Mankato

Mankato Municipal Water Report Info

Mankato was originally called Mankato, meaning "greenish-blue earth" to the area's first inhabitants, the Dakota Indians. An early spelling error was never corrected, and Mankato became the official name. The first Europeans arrived in the 1700s searching for the Northwest Passage to the Far East.

Pioneers Parsons K. Johnson and Henry Jackson established the first claims in Mankato in 1852, opening a general store shortly after. Steamboat travel on the Minnesota River brought additional settlers but proved unreliable during low-water seasons. Stagecoach travel gained popularity when a basic military road from Mankato to St. Paul was constructed in 1852.

Railways reached Mankato in 1868, transforming it into southern Minnesota's railroad hub. This eventually eliminated the need for steamboat travel, with the final vessel, The Henrietta, making its last journey from Mankato to St. Peter on April 27, 1897.

Mankato was designated the Blue Earth County Seat in 1853 and experienced rapid growth in the 1850s and 1860s. By 1854, regular U.S. mail service began thanks to general storekeeper George Marsh's efforts. The city received its charter on March 6, 1868, establishing a mayor and three council members, which remained unchanged until 1952 when the council/manager government system was adopted.

The city sits on land acquired in an 1851 treaty between the U.S. Government and Dakota Nation. Delayed and missed land payments by the government to the Dakota Nation triggered the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862.

In 1868, Mankato became Minnesota's second Normal School site. After a fire destroyed and prompted rebuilding of the facility in 1924, the curriculum expanded beyond teacher training to include science and liberal arts courses. The institution evolved from Mankato Teachers College to Mankato State College, then Mankato State University, and finally in 1999, Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Mankato has experienced numerous floods due to its location along the Minnesota River. The first significant flood occurred in 1881, with major flooding again in 1951 affecting mostly North Mankato. Despite a 1958 congressional flood control bill, no local action was taken until after the 1965 floods severely impacted West Mankato. Modern floodwalls and levees now protect the city from river flooding.

Today, Mankato is recognized as a world soybean capital. Minnesota Stone, native to the area, is used globally, including in recent construction at the Verizon Center's Grand Hall at One Civic Center Plaza.