Aldrich, MN

Aldrich was the first permanent settlement in Wadena County, taking shape beside the Partridge River and receiving its post office and railroad in 1877. The city map still shows U.S. 10, the BNSF line, County Road 118, and Mother of Sorrows Cemetery around the compact street grid. A Catholic church established in 1870 remains part of the community's history, even though the parish later closed. Today the highway, rail line, river, and farm roads give Aldrich a clear place in central Minnesota's rural transportation landscape.