Since 1973, all incorporated towns were declared officially to be ‘cities’ by an act of the Minnesota Legislature. Ever wonder about those ‘little cities’? This series of 100 waymarks will take you to all corners of the great state of Minnesota to visit the 100 smallest of the incorporated cities in the state. All have a great story to tell.
This is the 29th of 100 of the cities described in the book LITTLE MINNESOTA. Goodridge is named for a broad but very low ridge, only a few feet above the adjoining areas at each side, which reaches from the village about four miles southeastward. The city was developed when the Minnesota and Northwestern Railway came in 1914 and was platted that year by Northern Townsite Land Company. Jay Payne was the first mayor and his wife, Jennie Noble Payne, came to the area in 1905, purchased a stone and lumber claim, then moved to Goodridge in 1915. Jennie Payne was postmaster for 19 years beginning when the post office was established in 1915. .
Following incorporation in 1915, over thirty main buildings in the city, all painted white, were constructed, giving Goodridge the title of ‘White Village’. Today, the city is home to 132 persons.
School District #561 excels in many areas, including tolerance. In a time of absolute segregation across the US, David Brown, superintendent of the district, hired three teachers of African-American heritage. One teacher, music instructor Roland Samber, wrote about his experience. He described being totally accepted as a person and educator, wishing ‘that all of America could take notice of this small school system in northwestern Minnesota’. The school district is the only little city in the State that houses K-12 students in one building.
This series of waymarks is tuned to getting people to visit these wonderful small communities before they disappear completely. To validate your ‘find’, please post a photo of you with your GPS at the coordinates and please relate a little tidbit about what you learned about the town and its people that is not in this narrative or the book. You can learn more about ‘LITTLE MINNESOTA’ by logging on to (
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