The ethnicity of Erskine residents was as follows: · Norwegian – 48% · German – 13% · Swedish – 12% · Chippewa – 4% · American Indian tribes, specified – 4% · Irish – 4% · Russian – 3% · Danish – 3% · French (except Basque) – 2% · Scottish – 2% · American Indian tribes, not specified – 2% · Italian – 1% · English – 1% · Scandinavian – 1% Of the 203 households, 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families.

The Old Believers began moving to Erskine around 1998 to escape a farming crisis and suburban sprawl that threatened their community near Woodburn, Oregon.

Former residents and old-timers recall that the shores of Cameron Lake were littered with dead fish in the old days.

It was formed to provide telephone coverage to the region at a time when it was difficult to get phone service to the area.

Garden Valley Telephone Company now provides internet service, although other ISPs also serve the area.

Other weekly papers include the McIntosh Times and The 13 Towns (published in Fosston for the 13 townships of eastern Polk County).

Area daily papers include the Crookston Times, Grand Forks Herald, The Forum, The Bemidji Pioneer, and the Star Tribune, available by subscription and in vendor boxes.

Radio and TV stations from Bemidji, Crookston, Thief River Falls, Grand Forks, Fargo, and Winnipeg can be picked up in Erskine.

Erskine's freight depot, while still standing, is closed for business, and rail passenger service was discontinued many years ago.

The Tri-Valley Heartland Express Bus provides scheduled weekly or biweekly service to Crookston, Bemidji, Thief River Falls and other destinations for seniors and others on an advance reservation basis.

In the early 1900s, the town had four grain elevators, an ice plant, a lumber mill and several blacksmith shops.

Even as late as 1980, the town businesses included a grain elevator, a creamery, a lumber yard, a fuel delivery service, and several farm implement dealers, junkyards and repair shops.

The company began as a manufacturer of heavy equipment snowblowers and grain hitch elevators before changing its name to Erskine Attachments when it began manufacturing a line of Skid Steer Attachments for the Ingersoll Rand Bobcat company.

Other significant employers include Garden Valley Telephone Company and the Pioneer Memorial Care Center, a nursing home and retirement community.

In 2008, Crookston-based Agassiz Energy, LLC, announced that it had indefinitely postponed its plans for a $58.5 million ethanol plant at the junction of the former Great Northern and Soo Line railroads, near the interchange of U.S.