eople from Willmar may be unaware that the county in which they live — Kandiyohi — means “where the buffalo fish come” in the Dakota language. P And some people from Mora may have no idea that the county in which they live — Kanabec — is the word for “snake.” 3 Those are just a few of the derivations then the following origins of county of the names of ’s 87 counties names should offer a brief sketch of the — little-known facts that are largely over- Minnesota character. t looked in the bustle of ordinary life. State But those names are perhaps the best itkin County: Named for indicator of the patchwork quilt that is William Alexander Aitkin, a fur Minnesota. Each county has a distinct trader with the Ojibwe Indians, Counties flavor all its own. A who married into an influential Minnesota’s diversity isn’t surprising Indian family. Est. May 23, 1857. given the state is the nation’s 12th largest ecker County: Named for law- in size. But the regional differences, from Anoka County: Taken from the town of yer George Loomis Becker, one of the flat potato and sugar beet country that name, which, in the Dakota language, three people elected to Congress of the in northwestern means “the other side, or both sides.” The Bin 1857. But upon gaining state- Minnesota to the dairy farms and town lies on both sides of the Rum River. hood, Minnesota was allotted only two hardwood forests of the southeast, and Est. May 23, 1857. House seats, and Becker lost the draw. from the lush lake country of the northeast His reward, in part, was having a county to the rich prairie lands in southwestern named after him. Est. March 18, 1858. Minnesota, have been largely put aside since Minnesota became a state Beltrami County: Named for Giacomo

in 1858. Kittson Roseau Constantino Beltrami, an Italian explorer Lake of Just as the 50 the Woods who searched for the source of the . Accused of plotting are different, so, too, are the Marshall 87 counties of Minnesota. But Koochiching to establish Pennington there is clearly a united sense of Beltrami Cook an Italian Red Lake Minnesota. t republic, he Polk Lake St. Louis was exiled and came Itasca ifteen county names came Mahnomen to America. Clearwater directly from the Dakota Norman Est. Feb. 28, 1866. Hubbard language, and 12 are derived Cass from the Ojibwe language Clay Becker Benton County: Named for F Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. senator — the two principal American Wadena Aitkin Carlton Indian groups in Minnesota. Fifty- Crow from Missouri from 1821 to 1851. Seven Wilkin Wing two counties were named for early Otter Tail other states have counties named for him.

explorers, fur traders, Minnesota Mille Pine Established on Oct. 27, 1849, Benton is one Lacs pioneers and prominent U.S. citizens. Todd Morrison of the earliest Minnesota counties. Grant Douglas Wilkin County, for example, was Benton Kanabec Chisago named for Col. Alexander Wilkin, Isanti Big Stone County: Derived from Big Traverse Stevens Pope Stearns Sherburne who was shot and killed in the Civil Stone Lake. The name is a translation Big Stone Anoka War in 1864 during the battle at Swift Kandiyohi Wright of the Dakota term that alluded to the Meeker Lac Qui Parle granite quarries at one end of the lake. Tupelo, Miss. Ramsey Chippewa Hennepin Six more counties were named by Washington Est. Feb. 20, 1862. McLeod Carver pioneers for prominent geographic Renville Yellow Medicine Dakota Scott features of the area. Pine County, for Sibley Blue Earth County: Taken from the Le Seuer Goodhue Nicollet Dakota name — Makato — for the example, was named for the abundant Lyon Redwood Rice Lincoln Wabasha pine forests in the region. Brown Blue Earth River. “Maka” means Pipestone Waseca Cottonw Watonwan Murray Blue Earth Steele Dodge Olmsted Winona earth, and “to” means blue or If it’s true that the most telling ood glimpses of a culture are revealed by Houston green. studying what is most overlooked, Rock Nobles Jackson Martin Faribault Freeborn Mower Fillmore Est. March 5, 1853. Brown County: Named for Joseph Cottonwood County: Named after ennepin County: Named after Renshaw Brown, a prominent pioneer, the Cottonwood River and the many Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan soldier, trader, lumberman, speculator, cottonwood trees in southern Minnesota. missionary, explorer and author. founder of cities, legislator, politician Est. May 23, 1857. HThis early explorer came to the and editor. