Grove City

History

In 1870, the St. Paul and Pacific Railway came to Acton Township and built the Acton Station east of today's Grove City. There was also a post office one mile north called "Swede Grove". The different locations caused confusion, and the people convinced the railroad to move the station to present-day Grove City. Grove City was incorporated in 1878. In naming the town, "Grove" was chosen from Swede Grove, and "City" represented the citizens' hope for the town's future. having moved from north of the town. The post office was among the first businesses. Other early businesses included four grocery stories, two hardware stores, four filling stations, two hotels, two lumberyards, two banks, two blacksmiths, a barrel factory, a feed mill, and four grain elevators. There were five saloons, a pool hall, restaurants, a confectioner, a shoe store, a millinery shop, and a bakery.

Geography

Grove City is in western Meeker County. U.S. Highway 12 and Minnesota State Highway 4 are two of the main routes in the community, passing through the north side of the city as Atlantic Avenue. US 12 leads east to Litchfield, the Meeker county seat, and west to Willmar, while MN 4 leads north to Paynesville and south to Cosmos. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Grove City has an area of , of which are land and , or 0.45%, are water. The city is in the watershed of Grove Creek, which flows northeast to join the Middle Fork of the Crow River near Manannah.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  561
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  556
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  466
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  459
• Trumpeter/Tundra Swan

  Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1831 · Aves
  448
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  414
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  345
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  330