Bemidji in Beltrami County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Beltrami County History
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2012
1. Beltrami County History Marker
Beltrami County was established by an act of the state legislature on February 28, 1866.
The first post office in the county was established in Red Lake in 1875.
The first homesteader in the county was Joachim Cyr at Little Turtle Lake in 1877.
Bemidji became the county seat in 1897 after edging out a strong contender in Buena Vista.
The Beaux Arts-inspired, brick-and stone courthouse with a domed tower, was designed by Kinney and Detweiler, and built in 1902. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 26, 1988.
Border Changes
Beltrami County's borders have changed several times. In 1866 the new county extended from a line drawn west from Lake Itasca to a north/south line between Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. The northern border went through Upper Red Lake. The western border was on a line running through Ebro.
In 1879 the county was extended to the Canadian border making the county 153 miles long and 54 miles wide. The boundary changed when Clearwater became a county in 1902 and changed again when Lake of the Woods County was formed in 1923. By 1923 the boundary was very close to the boundary as it is today.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Political Subdivisions. A significant historical date for this entry is February 28, 1866.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Carnegie Library (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Reserve Unit in the United States Called into Active Service in World War I (about 800 feet away); Paul Bunyan and Babe (approx. ¼ mile away); Great Northern Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bemidji's Great Northern Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Beltrami Camp (approx. 5.1 miles away); Native American Fishing on the Turtle River (approx. 11.4 miles away); Pottery Types of the Turtle River and Three Island Lake (approx. 11.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bemidji.
Also see . . .
1. Beltrami County, Minnesota. Wikipedia entry:
The county's name comes from Italian adventurer Giacomo Beltrami, who explored the area in 1825. The county was created in 1866 and organized in 1896. Portions of the Leech Lake
2. Marker detail: Beltrami County Boundaries
2. Beltrami County Courthouse. Wikipedia entry:
The Beltrami County Courthouse is a three-story, red, brick-and-sandstone building in the Beaux-Arts style. Its most striking feature is its rotunda, which occupies the center of the main hall on the first floor and extends past the second floor into the dome. A railing surmounted by a brass guardrail circles the rotunda on the second floor. On the exterior, a convex dome rises above an arcaded tower topped by a statue of blind Lady Justice with her scale. (Submitted on March 31, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Beltrami County Courthouse. National Register of Historic Places Digital Assets entry (Submitted on March 31, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2012
3. Beltrami County History Marker (wide view; marker is on back side of Beltrami County sign)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2012
4. Beltrami County Courthouse (southeast corner view; marker visible at bottom right)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 335 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 31, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
