Editing Osseo, Minnesota (section)

==History==
[[File:Osseo, Minnesota in 1869.jpg|thumb|Osseo in 1869]]
The area that is now Osseo was settled before organized local government. It was on what [[Pierre Bottineau]] named Bottineau Prairie in 1852; the community was called Palestine. In 1856 part of the town was platted as Osseo and another part as "City of Attraction".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=1852-1952 History of 100 Years of Osseo and Souvenir of the Dedication of the New Rectory and Parochial School |last=Boerboom |first=Reverend Henry J. |publisher=Engravings by E. J. Krueger. Weston Engraving Company, Minneapolis |year=1952 |pages=9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=History of Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota (By Rev. D. Neill) and Outlines of the History of Minnesota, (by J. Fletcher Williams) |last4=Warner| first4=Geo. E. |first1=Chas. M.| last1=Foote| last2=Neill| first2=Edward| first3=J. Fletcher| last3=Williams |location=Minneapolis |publisher=North Star Publishing Company |year=1881 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jMrn0Jfwcc0C&q=hennepin+county+minnesota+history&pg=PA276 |pages=294–297}}</ref> Official Minnesota Territory surveys placed the settlement on the border of two townships. When Brooklyn Township and Maple Grove Township organized, Osseo (and City of Attraction, which later merged) was governed by those two governments. Osseo incorporated on March 17, 1875.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Village of Osseo Minute Book |last=Ewing |first=Clerk Wm. |location=Osseo City Hall, Osseo, Minnesota (accessed Fall, 2008)}}</ref>

The ethnic groups that moved in after Native tribes were removed were mostly French Canadians, New Englanders, Swiss and Germans.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKNF-J3Y|title=Minnesota State Census, 1875|date=November 15, 2014|website=Family Search}}</ref> The pioneers' businesses included blacksmiths, wagonmakers, general merchandise stores, boots & shoemakers, harness makers, tin shops, cordwood suppliers, teamsters, saloons, and hotels (Niggler Hotel, 1867; International Hotel, 1874; Great Northern Hotel, 1907).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=100 Year History of the City of Osseo; Osseo Centennial 1875 - 1975. Souvenir Edition |author1=North Hennepin Pioneer Society |author2=Osseo Lionelles |publisher=Merit Printing, Minneapolis |year=1975 |location=Minnesota Historical Society |pages=6, 8}}</ref> There was also a Catholic church (1858), a physician, school, post office, and calaboose (jail). Methodists and Lutherans were served in their homes until the 20th century.

In 1882 the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railroad]] "came steaming through town", and in 1893 a telephone station appeared. A town hall was built in 1901. The city water system and fire department began in 1915. The original Indian trail—extending from St. Paul to [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]]—was the town's main street, and was paved in 1918 (Territorial Road). Osseo Lutheran Church was built around 1915; the Methodist Church was built in 1922. The first Osseo High School was built in 1924. 1928 was the peak when "Osseo had one of the largest potato markets in the Northwest."<ref name=":0" />

A newspaper article written upon the death of John Hechtman, "The Father of Osseo", informs the reader of Osseo's opportunities and social organizations of his time.<ref>[http://newspapers2.mnhs.org/jsp/viewer.jsp?doc_id=mnhi0005%2F1DFC5F5A%2F02102201&query1=&recoffset=0&collection_filter=All&collection_name=325d007e-ad78-4323-8722-61ce43c3b6d1&sort_col=relevance&cnt=0&CurSearchNum=1&recOffset=0 ''Minneapolis Tribune'', October 22, 1902].</ref>

Opposite today's City Hall are memorials to US military veterans from Osseo. In 1937 a large granite monument was erected in memory of [[American Civil War|Civil War]] soldiers. On Memorial Day 1946 another Honor Roll was constructed of granite with a bronze plate engraved with names of those who served during the [[Spanish–American War]], World War I and World War II. In 1957 the memorial area was named Father Boerboom Park, after a pastor of St. Vincent Rectory and the principal of its parochial school who had served since 1917.<ref name=":1" />

The [[Osseo Water Tower]], built in 1915, was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2017.<ref name="strib">{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/osseo-water-tower-primed-for-position-on-national-historic-register/409966975/|title=Osseo water tower primed for position on national historic register|author=Eric Roper|newspaper=Minneapolis Star Tribune|date=January 7, 2017|access-date=February 22, 2018}}</ref>