Rice Lake is a ghost town

Ghost town

A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...

 in Dodge

Dodge County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,731 people, 6,420 households, and 4,853 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 6,642 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...

 and Steele

Steele County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,680 people, 12,846 households, and 9,082 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile . There were 13,306 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile...

 counties in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. It lies east of Owatonna

Owatonna, Minnesota

Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....

, and just north of Rice Lake State Park

Rice Lake State Park

Rice Lake State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, just east of Owatonna. Park lands entirely surround Rice Lake, an important stopping point for migrating waterfowl...

. The nearest community is the city of Claremont

Claremont, Minnesota

Claremont is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 548 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

, to the southeast. The Dodge County portion lies in the southwest corner of Ellington Township, while the Steele County portion lies in the southeast corner of Merton Township.

History

Rice Lake was officially platted in 1857, although it started thriving 2 years before then. Stephen L. Wilson opened the first store, and became postmaster in 1857. After that, a number of businesses continued to develop

Community development

Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....

 until 1865, when a railroad bypassed the town, causing the village to disappear.

Today, the Rice Lake Church remains in the community.