Settled in 1856 by a colony that moved from Lowell, Mass., this community took its name from the Zumbro River, whose French name, Riviere des Embarras, was mistakenly transformed into Zumbro when pronounced quickly and incompletely, with the Sioux suffix to, meaning at, to or on, added to it. Several landmarks reflect Zumbrota's links with the past. The old Dubuque Trail linked Dubuque and St. Paul in the 1850's and was one of the major overland stage routes during the territorial period; the fare per person from St. Paul to Zumbrota was $4.50, and postal rate was 5¢ a letter up to 300 miles. The First Congregational Church, built in 1862 on East Avenue between 4th and 5th streets, stands as a monument to the Yankees who founded the town. The Old Covered Bridge, the only surviving covered bridge in Minnesota, stood on Main Street from 1869 to 1932 as the town's gateway, carrying hundreds of wagon loads of wheat to market each year before being moved to the fair grounds.