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. area during the 1670s. Crow Wing County: Named for the Est. March 6, 1852. arlton County: Named for Crow Wing River. The river’s name is an Reuben B. Carlton, one of the erroneous translation of the Ojibwe term Houston County: Named for Samuel first settlers in the town of for “raven’s wing.” The raven is a cousin of Houston, president of Texas before it CFond du Lac. He was a farmer the crow. Est. May 23, 1857. became a state. Houston later became a and blacksmith for the Ojibwe. U.S. senator. Est. Feb. 23, 1854. Est. May 23, 1857. akota County: Named after the , who made Hubbard County: Named after Lucius Carver County: Named for explorer- up a large number of affiliated Frederick Hubbard, author Capt. Jonathan Carver, who DAmerican Indian groups that from 1882 to 1887, and founding editor of explored the Minnesota area as early as lived in Minnesota and adjoining states. the Red Wing Republican. 1766. He later wrote a book about his The Indian meaning for “Dakota” is Est. Feb. 26, 1883. travels. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. “alliance” or “league.” Est. Oct. 27, 1849. santi County: Taken from the Cass County: Named after , Dodge County: Named for , American Indian name Izaty, the who led an expedition that explored the a territorial and state governor of Wiscon- ancient name for the Santee, area. He was also a governor of Michigan sin, and his son, Augustus C. Dodge, of Imembers of the Dakota alliance. Territory, a U.S. senator, and held . Territory had included Est. Feb. 13, 1857. H cabinet positions with two presidents. parts of Minnesota. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Est. Sept. 1, 1851. Itasca County: Named from two Latin Douglas County: Named in honor of words for “truth” and “head.” The Chippewa County: Named for the Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator, states- Mississippi River passes through this Chippewa, or Ojibwe, American man and leader in the Democratic Party. county from Lake Itasca in Clearwater Indians and the Chippewa River, Est. March 8, 1858. County. Est. Oct. 27, 1849. which joins the in this county. “Chippewa” is aribault County: Named after ackson County: The origin of a French corruption of “Ojibwe.” Jean Baptiste Faribault, a longtime this name is still in dispute. Est. Feb. 20, 1862. trader with the Dakota. He moved Early sources have the county F to Minnesota in 1803 and was the Jbeing named after Henry Jackson, the Chisago County: Named after the first white settler to practice agriculture first merchant in St. Paul and a member county’s largest lake, Ki-chi-sago, in the state. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. of the first Territorial Legislature. Later meaning “large” and “lovely” in Ojibwe. accounts have the county named after The Legislature meant to name the Fillmore County: Named after Millard Andrew Jackson, the seventh president county “Chisaga,” but a typographical Fillmore, president of the United States from of the United States. Est. May 23, 1857. error changed the last letter from “a” to 1850 to 1853. Fillmore visited Minnesota in “o.” The mistake was never corrected. 1854 after leaving the presidency. anabec County: Named after the Est. Sept. 1, 1851. Est. March 5, 1853. Ojibwe word for “snake” and the Snake River within the county. Clay County: Named after American Freeborn County: Named after William KEst. March 13, 1858. statesman Henry Clay, a member of both Freeborn, a territorial settler. houses of Congress, speaker of the House Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Kandiyohi County: Taken from the and a candidate for president several Dakota language. “Kandiyohi” means times. Est. March 8, 1862. oodhue County: Named after the “where the buffalo fish come.” The fish first printer-editor in Minnesota, swim upstream in the region’s rivers to Clearwater County: Named after Goodhue. He spawn. Est. March 20, 1858. Clearwater Lake and Clearwater River Gfounded the Minnesota Pioneer that lie within the county. The Ojibwe in 1849. Est. March 5, 1853. Kittson County: Named after Norman name — clear water — was inspired by Wolfred Kittson, an early pioneer of the the crystal clearness of the lake and river. Grant County: Named in honor of area. Est. March 9, 1878. Est. Dec. 20, 1902. Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union forces to victory in the Civil War. He Koochiching County: Named after an Cook County: Named after Maj. Michael was later elected president of the United Ojibwe word for Rainy Lake and Rainy Cook of Faribault, a prominent citizen States. Grant visited Minnesota in 1883 to River, it means “neighbor lake and river.” who died fighting in the Civil War. Cook celebrate the completion of the Northern Est. Dec. 19, 1906. moved to Minnesota in 1855, worked as a Pacific Railroad. Est. March 6, 1868. carpenter, and served as both a territorial and state senator. Est. March 9, 1874. ac qui Parle County: Taken Meeker County: Named after Bradley Pine County: Named for the abundant pine from the French translation of B. Meeker, an associate justice of the trees in the area. Pine City is its county seat, the Dakota words meaning “the from 1849 to