Editing Dundas, Minnesota (section)

==History==
Dundas was [[plat]]ted in 1857<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n481 462]}}</ref> by the Archibalds: brothers John Sidney and Edward T., along with their cousin George Archibald, who built mills on both sides of the [[Cannon River (Minnesota)|Cannon River]].<ref name="NN2002" /><ref name="Dundashistory">[http://www.cityofdundas.org/about_history.htm History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502155305/http://www.cityofdundas.org/about_history.htm |date=May 2, 2011}}, City of Dundas, Accessed January 8, 2011.</ref> The brothers named the city after their home [[Dundas County, Ontario]], Canada.<ref name=NN2002>[http://northfieldnews.com/search.php?search=drug+use+in+North+field&location=0&page=24 Archives], ''Northfield News'', December 1, 2002, Accessed January 8, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Fedo |first=Michael |title=Pocket Guide to Minnesota Place Names |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press |year=2002 |location=Canada |pages=44 |url=http://shop.mnhs.org/moreinfomhspress.cfm?Product_ID=139 |isbn=0-87351-424-6 |access-date=June 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527153351/http://shop.mnhs.org/moreinfomhspress.cfm?Product_ID=139 |archive-date=May 27, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1857, the Archibalds founded the [[Archibald Mill]], a [[Gristmill|flour mill]], on the west bank of the Cannon River. The milling industry contributed greatly to Dundas' 19th-century success, and at one point the mills in Dundas were considered among the best in the world.<ref name=NRHPapp>Marjorie A. Lund, National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, January 6, 1976; copy accessed from Edward T. Archibald House file, State Historic Preservation Office in the Minnesota History Center.</ref> The ruins of the Archibald Mill can still be seen today.

[[File:2010-1021-AultStore.jpg|left|thumb|The Ault Store is the only remaining commercial building from Dundas' original business district.]]
The city's original central business district was located on Second Street, and by 1866 it included two [[general store]]s, a library, hotel, shoe store, restaurant, meeting hall and saloon.  The neighborhood began to shift once the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad|Minnesota Central Railway]] built its station on the west side of the river, resulting in the development of Railway Street and the [[plat]]ting of the Railway Addition in 1865.  All that remains of the original commercial district is the [[Ault Store]] (built in 1866), which started as a general store and housed the town's first library on the second floor; the same building also served as the home of the ''Dundas News'' for its operation from 1876 to 1879 when it was bought and absorbed by the ''Northfield News''.<ref name=MHPIF>Britta Bloomberg, Minnesota Historic Properties Inventory Form, February 1981; copy accessed from Ault Store file, State Historic Preservation Office in the Minnesota History Center.</ref>

The Archibald Mill, Adult Store and [[Edward T. Archibald House]] are among the five local structures listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

Today, the town is chiefly a [[bedroom community]] for nearby [[Northfield, Minnesota|Northfield]] and the more distant [[Minneapolis-St. Paul]] metropolitan area. The juxtaposition of Dundas and Northfield and their disparate zoning policies and attitudes toward development have led to some unusual growth patterns. Dundas is home to a number of businesses, such as an off-sale liquor store and two bars that would be unable to get licenses to operate in Northfield. Contrary to popular opinion and local lore, Dundas Technical University (Dundas Tech) only exists on T-shirts and jokes from Northfield and Faribault natives. {{source?|date=January 2024}}

Dundas has the only public feed mill within about 40 miles. It is operated by [[Interstate Mills]] on the site of the original [[grain elevator]]. In 1999, the threat of a [[Target Corporation|Target]] store being sited in Dundas—rather than Northfield—was instrumental in forcing changes to Northfield's [[zoning]] to allow such uses.

A [[Union Pacific]] freight [[railroad]] line passes through Dundas.