Freeborn County, MN Communities

Freeborn County Communities

Alden: The city was incorporated in 1879. It is located on the edge of Morin Lake, which was dammed from a marsh in 1871.

Armstrong: Armstrong is named for the Honorable Thomas H. Armstrong, former Lt. Governor, who erected a grain elevator on the site in 1878.

Clarks Grove: The city is named after the grove of settler J. Mead Clark. The area was settled by Danish Baptists. Clarks Grove is known for having the first cooperative creamery in the state.

Conger: Conger was named after E.H. Conger. The town developed along the Germania
Railroad Line from Estherville, Iowa. The local train depot was built in 1901-1902.

Emmons: G.H. Emmons settled in the township in 1856. His son moved his general store to the Emmons site in 1886. The town was incorporated in 1899.

Freeborn: Freeborn is located on the north bank of Freeborn Lake. It was platted in 1857 with 2 sawmills and the "Old Mill", a flourmill.

Geneva: The city was named in remembrance of Geneva, New York. It was platted in 1856-1857. Geneva is located at the head of Geneva Lake.

Glenville: Glenville was first platted in 1856 as Shell Rock. It was incorporated as Glenville in 1898. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad went through in the late 1870's.

Gordonsville: The village beginnings coincided with arrival of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad in 1877.

Hartland: The Township was settled in 1857 and the village was platted in 1877. Hartland was named for a town in Vermont that was an early settler's home.

Hayward: The city was named for an early settler, David Hayward. A railway village, it was not developed until 1869, although it was first platted in 1858.

Hollandale: Hollandale developed because of its rich farmland, which was drained from 15,000 acres of swampland (completed in 1923). The area was settled mostly by farm families of Dutch descent.

London:This village was relocated in 1900 from a site 2 - 1/2 miles north of its present location when the Albert Lea & Southern Railroad went through London Township.

Manchester: The origin of Manchester is related to the formation of the Mansfield Creamery in 1891. The village is named after Lord Mansfield of England.

Maple Island: Maple Island is located 2 miles east of Hollandale. The village resulted from the settlement of farmers on reclaimed marshland.

Moscow: The name of Moscow dates to a pre-settlement timber fire suggestive of a scene from Russia under siege of war. The village was platted in 1857.

Myrtle: Myrtle moved 1 mile west to its present site when the railroad came through in about 1900. It was incorporated in 1937.

Oakland: Oakland was named after the scattered oak groves among the prairie land. The village started soon after the railroad came in 1879.

Twin Lakes: This village is situated at the outlet of Lower Twin Lake, which provided waterpower for a sawmill and flourmill. Twin Lakes was platted in 1858.