and it has several lakes and rivers named L lake that speaks.” The name 1853. Est. Feb. 23, 1856. “pine.” Est. March 1, 1856. apparently stems from the echoes that bounce off the bluffs around the lake. Mille Lacs County: Named after the Pipestone County: Named for the Est. March 6, 1871. county’s large lake called Mille Lacs, which, county’s supply of red pipestone used by in French, means a thousand lakes. It was Native Americans to make sacred pipes. Lake County: Received its name from known to the Dakota as “spirit lake,” and to Est. May 23, 1857. Lake Superior, which is directly south of the Ojibwe as “great” or “everywhere lake.” the county. Est. March 1, 1856. Est. May 23, 1857. Polk County: Named in honor of James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the U.S. Lake of the Woods County: Named after Morrison County: Named after William On Polk’s next to last day in office, he the lake of the same name that lies within and Allan Morrison, two brothers who signed the congressional act organizing the a portion of the county. Jacques De Noyon, settled and worked in this area. . Est. July 20, 1858. a Frenchman who explored the area in Est. Feb. 25, 1856. 1688, named the lake “Lac aux Iles,” or Pope County: Named in honor of Gen. Lake of the Islands, because it has more Mower County: Named in honor of John John Pope who led explorations of this than 14,000 heavily forested islands. Est. E. Mower, a lumber worker and state area. He also was commander of the U.S. Jan. 1, 1923. legislator. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Army’s Department of the Northwest, headquartered in St. Paul. Est. Feb. 20, Le Sueur County: Named in honor of Murray County: Named after William 1862. Pierre Charles Le Sueur, a Canadian Pitt Murray, who served in various French trader and explorer who first visited positions within territorial, city and state amsey County: Named in honor Minnesota in 1683. Est. March 5, 1853. government. Est. May 23, 1857. of , the first governor of the Minnesota Lincoln County: Named in honor of icollet County: Named after RTerritory, the second mayor of St. , president of the United geographer-explorer Joseph Paul and the second governor of the state States during the Civil War. The Legislature Nicolas Nicollet, who had a map of Minnesota. He later served as a U.S. made four attempts to name a county in Nof the area published in 1843. senator and secretary of war. Est. Oct. 27, honor of Lincoln. Est. March 6, 1873. Est. March 5, 1853. 1849.

Lyon County: Established by two Nobles County: Named after William Red Lake County: Named after Red Lake legislative acts on March 6, 1868, and H. Nobles, a member of the Territorial and Red Lake River. The Ojibwe named March 2, 1869. It’s named after General Legislature. Est. May 23, 1857. the lake for its wine-like color at sunset. Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed in the Est. Dec. 24, 1896. Civil War. Norman County: Named in honor of the large number of Norwegians, or Redwood County: Named for the cedars cLeod County: Named after Normans, who settled in this county. and willows in the area. Est. Feb. 6, 1862. Martin McLeod, an early fur When the county was established on trader in Minnesota. Feb. 17, 1881, it had the largest proportion Renville County: Named for Joseph M Est. March 1, 1856. of Norwegians in the state. Renville, an early settler in Minnesota. He served with the British in the , Mahnomen County: Named after the lmsted County: Named after leading a company of Dakota warriors Ojibwe word for wild rice, whose root word David Olmsted, the first mayor against U.S. forces. He later served as an in- is “mano,” or spirit. Wild rice is abundant in of St. Paul. He later became editor terpreter, trader and source of information this area. Est. Dec. 27, 1906. Oof the Minnesota Democrat, a about the Dakota. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. pioneer newspaper. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Marshall County: Named after William Rice County: Named after Henry Mower Rainey Marshall, governor of Minnesota Otter Tail County: Named after Otter Rice, one of the first two U.S. senators from from 1866 to 1870. Est. Feb. 25, 1879. Tail lake and river. The lake received its Minnesota. Est. March 5, 1853. name from the Ojibwe words for a long Martin County: Named after Henry and narrow sand bar that was shaped like Rock County: Named after the Martin, who moved to the area, bought an otter’s tail. Est. March 18, 1858. prominent rock deposit in the county. large tracts of land, and then returned to The rock plateau, covering 3 or 4 square his home in Connecticut. Other accounts ennington County: This county, miles and a height of 175 feet, also gives have the county named after Morgan established Nov. 23, 1910, is one of its name to a river within the