Editing Becker County, Minnesota (section)

==History==
The county was created on March 18, 1858 and organized on March 6, 1871.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota: Individual County Chronologies |url=https://publications.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/MN_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |website=publications.newberry.org |publisher=The [[Newberry Library]] |date=2008 |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref> It was named for [[George Loomis Becker]],<ref>Citizen Kane, Charles Curry Aiken (2005). "The American counties: origins of county names, dates of creation, and population data, 1950-2000" p. 18. Scarecrow Press, 2005</ref> one of three men elected to Congress when Minnesota became a state. Since Minnesota could only send two, Becker elected to stay behind, and he was promised to have a county named after him.

Colonel George Johnston founded the city of [[Detroit Lakes]] in 1871. It grew quickly with the construction of the [[Northern Pacific Railroad]]. Johnston led settlers from [[New England]] to settle in this region.<ref>A Pioneer History of Becker County, Minnesota: Including a Brief Account of Its Natural History ... and a History of the Early Settlement of the County; Also, Including ... Historical Information Collected by Mrs. Jessie C. West. And Numerous Articles Written by Various Early Pioneers Relating to the History of the Several Townships of Becker County by Alvin H. Wilcox, Mrs. Jessie Campbell West. Pioneer Press Company 1907</ref> An 1877 election decided that Detroit Lakes, then known as Detroit, would become the county seat. Detroit won the election by a 90% majority. [[Frazee, Minnesota|Frazee]], [[Lake Park, Minnesota|Lake Park]], and [[Audubon, Minnesota|Audubon]] were also in the running.
[[File:Becker Co Pie Chart 2-20-18 Wiki Version.pdf|thumb|right|Soils of Becker County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 53-56. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]]

[[File:Callaway WMA 2016 Wiki Version.jpg|thumb|Soils of Callaway WMA area]]
[[Image:Countryroad.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|A country road in Becker County in summer]]
In 1884, Detroit Lakes had many businesses, including two hotels, a bank, a newspaper, and an opera house. The first courthouse was built that year. In 1885, the first county fire department was constructed. In 1903, the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad|Soo Line]] Railroad built a line through the county.

Detroit Lakes hosts a park dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic. The city rededicated the park on April 15, 2015, marking the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the death of President Lincoln. Colonel Tom Mortenson and his wife, Pam, sponsored the rededication, representing the Women's Relief Corps, which spearheaded community support for the effort that included new signage for the park and a time capsule to be opened on the 200th anniversary.<ref>[http://www.dl-online.com/news/detroit-lakes/3697521-dl-park-be-re-dedicated-civil-war-vets Detroit Lakes: Park to be Re-dedicated]</ref>