The Great American Survey: A Slapdash Database of Historic Buildings

Founding:  1883 Parent counties:  Griggs and Traill Namesake:  Edward Steele, Minneapolis businessman Seat:  Hope (1883–1885);  Sherbrooke (1883–1919); Finley (1919–) Land area:  712 square miles Population (2020):  1,798 Population (historic):  3,777 (1890); 7,616 (1910); 6,972 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1890–1910 Subdivisions:  Four cities; 20 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  347 (30.5%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  31% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  8.9% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  10.7% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,914 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,233 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.3 rooms Number of farms (1920):  987 Average farm size (1920):  386 acres Sources of settlement:  Norway, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa _________________________________________________________________________________   Finley   Names...

  Founding:  1856 (declared in 1855) Parent counties:  Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Rice Namesake:  Franklin Steele, early Minnesota resident Seat:  Owatonna (1856–) Land area:  430 square miles Population (2020):  37,406 Population (historic):  2,863 (1860); 12,400 (1880); 16,524 (1900); 18,475 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1860–1880; 1890s; 1910s; 1950s; 1970s Subdivisions:  Four cities; 13 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  3,246 (20.9%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  72.5% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  5.2% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 2.6% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 2.8% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,180 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,879 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.9 rooms Number of farms (1920):  1,860 Average farm size (1920):  114.6 acres Sources of settlement:  New York, Germany, Wisconsin, Norway, Czechoslovakia, and De...