In 1876, the first white settlers came to the Fosston area, arriving in covered wagons, bringing with them a few cattle, oxen, horses and mules. Fosston is the birthplace of Lily Hanson, comedian.
- CountyPolk County
- Population1,434 (2020 U.S. Census)
In 1876, the first white settlers came to the Fosston area, arriving in covered wagons, bringing with them a few cattle, oxen, horses and mules. Fosston is the birthplace of Lily Hanson, comedian.
Fosston, Minnesota gifts and souvenirs: 18 designs made from Fosston's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Fosston Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Fosston Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Fosston Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Fosston Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Fosston Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
In 1876, the first white settlers came to the Fosston area, arriving in covered wagons, bringing with them a few cattle, oxen, horses and mules. Charles Adair was the first to file a claim on the land, with nine others soon following. Fosston is in sections 3 and 4 of Rosebud Township, and was named after Louis Foss, an immigrant from the Nyttingnes, a village in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The townsite was organized by W. J. Hilligoss, who selected and purchased it in 1884, had it surveyed, platted a four-block area, and built a hotel. Hilligoss died in 1941. The town was named Fosston when Foss moved his store and opened a post office there. The village was incorporated on August 22, 1895. The incorporation papers of Fosston were recorded on June 8, 1889, by the Register of Deeds in Crookston. Fosston was a busy depot on the Great Northern Railway line.
Arvid Clementson, Fosston's mayor until his death in 2006, created the legend of "Cordwood Pete" in an effort to promote tourism in Fosston. In what he called a "true story, embellished", Clementson said the complete story of Cordwood Pete was discovered in 2001, when a time capsule was discovered during the demolition of one of Fosston's oldest buildings.
Cordwood Pete was said to be the younger brother of famed lumberjack Paul Bunyan. While Paul was a giant, Pete was only 4 feet 9 inches tall. Pete's growth was stunted because he could never get enough flapjacks at the breakfast table with Paul eating everything in sight.
According to legend, Paul Bunyan left his home in Bangor, Maine, to make his way in the world, and ended up in the Minnesota north woods, where he excelled as a lumberjack. Tired of being mocked by lumberjacks in Maine for his size, Pete followed Paul to Minnesota, and despite his diminutive stature, found work as a lumberjack near Fosston, taking the name Peter Delang.
Local lumberjacks nicknamed him "Cordwood Pete" because his size suggested he was more suited to cutting cordwood than felling trees. Pete spent much time in the local saloons, and his fellow lumberjacks soon learned he was hot-tempered and spunky, especially after imbibing. They came to admire his feisty spirit, and no one dared fight him.
One day, Pete "borrowed" Paul's double-bladed ax. When he swung it, the weight of the huge ax kept it spinning as if in perpetual motion. When it finally stopped, 100 acres of timber had been felled. The railroad hired Pete the next day to clear a path for its tracks, and before the day was over, he had clear-cut 50 square miles of timber. Pete had to give Paul's ax back to him the next day, and never again achieved such a lumberjacking feat.
After that, Pete stuck to cutting cordwood, which he hauled to market with the help of his donkey, Tamarack. He died at the age of 84.
Authors Richard Dorson and Marshall Fitwick cite Paul Bunyan as an example of "fakelore"—a modern story passed off as an old folktale. Cordwood Pete may also qualify as fakelore.
Fosston's boys basketball team won the first-ever state basketball championship in 1913. In 2002, the girls basketball team set the state consecutive win record, winning 78 games between 1999 and 2002.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Fosston, Minnesota, revision 1378784247 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Fosston sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
Fosston's population was 1,434 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 1,527 in 2010.