Northfield, city (1990 pop. 14,684), Rice co., SE Minn., near Minneapolis–St. Paul, on the Cannon River; inc. 1875. It is the trade center for a dairy and farming region. Manufactures include printed circuit boards, toys, feeds and seeds, and cereals. On Sept. 7, 1876, Jesse and Frank James and their bandit gang attempted a (failed) bank robbery there, which resulted in the deaths of two Northfield citizens. Each September, Northfield holds a festival that reenacts the robbery attempt. Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and the Laura Baker School for retarded children are in the city.
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