Randolph, MN

Randolph is a Dakota County city inside Randolph Township, near the Cannon River and Lake Byllesby. John Richmond settled the area in 1854; the place briefly used the name Richmond before taking Randolph, and a railroad arrived in 1882. The nearby river powered mills, carried early industry, and later fed the dam and reservoir that still shape the landscape around town.

Lake Byllesby Dam was built in 1910 across the Cannon River, creating a reservoir more than three miles long and a regional recreation and power site. Randolph's local history remains visible through the Randolph Area Historical Society, housed in a former Methodist church, while schools, city streets, and the football field sit above the old gravel pits near the river. Water still sets the horizon. Dakota County manages the reservoir and power facilities, so a small city address connects to a larger water system. Randolph is a Minnesota city where railroad history, a working dam, and Cannon River land meet.