Project Unincorporated MN: A New Chapter

I'm excited to share that I’ve been able to continue Project Unincorporated MN this year, thanks to support from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Since June, I’ve been back on the road—traveling through Grant, Wilkin, Otter Tail, and Clay counties—visiting small unincorporated towns and immersing myself in their stories, landscapes, and communities.

This phase of Project Unincorporated MN is about digging deeper and creating more compelling stories through my photographs—bringing to life the history and spirit of these places through the people I meet and the stories they share. So I have found myself focusing not just on capturing man made structures and landscapes this time, but also on the human connections that bring these towns to life.

Below is a collection of highlights from the amazing people I have met thus far. I will be covering Becker and Wadena counties next. Thanks for following along & make sure to check out my project page on Facebook here & Instagram here.

Clay County In Downer, I met Heather, working at the Mainline Bar & Grill—once a potato warehouse—where she shared stories about her family’s roots, the town’s history, and visiting her grandmother there when she was young.

Clay County

In Downer, I met Heather, while she was working at the Mainline Bar & Grill—once the Mainline Potato Company—where she shared stories about her family’s roots, the town’s history, and shared fond memories of visiting her grandmother there when she was young. Her great-aunt worked at the Mainline Potato Company as did many women from the area during the war years—and long after.

Averill, MN. Ruth was out getting her mail and she stopped to talk to me in the blazing heat! She shared stories about growing up in Averill. The next photo is her childhood home, that was once a bank that closed in the 1930’s during the depression. Ruth moved back after her parents passed away. To the right of the house stretching down the street a bit use to be a general store, gas station & lumber store—all torn down and it is now a lawn.

Rustad, MN. I met Mike and Sue, who were mowing their lawn when I struck up a conversation. Sue invited me in and showed me photos and letters tied to their beautiful historic home—originally the Rustad family house built in 1903.

Wilkin County

Brushvale, MN. Bob and Mary live in the church where Bob was baptized and active in the church until it closed. They bought and renovated it in the 1990s, and foundation and other remnants of the old town still rest quietly in their lawn all around them, including the main street sidewalk, a few home foundations and the pipe left from the old gas station.


In Carlisle, Stewart was kind enough to stop mowing to share stories and some history of the town. He and his wife moved there in 1992. Next to his home behind him in the photo runs an old gravel road where a gas station once stood—now long gone, but still present in memory.

In Everdell, Jeff stopped to chat with me on the gravel road. Behind him is the farm he grew up on, which he continues to farm along with one of his sons. The land behind and around him makes up almost the entire town of Everdell. We joked that this basically makes him the mayor of Everdell.

Otter Tail County

Basswood, MN. Meet Jessie a cattle farmer whose family moved there in 1984. While he was rolling down the gravel road in his tractor with hay for the cattle, he took time to share stories about growing up in Basswood and talked about farm and local life in Basswood with his kids.

I found the remains of the Dead Lake 240 School thanks to Jessie! The school is just a couple miles from Basswood right off the highway. I scribbled notes on my hand after chatting with Mike, his sister Caroline, and longtime local Pam — all of whom happened to drive by within 15 minutes of each other. Mike attended the school until it closed, likely in the late '60s or early '70s, and then finished in Basswood. Too cool.

Maine, MN. Mike in front of his house he grew up in and purchased it from his parents many years back after they retired and moved somewhere else to enjoy retirement in the Otter Tail area.

Maine, MN. Kyle working in the sweltering heat on the roof of this old general store & once antique store. Kyle lives in Fergus Falls. This is right the road from Mike’s house.

Luce, MN. An acquaintance of mine, artist Carol Albright, introduced me to Donnie and Loren, who showed me their old family home by the RR tracks and shared stories of a once-thriving town. Most of Luce was lost—and the majority of the residents moved out—when Highway 10 came through. Only one house remains on what used to be the main side of town off the highway.

When Luce, MN found me—LOL! Betty & August found out about my project and visited me in Park Rapids at the art gallery I am a part of. I am excited to go visit them and learn more about Luce!

The oral histories and stories all of these people shared with me won’t show up in history books or online. They live in people—those who remember, who care, and who continue shaping these places in quiet, meaningful ways.

Some of the towns I visit are nearly ghost towns—or at least very quiet. Sometimes there’s a lot happening, other times not so much. But many of the towns, people are still there: mowing lawns, getting their mail, working jobs or running local businesses, tending fields and cattle, preserving history, and keeping the local spirit alive.

Next, I’ll be visiting Becker County, then wrapping up in Wadena County—home to Huntersville, the unincorporated town where I live! 

Thank you to the Minnesota State Arts Board for supporting this work, and to everyone who’s shared a piece of their town with me.

Laura Grisamore is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation.