Stevens County. Five Towns. Real Stories.

Morris: Railroads, Education and Local Taxi History.

A transportation crossroads that became the center of Stevens County.

The railroad reached the Stevens County area in 1871, and Morris developed around that rail transportation network.

Morris was incorporated as a village in 1878 and later became a city. Its early economy included railroad freight, agriculture, retail businesses, hotels and professional services.

The historic downtown Atlantic Avenue corridor once supported banks, bakeries, merchants and lodging businesses serving both town residents and visitors from surrounding farms.

Morris received its first documented automobile in 1903, according to county historical research. It was nicknamed Old Betsey.

The community became an important center for agricultural education. The West Central School of Agriculture opened in 1910, following the closure of the Morris Industrial School for Indians.

The University of Minnesota Morris opened in 1960. Its campus now brings students, faculty, families and visitors to the city.

Morris also has documented taxi history through Morris Taxi Service, whose operation is described in archived interviews relating to the mid-twentieth century.

Hancock: A Railroad Town with Remarkable Neighbors.

Founded in the railroad era, Hancock built its identity around farming and community life.

Hancock was established in 1872 along the St. Paul and Pacific Railway.

Early rail connections supported agricultural shipping, local trade and travel for residents of nearby townships.

The Hotel William once welcomed pheasant hunters and travelers from beyond western Minnesota.

A notable local physician, Dr. Mathias Lent Ransom, reportedly delivered thousands of babies during his career. Local historical walking-tour research records that he was called to his first delivery on the very day he arrived in Hancock in 1903.

Another landmark, the Schmidgall House, was constructed entirely of concrete in 1928.

Hancock's history is connected with local businesses, immigrant families, agricultural industries and community institutions.

Chokio: The Wadsworth Trail and a Prairie Crossroads.

Chokio's name reflects its historic position as a meeting point along western Minnesota travel routes.

The name Chokio comes from a Dakota term associated with the middle or center.

The community's historical importance is connected to the Wadsworth Trail, a nineteenth-century military supply route between St. Cloud and Fort Wadsworth in what is now South Dakota.

The trail helped shape travel across the prairie long before modern taxi transportation and paved highways.

Chokio later developed a railroad depot, commercial buildings and agricultural businesses.

The Nelson's Grocery Building served the community for more than a century.

The city's historic depot and Memorial Park garden are among the stops described in its walking-tour materials.

Visitors exploring small-town history can combine Chokio with the surrounding Stevens County agricultural landscape.

Alberta: Wheeler Station and an Unusual School History.

Alberta's history includes a railroad name change and a nationally noticed approach to rural education.

The settlement began as Wheeler Station in 1882.

It later became Alberta, named for Alberta Hardin, the daughter of a local postmaster.

Like many western Minnesota communities, its early economy was tied to rail transportation and farming.

The Alberta School and Teacher's Manse became important local landmarks. Historical accounts describe the school and teacher-housing arrangement as an innovative model of rural education that drew attention beyond the county.

Other features of Alberta's historical walking tour include the former Alberta State Bank, which experienced robberies, and the Cargill Elevator associated with agricultural commerce since 1914.

These stories show that a small population does not mean a community has little history.

Donnelly: From Douglas Station to a Community Landmark.

Donnelly's colorful early history reflects the businesses and people of a frontier railroad town.

The community began in 1871 as Douglas Station and was later renamed for Ignatius Donnelly, a prominent Minnesota politician and writer.

Early Donnelly was home to businesses such as banks, hotels, saloons and stores that served surrounding farms and railroad travelers.

One of its best-known historic buildings is the Donnelly Community Hall, constructed through the Works Progress Administration in 1937.

The hall hosted social gatherings, dances, performances and roller skating.

The Donnelly School also played an important role in community life.

Historical walking-tour accounts preserve stories about Dr. John Whittemore, who delivered babies during difficult winter conditions, and John Hilla, a carpenter and former mayor.

Donnelly offers a reminder of how local transportation and community gathering places shaped western Minnesota.