Was a Minnesota city nicknamed the ‘Athens of the West’?

Faribault civic leaders established the southern Minnesota city as an educational center in the mid-1800s, earning it an “Athens of the West” nickname. 

City namesake Alexander Faribault gifted money and land for schools early in its settlement history, while Minnesota’s first Episcopal bishop, Henry Whipple, played a prominent role in bolstering the community’s educational reputation. 

Some religious or state schools founded in the mid-1800s remain active, including Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Bethlehem Academy and the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind. These institutions contributed to the city’s moniker referencing the ancient Greek center for academic scholarship.

In part due to its abundance of historic schools, Faribault boasts more than 40 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit Faribault claims more properties with this distinction than any city outside of St. Paul.