The Minnesota Ghost Town Of Dorothy Makes A Wonderful Autumn Day Trip
By Betsy Rathburn|Published September 12, 2019
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
For the most part, Minnesota is a state full of booming cities and small towns full of activity. This has been the case for much of the Minnesota’s history. But we’ve lost a town or two along the way. There are a few places throughout the state that, once thriving, are now nothing but ghost towns. One such place is Dorothy, a northern Minnesota ghost town perfect for an autumn day trip. Read on to learn about the history of this town, and what you can expect when you visit.
Dorothy, Minnesota, is a ghost town in the northwestern corner of the state. It's found in Red Lake County.
The town's history began in 1898, when the town's post office opened. A man named Joseph A. Mathews was the town's first postmaster. The post office served the town for many years, until it finally shuttered in 1945.
After the post office opened, Dorothy became a station on the Northern Pacific Railway. They were added to the route in the early 1900s.
The Dorothy station was a stopping point on the route to Winnipeg, and it brought many people to the town. Not only were there visitors from the railroad, but there were permanent residents who settled in Dorothy.
The town was well on its way to becoming a small yet prosperous community. In 1938, the town's population was around 25 people. But just a few years later, the post office closed.
Since the church is gone, only a few structures remain. The old grain elevator dominates the town, and a few small houses can be seen here and there. Just a shadow of what it once was, Dorothy is a fascinating - and somewhat creepy - reminder of the past.
The few signs of the town that remain are well worth visiting.
There may not be much to do in Dorothy besides take a look at what remains. But it makes for an interesting day trip for anyone curious about Minnesota's old ghost towns.
What do you think? Have you visited any of Minnesota’s ghost towns? If you’re looking for more ghost towns to explore, take a look at our list of 11 deserted ghost towns in Minnesota.
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