Ghost Town
Guide to the Ghost Towns of
“The Land of 10,000 Lakes”
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Treasures Ghost Town USA Column Index for Minnesota. |
Minnesota has been
explored, prospected and farmed for nearly 400 years. Beginning in the early
1600s, the first Europeans to visit were the French. They ran across and
befriended the Native American Dakota and Ojibway
tribes. Trading furs with the French benefited the tribes at first by
introducing new tools and new and faster ways of doing things. Items such as
steel axes, and guns made life easier. The French also brought alcohol, which
eventually created devastation. The Indians hunted and trapped more than
before, to get their new "technologies", which soon overtook
traditional activities which were relegated to "when we get the time".
Christian missionaries came to "convert" the Indians, and it didn't
take long for the traditions and lifestyles to fall by the wayside. After the American Revolution, the Minnesota
area became an American territory, while Canada fell under British domain. To
hold this region the Americans built Fort Snelling
near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. It was not only
a military center, but also the center of exploration and settlement. Soon
agriculture, milling, and lumbering grew brought in more people, and
Minnesota was organized as a territory in 1849. Nine years later Minnesota
became the 32nd state. Life in early Minnesota was not easy. Unfriendly
locals, long distances to towns and forts, dry summers, brutally cold
winters, and other plagues visited the settlers. Then in 1884, iron ore was
discovered near Lake Superior, and mining became an important industry. At
one time underground iron mines stretched across three mountain ranges in
northern Minnesota, but by 1900 the Mesabi Iron Range and its famed
high-grade taconite ore became the range of choice. It was in the Mesabi that
open pit mining was introduced. Taconite is a hard rock that is about 65% iron. Taconite mining has faded, but it is still an
important industry. Whether the ghost towns in Minnesota are fur
trading posts, military forts, logging camps, river towns, agricultural
communities, or mining towns, this state has its share of ghost towns.
Minnesota is seldom written up in ghost town literature, but there are
hundreds of locations in the state ready to be discovered by patient ghost
town chasers. PLEASE NOTE: Where
photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your
browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page. More photos will be added over time. |
|
St.
Louis Co. |
The ORIGINAL
SITE of this town of 2000 was located a mile north of the present town,
at the site of the Meadow Mine. Nothing remains at the original class A
site of this ghost iron-mining town except memories. Present-day Aurora is a busy little city of
some 2000 citizens and over 80 businesses.
Our entry is for the original site of the town. |
BLACK AURIE RANCH
|
unknown |
According to family
legend, when my Great Grandfather Friedrich BrattmÜller
arrived in the |
BOVEY
|
Itasca
Co. |
This class E
iron mining town had a 1990 population of 662 so it is not a true ghost
although it has faded a lot from its boom period in the early 1900s when it
was a busy iron town. In 1940, it
still had 1355 folks. Two of its major mines were the Canisteo and |
|
Itasca
Co. |
A class D,
early 1900s iron mining town, is located seven miles west of Nashwauk. It had 946 people in 1940 and only 382 in 1990. |
CRAMER
|
Lake Co. |
I was looking at your list of ghost towns in Contributed by Eric Sorenson (Dec 26, 2004) |
CUSOON
|
St.
Louis Co. |
This former lumber camp is on US 53, three miles
north of Orr, and 52 miles southeast of |
DALE
|
Chisago
Co. |
Located in Fish Lake Township, Used to have a
creamery and general store from what I understand, as well as a school house,
it appears about one mile away from where the Dale site was. There is Dale
Free Church now on the property where once was Fish Lake Baptist church est.
