‘It’s bizarre’: Minnesota ghost town still attracting summer visitors

By John Lauritsen

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    FORESTVILLE, Minnesota (WCCO) — It was as soon as a thriving group in our state.

Now, Forestville’s inhabitants is zero. However its buildings stay.

On this week’s Discovering Minnesota, John Lauritsen takes us on a tour of a treasured ghost city in Fillmore County, close to the Iowa border.

All throughout southern Minnesota, you’ll discover hustling and bustling cities and then you definately’ll discover one which’s the precise reverse.

A quiet, little hamlet with no companies, no visitors and no residents.

As a result of Forestville doesn’t want a mayor, Matt Eidem is the city’s website supervisor.

“It was a reasonably distinguished city due to its place on the stagecoach line,” Eidem mentioned.

In 1852, the primary settlers arrived in Forestville after treaties had been signed with the Dakota individuals. The final retailer, which nonetheless stands in the present day, was the epicenter. Robert Foster and Felix Meighen had been the unique house owners.

“You wanted issues that drew individuals to the realm. For those who learn outdated commercials to carry individuals to Forestville, they might speak about an outdated normal retailer and the colleges,” Eidem mentioned.

Catering to immigrants from Europe, Canada and the east coast, Foster and Meighen stocked the shop with $700 price of products — equal to $20,000 price of products in the present day. The purpose was to make it a one-stop-shop.

“It was the Amazon.com of its day. You could possibly get something you wished on the normal retailer,” Eidem mentioned.

That included medicines that most likely wouldn’t fly these days.

“Once you had been sick you noticed somebody like Thomas Meighen, just a few man with a recipe ebook,” Eidem mentioned.

Thomas Meighen finally took over the property from his father and getting dwelling after work solely took about 5 seconds.

Forestville hit its peak within the 1860s with 150 residents, making it one of many greatest cities south of Minneapolis. It had sawmills, a blacksmith store, a lodge and even a distillery.

“It was an actual occurring place,” Eidem mentioned.

However a lot of it was passed by 1910. The railroad by no means got here by way of just like the city hoped. And other people moved to cities like Wykoff, Spring Valley and Fountain. The Meighen’s purchased out a lot of the land and turned it into an industrial farm. The buildings and items that stay, are originals.

“It confirmed us precisely what it was like again then,” mentioned 11-year-old June Fassbinder. “It sort of jogged my memory of the Little Home on the Prairie.”

Today guests fill the empty areas. That features fifth-graders from Decorah, Iowa.

“I believe that’s sort of cool. It’s weird,” mentioned 11-year-old Jacksyn Fromm.

One-hundred-and-seventy years of historical past. Not dangerous for a city that hasn’t had a single inhabitant in additional than a century.

Thomas Meighen as soon as ran for governor of Minnesota. Most of the people can tour Forestville from Memorial Day weekend by way of the tip of October.

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