Welcome from Faribault

The City of Faribault holds great pride in their history. One can see by the vision of well-kept businesses in the downtown. The City of Faribault has more buildings on the National Historic Register than any other city its size throughout Minnesota, the truth is Faribault is second only to one, the Capitol city of St. Paul, MN.

The city of Faribult is built along the banks of the Straight and Cannon Rivers, two tributaries that played a vital role in the city’s early development. It was the opportunity to fur trade with the Dakota Sioux Indians living along these rivers that brought French Canadian founder Alexander Faribault to this region of Minnesota in 1826 and set up a trading post at the city site in 1835. The city of Faribault was founded in 1852, which was laid out and named for Alexander Faribult; his house still stands (1853). Wheat growing, flour milling, and sawmilling had dominated the economy until the end of the 19th century.
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This, along with the establishment of the highly acclaimed State Academies for the Blind and Deaf, led Faribault to be known as "Athens of the West." As the community flourished, a number of homes, churches, and public buildings were constructed with outstanding architectural design features.