Baudette, MN

Baudette is the Lake of the Woods County seat at the meeting of the Rainy and Baudette rivers, with Canada visible across the water at Rainy River, Ontario. The city began as a steamboat landing and lumber town after the railroad arrived in 1901, then incorporated in 1907. The 1910 Baudette Fire destroyed much of town, but a train sent from across the river pulled residents to safety and helped the community rebuild. Fishing now gives the place its best-known nickname, the Walleye Capital of the World, while the courthouse, downtown, and riverfront parks keep the county-seat role practical. Baudette is a border-and-river town with a recovery story built into its streets.