Bear Valley, Minnesota

Bear Valley, Minnesota
Unincorporated community
Bear Valley, Minnesota Bear Valley, Minnesota Location of the community of Bear Valley within Chester Township, Wabasha County
Coordinates: 44°18′12″N 92°28′39″W / 44.30333°N 92.47750°WCoordinates: 44°18′12″N 92°28′39″W / 44.30333°N 92.47750°W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Wabasha County
Township	Chester Township
Elevation	981 ft (299 m)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	55956 and 55041
Area code(s)	507
GNIS feature ID	654590[1]

Bear Valley is an unincorporated community in Chester Township, Wabasha County, Minnesota, United States.

Geography

The community is located along Wabasha County Road 3 near Zumbro Falls. Cold Creek, a valley tributary of the nearby Zumbro River, flows through the community. 635th Street, 638th Street, and County Road 68 are also in the immediate area. Other nearby places include Zumbro Falls, Mazeppa, Oak Center, Lake City, and Bellechester.

History

A post office called Bear Valley was established in 1857, and remained in operation until 1902.^[2] The community was so named on account of a bear sighting by early settlers in the valley.^[3]

The Grange association at Bear Valley was one of the earliest in Minnesota, established in 1870. The Bear Valley Grange Hall was built in 1874.^[4]

References

1. "Bear Valley, Minnesota". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
2. "Wabasha County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
3. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 556.
4. Minnesota Place Names. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed July 28, 2014.