Steele County, Minnesota
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 13 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1971; 1 is also National Historic Landmark. Most listings are in or near Owatonna, Blooming Prairie.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Minnesota is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Steele titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP8 of 13 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
13 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Abbott, Ezra, House | Owatonna | 1975 |
| Adair, Dr. John H., House | Owatonna | 1986 |
| Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children | Owatonna | 1975 |
| Blooming Prairie Commercial Historic District | Blooming Prairie | 1994 |
| Bridge No. L-5573 | Owatonna | 1997 |
| Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children | Owatonna | 2010 |
| National Farmers' Bank NHL | Owatonna | 1971 |
| Owatonna City and Firemen's Hall | Owatonna | 1997 |
| Owatonna Commercial Historic District | Owatonna | 2015 |
| Owatonna Free Public Library | Owatonna | 1976 |
| Pillsbury Academy Campus Historic District (Additional Documentation) | Owatonna | 1987 |
| Pillsbury Academy Campus Historic District (Boundary Increase) | Owatonna | 2021 |
| Steele County Courthouse | Owatonna | 1978 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBSteele was formed in 1855 (1855-02-20) from Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Rice.
STEELE created from BLUE EARTH, LE SUEUR, and RICE.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusSteele County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,863 | 12,460 | 16,524 | 18,061 | 19,749 | 21,155 | 25,029 | 30,328 | 33,680 | 37,406 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS46 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 46 of 46 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Aurora Lutheran Cemetery |
| Aurora Township Cemetery |
| Berlin Cemetery |
| Bohemian Cemetery |
| Bohemian Cemetery |
| Bohemian Cemetery |
| Brase Cemetery |
| Clark Family Cemetery |
| Corpus Christi Catholic Cemetery |
| Crane Creek Cemetery |
| Dania Cemetery |
| Danish Cemetery |
| Danish Cemetery |
| Danish Cemetery |
| Deerfield Cemetery |
| Degner Cemetery |
| First Lutheran Cemetery |
| Forest Hill Cemetery |
| German Methodist Episcopal Cemetery |
| Grand View Memorial Gardens |
| Havana Cemetery |
| Holy Trinity Cemetery |
| Karsten Cemetery |
| Lemond Cemetery |
| Lincoln Cemetery |
| Merton Cemetery |
| Moland Cemetery |
| Mueller Cemetery |
| Norwegian Lutheran Meraker Cemetery |
| Oak Hill Cemetery |
| Oak Mound Cemetery |
| Pontoppidan Lutheran Cemetery |
| Resurrection Cemetery |
| Riverside Cemetery |
| Sacred Heart Cemetery |
| Saint Ansgars Cemetery |
| Saint John Lutheran Cemetery |
| Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery |
| Saint Paul's Lutheran Cemetery |
| Steele Center Cemetery |
| Summit Cemetery |
| Thompson Cemetery |
| Trinity Cemetery |
| Union Cemetery |
| Union Cemetery |
| Zion Lutheran Cemetery |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Steele County, Minnesota
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