Saint Olaf College
Old Main, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Northfield
Minnesota, United States
Northfield, city, Rice county, southeastern Minnesota, U.S. It lies along the Cannon River, in a mixed-farming area, 35 miles (55 km) south of St. Paul. Founded in 1855 by New England lawyer John W. North, it became the home of Carleton (1866) and St. Olaf (1874) colleges. Flour milling was the basic industry until the 1880s; later, dairy farming became a primary economic factor, and Northfield specialized in Holstein cows. Modern agriculture includes dairying and...