Leota

Leota is a small, census-designated place inside of the Leota Township in the southwestern corner of the state of Minnesota. It has a population of 209 residents spanning the total land area of 1.4 square miles. This area is on the west side of the drainage divide for the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers: the Buffalo Ridge. It includes the intersection of two main highways. Aside from residences, this community has a lumber store, grocery store, and bank. The average residential income is $35,000. The name of the area is derived from the township in which it is situated. The story is that Leota was a young Native American woman who had a romantic tie to the first residence of the town. While there is no verification for the story, if it is true that would make the Leota area the only place in Nobles County to memorialize a Native American individual. The town was established by Dutch farmers in 1891. They came from another settlement located in Orange City, Iowa. The first building to be erected in the area was a church. The second building was a general store. In 1893, a post office was established. By 1989 a second church was built.