Motley was incorporated in 1887, though people were settling there as early as 1873, when the first post office was established.

Motley is situated on two rivers, the Crow Wing and the Long Prairie, and was covered by forests in the 1800's. Logging and lumber mills were major occupations, and the railroad aided in drawing settlers to this area.

For more information on the history of Motley, visit rootsweb.com/~mnmorris/morbooks.html.