The First City In Otter Tail Country

June 23, 2017

Ottertail: The First City In Otter Tail Country

By Missy Hermes

Education Coordinator for Otter Tail County Historical Society

[This story can be found on page 51 of the 2017 Otter Tail Lakes Country Destination Guide.]

Right along Highway 78, with Otter Tail Lake off in the background, sits a massive stone marker put up by the Minnesota Highway Department in the 1930s. The monument is perfectly located at a crossroads that points travelers in one of three towns – to Battle Lake, to Perham or to Ottertail City. Its brass plaque describes this as the location of the first jail and courthouse of the first Otter Tail County seat back in 1872.

Apparently the jail was a very necessary item in the Ottertail City of the 1860s and 70s. This location was once part of the network of trails and portages used by the French, Scottish and Métis fur traders and voyageurs followed by the hardy people who traveled on the oxcart trails. This system of trails between St. Paul, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Canada blazed a path for our current highway system.

Trading posts, saloons and several other disreputable establishments frequented by “sporting women” lined the roads of the village of early Ottertail. Eventually the spot became a stagecoach stop between Fergus Falls, which took over as county seat, and Perham. Travelers between the two towns spent the night at the St. Paul Hotel that once sat near the stone monument.

The St. Paul Hotel has now been relocated to Ottertail City next to the refurbished creamery building. The two structures are finding new life as the earthy saloons and trading posts of the past are replaced by family-friendly establishments, specialty shops and fun taverns. The care and preservation of local businesses like the Creamery and Weibe’s Garage help Ottertail retain its historic charm.

Sporting takes on a new connotation with fishing, swimming, a water park and two golf courses, Balmoral and Thumper Pond, in close proximity. Residents plan a number of community events throughout the year from Pumpkin? Days, Otterfest in August, Polka Daze in September and Otterdazzle in December.

Now the trading posts that once supplied basic goods for Ottertail’s Native American residents and early pioneers have been replaced by stores and specialty shops. These retail businesses with everything from antiques and souvenirs to hardware and women’s clothing now offer locals and visitors a unique shopping experience.

Although the town can no longer claim the title of county seat, Ottertail City will always be the first community in Otter Tail Country.