Beltrami County was established by an act of the state legislature on February 28, 1866.
The first post office in the county was established in Red Lake in 1875.
The first homesteader in the county was Joachim Cyr at Little Turtle Lake in 1877.
Bemidji became the county seat in 1897 after edging out a strong contender in Buena Vista.
The Beaux Arts-inspired, brick-and stone courthouse with a domed tower, was designed by Kinney and Detweiler, and built in 1902. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 26, 1988.
Border ChangesBeltrami County's borders have changed several times. In 1866 the new county extended from a line drawn west from Lake Itasca to a north/south line between Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. The northern border went through Upper Red Lake. The western border was on a line running through Ebro.
In 1879 the county was extended to the Canadian border making the county 153 miles long and 54 miles wide. The boundary changed when Clearwater became a county in 1902 and changed again when Lake of the Woods County was formed in 1923. By 1923 the boundary was very close to the boundary as it is today.

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Paul Bunyan and Babe
Historic Beltrami Camp
Native American Fishing on the Turtle River
Pottery Types of the Turtle River and Three Island Lake
Itasca State Park Centennial
Sugar Point Battle
The Original Cut Foot Sioux Ranger Station
Old Government Road
Cook Homestead
Nisswa

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