Project Unincorporated MN
In 2023, with a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, I launched Project Unincorporated MN. I photographed 33 unincorporated towns across Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, and Lake of the Woods counties, focusing on the nuanced narratives captured through man-made structures and the stories they tell about these rural communities' culture, history, and way of life.
It was important to me to shed light on these unique, often-overlooked towns, giving them visibility and a voice. I took people along on a virtual journey via social media as I photographed each town and exhibited the resulting work. I plan to create a book from this project.
I look forward to continuing this work by exploring more unincorporated towns in Northern Minnesota.—-EXCITING NEWS—SCROLL DOWN—2025 Project in progress!!!
To watch the exhibit presentation click here.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Artist Statement:
This exhibit gives a presence and captures the essence of these rural, unincorporated towns. It tells a story of their resilience, self-reliance, and shared histories as seen through the lens of various industries such as railroads, logging, homesteading, and tourism.
The exhibit celebrates the natural beauty of these areas, recognizes their freedom from governmental constraints, and acknowledges the rise and fall of economics and commerce. It also serves as a tribute to the historical remnants of these towns and to the remarkable people who live in them.
-Laura Grisamore
Quick exhibit walk through before tear down.
MORE PHOTOS TO COME FROM THE EXHIBIT. STAY TUNED :). In the meantime check out the project social media pages, click on them below.
From left to right. Top row: Angle Inlet: Jim’s Corner, the last one- room school house in MN and the first telephone on the Angle installed 1989. Middle row: Country Store in Alida, shelves of goods and local art, Zerkel General Store & Gas Station. Last row: Church in the Pines in Gates Corner.
Click on the photo above oor below to read "Unincorporated Delights" featured in Art Beat quarterly magazine (pages 6-7).
Nature has reclaimed the lost village of Faunce and Gates Corner, located deep within the Beltrami Island State Forest. The markers above are the only remaining signs of these once-inhabited settlements. According to a newspaper article in the Rosseau Times, the 1910 census reported a population of 110 in the six townships in the Beltrami State Forest, which then grew to 935 by the 1920 census.
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, 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 mainstreet sidewalk, a few home foundaitons 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.
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.
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.
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.