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Trails to the Past would appreciate any genealogy information that you may have such as news items, wills, deaths, births, biographies etc. if you have any of these items they can be emailed to Marie Miller the state of Minnesota Adminstrator

The history of the U.S. state of Minnesota is shaped by its original Native American residents, European exploration and settlement, and the emergence of industries made possible by the state's natural resources. Minnesota achieved prominence through fur trading, logging, and farming, and later through railroads, and iron mining.

The earliest known settlers followed herds of large game to the region during the last glacial period. They preceded the Anishinaabe, the Dakota, and other Native American inhabitants. Fur traders from France arrived during the 17th century. Europeans moving west during the 19th century, drove out most of the Native Americans. Fort Snelling, built to protect United States territorial interests, brought early settlers to the area. Early settlers used Saint Anthony Falls for powering sawmills in the area that became Minneapolis, while others settled downriver in the area that became Saint Paul.

Minnesota gained legal existence as the Minnesota Territory in 1849, and became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858. After the upheaval of the American Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862, the state's economy started to develop when natural resources were tapped for logging and farming. Railroads attracted immigrants, established the farm economy, and brought goods to market. The power provided by St. Anthony Falls spurred the growth of Minneapolis, and the innovative milling methods gave it the title of the "milling capital of the world".

New industry came from iron ore, discovered in the north, mined relatively easily from open pits, and shipped to Great Lakes steel mills from the ports at Duluth and Two Harbors. Economic development and social changes led to an expanded role for state government and a population shift from rural areas to cities. The Great Depression brought layoffs in mining and tension in labor relations but New Deal programs helped the state.

