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 Ojibwe word for “snake.” 3 Those are just a few of the derivations then the following origins of county of the names of Minnesota’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 Red River Valley 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 United States the Woods who searched for the source of the Mississippi River. 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 Benton Kanabec Wilkin County, for example, was 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 Washington Six more counties were named by 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 Dakota people, who made Hubbard County: Named after Lucius Carver County: Named for explorer- up a large number of affiliated Frederick Hubbard, governor of Minnesota 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 Lewis Cass, Dodge County: Named for Henry Dodge, 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 Iowa. Wisconsin 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 Minnesota River 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 James Madison 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.