The City of Center City was settled in 1851 and platted in 1857, it has been the county seat since 1875. In 1850 Erik U. Nordberg was the first Swedish Settler to come to the Center City area and built a crude shelter on Calendar Isle. Then in 1851 sixteen Swedish Immigrants slowly made their way from Taylors Falls through the woods to settle in the Center City area. The Downtown area was first located up by the Courthouse, but when the railroad came through in 1880 businesses moved to the area that is now the downtown area. The Village of Center City was incorporated on August 14, 1903.