1873. Contributed by “Steump”,
Sep 11, 2005 |
DALSTORP
|
Chisago
Co. |
Located in Contributed by “Steump”,
Sep 11, 2005 |
FAIRLAND
|
Koochiching Co |
Fairland is located in North-Central Minnesota
near the Big Bog and the Contributed by “rgawtry”
(Jun 12, 2004) |
|
Fillmore
Co. |
This class C/F
restored logging town is south of SH 16, six miles west of |
FORT RIDGELY
|
Nicollet/Renville
Co. |
A class C/Frestored military post
and state historic park on the Minnesota River, off SH 4, seven miles south
of |
(AKA Fort St. Anthony) |
Hennepin
Co. |
This class C/F, restored military post and state historic park is
located on a bluff overlooking the south side of the Mississippi River, just
west of the confluence with the |
FRANKFORD
|
Mower
Co. |
In northeast part of the county. Frankford was
the original county seat, but since the townsfolk didn’t build a courthouse, |
FRONTENAC
|
Goodhue
Co. |
This old town is actually two locations. Old
Frontenac, founded in 1839 sits alongside the For recently departed
ghost towns, visit our ANOTHER
ONE BITES THE DUST page.
This is mentioned as the old hotel in town was partially demolished in
1998. This is
one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST
TOWNS: Yesterday & TodayTM. |
GRAND
|
Cook Co. |
On the far northeastern tip of the state, this class C/F
(restored) –trading post is a National Monument. It is the remains of an 18th
Century North-West Company fur trading post established in 1731 by LaVerendrye. Its
main years of operation were from 1784-1803. |
GRASSTON
|
Kanabec
Co. |
Grasston is located a couple
miles north of the county line and west of SH 107. A number of foundation outlines and
interesting buildings still stand in this class D faded
town of 119 folks (1990 pop). It was our Ghost Town of the Month for
September 2002. This is
one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST
TOWNS: Yesterday & TodayTM. |
HENNEPIN
|
Hennepin
Co. |
Hennepin was located on the north bank of the
Minnesota River southeast of According to Minnesota Historical Society info
Hennepin was “a short-lived village platted in 1852 on a portion of John H.
McKenzie’s claim in sections 34 and 35, Contributed by Steve Lieb (Oct 22, 2004) |
HENRIETTE
|
Pine
Co. |
This is
one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST
TOWNS: Yesterday & TodayTM. |
IRON
JUNCTION (AKA
Ryan Junction) |
St.
Louis Co. |
This class D
iron mining/railroad town is about 15 miles southwest of |
KINNEY |
St.
Louis Co. |
This class D
iron mining town began in 1902, had 462 people in 1940, and 1200 people at
its peak. It’s located north of the highway at a point six miles west of
Mountain Iron. In 1990, 257 folks remained. |
LEONIDAS
(AKA
– |
St.
Louis Co. |
This old iron company-mining camp was located
just southwest of Evelith. It began in 1909, and the first 34
company-supplied homes were quickly occupied, as was the boarding house. As
the mines increased production, additions were made to the original camp.
Most of the buildings were residences, but the company also provided a tennis
court, skating rink and a school. Some of the businesses included grocery
stores, general store, post office and a village hall. The old town has since
faded, but in 1990 still had 70 people. |
LOTHROP
(AKA –
Lathrop) |
Cass Co. |
An 1890s logging camp near Ten Mile Lake
northwest of Hackensack, which is on SH 371, south of Bemidji. In the last
half of the 1800s, this booming logging and railroad town was the end of the
track for the lumbering companies. At its peak, the town consisted of 2000 people,
two bakers, two barbers, a butcher, drug store, three grocery stores, two
hotels, three or four restaurants, and a couple saloons. It was a typical
hell-raising, end-of-tracks town. In 1896, the railroad was extended deeper
into the woods, and Lothrop began to fade as trade shifted to a new
“end-of-the-track”. In 1904, the depot building was moved to nearby |
MANGANESE
|
Crow Wing Co. |
It is located
northeast of Trommald, on SH 84. This was once a
thriving mining town. Many of its residents worked in the Contributed by G.
Christensen (May 25, 2005) |
MERRITT
|
St.
