From Potatoes To Football, Becker’s Story Unfolds

Becker is a town with a population of 4,877 located 46 miles northwest of Minneapolis and 19 miles southeast of St. Cloud along Highway 10. To help tell the story of Becker, I was joined by Mike Brubaker, Executive Director from the Sherburne County Historical Center and former Becker Mayor and City Council person Judy Bowatz.

The First Name of the Settlement

The settlement we know now as Becker wasn't always called that.  The settlement was called Marsailles in the 1840s and 50s.  It was a stop on the trading post.  Peter Vadnais was an early settler in the area and wanted the town to be named Marsailles.  A city in the Twin Cities metro is named after Peter Vadnais, "Vadnais Heights".

How Becker Got its Name

Brubaker says the first settlers in the area came in the 1840s but it became more than a a stopping point in the 1860s when the railroad came through.  The settlement was named Becker in the 1867 for George Loomis Becker, who was a former State Legislator and land developer working with the railroad.  Brubaker says the railroad was looking to sell and develop the land to encourage growth.  He says their goal was to get farmers to work the land.  The prominent early crops were hay and potatoes.  Brubaker says Becker was once known as the hay capital of the county because of the large amounts hay produced in the area.

Crops in Becker

Brubaker indicates after 1900 the area farmers moved away from hay and focused more on potatoes.  He says potatoes are still a significant crop in the Becker area.  Brubaker says in the early days of potato farming in the Becker area irrigation was done with a person moving hoses throughout the day to keep the land fertile during drought conditions.

Heritage of Early Settlers

The heritage of the early settlers varied. Brubaker says the northern part of the area had many Danish settlers, others that came to settle in Becker were Irish, Germans and New Englanders.  Religious believes of the early settlers also varied.  Brubaker says Baptists were the early prominent religious group but the community also has many Lutherans, Methodists and Catholics.

First Established Businesses

Brubaker says it took awhile for businesses to get established in Becker.  He says in the early years Becker was a train stop, not much else.  Brubaker says there wasn't a reason for businesses to come into the community because most of the population was in the township.  He says the farmers would come in once a week to buy supplies.  Brubaker says they had a general store, a bank, a hardware store and a school.  The original settlement was where Central Avenue currently is in Becker.  Charlie's Sports Bar and Grill is located where the first settlement was established.

Growth of the Community

Becker until the early 1960s was approximately just 300 people.  Highway 10 was built in the 1920s and went through the Becker community.  Judy Bowatz says the town was pretty much on one side of the road, the north side.  The majority of the town is still on the northside today.  Brubaker says when the Highway was widened in the 1950s it did away with some of the local businesses and affected some homes.

What Makes Becker Unique

Becker is unique in that it is home to the Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco) which accounts for 77% of the city's tax base.  Becker also has a 27-hole championship golf course on the north side of town that has hosted numerous Class A State Tournaments.  Becker also has a large Furniture store on the west side of town. (Becker Furniture World)  Bowatz says the city leaders had a lot of vision years ago deciding to built a golf course (Pebble Creek Golf Club) to serve as a draw to the community.  She says the Sherco Power Plant was the main source of income to the community helping with numerous projects including the golf course, the school and community center.

Strawberries in Becker

Another crop of note in the Becker area is strawberries.  Former Mayor Judy Bowatz says Carol Johnson had one of the best strawberry farms around and she did a lot of work with the University of Minnesota.

Bowatz says Becker continues to be a bedroom community for people that commute to both the Twin Cities and St. Cloud.  She says both the school district and power plant do employ a lot of people.

Football Tradition

Becker high school football has had a long run of success under Head Coach Dwight Lundeen.  Becker has won 4 state titles: 2005, 2014, 2015 and 2024. They finished as runners-up in 1990, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2006.  Bowatz says I think you'll find everyone who's been on Dwight's teams has grown as a person and player because of his leadership.

City Celebration

Early celebrations in Becker included a Strawberry Festival which included a parade.  Bowatz says it has grown into Freedom Days.  She says centered around strawberry farm. Becker Freedom Days will be held on Saturday, June 14th, 2025, with the main event starting at 3pm and running until midnight. Several other events and activities will take place throughout the week of June 7th - 15th, 2025. 

If you'd like to listen to my conversations with Mike Brubaker and Judy Bowatz, click below.