Aitkin County, Minnesota: History
Aitkin County was established in 1857 as Aiken County. The current spelling was adopted in 1872. It was named for William Alexander Aitken, a fur trader for the American Fur Company, under John Jacob Astor. Formed from Ramsey and Pine counties, Aiken County originally consisted of the 17 townships closest to Mille Lacs Lake. It acquired outlands of Ramsey, Itasca and Pine Counties to its north and east. It was organized in 1871, taking up lands from Cass and Itasca Counties and losing a point in the southwestern corner to Crow Wing County to form its current boundaries.
In the 1970s and '80s, Aitkin County became home of three short-lived lesbian feminist farmsteads: Rising Moon Farm (1973 - 1980s), Mel’s Place (1974-5), and Del Lago Farm (1975-6), inspired by the commune, housing cooperative, and back-to-the-land movements. Rising Moon, built in 1972 by lesbian activists Jane Stedman, Linda Page, and Trudy Fulton Smith, operated a food co-op, and welcomed other lesbians included writers Dianna Hunter and Kathy McConnell. It operated off-the-grid, and lacked running water and electricity. In 1973, the farm burned down, and was quickly rebuilt by its owners, however some residents moved to Mel’s Place, and then to Del Lago Farm.