Bruce, Minnesota facts for kids
Bruce was a small town in Rock County, Minnesota, USA. Today, it's a "ghost town" because it's completely abandoned. You won't find any signs of it anymore.
The Story of Bruce: A Ghost Town
How Bruce Began
The town of Bruce was planned out in May 1888. It was designed to have 16 city blocks. At first, people thought about naming it Martin, after Martin Township. But when people started moving there, they named it Bruce instead. This was to honor an important person who worked for the railroad.
Bruce started mainly because it had a train station. This station was part of the Illinois Central Railroad line.
A Short-Lived Boom
In its very first year, Bruce was quite busy. It had a hotel, a saloon, several stores, and even a blacksmith shop. A blacksmith is someone who makes and repairs things out of metal. But this busy time didn't last long.
Most of the businesses and homes in Bruce soon moved away. They went about a mile and a half east to a town called Hills. This happened in 1890 when a different railroad line was built. The Sioux City and Northern Railroad extended its tracks. It went from Sioux City, Iowa to Garretson, South Dakota. This new line completely skipped Bruce. Instead, it created a new train crossing in Hills.
Because the trains didn't stop in Bruce anymore, the town quickly faded away. Even though the town disappeared, its Post Office stayed open. It kept running from 1888 until 1936.
Bruce Disappears
You can see a few buildings still standing in the 1936 aerial photo. This picture was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The very last buildings in Bruce were taken down in the early 1970s. The old Illinois Central train tracks were removed in 1982.
Today, the area where Bruce, Minnesota, once stood is now a farmer's cornfield. There is nothing left to show that a town was ever there.
