St. Ansgar, the oldest town in Mitchell County, was organized in 1853. It's founder, Claus Lauritz Clausen explored southern Minnesota and northern Iowa on a missionary trip and he and Norwegian settlers stayed and settled the tiny town of St. Ansgar.   Clausen continued his missionary work, traveling to and from, until he eventually moved to Virginia.

    In 1864 to 1868, he presided over the construction of the St. Ansgar Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, now the oldest Lutheran Church in the area.   Ironically, the property that the new museum sits on was formerly owned by the town's founder, Clausen, in 1872.

    The population was 60 people and the village remained small until 1869 when the railroad came through and the population began to grow and increased to 552 residents by 1880, in just 11 years.   It went from a spot on the map to a bustling and growing midwestern town.

    Henry Lubiens was the first mayor and new firms and businesses were beginning to come to town.   St. Ansgar now consisted of a public school, three churches, modern water works and electric light service plus the promise of a new telephone service coming.   Manufacturers included a roller mill, creamery and a sorghum plant.   The retail area, Fourth Street, grew to include 2 banks, 4 grocery stores, 3 dry good stores, 2 hardwares, 2 millinery stores, 2 furniture stores, 2 grain elevators, 2 lumber firms, 2 implement dealers, 4 blacksmith and machine shops, a hotel, bakery, opera house, drug store, automobile garage, harness shop, tin shop, restaurant, meat market, tailor shop, 2 dentists, 2 doctors, and 1 veterinarian.   Some of these first businesses have progressed to meet modern day demands, but are still in the ownership of the original families.