Biohazard and Pathogen Disinfection in Brownsville, MN

Brownsville is a small Mississippi River city in Houston County, the middle one of five river towns in the county, tucked beneath the landmark known as Wild Cat Bluff.

Brownsville's townsite was chosen because the Mississippi runs compact and free of sloughs opposite the village, creating a natural steamboat landing that drew the town's founder, Mr. Brown.

The landing at Wild Cat Bluff was the debarkation point for many of Houston County's earliest settlers, particularly those heading inland toward Caledonia.

Brownsville grew fast in its first year — by the end of 1855 the village had risen from about 50 inhabitants to 228, and stage lines began running from Brownsville to Chatfield and Caledonia in July 1856.

A smallpox epidemic swept through Brownsville in 1857 and killed sixteen residents.

Brownsville was once a thriving river town with several banks, hotels and a large meat-packing plant along the river, until a fire destroyed most of the town in 1920.

Brownsville counted 566 residents in the 2020 census, its highest total in the modern census series after bottoming out at 415 in 1990.

The river bottoms downriver from Brownsville attract growing numbers of tundra swans and bird watchers during the fall migration.