Lake City Historical Society

Lake City Historical Society Our mission is the collection, preservation, and sharing of knowledge about the history of Lake City. Lake City is homeland of the Dakhóta (Dakota) people.

For thousands of years, they have known and treasured this region for its beauty and sustenance. Exploration of the area by Europeans is believed to date to 1654, when French explorers Radisson and Grosseilliers came to the area. The French and British (and later Americans) followed, engaging in exploration, missionary work, and the fur trade. Land, 480 square miles, was set aside in the 1830 Trea

ty of Prairie du Chien as Reservation for descendants of traders and Dakota women. Before land title was settled legally in 1859, settlement began. Jacob Broody was the first to arrive in 1853. Lake City grew rapidly, thanks to the area’s lush soil, the natural beauty of Lake Pepin, and its location on the Mississippi River-the great transportation corridor of the Upper Midwest. The booming city was incorporated in 1872.

We are open tomorrow from noon to 3:00. Join us for work in the archives. Recognize the couple in this photo? We have it...
05/21/2026

We are open tomorrow from noon to 3:00. Join us for work in the archives. Recognize the couple in this photo? We have it in our collection and came up with a plausible story, but what we really want is to know is who they are, and when and why they stood for this formal photograph.

Open for research and history conversations tomorrow, noon-3:00.
05/12/2026

Open for research and history conversations tomorrow, noon-3:00.

This weekend, across the country, volunteers are cleaning the historic markers in their communities. You can too! Join ...
04/25/2026

This weekend, across the country, volunteers are cleaning the historic markers in their communities. You can too! Join us at 9:00 on Saturday morning across the street from the post office.

Howard Juliot, Lake City's first All-State athlete, will celebrate his 99th birthday with us on Friday during Open Hours...
04/19/2026

Howard Juliot, Lake City's first All-State athlete, will celebrate his 99th birthday with us on Friday during Open Hours. Howard just published a 550 page memoir so you know he's got plenty of stories to tell. They include reports of his high school football career right here at Lincoln High School. Cake served at 1:00.

Thanks for asking! The Strickland memorial plaque is attached to the kiosk in front of City Hall at 204 W. Center Street...
04/16/2026

Thanks for asking! The Strickland memorial plaque is attached to the kiosk in front of City Hall at 204 W. Center Street. Take a look when you come to our member event on Friday evening.

An impactful chapter in our community narrative is the death of Mayor Wilmer "Tony" Strickland and his wife Verona Steff...
04/15/2026

An impactful chapter in our community narrative is the death of Mayor Wilmer "Tony" Strickland and his wife Verona Steffenhagen Strickland on December 21, 1975. Ask anyone who lived here at the time. The Lake City Graphic keeps our stories. Come to our member appreciation event on Friday evening for conversation about our local newspaper with special guests from the Graphic. We'll start with appetizers at 6 p.m. in the historic hall (ballroom) at City Hall.

There are more than a dozen historical markers located around Lake City. Like this one in Peters Playpark, many honor t...
04/05/2026

There are more than a dozen historical markers located around Lake City. Like this one in Peters Playpark, many honor those who served in the military during times of war. On Saturday morning, April 25, we'll clean and care for these local markers.

The beautiful photos coming from the Artemis II mission that is underway have us looking back to another moon mission. L...
04/05/2026

The beautiful photos coming from the Artemis II mission that is underway have us looking back to another moon mission. Lake City native Bill Stiene was in the Navy and tasked with lifting the spacecraft out of the water when the Apollo 11 mission came to a conclusion in the Pacific Ocean back in 1969. We posted a video on our channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taw0VRbCmqE&t=308s

"A week-long convention opened Rest Island on July 19, 1891, drawing 'thousands' daily and 'fully three thousand' for th...
03/26/2026

"A week-long convention opened Rest Island on July 19, 1891, drawing 'thousands' daily and 'fully three thousand' for the Sunday service, according to the Rest Island and Lake City Souvenir," wrote historian and author Frederick L Johnson. The Souvenir is a gem in our collection and we plan to bring it out and have a look at it during Open Hours, 1-3 tomorrow, 3/27.

Before it was Acrotech, the building on Lakewood Avenue at Tenth Street was the Zero King coat factory. We'll reminisce...
02/09/2026

Before it was Acrotech, the building on Lakewood Avenue at Tenth Street was the Zero King coat factory. We'll reminisce tomorrow at 1:00 during Open Hours. Join us at City Hall! Our exhibits are open noon-3:00

Address

P. O. Box 246
Lake City, MN
55041

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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