Abandoned Record
About Topelius
Topelius (also called Dopelius, Amboy, or Benton's Crossing) is a ghost town in Otter Tail County, in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Topelius, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Topelius is
Historic maps
6 historic USGS maps cover Topelius
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1953 Brainerd sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1957 Brainerd sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1958 Brainerd sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1965 Brainerd sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1969 Deer Creek sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1986 Battle Lake sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Nearby
Other sites near Topelius
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Minnesota index.
- Leaf River9.7 mi E · Wadena
- Old Wadena Historic District22.1 mi E · Wadena
Sources
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Topelius, Minnesota": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q22060326.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).