Welcome to the Douglas County Historical Society in Alexandria Minnesota. The Society was organized in 1976, and is located in the historic residence of Senator Knute Nelson.

About the house
Knute Nelson claimed a homestead in Alexandria in 1871, and built a small L-shaped frame house in 1874.  As his political career progressed, he made additions to the house, adding a living room and large bedroom in 1900. He completed the present structure in 1915, with the addition of a dining room and kitchen on the main floor, and four more bedrooms on the second floor.

Knute Nelson's Last Will and Testament provided that following the death of his daughter, Ida, the house was to be given to the Norwegian Lutheran Church as a home for the aged. It served in that capacity for 38 years. In 1978, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Knute's life was one of public service. The house he built now serves the public. On October 1, 1987, the Knute Nelson house became the headquarters of the Douglas County Historical Society. The turn-of-the-century house has been restored, and has many of the original furnishings.

Knute Nelson - Who was he?
Knute Nelson served the people of Minnesota as a public office holder for over 50 years. Born in Norway in 1843, he came to Alexandria as a young attorney.

Knute Nelson was elected to the Minnesota legislature, serving two terms in the United States Congress before becoming the state's first foreign-born governor from 1893-1895. He then served in the United States Senate with distinction for 28 years, where he championed such causes as conservation, pure food and drug legislation, and a federal income tax.

The Knute Nelson statue stands in front of the capitol building in Saint Paul Minnesota. The three figures of the statue portray Knute's immigrant mother and her son, the United States Senator Knute Nelson, and Knute Nelson, the Civil War soldier.