Small Town Series

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.

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.

St. Anna is a small town tucked between St. Anna, Holdingford and Albany in Central Minnesota. The town is unincorporated and located along County Roads 9 and 154 in Stearns County.

Popple Creek is small community in Mayhew Lake Township in Benton County located along County Roads 3 and 4. Popple Creek was never incorporated but was settled in the 1890s. To help tell the story about Popple Creek I was joined by Benton County Historical Society Executive Director Mary Ostby and longtime Popple Creek area resident Lancy Studanski.

Roscoe is a small town in western Stearns County located along Highway 23 west of Richmond and east of Paynesville. To tell the story of Roscoe I was joined by longtime Roscoe residents Martha Schmitz, Sylvester Ludwig, Joann Ludwig, Mayor Don "Chopper" Albrecht, city clerk Marleen Philabaum, Jerry Muglee, Mary Vanderbeek, and Alan Flint.

Roscoe, Minnesota is a town of 102 people located in western Stearns County east of Paynesville and west of Richmond along Highway 23. Roscoe was originally called "Zion" and was established in 1865. In 1914 the town was changed to Roscoe.

WJON's small town series brings us to Duelm in St. George township in Benton County. Duelm is an unincorporated community located along Duelm Road near 110th Avenue. Stoney Brook flows through the community.

Richmond is a town of 1,420 people but the town wasn't always known as Richmond. This is the story of Richmond in Central Minnesota located southwest of St. Cloud along Highway 23.

In1856 in Central Minnesota a fort was built north of what is now the town of Kimball. That fort and settlement was called Maine Prairie. In 1886 the railroad went through a location south of Maine Prairie where present day Kimball is now located.