Todd County History
Todd County was established by the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in February 1856. The original county line extended east to the Mississippi River, including Fort Ripley.
John Baines Smitth Todd was in command of Fort Ripley during that time. When America was being established, it was custom to name counties after prominent people; therefore, Todd County was named after Captain Todd.
When Minnesota became a state in 1858, the county lines were changed. A line was created south of the junction between the Crow Wing and Long Prairie Rivers. The land west of the line remained in Todd County, and the land east of the line became Morrison County. By 1867, the county was fully organized, and the county boundaries have remained the same for over 125 years.
Area: 947 square miles
Population:12,930 (1890); 22,114 (1970); 23,363 (1990); 23,917 (2008)
County Seat: Long Prairie