History of Woodbury

Originally named Red Rock, after a sacred stone supposedly painted by the famous Dakota Chief Little Crow, the town was renamed in 1859 when the state legislature discovered another Red Rock Township in Minnesota. Woodbury was named after Judge Levi Woodbury of New Hampshire, a friend of the first town board chairman.

The first settlers came to Woodbury in 1844. Most of the area's early settlers migrated from the eastern states and from Germany. Immigrants also came from Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland and Denmark. Over the years the people of Woodbury have contributed in many ways to the rich heritage that the city enjoys today.

For more information on the history of Woodbury, please visit the Woodbury Heritage Society or Washington County Historical Society websites.

Woodbury Heritage House
  1. Land Development & Agriculture
  2. Government
  3. Education

Land Development & Agriculture

In 1844 the town was largely covered with timber. Clearing the land for farming required considerable time and labor. Wheat was the principal crop grown, as well as barley, corn, and potatoes; later soybeans became a crop of major importance. Generally the land was rolling and very fertile, which was particularly conducive to dairy farming.

The 1950s introduced a new phase in agriculture. Farming technology resulted in controlled acreage, more fertilization, improved crop rotation and chemicals for pest control, making agriculture an even greater contributor to the local economy. In 1955 the first housing development, Woodbury Heights, was started. The 1960s brought another outlook for the farmer. Urban development spread out into the community and began to replace the farm land.

Urban development has continued as the metropolitan area looks eastward for living space. The city values its open spaces and natural resources and is taking steps to acquire and conserve several hundred acres in the undeveloped areas.