History of Rice County

The first time that the Minnesota territorial legislature assembled was in St. Paul during the winter of 1849. At the direction of Governor Ramsey, the Minnesota territory was divided into districts. By this time, white settlers were in what is now known as Rice County. The trading post near the present site of Faribault was an active hub of trapping and trade.

A portion of what is now known as Rice County was created by the territorial legislature on March 5, 1853. Subsequent changes and modifications occurred to the boundaries of Rice County as other counties were created and modified (such as Steele County's creation at a later date on February 20, 1855.)

Source: 1910 History of Rice and Steele Counties, Vol. 1, Pages 54, 57.

Henry M. Rice

Henry Mower Rice was born in Vermont in 1817. He first came to Minnesota in 1839 when he visited Fort Snelling. He worked as a fur trader in his early years, later contributing to his success in helping the government to work with the Native American Indians in treaty negotiations. Henry M. Rice first came to what is now Rice County in 1844 with General Sumner with a pack of mules that carried their provisions.

On this trip, Rice met Alexander Faribault who was acting as a guide at the confluence of the Straight & Cannon Rivers. Due to his devotion to the territory, the state legislature voted Rice to be Minnesota's first U.S. Senator in 1857. He served one term and then ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1867. Henry M. Rice was prominent in Minnesota's history from the creation of the territory to statehood.

Sources: 1910 History of Rice and Steele Counties, Vol. 1, Pgs 95, 124, 241-242. RCHS' Research Files, Rice, Henry, 29 Nov. 1817 ­ 15 Jan. 1894.

Rice County Courthouse

                   
           First Courthouse (1847)                          Courthouse (1901)

The Courthouses of Rice County have had a rich and varied history. The early courts in Faribault were held in a one-story brick building, in the same block as the current courthouse. In 1874 the first official Courthouse was built, and contained all county offices and a large district court room. The site for the courthouse building was secured for $225.00. This was made possible by donation of three of the lots. The Courthouse was widely considered to be one of the most magnificent buildings in southern Minnesota, or the entire Northwest, if a local paper from the time is to be believed. In 1924 two fireproof wings were added to the building in order to increase vault space.

Article above is from the Faribault Daily News - Tuesday, Dec. 20, 1932

(Click on picture to enlarge)

On February 25, 1931 a fire broke out on the west side of the attic in the building, and while firemen were attempting to put it out, the fire spread to cupola and engulfed the tower. Virtually everything, other than the two fireproof wings added in 1924, was destroyed. However, there were not any injuries to people in the building, and even the Courthouse cat, Tommy, made it out alive thanks to a brave custodian. The cause of the fire was never determined.

The fireproof vaults had preserved Faribault's most important records, but something needed to be done about the building. Almost immediately there was controversy over whether the old building should be rebuilt, or if another should be put in its current place. On August 13, 1931 John E. Lister, a Northfield farmer, served an injunction on the County Board of Commissioners to prevent them from moving and wrecking the old Courthouse. The County Commissioners took their case to the local Faribault court, which upheld the injunction. On January 24, 1932, the Rice County Commissioners took the injunction to the Minnesota State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed the ruling and granted the Board of Commissioners permission to put their plans for a new building into action.

Additional articles from the Faribault Daily News - Tuesday, Dec. 20, 1932

(Click on picture to enlarge)

The new Courthouse was constructed of rubble stone, concrete, steel and Faribault marble, in Art Deco style. The structure covers a plot of ground 134 feet by 98 feet, approximately 5,300 square feet more than the old structure.

Source: RCHS Archive File, Rice County Courthouse; Faribault Daily News dated Feb. 26, 1931.

Settlement Dates of Rice County Cities/Townships

   1852 ­ Dundas

   1853 ­ Bridgewater, Faribault & Webster

   1854 ­ Cannon City, Northfield, Richland & Warsaw

   1855 ­ Erin, Millersburg, Morristown, Shieldsville & Wheatland

   1856 ­ Nerstrand & Walcott

   1869 ­ Lonsdale

   1880 ­ Veseli

Organizing of the School Districts

Central School, Faribault         Faribault High School (1892)     Central School, Northfield (1880)

The Rice County Board of Commissioners held its first meeting in January of 1856. One of the first orders of business was to organize the school districts. They voted that the City of Faribault should be #1, and what was then known as the Drake School (just outside of Northfield) should be #2. They also organized District Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10. Over the course of the year a dozen more districts were created.

