small town

Luxemburg is a small town south of St. Cloud along Highway 15 located in the St. Augusta city limits. I talked with longtime Luxemburg residents Norb Fischer and Paul Koshiol.

In 1856 in Central Minnesota a fort was built north of what is now the town of Kimball. That fort and settlement was called Maine Prairie. In 1886 the railroad went through a location south of Maine Prairie where present day Kimball is now located.

Without the railroad there likely would be no Litchfield. Litchfield is a town of 6,624 people located in central Minnesota along highways 12 and 24. The earliest settlers in the area arrived in the 1850s and they formed the town of Forest City.

Litchfield is a town of 6,624 south of St. Cloud in Central Minnesota located along Highways 24 and 12. It was founded in 1869 when the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad, later the called St. Paul and Pacific and then the Great Northern, came through the area.

Watkins is a town of 962 people located in northern Meeker County along Highway 55 west of Kimball and east of Eden Valley. It was established in the 1870s and has had a post office since 1887.

New Munich is a small town in western Stearns County with a population of 356. It is located just south of I94 along State Highway 237 (Main Street) and county roads 12 and 30. New Munich is also near Highway 52. To help tell the story of New Munich I was joined by longtime residents Jim Poepping, Bob Beckers, and Steve Worms.

Cold Spring still has a small town feel and a strong sense of pride despite its growth over the years. Cold Spring is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 4,025 located southwest of St. Cloud in Stearns County.

Browerville is a small town of 839 people in Central Minnesota north of Sauk Centre along Highway 71 in Todd County. Browerville was platted in 1882 and was named for Jacob V. Brower.

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. To help tell the story of Melrose I was joined by local historian Roger Paschke, Mayor Joe Finken and City Administrator Colleen Winter.

Clear Lake is a town of 641 people in Sherburne County located 13 miles southeast of St. Cloud at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 24. Clear Lake is the focus of this Small Town series on WJON.

Buckman is a small town in southern Morrison County in Buckman township with a population of 307. It was established in 1869 and was named after one it's early settlers, Clarence B. Buckman.

Albany, Minnesota is a town with a population of 2,780 located approximately 25 miles west of St. Cloud on Interstate 94. The settlement of Albany wasn't always called that. Originally a settlement just 2 miles east of Albany was called Two Rivers.