small town

Dassel is a town of 1,472 located in eastern Meeker County along Highways 15 and 12. Dassel was plotted in 1869 and named for railroad official Bernard Dassel.

Melrose is a town of 3,598 people in western Stearns County along Interstate 94 and Highway 52. The town was named after Melrose, Scotland because the early settlers were Scottish.

Bishop says "There are several versions of the source of Annandale's name. The village was originally named Abbeyville, but a new name had to be chosen when applying for a post office permit revealed there was already an Abbeyville in Minnesota.

Picture a town where history runs deep and the spirit of community thrives. Sauk Centre's story unfolds in fascinating ways.

Attention shoppers! Dollar General in Saint Augusta is refreshing its cooler sections, but don't expect a full stock just yet.

Bowlus is a town of 279 people that was settled in the early 1900s, platted in 1907 and became incorporated in 1910. Bowlus has an operating post office since 1907, a lumberyard, meat market, hair salon, restaurant, gas station, liquor store, boutique, fire department, park with bike trail going through it, Legion, and Catholic Church.

Paynesville, Minnesota is a town with a population of 2,432 in southwestern Stearns County. The town was named after Edwin E. Payne and was platted in 1857. The town consisted of 3 individual settlements known as North Town, Old Town and Jim Town.

Eden Valley is a small town located in both Stearns and Meeker counties in Central Minnesota. The town's population is 1,027 as of the 2020 census. It can be found along the intersection of Highway 55 and Highway 22.

WJON's small town series brings us to Big Lake. Big Lake is a city of 11,686 located in Sherburne County along Highway 10 just east of Becker and west of Elk River. Big Lake was originally called Humboldt until 1867. It features two prominent lakes with Big Lake and Mitchell Lake in the city limits.

Milaca is a small town located in central Minnesota in Mille Lacs County along Highways 169 and 23. Milaca has a population of 3,021 and is also along the Rum River. Milaca is the county seat in Mille Lacs County. To help tell the story of Milaca I was joined by Tom Sauer of the Milaca Museum and Milaca Mayor Dave Dillan.