exciting step for Cook, an opportunity for new homes, new neighbors, and continued investment in our community. We look forward to seeing the Eldien Addition neighborhood take shape,” Root said.
“Cook is a place we’re proud to call home, and we’re excited to make room for others to do the same.”