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 county is named for the Blue Earth River and for the deposits of blue-green clay once evident along the banks of the Blue Earth River.
The area of Blue Earth County was once known as the "Big Woods" and occupied by the Dakota Indians. The French explorer Pierre-Charles Le Sueur was one of the first white people in this area, arriving where the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers meet. There, he made an unsuccessful attempt to mine copper from the blue earth found in the area. The area remained under French control until 1803, but soon after passed to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.

When Minnesota became a territory in 1849, the territorial government became interested in settling the river valley. In 1850 the first steamboat trip, starting in St. Paul, traveled on the Minnesota River and came to the Blue Earth River. The first white settlers, P.K. Johnson and Henry Jackson, came off the boat and settled in present-day Mankato. The ratification of the Mendota and Traverse des Sioux Treaties in 1851 effectively forced the Dakota to leave the area for nearby reservations.

The county of Blue Earth was created after a division of the Minnesota Territory on March 5, 1853, from portions of Dakota County and free territory. It was named after the Blue Earth River. The first government officials were appointed by Alexander Ramsey, the territorial governor. That October the first election was held, with 22 ballots being taken.

Unfulfilled treaty promises and starvation on the reservation led to the Dakota War of 1862, which resulted in Dakota defeat and the largest mass execution in US history in Mankato. In 1868 the railroads' arrival helped with the growth and development of many areas, including Blue Earth. The railroads allowed many immigrants and Yankee settlers into the area.
 

On Line Data

Cities Amboy Eagle Lake Good Thunder Lake Crystal Madison Lake Mankato Mapleton Minnesota Lake North Mankato Pemberton Skyline St. Clair Vernon Center Census-designated place Garden City Unincorporated communities Cambria Marysburg Smiths Mill

Townships Beauford Butternut Valley Cambria Ceresco Danville Decoria Garden City Jamestown Judson Le Ray Lime Lincoln Lyra Mankato Mapleton McPherson Medo Pleasant Mound Rapidan Shelby South Bend Sterling Vernon Center

Webspace for this site has been generously provided by Genealogy Village and Access Genealogy Thank You!

The information on Trails to the Past © Copyright    may be used in personal family history research, with source citation. The pages in entirety may not be duplicated for publication in any fashion without the permission of the owner. Commercial use of any material on this site is not permitted.  Please respect the wishes of those who have contributed their time and efforts to make this free site possible.~Thank you!