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History · Cuyuna

Cuyuna dates to 1906, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Cuyuna was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Its Register listings are the Elevated Metal Water Tank, Cuyuna and the Cuyuna Village Hall. Below: maps from 1913 on and the census since 1920.

1906founded
2on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Cuyuna began

When was Cuyuna founded?

1906

Cuyuna dates its founding to 1906 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 417 in 19202020 census: 296120 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1908.The full story ↓

What stands out about Cuyuna’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 Cuyuna are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost two-thirds of its people between 1920 and 1970, then grew 3-fold.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cuyuna’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Cuyuna, census by census

0100200300400192019401960198020002020417 in 1920Low: 82

Lost two-thirds of its people between 1920 and 1970, then grew 3-fold.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

The story

How Cuyuna came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cuyuna.

Read it all →

Cuyuna was incorporated in 1910. Cuyuna, and the iron ore range on which it is situated, were named by and for Cuyler Adams, and for his dog, Una, who accompanied him in many lone prospecting trips. Cuyler Adams was a prospector, discoverer, and then mine owner of the Cuyuna range. Cuyler Adams affirmed the discovery of workable ore deposits nearby, and credited jointly to himself and the valuable aid of Una.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Cuyuna, 1906 to 1954

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1906
    FoundingCuyuna is established
  3. 1908Post officeThe Cuyuna post office opens
  4. 1913On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 417
  6. 1954Post officeThe Cuyuna post office closes
By decade

Cuyuna, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Cuyuna Village Hall2025Cuyuna Village Hall
On the map

Cuyuna on the map, 1913 to 1973

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

Cuyuna on the 1913 USGS mapCuyuna on the 1973 USGS map1913Cuyuna 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 Cuyuna.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Cuyuna

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Elevated Metal Water Tank, Cuyuna
Elevated Metal Water Tank, CuyunaCuyuna Village Hall
BuildingsStructures
All 2 listings
Elevated Metal Water Tank, CuyunaStructure · listed 1980Cuyuna Village HallBuilding · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices and places now gone

Cuyuna had its own post office from 1908 to 1954.

Cuyuna
1908–1954
19001960today
Gone or out of use
CuyunalocaleCuyuna Post Officepost officeYawkey Minemine

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.

Rabbit Lake TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWolford Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townDeerwood TownshipIts storyCCrosby3 historic placesB

Questions about Cuyuna’s history

What year was Cuyuna founded?

In 1906, according to Wikidata. Cuyuna’s post office opened in 1908, and the census of 1920 counted 417 people here.

What is on the National Register in Cuyuna?

Two places: the Elevated Metal Water Tank, Cuyuna (listed 1980) and the Cuyuna Village Hall (2024).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.