1848 – The Ojibwe community of Chengwatana forms as an official village.Peters, dubbed “White Pine Treaty", lumbering began in the area.
A book capturing Pine City's history in vintage photos was written as part of the Images of America series and became available in 2010. In 2005, the city became the first in rural Minnesota with an annual gay pride event, East-Central Minnesota Pride, and one of only two rural communities to hold such an event in the United States. However, being the most populous city in the county, Pine City always prevailed as the county seat. Because of its location on the far southern edge of Pine County, there have been attempts over the years to move the county seat to more centrally located Hinckley and Sandstone. When Buchanan County was merged with Pine County in 1861, the county seat was consolidated to Pine City because it was already well-established. Pine City prospered and grew into a city that had everything needed to serve residents, farmers, and the fast expanding lumber industry. When the railroad arrived in Pine City so began a logging expansion. In the late 19th century, European settlers came to the Pine City area, which was still heavily forested with thick stands of white pine, some of the largest in the state. Lumbering, though, was limited by access to the available waterways. Peters of 1837, dubbed the "White Pine Treaty", lumbering began in the area.
They trapped and hunted on the land and traded furs at the nearby trading posts. By the early 19th century, the area became predominantly Ojibwa. With the Ojibwa expansion, the area became a mixture of the two. The Dakota Indians were the first in the area. Historic aerial photograph, overlooking the railroad