At the January 5, 1857, County Board meeting several districts reported their number of students:

District #1 -­ 268 students; District #2 -­ 34 students; District #3 -­ 44 students; District #4 -­ 36 students; District #6 -­ 41 students; District #8 -­ 30 students; District #11 -­ 30 students; District #12 -­ 41 students; District #13 -­ 44 students; District #14 -­ 74 students; and District #16 -­ 22 students.

In 1857, the total number of students reported in Rice County totaled 664.

Lonsdale	Warsaw	Webster

Northfield has traditionally been known for its two distinguished colleges. Carleton College opened its doors in 1867, and St. Olaf followed seven years later in 1874. Carleton at one time published the only magazine in the U.S. devoted exclusively to astronomy, and Ole Rolvaag, author of Giants in the Earth, taught at St. Olaf for many years.

                              Carleton College                          St. Olaf College

   Carleton College Evans Hall (1942)   Carleton Football Team (1897)   Carleton Baseball Team (1900)

   St. Olaf Steensland Library (1942)     St. Olaf Chapel (1954)         Mail Wagon at St. Olaf (1916)  

Faribault has historically also had a good reputation in the educational field, with many public and parochial schools. Bethlehem Academy was established in 1865 when Alexander Faribault bought the school, a house and a piano. He also donated a cow to the facility.

The most notable of the private schools, though, were founded by the Episcopal Church and the Right Reverend Henry Whipple. Whipple stands out in state history for his humane treatment of Indians. His mission was to convert the Indians to Christianity, and he won enough trust from them to be known as "Straight Tongue."

Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple      Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior

Bishop Henry B. Whipple came to Faribault in 1859.  As the First Bishop of Minnesota, Bishop Whipple built The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in 1862.

In a small rented building in Faribault, Minnesota, The Rev. Dr. James Lloyd Breck established the Episcopal mission school and seminary from which Shattuck-St. Mary's has developed and prospered. Bishop Whipple took over the reins of the school, changing Breck's ambitious plan for "Bishop Seabury University" into something more realistic.

By 1866, more room was needed and, through Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck of Boston, Shattuck Hall was built specifically for the boys. Soon the grammar school itself became known as "Shattuck." That same year, Bishop Whipple opened a school for girls, "St. Mary's" Hall. The girls remained there until 1872 when the Bishop moved to a new house and St. Mary's Hall was turned over to a Board of Trustees.

In 1872, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd was built through the generosity of Augusta Shumway of Chicago. Though she lost all her property in the great Chicago Fire, she kept her promise to build a chapel for "the Bishop's boys' school" by sending Whipple her insurance checks. With its rare, all-stone spire, it became the focal point of the Shattuck campus.

Considered one of the finest examples of English Gothic architecture in the Upper Midwest, the Chapel’s steeple is one of only a few in the U.S. constructed of stone. The chapel is constructed of blue limestone, quarried at the south edge of Shattuck’s campus. Interior features include a monastic pew arrangement (all pews face the center aisle) and stained glass windows designed and cut by Carvers of London.

Students of Bishop Whipple (1860)              St. Mary's School                   St. Mary's Class of 1895

           Shattuck Baseball Club (1874)                          Shattuck Football Team (1907)

Jesse James Gang - Bank Robbery of 1876

      Additional photos:

Bank Robbery Site
Defeat of Jesse James Celebration (1948)
Jesse James Gang
Northfield Bank Robbers
Wanted Poster
Younger Brothers Posse

Agriculture and Industry

Rice County also remains a blend of agriculture and industry. Faribault is still famous for its woolen products, as well as its garden and nursery industry. Northfield's main business is education, with a typical population of over 5,000 college students in a city of 19,000. Towns like Lonsdale are growing once again, this time as suburbs of Minneapolis.

Newspaper Archives

(Select one and click to enlarge)

Historical Photos

Rich in History

Today, Rice County remains rich in history. Many buildings in the County have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The list includes the Rice County Courthouse and the Community Corrections Building. In 1873, the corner lots where the Community Corrections Building now stands were purchased, and permanent quarters for the courthouse and jail were constructed on the sites of the present county buildings in 1874. The jail was condemned in 1910 and replaced by the present structure the same year. This structure was the Rice County Jail until the Law Enforcement Center was built in 1975 and the building was remodeled for the Rice County Social Services Department.

• National Register of Historical Places in Rice County

           State of Minnesota

   Song: "Hail! Minnesota"

   Tree: Norway Pine

   Bird: Loon

   Butterfly: Monarch

   Flower: Pink & White Lady Slipper

   Drink: Milk

   Fish: Walleye

   Grain: Wild Rice

   Muffin: Blueberry

   Mushroom: Morel