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History · Windom Township

Windom Township dates to 1858, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

1858founded
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Windom Township began

When was Windom Township founded?

1858

Windom Township dates its founding to 1858 (Wikipedia’s history).

2020 census: 520168 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓

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

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

From Wikipedia’s history of Windom Township.

Read it all →

Sylvester Davis, the first settler in the township, came to section 20 in the spring of 1855 and built a more permanent dwelling later that fall. The township was officially organized in 1858 and called "Brooklyn." At the first meeting of the township, the people elected a chairman, two supervisors, a clerk, two justices of the peace, a collector, a constable an assessor, a road supervisor and an overseer of the poor. In 1862 the state legislature told the township to change its name because another town had prior claim to it. It was then briefly called Canton but the name had to be changed again for the same reason. In May 1862 the township was named in honor of Senator William Windom of Winona.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Windom Township, decade by decade

Today6 recent
A lone tree between legendary southern Minnesota snowstorms, near Windom2020A lone tree between legendary southern Minnesota snow…A country lane between legendary southern Minnesota snowstorms, near Windom2020A country lane between legendary southern Minnesota s…Winter scene between legendary southern Minnesota snowstorms, near Windom2020Winter scene between legendary southern Minnesota sno…An insurance-company's office building2020An insurance-company's office buildingStreet scene in downtown Windom, Minnesota2020Street scene in downtown Windom, MinnesotaWinter scene2020Winter scene
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Marshall TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRed Rock TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townAustin3 historic placesBNevada TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Windom Township’s history

What year was Windom Township founded?

In 1858, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town.

Memory lane

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

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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 the Library of Congress (6) and Wikipedia. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.