When settlers first came to Rice County Minnesota in 1826 they found a land rich in natural resources and opportunity.  They entered an environmentally diverse landscape, complete with prairies, forests, rivers, and lakes.  This environment and the resultant activities of the settlers are interrelated and connected.  The landscape not only affected agriculture and business, but also lifestyles and Euro-American settlement.  These pages portray the connections between Geology and Environment, Economy and Business, and County Ethnicity, using U.S. Census Data, historical documentation, GIS data layers, current scientific publications, and government documents.  The connections are examined in Rice County as a whole and Bridgewater, Richland, and Wheatland Townships, which correspond to the border, prairie, and Big Woods environments respectively.

There are many connections that can be drawn between these subjects areas.  We invite you to explore the data and make connections for yourself.