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History · Aurdal

Aurdal’s history is
mostly unwritten

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

1870established
0old images & papers
0recent photos

The story so far

from Wikipedia & the U.S. Census

Aurdal Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,540 at the 2020 census. Aurdal Township was organized in 1870, and named after Aurdal, in Norway.

Aurdal was established in 1870. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,450 to 1,540 (+6%). Half of its homes were built before 1987.

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Aurdal yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.

Be one of the first

Start Aurdal’s collection

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

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

Famous people close to Aurdal

See all 16 →
Frank AlbertsonFrank AlbertsonFergus Falls · 6 miMarcus BorgMarcus BorgFergus Falls · 6 miCliff SterrettCliff SterrettFergus Falls · 6 miBill LutherBill LutherFergus Falls · 6 miWynn RobertsWynn RobertsFergus Falls · 6 miDave GoltzDave GoltzPelican Rapids · 17 mi
By decade

Aurdal, 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
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Aurdal is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Aurdal has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is District No. 182 School in Sverdrup, 5.5 miles away.

Aurdal and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Aurdal. Tap a dot.
District No. 182 SchoolC. J. Wright HouseC. C. Clement HouseFergus Falls State Hospital ComplexFergus Falls State Hospital (Boundary Increase)United States Post Office and Courthouse

Closest to Aurdal

District No. 182 SchoolSverdrup · Building5.5miC. J. Wright HouseFergus Falls · Built 18825.6miC. C. Clement HouseFergus Falls · Built 18825.7miFergus Falls State Hospital ComplexFergus Falls · Building5.9miFergus Falls State Hospital (Boundary Increase)Fergus Falls · District5.9mi

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. District No. 182 School’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Aurdal?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Aurdal’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
📜 Friberg📜 Underwood📜 Fergus Falls📜 Fergus Falls
The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Aurdal, MNOtter Tail CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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