History
September 7, 1876, gave Northfield its place in the history books. Jesse James and his gang rode into town to rob the First National Bank. Gang members thought a large sum of money had been deposited by mill owner Jesse Ames and his family. The raid was thwarted by the brave townspeople. Several movies have been made of the Great Northfield Minnesota Bank Raid, none of them historically accurate. By 1880, Northfield had grown to 2,300 people. Flour milling was on the decline, and dairy farming began to replace the growing of wheat. Soon Northfield was the center of the Holstein cattle industry leading to the famous description of Northfield as "The City of Cows, Colleges and Contentment." The 19th century also saw the establishment of Northfield's two nationally known liberal arts colleges. Carleton College was founded in 1866 and had 23 students its first term. Today, nearly 2,000 students drawn from across the country and an outstanding faculty have earned it a reputation for academic excellence that places it among the nation's top colleges. St. Olaf College was founded in 1874 and opened with 36 students. Today it has nearly 3,000 students. Renowned as a seat of Norwegian culture, housing the national archives of the Norwegian-American Historical Society, it continues its close ties to Scandinavia through foreign study programs. It also has a rich tradition in music with an internationally acclaimed choir. The academic spirit of inquiry is shared as well by the thriving industries that have been involved in everything from food processing to high-tech advances that have helped revolutionize the computer industry.
Excellent professional services and a variety of other business enterprises are all evidence of a community with economic stability. |
Northfield, Minnesota, was founded in 1855 on the banks of the Cannon River. Soon a dam was constructed to power the Ames Flour Mill, which turned wheat from nearby fields into flour that won a prize at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. Today, the Ames Flour Mill is the location of
Malt-O-Meal, a food manufacturer producing a significant part of the nation's breakfast cereals. 
Stroll through downtown and along the Riverside Commons and you will be delighted with Northfield's obvious pride in historic preservation. Most of the buildings along Division Street date from 1875 to 1905. The well-preserved storefronts house boutique, antique and other interesting shops and stores, which make for a stimulating shopping experience. Some of these buildings as well as others in the community are on the National Register of Historic Places.