Minnesota's highway historical markers, on the maps of their own eras

Beginning in 1930, the Minnesota Historical Society chose the sites and wrote the inscriptions and the State Highway Department made and set up the signs. By 1940 there were 112 of them on the state's trunk and U.S. highways, and a Work Projects Administration survey printed every inscription word for word. 107 of those markers now have permanent pages at TreeAlive, placing their 1940 text on georeferenced maps from the periods they commemorate.

107marker pages live

82,000+historical map sheets

1940 guidecredited on every page

Every dot is a live page. Click one to preview it or add it to a road trip. Prefer a list? Browse all 107 markers by county.

Featured markers

Mayo Home

1858–1863

See it on a period map →

Augustus Lindbergh Homestead

1860–1927

See it on a period map →

First Iron Mine

1884

See it on a period map →

What a Minnesota family sees

TreeAlive maps family trees. When a visitor's ancestors lived in Minnesota, the markers standing near those places surface automatically alongside their family's journey:

Mayo Home · near where a family lived in Le Sueur in the 1860s · Dr. William W. Mayo lived in this residence from about 1858 until 1863, and his son William J. was born here in 1861

A marker stops being a roadside plaque and becomes a destination with a personal reason to visit. Open the live demo tree, choose the Crossings tab, and turn on Historical Markers to see the experience working (the demo family’s markers are in Pennsylvania; a Minnesota family sees Minnesota’s).

QR-ready, from day one

Every marker page has print-ready QR artwork. A scan at the sign opens the marker's page on the period map, no app to install. The artwork files are available to the state and its sign vendors; TreeAlive does no printing or installation.

Marker page links are permanent: identifiers are never reassigned, so a code printed today resolves for good.

QR code opening the Mayo Home marker page

Scan: Mayo Home marker

Find a marker

Browsing all 107 markers by county.

Aitkin County 2

Sandy Lake Fur PostTrunk highway 65, sec. 1, T. 49 N., R. 24 W., Sandy Lake
Sandy Lake PostTrunk highway 65, Libby

Anoka County 2

Grange Shrine - Oliver H. Kelley HomeU. S. highway 10, sec. 19, Ramsey Township, T. 22 N., R. 32 W.
Mouth of Rum RiverU. S. highway 52, east end of Champlin Bridge in Anoka

Beltrami County 1

Lake Traverse Fur PostU. S. highway 71, just north of the inlet of the Mississippi River, Bemidji

Benton County 2

Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 10, opposite the mouth of the Watab River near Sartell railroad station
Russell Trading PostU. S. highway 10, 1/6 of a mile north of Sauk Rapids

Big Stone County 1

GracevilleTrunk highway 28

Blue Earth County 1

Vernon Center StockadeU. S. highway 169, just south of Blue Earth River, sec. 27, T. 106 N., R. 28 W., Vernon Center Township

Carlton County 2

Cloquet FireTrunk highway 61, Cloquet
Moose Lake FireU. S. highway 61, near Riverside Cemetery, just north of Moose Lake

Carver County 1

Little Rapids Fur PostU. S. highway 212, Chaska

Cass County 2

Crow Wing AgencyU. S. highway 210, nearest point to NW¼SE¼ sec. 24, T. 133 N., R. 30 W.
Sugar Point BattleTrunk highway 34, nearest point to Bear Island, sec. 2, T. 141 N., R. 29 W., Pine Lake Township

Chisago County 1

Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 61, 2 miles north of Forest Lake

Clay County 1

Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 75, crossing of Buffalo River, near Georgetown

Clearwater County 1

Burial MoundsTrunk highway 92, north end of Lake Itasca

Cook County 5

Colvill HomesteadU. S. highway 61, 7 miles N.E. of Grand Marais
Cross RiverU. S. highway 61, Cross River Bridge, Schroeder
Fort CharlotteU. S. highway 61, at International Bridge
Grand PortageU. S. highway 61, at Mineral Center
Grand Portage TrailU. S. highway 61, 1 mile south of the International Bridge

Crow Wing County 5

Fort RipleyU. S. highway 371, NE¼ sec. 34, T. 43 N., R. 32 W., north side of Fort Ripley
Mille Lacs LakeU. S. highway 169, shore of the lake above Garrison
Old Crow WingU. S. highway 371, nearest point to sec. 25, T. 44 N., R. 32 W.
Sioux Village SiteU. S. highway 169, nearest point to S½NE¼ sec. 12, T. 44 N., R. 28 W., Garrison Township
St. Columba MissionU. S. highway 371, nearest point to Government Lot 1, sec. 34, T. 135 N., R. 29 W.

