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History · Blakeley Township

Blakeley Township dates to 1867, and 43% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1957 on.

1867founded
0on the National Register
43%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Blakeley Township began, and where its name came from

When was Blakeley Township founded?

1867

Blakeley Township dates its founding to 1867 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1868.

2020 census: 408159 years

How did Blakeley Township get its name?

Blakeley Township was named for Russell Blakely, a Minnesota businessperson in transportation.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1868. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Blakeley 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 Blakeley Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Blakeley Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Blakeley 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 Blakeley Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Blakeley Township.

Read it all →

Blakeley was laid out in 1867. It was named for Russell Blakely, a Minnesota businessperson in transportation. A post office was established in Blakeley in 1868, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1966.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Blakeley Township, 1867 to 1966

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1867
    FoundingBlakeley Township is established
  3. 1868Post officeThe Blakeley post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1957On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1966Post officeThe Blakeley post office closes
By decade

Blakeley Township, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Welcome sign2026Welcome signUnion Trail2026Union TrailFormer bank building and house2026Former bank building and houseElm Way2026Elm WayBlakeley, Minnesota2026Blakeley, Minnesota
On the map

Blakeley Township on the map, 1957 to 1981

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

Blakeley Township on the 1957 USGS mapBlakeley Township on the 1981 USGS map1957Belle Plaine sheet · 1:62,500

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Blakeley Township

Nobody well known was born in Blakeley Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Beth RiesgrafAmerican actress · b. 1978
W
William James MayoAmerican surgeon · b. 1861
Joanne BensonAmerican politician · b. 1943
B
Bobbie HarderAmerican politician
Ollie FuhrmanAmerican baseball player · b. 1896
Patrick J. HessianAmerican Army officer and chaplain · b. 1928
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Another post office, Blakeley, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Blakeley
Gone or out of use
Blakeley Post Officepost officeNagel and Schultz Airportairport
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Blakeley Township
Church of the RedeemerSchlegel

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). 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.

Faxon TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townJessenland Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBelle Plaine2 historic placesB−Belle Plaine TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townTyrone Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Blakeley Township’s history

What year was Blakeley Township founded?

In 1867, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Blakeley Township’s post office opened in 1868.

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 (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.