Small Town Series

Maple Lake is a town with a population of 2,159 located in northern Wright County in Central Minnesota. Highway 55 and County Road 8 are the main access points to the city. To help tell the story of Maple Lake I was joined by volunteer archivist Sue Sylvester from the Maple Lake Library and former Wright County Archivist Betty Dircks.

Annandale is a small town in Central Minnesota known as "The Heart of the Lakes" due to the 27 lakes within a 10-miles radius of the community. Annandale is located along Highways 24 and 55.

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.

Pierz is a small town in east central Morrison County in Central Minnesota. It is located along highways 25 and 27 with a population of 1,418. Pierz was settled in the 1860s when Father Francis Xavier Pierz came to Central Minnesota as a missionary to the native Ojibwe people.

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.