The Fascinating Evolution Of Small Town Names In Our Area

Throughout the history of Central Minnesota, towns have popped up along the railroad and then disappeared, some had staying power growing into large population centers, others have remained small. Several of Central Minnesota's many small towns have even changed names, even towns located blocks from one another. Did you know that these two 'twin' cities in Central Minnesota were once known by other names early in their existence?

What goes into a town's name?

There is a lot of thought that goes into naming a new town/city. Minnesota's most recent city, Credit River, went through the process of deciding whether or not to change it from the township name when it became a city back in 2021.

When naming a new town, residents often pay tribute to a natural feature, or industry, or it might even be a 'founding father' that gets the nod for the town name. When Genola and Pierz, Central Minnesota's Twin Cities, were first coming onto the scene, they were both known as something completely different.

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Pierz wasn't always named for the Catholic Missionary Priest

When Pierz was being plotted as a town, back in 1869, it was known as Rich Prairie. The town officially changed its name, after a vote, to Pierz in 1892. It was a nod to the missionary priest who helped settle the area by establishing St. Joseph's Catholic Church. There are still remnants of the former name in town, including a business. 

Genola has had three different names in its history

Genola, located adjacent to Pierz, wasn't always named for the Italian village. Genola, which has a population of 72, has seen several name changes over the years. Originally known as 'New Pierz' when it was plotted as a city in 1908, think about that name along the same vein as other Minnesota cities like New Hope, New Brighton, or New London.

It didn't take long for locals to grow restless for a different name, and in 1915 the town became incorporated as Grainville, but for some reason or another that name didn't stick either, and was changed to the name that finally stuck with Genola, which it's been known as for the last 110 years.