History:

Roseau was reclaimed from the glaciers some 10,000 years ago. However, archeologists suggest that there was probably life in Roseau County before the ice age. Artifacts found in the Pelan, Ross and Malung area's as well as along the summer road to Warroad, show Native Americans traversed our county as much as 7,200 years ago. Tribes located within Roseau county include the Chippewa, Sioux and Mandan.

Roseau county, being a part of the great experiment called America, is the result of a split of Kittson county. First surveyed in 1888, the territory was first called "Jadis" after a kindly auditory from Hallock who befriended settlers and Native Americans alike. By Governor's proclamation on December 31, 1894 the 30 eastern townships of Kittson county were formed into a new county called Roseau. The name, Roseau, came from French traders who termed the river through the area a river of "rushes and reeds". Again by the Governor's proclamation on February 11, 1896 the 15 townships on the east of our present county were detached from Beltrami county and added to Roseau county.

The City of Roseau was incorporated in 1895. The cities of Strathcona, Greenbush, Badger, Wannaska, Salol, Warroad, and Roosevelt were all incorporated in the next few years. The towns of Pelan, Pinecreek, Ross, Fox, Swift, and Haug have all ceased to exist except in memory. Forty-nine post offices in the county at one time also served as stores but were never recognized as towns.

A fur trading post in the county dates back to 1822. There was no drainage in the county and the Roseau river was a major waterway. Logs were floated to saw mills on the Red River from the south of Roseau and the Sprague, Manitoba area. Those wanting to travel to Winnipeg or Warroad from Roseau in the summer would take an excursion boat to Sprague and travel by train from there. The Roseau lake was a much used lake for fishing and on Sunday's regular excursions from Roseau would leave with about 30 people on each boat to a picnic area on the lake. There is a report that the Roseau Lake had a spot that measured 50 feet deep.

Martin Braaten was the first to claim on county land on June 16, 1890. In 1885 the Town of Roseau had 4 settlers. By 1895 it had grown to 600, with 25 businesses. In 1899 farmers raised 40,000 bushels of hard red spring wheat that averaged 18 bushels to the acre. Telephone lines were strung in 1903. A light plant was operating in Roseau and the cost of traveling to Stephen, Minnesota by stage coach with an overnight stop in Pelan was $3. A 400 pound Sturgeon was taken from the Roseau River and had to be hauled up the river bank by a team of horses. There were once 112 school districts in the county. The first district established in 1890, taught adults to speak English. The Ag Society was established in 1904 and put on their first fair in 1906.

In 1895 there were 5,000 people in the county. There were 139 automobiles in the county in 1915. Rules of the road included that the driver of an auto must stop and tarp the auto to match the surrounding area when meeting a team of horses. Additionally, the speed limit this year will be a secret. Offenders will be fined $10 for the first mile over, $100 for the second and $200 for the third. Lutafisk was sent through the mail, often having to be stored in the Post Office until settlers would come to pick it up. Employee's stated that after storing for several days this was one type of mail they needed protection from. The first general election was held in 1888. The canvassingboard stated, "There were 55 votes polled. All republican except those of Martin Dieter, Roswell Waterman and J.W. Durham." The county sent men to war in every war our country has been involved in starting in 1898 when the paper listed men who volunteered to serve in the war with Spain.

There were eight newspapers in the county in 1907 and feuds between editors as well as comments from them took on a personal nature. "Women with tanned skin probably have to much time on their hands." "The county has been without a physician for three weeks and the health of the community has generally improved." Dagan's Beer Parlor was often in the news with the editor naming the women seen entering of leaving. The notorious "Flossie" had been fined for keeping a house of ill repute and the editor noted, "A masquerade ball gave the notorious Flossie a chance to appear among respectable people."

Immigrants came with their values firmly established. The first building that usually went up in a community was a church which doubled as a school. A shortage in the church treasury became acute in a Greenbush parish and the women of the church raised the needed funds by assessing themselves by the inches of their waist. The men made the decisions and the women bailed them out with their ladies aid money more often than not.

In 1946 a new era was born in Roseau when three local men who were involved in lightweight farm equipment manufacturing started a new company they named Polaris. In 1954 these three men developed an idea for the world's first snowmobile designed for individual use. From this beginning, Polaris has grown to become the leading manufacturer of snowmobiles and has also introduced other recreational equipment such as ATV's and watercraft. Interestingly enough one of the original three owners of Polaris left to start his own company, Arctic Cat, of Thief River Falls.

With a firm step Roseau moves into its second hundred years. Roseau's current success is owed to the pioneers, and those persons and families that came to this area in the 1890's, 1920's, 1960's and today. Those who come to Roseau do not come from something rather they are lead toward this special place. They have come because there is opportunity here.

The success of Roseau comes from the joining of immigrant, Native American, Scandinavian, German, Polish and Asian together to make Roseau a wonderful place to live.