[5] It was named after the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg from where many of its settlers came, and not the city of Altenburg which does not seem to have sent a single colonist.

[6] Altenburg is one of seven towns and villages in the area founded by German Lutheran immigrants in 1839.

Altenburg and the other communities—Dresden, Frohna, Johannisberg, Paitzdorf, Seelitz, and Wittenberg—were all named by settlers for towns in the Saxony region of their native country.

Made of native timber, this "Log Cabin College" introduced the new idea of a co-educational school, a rarity at the time.

[7] Today, Altenburg is home to the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum, established in 1985.

Tourists can explore several mid-19th century buildings that remain in the community as well as the Heritage Center's exhibition hall as well as the reading room and research library.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.05 square miles (2.72 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the city was 99.15% White, 0.28% Black or African American, and 0.57% from two or more races.