Frontenac ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Florence Township, Goodhue County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States, on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 249.

History

James Wells established a trading post in the location that would become Frontenac before 1850. He dealt mostly with Native Americans until the railroad was built in the early 1870s.

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...

, Minnesota Place Names database, June 2009. In 1854, brothers Israel and Lewis Garrard came upon the area during a hunting trip and bought large tracts of land. By 1857, the community was permanently established with the name of Westervelt in 1855 to honor the then postmaster, Evert V. Westervelt. The name was changed to Frontenac in 1860 by the Garrard brothers after

Louis de Buade de Frontenac Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy Se ...

, the French colonial governor of Canada in 1672–82 and 1689–98. There is no record of him actually traveling to the Mississippi River. The picturesque scenery soon began attracting wealthy residents. It became a community of summer homes with lakeside views. Several hotels were established, including the Lakeside Hotel in 1867. These hotels contributed to Frontenac's reputation as a resort town during the later 19th century. During the 1870s, a

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

line to Frontenac was established; however, as the founders would not sell land to the railway company, the line was established some distance away from town. The railway ran from north to south and connected the remote area to larger cities, but it was far enough away from the bluffs not to detract from the vacation destination. A new community sprang up around the railway station, and later the highway, called Frontenac Station; the original townsite was then dubbed Old Frontenac. Both are in Florence Township and are listed as one location in the U.S. Census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Frontenac has an area of ; of this is land, and is water.

Demographics

At the 2010 United States census, there were 282 people in 114 households in Frontenac.

Religion

St John Lutheran Church is a Christian church of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...

in Frontenac. Christ Episcopal Church is also located in Old Frontenac, and features an outdoor amphitheater.

Attractions

Mississippi River w Lake Pepin in background at Frontenac State Park

Mount Frontenac Ski and Golf

The Mount Frontenac Ski Resort was located on the north-western edge of Frontenac Station. It had 17 named runs, 6 lifts, and of skiable area. Its longest run was in length. The ski runs have been closed and are now part of an 18-hole golf course.

Frontenac State Park

The land between Frontenac Station and Old Frontenac, as well as much of the land to the north and some to the south, was set aside as a State Park in 1957.

Frontenac State Park Frontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities. The centerpiece of the park is a , steep lime ...

includes the floodplain along the Mississippi River, bluffs which are a flyway for many migratory bird species, prairies and hardwood forests. It is within the

Mississippi Flyway The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lower Ohio Rivers in the United States across the western Great Lakes to the Mackenzie River and Hudson Bay in Canada. The main endpoints of t ...

and is also part of the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

of the north central United States.

Transportation

Frontenac is located along

U.S. Highway 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designat ...

, which also carries U.S. Highway 63 at that point.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

’s ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...

'', which operates between

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, passes through the town on

BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...

tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Red Wing, to the northwest. The Frontenac Airport is located south of Frontenac Station, and is administered by a private agency.

Notable person

John F. Hager John F. Hager (January 8, 1873 – November 2, 1955) was an American businessman and politician. Born in Frontenac, Goodhue County, Minnesota, Hager moved with his parents to a farm in Maiden Rock, Pierce County, Wisconsin in 1879. Hager we ...

, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman, was born in Frontenac.'John F. Hager, 82, Former Assemblyman, Dies in Whitehall,' ''Eau Claire Leader'', November 4, 1955, pg. 3.

Notes

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Goodhue County, Minnesota Census-designated places in Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Goodhue County, Minnesota Populated places established in 1857 1857 establishments in Minnesota Territory