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The communities are recognized for their commitment of
education, vigorous business and industry, active churches and community
organizations, a commitment to the fine arts and culture, and a love for
the area's shimmering lakes and streams that add to the natural beauty of
the communities.
Education is prized in among residents of Dassel and
Cokato. The U.S. Department of Education selected schools in the
Dassel-Cokato district was as National Schools of Excellence.
There are numerous cultural and recreational
opportunities in the communities. Be sure to visit the new Dassel Cokato
Performing Arts Center (pictured above) at DC High School offers
state-of-the-art sound and light equipment and seating for 800. The
Performing Arts Center has hosted the Minnesota Orchestra, the Lake
Wobegon Brass Band, jazz and country concerts, the Crow River Youth
Orchestra camp and concert, and numerous school concerts and plays.
Immigrants from Sweden, Finland and Norway began
arriving in the Dassel Cokato area in the mid 1860's with the promise of
land they could call their own. When the railroad was completed in both
towns in 1869, a wave of settlers moved into the area. Cokato is
home to one of the largest settlements of Finnish Americans in Minnesota.
In fact, according to the Finnish ambassador to the United States, nearly
every Finn in America is somehow connected through Cokato.
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