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History · Arlington

Arlington’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Arlington. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1856established
0old images & papers
12recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

The community was platted in 1856, and the name was officially approved on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. German settlers came to the area to homestead beginning in the 1860s and 1870s. The population of Arlington continues to be of predominately German descent. In 1948, the community was incorporated as a city.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Arlington’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Arlington’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Arlington

See all 2 →
John McGovernJohn McGovernSportsJHJoe HenslerPolitics & Law
By decade

Arlington, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today12 photos
Arlington, Minnesota 55307 Post OfficeCommonsArlington, Minnesota 55307 Post Office2016Arlington, Minnesota 5CommonsArlington, Minnesota 52010Four SeasonsCommonsFour Seasons2009Metal sided buildingCommonsMetal sided building2004Metal Siding with windowsCommonsMetal Siding with windows2004Main StreetCommonsMain Street2004Lido Theater MarqueeCommonsLido Theater Marquee2004Hwy SignCommonsHwy Sign2004Hardware storeCommonsHardware store2004First State BankCommonsFirst State Bank2004Bar, Veterinary Clinic and Police DeptCommonsBar, Veterinary Clinic and Police Dept2004Arlington House Pub & EateryCommonsArlington House Pub & Eatery2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Arlington is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Arlington has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Sibley County Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence and Jail in Gaylord, 7.9 miles away.

Arlington and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Arlington. Tap a dot.
Sibley County Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence and JailGaylord City ParkChurch of St. ThomasSibley County Courthouse-1879August F. Poehler HouseHenderson Commercial Historic District

Closest to Arlington

Sibley County Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence and JailGaylord · Building7.9miGaylord City ParkGaylord · Site7.9miChurch of St. ThomasJessenland · Building8.7miSibley County Courthouse-1879Henderson · Building9.9miAugust F. Poehler HouseHenderson · Built 18849.9mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Sibley County Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence and Jail’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Arlington?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Arlington’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Arlington📜 Dryden📜 Green Isle📜 Green Isle

From Wikimedia Commons (12). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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