Dakota County 3

Donnelly HomeU. S. highway 55, nearest point to the Donnelly House, NW¼ sec. 18, T. 115 N., R. 17 W., Nininger Township
Pine Bend VillageTrunk highway 55, nearest point to SE¼ sec. 34, T. 27 N., R. 19 W., Inver Grove Township
Sibley HouseTrunk highway 55, east end of Mendota Bridge

Douglas County 2

Fort AlexandriaU. S. highway 52, near the Great Northern Railroad station, Alexandria
Stage StationU. S. highway 52, Osakis

Faribault County 1

Fort Blue EarthU. S. highway 16

Fillmore County 1

ChatfieldU. S. highway 52, Chatfield

Freeborn County 2

ItascaTrunk highway 13, at junction with local road leading due south to Itasca School, in S½ sec. 31, T. 103 N., R. 21 W., Bancroft Township
St. NicholasU. S. highway 65, nearest point to NE¼ sec. 26, T. 102 N., R. 21 W., Albert Lea Township

Goodhue County 3

Fort BeauharnoisU. S. highway 61, entrance to Villa Maria Academy, just below Frontenac
Maiden RockU. S. highway 61, near Frontenac, nearest point on the highway where Maiden Rock can be seen
SevastopolU. S. highway 61, nearest point to Lots 2 and 3, sec. 26, T. 113 N., R. 14 W., near Wacouta railroad station

Hennepin County 3

Battle of ShakopeeU. S. highway 212, sec. 32, Eden Prairie Township
Oak Grove MissionU. S. highway 65, east side of Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington Township just above the crest of the hill leading down to the Minnesota River
OsseoU. S. highway 218, Catholic Church Grounds, Osseo

Hubbard County 1

Lake ItascaU. S. highway 71, nearest point to the Lake and Itasca State Park, sec. 20, T. 143 N., R. 35 W.

Isanti County 1

Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 65, Isanti

Jackson County 2

Des Moines River PostU. S. highway 71, nearest point to SW¼ sec. 19, T. 102 N., R. 34 W., Wisconsin Township
Inkpaduta MassacreU. S. highway 71, Jackson Tourist Park

Koochiching County 1

Baker HomesteadU. S. highway 53, International Falls near Custom House

Lac qui Parle County 1

Camp ReleaseU. S. highway 212. 1 mile S.W. of Montevideo, entrance to Camp Release State Park

Le Sueur County 2

Le SueurU. S. highway 169
Mayo HomeU. S. highway 169, 118 N. Main Street, Le Sueur

Martin County 2

Fort BrittTrunk highway 15, sec. 33, T. 101 N., R. 30 W., Silver Lake Township
Fort FairmontU. S. highway 16

McLeod County 3

Glencoe FortU. S. highway 212
Hutchinson StockadeTrunk highway 22, nearest point to the Public Square, Hutchinson
White Family MassacreU. S. highway 212, ½ mile west of Brownton, nearest point to SW¼ sec. 30, T. 115 N., R. 29 W.

Meeker County 3

Acton MassacreTrunk highway 4, nearest point to N½ sec. 21, T. 119 N., R. 32 W., Acton Township
Death of Little CrowTrunk highway 15, 6½ miles north of Hutchinson at the intersection with Lake Stella State Aid Road, Collinwood Township
Forest CityTrunk highway 24, sec. 20, Forest City Township

Mille Lacs County 1

Indian Village SiteU. S. highway 169, near Vineland, where the Rum River flows out of Mille Lacs Lake

Morrison County 1

Pike's FortTrunk highway 27, 3 miles south of Little Falls

Murray County 1

AvocaU. S. highway 59

Nicollet County 4

Fort RidgelyTrunk highway 4, entrance to Fort Ridgely State Park
Presbyterian ChurchU. S. highway 169, sec. 8, T. 110 N., R. 26 W., Traverse Township
State CapitolU. S. highway 169, 3rd and Walnut, St. Peter
Traverse des SiouxU. S. highway 169, 1½ miles north of St. Peter

Nobles County 1

WorthingtonU. S. highway 59

Olmsted County 2

Gold DiscoveryU. S. highway 52, crossing of the Zumbro River near Oronoco Post Office
MarionU. S. highway 52, Village of Marion, N½ sec. 35, T. 106 N., R. 13 W.

