small town

Picture a small town in Minnesota that transformed from a trading post into a vibrant community with a rich agricultural legacy. There’s so much more to its story.

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.

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.

Maple Lake is hosting their Grande Day St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday, March 15, 2025. The Grande Day Parade is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m.

South Haven is a small town located in northwestern Wright County along Highway 55 between Kimball and Annandale. The town has a population of 187 and was platted in 1888. South Haven is in southside township and is 2 miles south of Fairhaven which likely contributed to the name of the town.

Each small town in Minnesota has a story and this is the story of Fairhaven. Fairhaven is a town south of St. Augusta on County Road 7 in the southeastern portion of Stearns County. As of the most recent census they have a population of 358 people.

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.

The town of Lake Henry is located in western Stearns County just north of Paynesville. It has a population of 103 and is located along Highway 4. To tell the story of Lake Henry I was joined by longtime Lake Henry residents Jim and Sue Brick.