Louis Co. |
Another 1890s iron mining town. This one was a
mile east of Biwabik, and on |
NORTHWEST
COMPANY FUR POST
|
Pine Co. |
This restored North West Company Fur Post is
complete with period-costumed guides. The state historic park has been
reconstructed on its original 1804 site. It is located just west of |
|
Steele Co. |
This is a class B-WW
II German POW camp located on the north edge of town, just off I-35. This
prisoner of war camp was started in April 1944. At any one time there were between
50 and 273 prisoners. They worked in nearby farm fields or at the Owatonna
Canning Co. plant, and lived in tents and clapboard barracks. In 1986, the
mess hall was still standing and the site was still marked by numerous
foundations. |
PELAN
|
Kittson Co. |
Pelan is located in the far
northwest corner of the state, and like so many other towns of its era, was
doomed when the railroad didn't go through it. It was founded in 1887 as a center for
homesteaders, but 20 years later was forgotten when the railroad passed
several miles away, and the citizens relocated to the iron ribbon. PHOTO! |
PONSFORD
|
Becker Co. |
Ponsford had a grocery etc & was on the main highway
until Highway 34 was moved to the south. Nearby Pine Point (quarter mile) is
taking over as "the Town". Contributed by Gerry Schram
(May 18, 2006) In 1990, the census listed 150 people (GBS) |
RAINY
|
St.
Louis Co. |
Here's one for you researchers out there. This class A
gold mining camp was on the mainland |
READ’S
LANDING
|
Wabasha Co. |
This class D
location began life as a Dakota trading post occupied by Augustin
Rocque. In 1847 the old trading post was purchased
by Charles Read, who developed it into a trading center. It is located along
US 61, along the west shore of the Mississippi River near the confluence with
the |
RICHWOOD
|
Becker Co. |
Richwood on CR 21
north of Contributed by Gerry Schram
(May 18, 2006) In 1990, the census listed 70 people (GBS) |
|
Olmstead Co. |
A class A,
placer gold mining camp northwest of |
|
Lake
Co. |
Now a state historic site, this isolated
lighthouse is located 48 miles north of |
|
Chisago
Co. |
Located in Contributed by “Steump”,
Sep 11, 2005 |
STARK
|
Chisago
Co. |
Located in Contributed by “Steump”,
Sep 11, 2005 Stark still had 60 folks in 1990. (GBS) |
SWIFT |
Roseau
Co. |
This class D-lumber/railroad
town is on SH 11, five miles southeast of Warroad, just south of the west end
of |
VOSS |
Becker
Co. |
Voss in Walwoth & Atlanta townships north of Contributed by Gerry Schram
(May 18, 2006) |
WASIOJA
|
Dodge
|
This sleepy, class D
agricultural town snoozes along CR 16, six miles northwest of Mantorville. Only about 50% of its buildings are
occupied. Notable structures include: the 2-story, wood and stone school
building and the single story, clapboard Wasioja
town hall, built in 1858 as the |
WESTBURY
|
Becker
Co. |
Westbury on Highway
59 north of Contributed by Gerry Schram
(May 18, 2006) In 1990, the census listed 20 people (GBS) |
MORE INFORMATION
Historians estimate that there may be as many as
50,000 ghost towns scattered across the Gary B. Speck Publications is in process of
publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called The Ghost Town
Guru's Guide to the Ghost Towns of “STATE”™ These original guides are designed for anybody
interested in ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new
and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these
guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind
them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's
library. Thank
you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail! For
more information on the ghost towns of Ghost
Town E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE: Due
to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer
open or respond to e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the
subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”,
“???”, or blank subject lines, etc.
If you do send E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the
“subject” line. THANK
YOU! :o) |
IMPORTANT These listings and historical vignettes of ghost
towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in MINNESOTA above
are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to
trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites. If the reader of this guide is a metal detector
user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic
hunting, it is the READER'S
responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners.
Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be
off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or
local laws restricting the same. When you are exploring the ghost towns of Ghost Towner's
Code of Ethics. |
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