Johnson's Prairie River Farm is a 120 acre farm located in Itasca County, East Balsam Township (T58, R23) in Section 17. This farm was originally homesteaded by Thomas Griffin. Thomas had the goal of creating a mighty working farm there. The 160 acre land patent was issued to Mr. Griffin on May 3rd, 1911. Prior to the Griffin’s owning the property it was most likely owned by one of the large timber operators who initially purchased most of the pine land in Balsam Township.
The Griffin property was located on the old Wolf Lake/Hartley Lake Trail which was a logging highway and the main road out of Balsam Township heading north easterly. This trail started out in Balsam Township near the south end of Lower Balsam Lake and wound through the wilderness until it reached the Griffin farm then followed the Prairie River up into the Wolf Lake and Hartley Lake area. The Prairie River itself was a logging highway in its own rite, however the old Wolf Lake Trail was the prime means for land transportation for wagons, horses and foot traffic and very early automobiles.
John C. Beckman purchased the 160 acre farm from Thomas Griffin on December 7th., 1917. In May of 1920 John C. Beckman’s oldest son Enoch A. Beckman purchased the most north westerly 40 acre parcel from the family. This 40 acre parcel was then later purchased in 1938 by one of the younger Beckman son’s, Frank Edward Beckman. Blandin Paper Company (or what is left of it) purchased that 40 acre parcel in the 1980’s and still holds the deed for that property.
Johnson Farms purchased the remaining 120 acres of the original Griffin property from the descendants of the original John C. Beckman family.
Itasca County Plat Map, 2015