Marcell is an unincorporated community in Marcell Township, Itasca County, Minnesota, United States.
Minnesota State Highways 38 and 286 are two of the main routes in the community.</p>
Marcell is located 28 miles north of Grand Rapids. The community is located within the Chippewa National Forest.
Nearby places include Bigfork, Talmoon, Bowstring, Deer River, and Effie.
Despite its unincorporated status, Marcell appears on most more detailed maps of Minnesota due to the presence of several locally important businesses and the lack of larger communities in the surrounding area.
History
Marcell was founded under the name Turtle Lake in 1905. The name was changed to Marcell the following year due to a name conflict with other communities named Turtle Lake. The name Marcell is in honor of Andy Marcell, a conductor on the former Minneapolis and Rainy River Railway, who was involved in a railway accident in the area.
The site of the town center was originally at a store operated by John Lundeen on Big Turtle Lake, but was moved in 1910 to its present location near the railway.
References
- Rand McNally Road Atlas â€" 2007 edition â€" Minnesota entry
- Official State of Minnesota Highway Map â€" 2011/2012 edition
Further reading
- Newstrom, Curt. Memories of a Small Townâ€"â€"Marcell, Minnesota
