Minneapolis, the judicial seat of Ottawa county, is located a little to the west of the center of the county on the Solomon river and at the junction of the Union Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. The Solomon river furnishes water power for manufacturing purposes. There are machine shops, flour mills, grain elevators, a foundry, alfalfa mills, a creamery, an ice plant, an electric light plant, waterworks, an opera house, public library, 2 weekly and 3 monthly newspapers and 3 banks. There are telegraph and express offices and an international money order postoffice with 7 rural routes. The main products shipped are wool, live stock, poultry and produce. The city has fine church and public school buildings, and in 1910 reported a population of 1,895.

Minneapolis was laid out in 1866 by Israel Markley, Elijah Smith, Dr. James McHenry, A. C. Stull and A. J. Smith. It was first called "Markley Mills," because Mr. Markley built a grist mill at that point in 1866. In that same year the county seat was brought there from Ayersburg by vote of the people. At the same time Col. John Kerwin moved his store from Fort Solomon. The town was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1870. The first hotel was opened in 1870 and the first bank established in 1875. The railroad was built in 1878.