Amador Township has a long and colorful history.  The first explorers to the Amador area were the French who began trading with the Chippewa for furs about 1650.  The northern and part of the eastern boundary of the township is the St. Croix River which was one of the main modes of transportation for the Indians and the early fur traders.      The Chippewa and Sioux had many battles in the township as evidenced by the number of Indian arrowheads and spears found in farm fields during the 1900’s.

Land in the area now known as Amador Township became available for sale in the Indian Treaty of 1837.  The demand for land continued into the 1850’s with the land along the river being the most in demand.  The village of Amador was platted along the St. Croix River and settled by Yankee land speculators and at one time boasted a hotel, several homes and other businesses.  There is no trace other than former basements of this village today.  The area where Amador was located is now in Wild River State Park.

Dr. Carmi P. Garlick, was one of the Yankee land speculators that first settled the area where the village of Amador was located along the St. Croix River in the early 1850's. He built a sawmill there which later burned.  Dr. Garlick traveled to California during the Gold Rush and spent time in Amador County, CA.  After returning, he named the village Amador and later named the township Amador in 1857.  Amador is a Spanish word meaning "lover of gold".  Amador Township became a Swedish community with a Spanish name - a little known fact.   Garlick had major financial losses in the late 1850's and moved to Osceola, Wisconsin. 

The first Chisago County settlers arrived by flat boat in 1851 in the area known as Taylors Falls and followed trails to the Chisago Lakes area.  They were followed by thousands of immigrants from Sweden.  Travel was mostly limited to river travel and steamboats and flatboats made regular trips up the river.  The river valley was heavily wooded and very scenic. Swedish Immigrants started settling in Amador Township in the 1860-1880 era.

The village of Almelund was founded by John Almquist in 1887 after he heard that a Lutheran Church was being constructed at this crossroads between Taylors Falls and North Branch.  Mr. Almquist built a general store which served the community for almost 30 years before it burned in 1911.

The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Emmanuel Church was built in 1887 for a cost of $490 with all volunteer labor.  This church served the community until 1926 when the community constructed a new large brick church for $45,000. 

Church memorabilia is located in the church and in the Amador Heritage Center which has a replica of the first structure made by Carl Almquist.  The museum also has replicas of the first creamery and a large variety of other local and community memorabilia.  The museum is open on Sunday afternoons in the summer months or by appointment.  Contact Lin Strong at 651-269-3580.

Additional historical data can be found in Reflections of Amador, written by Jim Cordes.