Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Minnesota City

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Minnesota City

Minnesota City’s post office opened in 1852, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

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

1852first post office
0on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Minnesota City began

When was Minnesota City founded?

1852

The Minnesota City post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 273 in 18802020 census: 202174 years
Founding year: the first Minnesota City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Minnesota City’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 Minnesota City are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Minnesota City’s homes were built before 1959.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Minnesota City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Minnesota City’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
The story

How Minnesota City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Minnesota City.

Read it all →

Minnesota City was platted in March 1852. The city took its name from the Minnesota Territory. A post office has been in operation in Minnesota City since 1852. The city was founded with hopes that it would be a useful port for steamboats. These hopes were dashed when it was discovered that the city was not built in the main channel of the Mississippi River, but rather on the Straight Slough, which was too shallow and sandy to be navigable for ships of that size. The city continued to prosper without river traffic, establishing the first public school, church, sawmill, and wheat farm in Winona county. The city was incorporated in 1896. The city was initially log cabins, and weathered winters well due to an abundance of firewood. Despite no issues with food or cold, disease took a toll on the first settlers, specifically cholera and typhus. The city hall had building materials purchased,…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Minnesota City, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Minnesota City2023Minnesota CityJ20, Minnesota City - July 20232023J20, Minnesota City - July 2023Cp -H20, Minnesota City, Minn2021Cp -H20, Minnesota City, MinnEastbound Empire Builder at Minnesota City, January 20122012Eastbound Empire Builder at Minnesota City, January 2…MNMap-doton-Minnesota City2005MNMap-doton-Minnesota City
On the map

Minnesota City on the map in 1985

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Minnesota City.

Minnesota City on the 1985 USGS map1985Winona 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 Minnesota City.

People over time

Minnesota City, census by census

010020030018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 301

Between 141 and 301 people in every census since 1880.

14 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Minnesota City

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

See all →
W
Winona RyderAmerican actress · b. 1971
Tracy CaulkinsAmerican swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world … · b. 1963
Carol BartzAmerican businesswoman · b. 1948
James Earle FraserAmerican artist · b. 1876
William D. MitchellAmerican politician · b. 1874
M
Michael Joseph HoeppnerCatholic bishop · b. 1949
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

GoodviewIts storyDRollingstone TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Minnesota City’s history

What year was Minnesota City founded?

The Minnesota City post office opened in 1852, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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 (5), 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.