Welcome to Stearns County

St Olaf College Environmental Studies 399

Instructors: Charles Umbanhowar, Jr. and Sheri Breen

The Stearns Clan: Ned Dorff, Brian Junnila, Jessica Knutson, Betsy Miller, Laura Piotrowski, Kristina Walkup

An overview of our website:

General Thesis: Landscape, environment, culture and ethnicity heavily influenced 19th century agriculture in Stearns County.

I. Landscape

        A. Glaciation
        B. Topography- Bedrock
        C. Soils:(Introduction), 1973 map, 1985 map
        D. Forest/Prairie vegetation
        E. Nicollet's Map
        F. Public Land Survey

II. Environment - "Let's Take a Closer Look!"

        A. History
            History of Stearns County
        B. Population
        C. Agricultural Census
                1. Crops/Farming Trends
                2. Dairy and Livestock Trends
        D. Townships
            1. Township Maps
            2. Prairie/Woodland Township: Brockway
            3. Prairie Township: Wakefield

III. Culture/Ethnicity

        A. Life on the Farm
           Photos and writings
        B. Germans
                Photos, Ethnicity Map
                1. Catholic Religion and Father Pierz
                2. German Population and Ethnic Influences
        D. Century Farms in Stearns County
           List of Stearns Century Farms in Brockway and Wakefield Townships
            Gogala Family Century Farm: pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Farmhouse, Pighouse

IV. Appendix

        A. Logging
             Timber Industry
             Pictures
        B. Granite
        C. Transportation-
                1. Railroads
                2. Steamboats

        D. Non-traditional crops
        E. Natural Disasters
                1. Grasshopper Plague
                2. Cyclone of 1886

V. Bibliography

Farming in Stearns County

A potato dig in 1895.
The Melrose Flour Mill, a destination for the wheat from surrounding farms.

Collegeville farmers harvesting hay in 1890.

Farm workers taking a break. go to index

German Catholics shaped the cultural landscape of Stearns County more than any other ethnic group. Here a group can be seen standing outside the newly-erected St Patrick's Church.

Another German Catholic church in Stearns County.

A view of St John's University, circa 1870. The university is part of the German Catholic heritage of Stearns County.
go to index

St Cloud in 1868

In 1857, the Land Office moved from Sauk Rapids, Benton County, to St Cloud.

Downtown St Cloud, 1868.