History of Minnesota

Counties

County County Seat

Date  Formed

 Orgination Origin of Name
Aitkin Aitkin 1857 Pine County and Ramsey William Alexander Aitken 1785 - 1851, early fur trader with Ojibwe Indians
Anoka Anoka 1857 Ramsey County Dakota word meaning both sides
Becker Detroit Lakes 1858 Cass and Pembina County George Loomis Becker former state senator and third Mayor of Saint Paul 1856-1857
Beltrami Bemidji 1866 unorganized territory, Itasca, Pembina, Polk Counties Giacomo Beltrami, Italian explorer who explored the northern reaches of Mississippi River in 1823.
Benton Foley 1849 One of nine original counties; formed from residual St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory. Thomas Hart Benton 1782-1858), former United States Senator from Missouri (1821-1851)
Big Stone Ortonville 1862 Pierce County Big Stone Lake located in the County
Blue Earth Mankato 1853 Unorganized territory, Dakota County Blue Earth River that flows through Minnesota
Brown New Ulm 1855 Blue Earth County Joseph Renshaw Brown (1805-1870), member of Minnesota territorial legislature (1854-55) and prominent pioneer
Carlton Carlton 1857 Pine and Saint Louis Counties Rueben B. Carlton (1812-1863), early settler and state senator (1857-1858)
Carver Chaska 1855 Hennepin and Sibley Counties Jonathan Carver (1710-1790), early explorer and cartographer of the Mississippi river.
Cass Walker 1851 Dakota, Pembina, Mankahto, Wahnata Counties Lewis Cass (1782-1866), senator from Michigan (1845-1857) and U. S. Secretary of State 1831 - 1836
Chippewa Montevideo 1870 Pierce and Davice counties Chippewa River that flows through Minnesota
Chisago Center City 1851 Washington and Ramsey Counties Chisago Lake located in the County
Clay Moorhead 1862 Pembina County Henry Clay 1777 - 1852 Kentucky statesman and ninth U. S. secretary of State 1825 - 1829
Clearwater Bagley 1902 Beltrami County Clearwater Lake and River both are located in the state.
Cook Grand Marais 1874 Lake County Civil War veteran Major Michael Cook of Faribault who was territorial and state senator 1857 - 62
Cottonwood Windom 1857 Brown County Cottonwood River
Crow Wing Brainerd 1857 Ramsey County Crow Wing River
Dakota Hastings 1849 One of nine original counties from the Dakota language after a local tribe meaning Allies
Dodge Mantorville 1855 Rice County Henry Dodge 1782 - 1867 Twice governor of Wisconsin
Douglas Alexandria 1858 Cass and Pembina County Stephen Arnold Douglas (1813-1861), former United States Senator from Illinois (1847-1861)
Faribault Blue Earth 1855 Blue Earth County Jean-Baptiste Fairbault (1775-1860), early settler and fur trader
Fillmore Preston 1853 Wabasha County Millard Fillmore (1800-1874), thirteenth president of the United States (1850-1853)
Freeborn Albert Lea 1855 Blue Earth and Rice Counties William S. Freeborn (1816-1900), member of the Territorial Legislature
Goodhue Red Wing 1853 Wasbasha and Dakota Counties James Madison Goodhue, the first newspaper editor in Minnesota
Grant Elbow Lake 1868 Stevens, Wilkin and Traverse Counties Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), eighteenth president of the United States (1869-1877)
Hennepin Minneapolis 1852 Dakota County Father Louis Hennepin (1626-1705), early explorer of the Twin Cities area in the 17th Century
Houston Caledonia 1854 Fillmore County Sam Houston (1793-1863), the second and fourth president of the Republic of Texas and seventh governor of Texas
Hubbard Park Rapids 1883 Cass County Lucius Frederick Hubbard (1836-1913), ninth governor of Minnesota (1882-1887)
Isanti Cambridge 1857 Ramsey County Division of the Dakotas called the Izatys, meaning [those that] dwell at Knife Lake, after where they resided.
Itasca Grand Rapids 1849 One of nine counties formed from residual La Pointe County, Wisconsin Territory Lake Itasca source of the Mississippi River located in northwestern Minnesota
Jackson Jackson 1857 Brown County Henry Jackson member of the first territorial legislature and the first merchant in St. Paul
Kanabec Mora 1858 Pine County From the Ojibwe language Kan-a-bec-o-si-pi meaning Snake River which flows through the county
Kandiyohi Willmar 1858 Meeker, Renville, Pierce, Davis, and Stearns Counties From the Souix language for "buffalo fish"
Kittson Hallock 1879 Pembina County Norman Kittson (1814-1888), businessman and mayor of Saint Paul (1858-1859)
Koochiching International Falls 1906 Itasca County From the Ojibwe language Gojijiing Place of inlets which was the Cree name for Rainy Lake and Rainy River
Lac qui Parle Madison 1871 Redwood County French phrase meaning "lake which talks"
Lake Two Harbors 1856 Itasca County Lake Superior which forms one of its edges
Lake of the Woods Baudette 1923 Beltrami County Lake of the Woods located in the county
Le Sueur Le Center 1853 Dakota County Pierre-Charles Le Sueur 1657-1704), fur tradser and early explorer of the Minnesota River Valley
Lincoln Ivanhoe 1873 Lyon County Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), sixteenth president of the United States (1861-1865)
Lyon Marshall 1871 Redwood County Nathaniel Lyon (1818-1861), United States Army general killed during the Civil War
McLeod Glencoe 1856 Carver and Sibley County Martin McLeod early pioneer and member of the territorial legislature (1849-1856)
Mahnomen Mahnomen 1906 Norman County Ojibwa word meaning "wild rice".
