City of Nowthen: A Brief History

The City of Nowthen, Minnesota used to be Burns Township. Burns Township was established in 1869 and was formerly a part of St. Francis. The area is home to 11 lakes.

In 1865, a severe drought occurred in Burns and a fire went through and caused extensive damage to the swamps. From 1870 to 1976, the population went from 340 to 1,834 residents. Today, Nowthen is home to about 4,444 people.

The first post office in Burns Township opened in June 1876 and was named Nowthen. Jim Hare was the first postmaster. Hare wrote to Washington requesting a post office in the area of Burns Township. Because there was already a Burnstown Township Post Office in southern Minnesota, the department could not approve a post office with the name Burns Township. The department asked for suggestions and Jim Hare wrote back with several suggestions. Hare often started and ended his sentences with “nowthen”. The department thought “nowthen” was a suggestion, and because of this, they approved the Nowthen Post Office for the area of Burns Township and the name stuck. In 2007, Burns Township filed a petition requesting the incorporation of Burns Township.

If you have any questions regarding the city of Nowthen, Minnesota, or if you would like to sell or buy a house in the area, please feel free to visit TwinCitiesPropertyFinder.com or call 1-800-909-1953.

Please note: I don’t handle rentals or property management. I work with buyers and sellers, and that’s where I can help you most.

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