Otter Tail County 4

Craigie Flour MillTrunk highway 78, Balmoral
Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 59, 1 mile south of Pelican Lake
Leaf CityTrunk highway 108, Leaf Lake Pleasure Grounds, Leaf Lake
Old ClitherallTrunk highway 3, junction of the "old Clitherall Road" with the highway about 1 mile west of the present Clitherall

Pine County 4

ChengwatanaU. S. highway 61, north bank of Snake River, nearest point to NW¼ sec. 26, T. 39 N., R. 21 W., at Pine City
Hinckley FireU. S. highway 61
Pokegama MissionU. S. highway 61, nearest point to NW¼NE¼ sec. 25, T. 39 N., R. 22 W.
Sandstone FireU. S. highway 61

Pipestone County 1

Red Pipestone QuarryTrunk highway 47, at the junction of highways 47 and 75

Polk County 1

Old Crossing TreatyU. S. highway 2, nearest point to NW½NE¼ sec. 33, T. 151 N., R. 45 W., on the line between secs. 33 and 34, T. 150 N., R. 45 W.

Redwood County 2

Camp PopeTrunk highway 19, Redwood Falls
Lower Sioux AgencyU. S. highway 71, south bank of the Minnesota River where the highway crosses to Morton

Renville County 3

Battle of Birch CouleeU. S. highway 71, opposite center of sec. 19, T. 113 N., R. 34 W., north of Morton
Birch Coulee MonumentsTrunk highway 19, sec. 32, T. 113 N., R. 34 W., just below the State monuments, and east of Morton
Redwood FerryTrunk highway 19, nearest point to SE¼ sec. 5, T. 112 N., R. 34 W.

Rice County 1

Archibald MillU. S. highway 65, at Cannon River Bridge, Dundas

Roseau County 1

Warroad Fur PostTrunk highway 11, just north of Warroad River Bridge

Sherburne County 1

First Granite QuarryU. S. highway 10, entrance to the State Reformatory

St. Louis County 2

Canoe RouteU. S. highway 2, crossing of the St. Louis River at Floodwood
First Iron MineTrunk highway 1, nearest point to the Soudan Mine, NE¼ sec. 34, T. 62 N., R. 15 W., near Soudan

Stearns County 6

Augustus Lindbergh HomesteadU. S. highway 52, ¼ mile west of Melrose
Indian BoundaryU. S. highway 52, at the crossing of the north fork of Watab River, about 1 mile northwest of Collegeville
Maine Prairie FortTrunk highway 15, sec. 13, T. 122 N., R. 29 W., Maine Prairie Township
Paynesville FortTrunk highway 4, 2 blocks south of the Crow River Bridge, Paynesville
Sauk Center StockadeU. S. highway 52, nearest point to 7th and Birch Street, Sauk Center
St. Joseph BlockhouseU. S. highway 52, where the highway turns north about 1 block from St. Benedict's

Stevens County 1

Fort Wadsworth TrailTrunk highway 9, nearest point to NE¼ sec. 21, T. 125 N., R. 42 W.

Todd County 1

Winnebago AgencyU. S. highway 71, nearest point to Hotel Reichert, Long Prairie

Wabasha County 2

Lake PepinU. S. highway 61, 4 miles south of Lake City
Reads LandingU. S. highway 61

Washington County 3

Indian Battle GroundTrunk highway 95, Old State Prison ravine, just north of Stillwater
Lake St. CroixU. S. highway 212, entrance to Stillwater
St. Croix Boom SiteTrunk highway 95, two miles north of Stillwater

Watonwan County 1

Fort CoxTrunk highway 15, Madelia

Wilkin County 2

BreckenridgeU. S. highway 75
Fort AbercrombieU. S. highway 75, junction with State Aid Road out of McCauleyville, sec. 3, T. 134 N., R. 48 W.

Winona County 1

Rollingstone ColonyU. S. highway 61, Minnesota City

Yellow Medicine County 2

Battle of Wood LakeTrunk highway 67, NW¼ sec. 9, T. 114 N., R. 38 W., Sioux Agency Township
Upper Sioux AgencyTrunk highway 67, nearest point to SE¼ sec. 29, T. 115 N., R. 38 W.