Marshall Warren 1879 Kittson County William Rainey Marshall (1825-1896), fifth governor of Minnesota (1866-1870)
Martin Fairmont 1857 Fairbault and Brown Counties Morgan Lewis Martin (1805-1887), delegate to Congress from Wisconsin Territory
Meeker Litchfield 1856 Davis County Bradley B. Meeker (1813-1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court (1849-1853)
Mille Lacs Milaca 1857 Ramsey County Mille Lacs Lake, a lake located within the county
Morrison Little Falls 1856 Benton County William & Allan Morrison, fur trading brothers
Mower Austin 1855 Rice County John Edward Mower (1815-1879), member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in the 1850s
Murray Slayton 1857 Brown County William Pitt Murray (1825-1910), Minnesota statesman and member of the territorial legislature (1852-1855) and 1857
Nicollet St. Peter 1853 Dakota County Joseph Nicholas Nicollet (1786-1843), early explore and cartographer of the Upper Mississippi River
Nobles Worthington 1857 Brown County William H. Nobles, member of the Minnesota territorial legislature in 1854 and 1856
Norman Ada 1881 Polk County Early Norwegian, also known as Norman, settlers
Olmsted Rochester 1855 Fillmore, Wabasha, and Rice Counties David Olmsted first mayor of Saint Paul and member of territorial legislature (1849-1850)
Otter Tail Fergus Falls 1858 Pembina, and Cass Counties Otter Tail Lake in the county
Pennington Thief River Falls 1910 Red Lake County Edmund Pennington b. 1848, executive of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Pine Pine City 1856 Chisago and Ramsey Counties Giant forests of Eastern White Pine and Red Pine and Red Pine that flourish in the county
Pipestone Pipestone 1857 Brown County Name of a sacred Dakota quarry of red pipestone found in the county
Polk Cookston 1858 Pembina County James K. Polk (1795-1849), eleventh president of the United States (1845-1849)
Pope Glenwood 1862 Pierce and Cass Counties John Pope (1822-1892), United States Army general during the Dakota War of 1862
Ramsey St. Paul 1849 One of the nine orginal counties formed from residual St. Croix County Alexander Ramsey (1815-1903), second governor of Minnesota (1860-1863)
Red Lake Red Lake Falls 1896 Polk County Red Lake River that flows through the county
Redwood Redwood Falls 1862 Brown County Redwood River that flows through the county
Renville Olivia 1855 Nicollet, Pierce, and Sibley Counties Joseph Renville (1779-1846), interpreter for early explorations of the Louisiana Purchase
Rice Faribault 1853 Dakota and Wabasha Counties Henry Mower Rice (1816-1894), former United States Senator from Minnesota (1858-1863)
Rock Luverne 1857 Brown County Large rocky plateau located within the county, known as "the mound."
Roseau Roseau 1894 Kittson, Beltrami Counties Roseau River and Roseau Lake, both of which are located nearby
Saint Louis Duluth 1855 Itasca County Saint Louis River that flows through Minnesota
Scott Shakopee 1853 Dakota County Winfield Scott 1786-1866), United States Army general who served from (1808-1861)
Sherburne Elk River 1856 Benton County Moses Sherburne (1813-1873), Associate Justice of the Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court 1853 - 1857
Sibley Gaylord 1853 Dakota County Henry Hastings Sibley (1811-1891), first governor of Minnesota (1858-1860)
Stearns St. Cloud 1855 Cass, Nicollet,Pierce and Sibley Counties Charles Thomas Stearns 1814-1888), early settler of St. Cloud and member of the Minnesota territorial legislature (1849-1858)
Steele Owatonna 1855 Rice, Blue Earth,Le Sueur Counties Franklin Steele (1813-1880), early settler of Minneapolis and developer of Saint Anthony Falls
Stevens Morris 1862 Pierce County Isaac Ingalls Stevens (1818 - 1862) first governor of Washington Territory (1853 - 1857)
Swift Benson 1870 Chippewa County Henry Adoniram Swift (1823-1869), third governor of Minnesota (1863-1864)
Todd Long Prairie 1855 Cass County John Blair Smith Todd commander of Fort Ripley (1849 - 56) general in the Civil War delegate in Congress from Dakota Territory (1861 and 1863 - 65) governor of Dakota Territory (1859 - 71)
Traverse Wheaton 1862 Pierce County Lake Traverse that is located in the county
Wabasha Wabasha 1849 One of the nine orginal counties Named after M'dewakanton Dakota Indian Chief Wabasha III
Wadena Wadena 1858 Cass and Todd Counties Wadena Trading Post, in turn for a Ojibway word meaning "a little round hill".
Waseca Waseca 1857 Steele County Dakota word meaning "rich and fertile"
Washington Stillwater 1849 One of the nine orginal counties formed from residual St. Croix County,Wisconsin Territory George Washington (1732-1799), first president of the United States (1789-1797)
Watonwan St. James 1860 Brown County Woton River a river that flows through Minnesota
Wilkin Breckinridge 1858 Cass and Pembina Counties Alexander Wilkin (1820-1864), Minnesota politician and soldier killed in the Civil War
Winona Winona 1854 Fillmore and Wabasha Counties Named after Wee-No-Nah, Sister or Cousin of Chief Wabasha III
Wright Buffalo 1855 Cass and Sibley Counties Silas Wright (1795-1847), former United States Senator from New York (1833-1844)
Yellow Medicine Granite Falls 1871 Redwood County Yellow Medicine River that flows through Minnesota

 

 

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