History of Cottage Grove, MN
By Nancy Eike
The city of Cottage Grove is located approximately eight miles from the capital city of St. Paul. For many years the township was comprised of two villages, Langdon and Old Cottage Grove. When the early settlers arrived the land was thick with mighty oaks and scores of indigenous prairie grasses. Agriculture was the area that these early settlers turned to for their livelihood. The hard-working settlers painstakingly broke the land and turned the fertile soil into profitable farmland. Many turned to dairying and Cottage Grove also became known for its creameries and dairy farms.
Most of the settlers moved in from New England thus giving Cottage Grove the nickname “New England of the West.” From the Greek revival architecture, to the New England style of government, this influence would be felt in many aspects of the settlement.
One of these New Englanders would become the founding father of Cottage Grove – James Sullivan Norris. He left New England and settled in Afton in 1839 where he resided for a period of three years. Norris, along with fellow New Englander, Joseph Haskell, tried their hand at farming. In 1842, Norris left Afton and moved to Grey Cloud Island where he worked in a trading post for one year. After his stint at the post, he decided to try farming once again and made a claim on sections one and twelve on land he would call “Cottage Grove.” On his newly claimed land he built a small log cabin and painstakingly turned forty acres of tough prairie grass into what would ultimately become very profitable farmland. The first few years Norris was unable to process his bountiful crop due to the absence of a grist mill near by. However, Norris mustered up his resolve and planted an even bigger crop the following year. The crop was a success and with a brand new grist mill in Afton, the wheat was able to be processed. Thus began the long and profitable business of wheat farming in Cottage Grove.
James S. Norris would prove to be a prominent and integral part of Cottage Grove’s history. His involvement spanned the gamut from the initial staked claim to co-founder of the Cottage Grove Lyceum to a long and illustrious career in local politics where for forty years he remained a voice for the people of the settlement he founded.
Another prominent figure in the history of Cottage Grove was John Pierce Furber who hailed from Milo, Maine. His brothers, Joseph Warren and Theodore, had settled in Cottage Grove in 1846; John moved into the area in 1851. Initially, the Furber family held interest in the logging industry, but it was in farming where they found their success. John and his wife, Isabella, purchased the general store in the settlement of Old Cottage Grove, which would remain in the family for two generations. John Furber would remain active in civic affairs well into his retirement.
In the fall of 1858, as Minnesota moved from a territory to a state, many of the male settlers convened at the Lyceum Hall to organize the township’s government. With James S. Norris as moderator, the positions of town clerk, town board of supervisors, and justice of the peace were decided. This township form of government served Cottage Grove well and remained intact until 1963 when it was incorporated into a village. In 1974, Cottage Grove became a statutory city.
The building of roads, as in most rural townships, became an important part of the growth of the community. In 1844, James S. Norris and J.W. Furber were given the task of laying out a public road which ran from Point Douglas to St. Croix Falls. Additional roads were added over the years to allow for ease of travel. In 1869, a railroad line was constructed with a railway station in Langdon. This addition would turn Langdon into a bustling trade center and shipping point.
During the 1850s and ’60s, other settlers from New England moved into Cottage Grove, staked their claims, and began to prepare their newly acquired land for farming. By the 1870s, farmhouses dotted the landscape, and fields of wheat held promises of independence for the early settlers.
This influx of agricultural endeavors created a demand for goods and services. Several businesses were established, and by the end of the 1860s, the Township had a post office, churches, cemetery, and a schoolhouse. In 1870, a general mercantile was added. Over the next several years other businesses were established including blacksmith shops, general stores, meeting areas, churches, creameries, schools, and all of the necessary shops to provide goods and services to the residents. One of the first creameries in Minnesota was organized by George Woodward and others as the Langdon Butter and Cheese Factory in 1875.
In the spring of 1871, John and Joseph Furber platted out the village of Cottage Grove—now Old Cottage Grove—on a parcel of land in section twelve. It was also during that time that the village of Langdon was platted out by J. T. Dodge.
In the late 1870s, several German-speaking families settled in eastern Cottage Grove and added additional cultural flair to the area. All of the new inhabitants of Cottage Grove mingled and socialized through a variety of events and activities such as those sponsored by church groups, lodges, social clubs, and service organizations.
By the turn of the century the burgeoning township had over 100 residents. Cottage Grove and its two rural villages, Langdon and Old Cottage Grove, remained a rural township for over a century. But, in the 1950s, with the advent of the Thompson Grove housing development with their ranch rambler homes, the once-rural area began to experience the effects of suburban sprawl. During this time the population jumped from 833 residents to over 4,800 by 1960. By 1970, there were over 13,400 residents of Cottage Grove.
Although the community was growing and new homes were being constructed, there was an awareness of the importance of the buildings of the past. In August of 1961, Ordinance No. 355, City Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks was established. With over two hundred stunning historic buildings still intact, local residents and city officials alike recognized the importance of preserving these important links to their past. Several of these beautiful structures are still standing and are a testament to the settlers who came in search of land they could call their own.
In 1852, several of the early settlers, chief among them, James Sullivan Norris, established the Cottage Grove Lyceum in an effort to promote education and social reform. The Lyceum Hall was built in 1855 and became the home of the local newspaper, the first public library in Washington County, and location of the settlement’s annual town meetings. The annual meetings were held at the hall for seventeen years after which they were moved to a new town hall in Langdon. Eventually, as interest in the Lyceum Society waned, the structure was dismantled and moved to its current location of the Cottage Grove Cemetery where it has been repurposed as the Carpenter’s shed.
Another of these historic sites is the home that was built for Cottage Grove’s first physician, Dr. Arthur Steen. “Forest Home,” the stunning Queen Anne-style home sits nestled in a thicket of trees on a four-acre lot in Old Cottage Grove. With its turrets, gables, bays, and porch, it is a lovely reminder of times gone by.
The Historic Watson House, an Italianate-style home, located on 70th street with Shepard’s Woods as a backdrop, was built by Robert and William Watson around 1851. The home was built with lumber that had made its way via the Mississippi River from St. Anthony Falls. Many additions grace the home and add a distinct ambience to the lovely two-story frame.
On a large lot on what is now called Lamar Avenue, is the historic home of John Furber. The two-story home was built in 1854, a few years after John Furber settled in the area. With its clapboard siding and tall, narrow windows, and Italianate design; it is a hearkening back to the past. Because of its significance in American history and its outstanding architectural features, the home is on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the most notable homes in Cottage Grove, Cedarhurst, is the home that was partially designed by none other than Cass Gilbert, the architect of our beautiful state capitol building. The twelve-thousand square foot structure is used now for weddings, gatherings, and as a tea house.
Currently, Cottage Grove is home to approximately 30,000 people. With a burgeoning manufacturing industry and growing retail economy, Cottage Grove is one of the fastest growing communities in Minnesota. With a plethora of historic sites found within the city limits of Cottage Grove one gets the feeling that the history of the community is as important as the growth. With this combination of the old and the new, Cottage Grove has a very promising future.