Pomme de Terre, Minnesota

Pomme de Terre is a ghost town in section 24 of of Pomme de Terre Township in Grant County, Minnesota.

History

The village of Pomme de Terre was first settled in the 1860s and was platted in 1874. Pomme de Terre had a post office from 1868 until 1879, and again from 1880 until 1902. The village was served by a station of the Soo Line Railroad which was also in section 24, but its importance declined as other towns were founded with more convenient access to the railroad. cite book| last =Upham| first =Warren| authorlink =Warren Upham| title =Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition| publisher =Minnesota Historical Society| date =2001| location =Saint Paul, Minnesota| pages =pp. 221| isbn =0-87351-396-7]

Etymology

The name Pomme de Terre is French and is transliterated "apple of the earth," which usually refers to the potato. In this case, however, it refers to the prairie turnip ("Psoralea esculenta")cite book| last =Upham| first =Warren| authorlink =Warren Upham| title =Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition| publisher =Minnesota Historical Society| date =2001| location =Saint Paul, Minnesota| pages =pp. 221| isbn =0-87351-396-7] , which was treasured by Native Americans as a beneficial dietary supplement.

Notes