Monticello Township dates to 1854, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 57% of U.S. towns · #90 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it
Most of Monticello Township was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 7 buildings. Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1880.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Monticello Township is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #90 of 273 in Minnesota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Monticello Township’s overall grade.
Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Monticello Township’s 21.0 sits above most of its state (85% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 7 historic buildings outnumber those of 73% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.3 points). Two sources give 1854.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Monticello Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Monticello was platted in 1854. A post office has been in operation at Monticello since 1855. Monticello was incorporated in 1856. The nearby village of Moritzious merged with Monticello in 1891.
In May 2006, the Monticello Middle School had an electrical fire from the large amount of rain settling on the roof. The smoke damage to the school caused the school to be closed for the rest of the school year. As a result, middle school and high school students had to share usage of the high school building on an alternate-day schedule. The school year did not get extended, and the clean-up was completed in time for the 2006–07 school year. [1] [2]
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Monticello Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1961Monticello sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Monticello Township.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 7 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
In 1854, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 290 people here.
How does Monticello Township rank for history?
Monticello Township is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #90 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Monticello Township?
One place: the David Hanaford Farmstead (listed 1979).
How old are the homes in Monticello Township?
10% of Monticello Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1979.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (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.
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