Red Lake Falls, MN

Red Lake Falls is Red Lake County's seat, at the meeting of the Red Lake River and Clearwater River in northwest Minnesota. Minnesota Highway 32 follows the city, but the older map begins with the water: a North West Company fur post was operating near the falls by 1796 or 1797. The settlement separated from Red Lake Falls Township as a village in 1881 and became a city in 1898.

The county-seat story has a little drama. After Red Lake County organized, Red Lake Falls held the courthouse while Thief River Falls gained a Soo Line connection in 1905; a fight over headquarters ended with the original wooden courthouse burning in 1909. The Beaux Arts courthouse completed in 1911 still gives the town a strong civic landmark. On a local map, think two rivers, Highway 32, and the courthouse square. The water and courthouse are the two clues that make Red Lake Falls easy to place. The river junction is the town's first address.