county. Lewis Martin, a U.S. representative the state’s newest counties. It was Est. May 23, 1857. from Wisconsin who introduced the law Pnamed after Edmund Pennington, calling for the organization of the Territory a longtime railroad operator. of Minnesota. Est. May 23, 1857. Roseau County: Named after Roseau Lake Stevens County: Named after Isaac Ingalls Watonwan County: Taken from the and Roseau River, the French translations Stevens, who commanded a surveying Dakota word, “watanwan,” meaning “fish of the Ojibwe references to the many reeds expedition for a Pacific railroad. An bait,” or “where fish bait abounds.” in the lake and river. Est. Dec. 31, 1894. earlier attempt to name a county in his Est. Feb. 25, 1860. honor failed due to a clerical mistake in t. Louis County: Named for the the Legislature. Est. Feb. 20, 1862. Wilkin County: Named, for the third St. Louis River, the largest river time, after Col. Alexander Wilkin, a flowing into Lake Superior. It is Swift County: Named for Henry Adoni- lawyer who served as Minnesota’s U.S. Sthe largest county in the state. Est. ram Swift, governor of Minnesota in 1863. marshal and was later killed in the March 3, 1855, and March 1, 1856. Elected lieutenant governor, he succeeded Civil War. Earlier, it was named for a U.S. to the governorship when Gov. Alexander senator from Georgia who later became Scott County: Named for Gen. Winfield Ramsey resigned to take a U.S. Senate seat. the Confederacy’s secretary of state; then, Scott, who served in the War of 1812, Est. Feb. 18, 1870. for Andrew Johnson, who succeeded the Mexican War, and, for 20 years, was Abraham Lincoln to the presidency. general-in-chief of the U.S. Army. Est. odd County: Named in Neither of them were acceptable to March 5, 1853. honor of John Blair Smith Todd, county residents, so they petitioned the commander of Fort Ripley from Legislature to change the name to Wilkin. Sherburne County: Named for Mo- T 1849-56. He was a veteran of the Est. March 6, 1868. ses Sherburne, an associate justice of Seminole and Mexican wars and later the Supreme Court of the Minnesota became a trader. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Winona County: Named in honor of Territory. Est. Feb. 25, 1856. Winona, a female cousin of Wabasha, who Traverse County: This county’s name was the last of three successive chiefs of the Sibley County: Named in honor of Gen. comes from Lake Traverse which lies Mississippi band of Dakota with that name. , an early pioneer, “transverse” to Big Stone and Lac qui Parle Winona, in the Dakota language, means governor and military defender of the state. lakes. The name comes from a Dakota “first-born female.” Est. Feb. 23, 1854. Sibley was the first governor of Minnesota. word meaning “lake lying crosswise.” Est. Est. March 5, 1853. Feb. 20, 1862. Wright County: In a compromise, this county was named after Silas Wright, Stearns County: Named after Charles abasha County: Named a New York statesman. The delegation Thomas Stearns by mistake. The county after three successive chiefs of traveling to St. Paul to propose the was to be named after Isaac Ingalls Ste- Mississippi bands of Dakota. establishment of the county was unable vens, but a clerical error changed the W Est. Oct. 27, 1849. to agree on a name. A member of the name to Stearns. The Legislature decided delegation, who was a friend of Wright, Stearns was worthy of the honor, and Wadena County: Received its name proposed Wright’s name for the county; the another county was later named after from an old trading post. It stems from delegation agreed. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. Stevens. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. an Ojibwe word meaning “a little round hill.” It’s also a common Ojibwe name. Est. ellow Medicine County: Named Steele County: Named after Franklin June 11, 1858. after the Yellow Medicine River Steele, a prominent pioneer of Minneapo- that crosses the county. Yellow lis. The Legislature elected Steele to the Waseca County: Named for the Dakota Y Medicine stems from the Dakota first Board of Regents of the University word meaning “rich,” a reference to the fertile word, “pajutazee,” for the long, yel- of Minnesota. Est. Feb. 20, 1855. soil in the area. Est. Feb. 27, 1857. low grasses that are abundant in this region. Est. March 6, 1871. Washington County: Named in honor of George Washington, a founding father and first president of the United States. Est. Oct. 27, 1849.

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Source: Upham, Warren, Minnesota Geographic Names. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1969; reprinted 1979. This document can be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities by calling 651-296-2146 or 800-657-3550 toll free (voice).

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