Wasioja is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Wasioja Township,
Dodge County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States. The community is located near the junction of Dodge County Roads 9 and 16. The South Branch Middle Fork of the
Zumbro River and Dodge Center Creek meet at Wasioja. Nearby places include
Dodge Center,
Mantorville, and
Kasson.
History
Wasioja was settled in 1854
and
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
ted in 1856.
A post office was established at Wasioja in 1856, and remained in operation until 1911.
Wasioja is the native
Sioux-language name for the
Zumbro River.
By 1860, the community's population had reached 1,000, its economy driven by limestone quarries, lumber, and agriculture. In 1860 the
Minnesota Seminary was opened on the outskirts of town.
[
The town's fortunes were ruined by three separate events that led to its abandonment by most of its population. Its male population was decimated by the ]American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, it was bypassed by the railroad in 1866, in favor of a southern route, and it failed to become the county seat of Dodge County. By 1870 the population had declined to 800.[
]
Historic district
Most of the community is contained within the bounds of a historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1975. Historically significant buildings include the Wasioja Baptist Church, Wasioja School, a Civil War recruiting station, and the stone Andrew Doig House. Also of historic significance are the ruins of the seminary, now a local park, and the limestone quarries on the outskirts of town.[
]
See also
*
References
Unincorporated communities in Dodge County, Minnesota
Unincorporated communities in Minnesota
Historic districts in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Dodge County, Minnesota
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