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History · Dassel Township

Dassel Township dates to 1869

Most of Dassel Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1958 on and the census since 1880.

1869founded
0on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Dassel Township began

When was Dassel Township founded?

1869

Dassel Township dates its founding to 1869 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 247 in 18802020 census: 1,601157 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dassel 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 Dassel Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Dassel Township’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Dassel Township.

Read it all →

Dassel was platted in 1869 and named for Bernard Dassel, a railroad official. A post office has been in operation at Dassel since 1869. Dassel was incorporated in 1878.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Dassel Township, decade by decade

Today14 recent
Water tower2025Water towerPost Office2025Post OfficePicnic shelter in park on Atlantic Avenue2025Picnic shelter in park on Atlantic AvenueGethsemane Lutheran Church ELCA, Dassel, Minnesota-022025Gethsemane Lutheran Church ELCA, Dassel, Minnesota-02Gethsemane Lutheran Church ELCA, Dassel, Minnesota-012025Gethsemane Lutheran Church ELCA, Dassel, Minnesota-01Commercial building2025Commercial buildingCIty Hall & Library2025CIty Hall & LibraryBusinesses along Atlantic Avenue2025Businesses along Atlantic AvenueAtlantic Avenue at 3rd Street2025Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Street301 Atlantic Avenue2025301 Atlantic Avenue301 Atlantic Avenue, Dassel, Minnesota-022025301 Atlantic Avenue, Dassel, Minnesota-02Dassel, MN 22011Dassel, MN 2Dassel, MN 12011Dassel, MN 1MNMap-doton-Dassel2005MNMap-doton-Dassel
On the map

Dassel Township on the map, 1958 to 1982

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

Dassel Township on the 1958 USGS mapDassel Township on the 1982 USGS map1958Dassel 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 Dassel Township.

People over time

Dassel Township, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,600188019001920194019601980200020201,472

Grew from 247 people in 1880 to 1,472 in 2020, 5 times over.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Dassel Township
Lake ArvillaLittle Swan LakeSouth KingstonSwan Lake

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.

Kingston TownshipIts storyC+Cokato Township1 historic placeBDarwin Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCollinwood Township1 historic placeB

Questions about Dassel Township’s history

What year was Dassel Township founded?

In 1869, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 247 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 (14), Wikidata (1), 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.