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City of Hill City

111 Henrietta Avenue
218-697-2301

History of Hill City

The sincerity of the words written by Gaylord Huntley, Publisher of Volume 1, Number 1, of the first newspaper dated May 5, 1910, Hill City News, was matched only by the tenacity which characterizes our Hill City forebears.

The charming City of Hill City owes its very existence to the beauty that surrounds it. In 1900, Al Wandel came to burn the meadows for the Hill City Realty Company. When Al arrived, about all that suggested a future village was the Miller Bros. Logging camp of 7 log buildings situated on Morrison brook (near what is now the intersection of Highways 169 and 200). The Realty Company composed of James Harper, James Gill, and E.L. Buck originated promotion of this area. They laid out the original nine-block plat of the town site.

Hill Lake is named for the prominent hill in the township. The Ojibway called the area "Pikwadina" or "Piquadinaw", which translated to "it is hilly".

Functioning under Hill Lake Township, Hill City seceded and officially incorporated on March 8, 1910.

Bridging the past with the future, Hill City maintains its beauty and its pride. Along with it, without deterring from the small-town atmosphere is the progression of an active community. The friendliness that abounds here will always make you feel right at home.