Minnesota Territory 1849-1858
Looking at the TerritoryMeeting the PeopleSeeking a FortuneMaking a HomeThe Exhibit
Land for Sale

Seeking a Fortune
Men and women came to Minnesota Territory to get a new start, to earn a living, or to make a profit. In the Territory's early days, land speculation replaced the fur trade as the engine that drove Minnesota's economy. Financial collapses halted the development boom in the late 1850s, just as excessive trapping of fur-bearing animals had slowed the fur trade a decade earlier.
 
Land for Sale
Be a speculator! Seek your fortune by selling land in a new town.
 
The Fur Trader
Conduct business with a seasoned trader from the American Fur Company.