City of New Ulm history

More Germans came to the area with the Turner Settlement Society of Cincinnati. It acquired the land and united both organizations as the German Land Association in 1857, the year that New Ulm was incorporated.

In 1862, the town withstood attack during the Dakota Uprising in Minnesota, an event whose 150th anniversary will be commemorated this coming year.

On the walls of the Rathskeller are murals painted by an Italian artist in 1873.

Visit the John Lind House, an 1887 Queen-Anne-style home that belonged to Minnesota’s 14th governor, the first Swedish-born American to be elected to Congress.

Head to the Wanda Gag House, where the famous children’s book author spent her childhood, an 1894 house designed and constructed by her artist father, Anton Gag.

Overlooking the town is the majestic Hermann Monument that was dedicated in 1897 and was modeled after the Hermann Monument in Detmold, Germany.

In 1930, a prominent citizen, N Henningsen died and donated a parcel of land to be used to build a library.

Through the gallant efforts of two concerned readers, Fred W Johnson; the namesake of Johnson Park, and Adolph G. Meile, the administrator of the Henningsen estate, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building materialized on October 14, 1935.

The new library and historical museum opened February 15, 1937.

Early in the 1950's the County assumed responsibility for the historical museum and it became administratively separate from the Library.

In January 1965, plans were announced for an addition to be built on to the original building.

In 1974, a design for a new, separate facility was accepted by the City Council and contracts were let for construction of the new building on land previously acquired from the Henningsen and Somsen families, adjacent to the former library and museum.