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History · Bertha Township

Bertha Township dates to 1891, and 34% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1969 on and the census since 1890.

1891founded
0on the National Register
34%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Bertha Township began

When was Bertha Township founded?

1891

Bertha Township dates its founding to 1891 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 39 in 18902020 census: 401135 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓

What stands out about Bertha Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Bertha Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Bertha Township’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bertha Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bertha Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Bertha Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bertha Township.

Read it all →

Bertha was platted in 1891, and named for Bertha Ristau, an early settler and wife of John Ristau who established the town's first Post Office in his log cabin store in 1880. Bertha was incorporated in July 1897.

During the mid 1920s, Bertha was the home of a semi-pro baseball team known as the Bertha Fishermen, which included players Elmer Brandell and John Donaldson during the 1925 season. Donaldson threw a no-hitter in Bertha on May 30, 1924, striking out 20 batters.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Bertha Township, decade by decade

Today9 recent
Water tower2024Water towerSecond Avenue, looking north2024Second Avenue, looking northSecond Avenue looking west2024Second Avenue looking westMuseum and Post Office2024Museum and Post OfficeFire Department2024Fire DepartmentCorner Super Market2024Corner Super MarketCorner Super Market and water tower2024Corner Super Market and water towerBusiness on Second Avenue2024Business on Second AvenueBertha MN2023Bertha MN
On the map

Bertha Township on the map, 1969 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bertha Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bertha Township on the 1969 USGS mapBertha Township on the 1986 USGS map1969Eagle Bend sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bertha Township.

People over time

Bertha Township, census by census

01002003004005006001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 578

Between 39 and 578 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bertha Township’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Bertha Township
BonarPeaceSaint JohnsZion and Saint Johns

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Germania Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWykeham TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWoodside TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townStowe Prairie TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBartlett TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Bertha Township’s history

What year was Bertha Township founded?

In 1891, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1890 counted 39 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (9), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.