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History · Dexter Township

Dexter Township dates to 1874, and 46% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1985 on and the census since 1880.

1874founded
0on the National Register
46%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Dexter Township began

When was Dexter Township founded?

1874

Dexter Township dates its founding to 1874 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 168 in 18802020 census: 252152 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1890.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dexter 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 Dexter Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Dexter Township’s homes were built before 1954.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dexter Township’s collection

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Dexter Township.

Read it all →

Dexter was platted in 1874 and named for Dexter Parrit, an early settler. A post office has been in operation at Dexter since 1874. Dexter was incorporated in 1878.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Dexter Township, 1874 to 1985

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1874
    FoundingDexter Township is established
  3. 1890Post officeThe Renova post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1934Post officeThe Renova post office closes
  6. 1985On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Dexter Township, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Dexter, Minnesota2024Dexter, MinnesotaDexter, Minnesota Windmill truck stop and water tower pic12011Dexter, Minnesota Windmill truck stop and water tower…Dexter, Minnesota Wind Turbines pic32011Dexter, Minnesota Wind Turbines pic3Dexter, Minnesota Wind Turbines pic12011Dexter, Minnesota Wind Turbines pic1WindmillDexterMN2006-05-202006WindmillDexterMN2006-05-20MNMap-doton-Dexter2005MNMap-doton-Dexter
On the map

Dexter Township on the map in 1985

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dexter Township.

Dexter Township on the 1985 USGS map1985Austin sheet · 1:100,000

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

People over time

Dexter Township, census by census

010020030018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 341

Between 150 and 341 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Places that used to be

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

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

Hamlets and corners on the map
Renova
Gone or out of use
RenovalocaleRenova Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside Dexter Township
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran

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.

DexterIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townMarshall TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRed Rock TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townSargeant TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGrand Meadow TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Dexter Township’s history

What year was Dexter Township founded?

In 1874, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Dexter Township’s post office opened in 1890, and the census of 1880 counted 168 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 (6), 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.