COMMUNITY GUIDE | 2023
NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA
ROOTED IN SMALL TOWN VALUES
United by community bonds
The history of Norwood Young America is anything but typical . Technically the city is less than 20 years old , but Norwood and Young America grew next to one another for over a century before uniting to form one larger city in 1997 .
While a new era has begun with the merger of the two cities , local residents cherish their unique past and have preserved it with the formation of the Willkommen Heritage and Preservation Society of Norwood Young America .
ORIGIN OF CITIES
The story of Young America and Norwood begins with James Slocum , Jr ., a co-founder of Young America and founder of Norwood . One of the first pioneers of Minnesota , Slocum came to the state in April of 1855 . Arriving in St . Paul , he boarded a steamboat to Carver and followed Native American trails to the present-day location of Young America , which he platted and named in 1856 along with Dr . R . M . Kennedy . Slocum then set to work establishing the first saw and grist mill , general mercantile , and provision and grain business .
Slocum chose the English name of Young America for the village , but by the time the village was incorporated in 1879 a majority of citizens were of Teutonic descent and the town was renamed Teuteburg .
A short time later , however , a sign bearing the name ‘ Teuteburg ” was run over by a team of oxen . Taking that episode as a bad omen , the people decided to rename the town Florence . That name also failed to last , as another Minnesota town had already claimed Florence as its title . In the end , Young America was reconsidered and adopted as the town ’ s name .
At that time , in 1880 , the population of Young America was 151 people .
Norwood arose with the establishment of the local railroad . An addition to the Milwaukee railroad meant the installation of tracks near Young America . Residents of the town , however , decided they didn ’ t want to
See HISTORY / Page 11
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