Mower County, Minnesota

Mower County (/ˈmaʊ.ər/)[1] is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,029.[2] The county seat is Austin.[3] Mower County comprises the Austin Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Rochester-Austin Combined Statistical Area. Lake Louise State Park is in southeastern Mower County, near Le Roy.

Mower County
County
Mower County Courthouse in Austin
Mower County Courthouse in Austin
Map of Minnesota highlighting Mower County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°40′N 92°45′W
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedFebruary 20, 1855 (created)
March 1, 1856 (organized)
Named forJohn Edward Mower
SeatAustin
Largest cityAustin
Area
 • Total711.5 sq mi (1,843 km2)
 • Land711.3 sq mi (1,842 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.03%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total40,029
 • Estimate 
(2022)
40,140 Increase
 • Density56.3/sq mi (21.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.mower.mn.us

History

The federal government established Wisconsin Territory effective July 3, 1836, and included what is now Minnesota, until its eastern portion was granted statehood (as Wisconsin) in 1848.

Congress established the Minnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. Two of the original counties, Dakota and Wabashaw (later Wabasha), had portions reassigned on March 5, 1853, to create Rice County.

In 1852, Jacob McQuillin's family settled in southern Rice County, beginning a settlement movement that rapidly grew. On February 20, 1855, the territorial legislature created the present county from the southernmost part of Rice County.[4] The new county was named for John Edward Mower, a member of the territorial legislature.[5]

On March 1, 1856, Territorial Governor Willis A. Gorman signed the legislative act that organized the county. He appointed three commissioners, who first met in Frankford Township. In January 1857 those commissioners designated the permanent seat in Austin Township. In July 1857 the location within Austin Township was further defined, within Austin village, which had been platted during the spring of 1856.[6]

Geography
Soils of Mower County[7]

Mower County lies on Minnesota's border with Iowa. The Cedar River flows south through the western part of the county, into Mitchell County, Iowa. The Upper Iowa River rises in Mower County. Its branches, the Little Iowa and Upper Branch Upper Iowa, merge near Le Roy and flow east-southeast out of the county's southeast corner into Mitchell County, Iowa. Deer Creek drains the southeastern part of the county, flowing northeast into Fillmore County. Bear Creek drains the northern part of the county, flowing east into Fillmore County. Carey Creek drains the northeastern part of the county, flowing northeast into Olmsted County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, etched with drainages and gullies. The area is devoted to agriculture where possible.[8] The terrain slopes to the east and south from an elevated center ridge running west–east,[9] with its highest point 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of Elkton, at 1,440 ft (440 m) ASL.[10] The county has an area of 712 square miles (1,840 km2), of which 711 square miles (1,840 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.[11]

Lakes

One of only four counties in Minnesota without any natural lakes (along with Olmsted, Pipestone, and Rock), Mower County does have four small ponds and lakes created by dams:

The Cedar River (sometimes called the Red Cedar River) flows south into the county from its source in Dodge County and continues through the county into Mitchell County, Iowa. It flows through Mower County's four westernmost townships: Udolpho, Lansing, Austin, and Lyle.

Transit

Major highways

Airports

Adjacent counties

Protected areas[8]
  • Lake Louise State Park
  • Larson State Wildlife Management Area
  • Red Cedar State Wildlife Management Area
  • Rose State Wildlife Management Area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18603,217—
187010,447224.7%
188016,79960.8%
189018,0197.3%
190022,33524.0%
191022,6401.4%
192025,99314.8%
193028,0658.0%
194036,11328.7%
195042,27717.1%
196048,49814.7%
197044,919−7.4%
198040,390−10.1%
199037,385−7.4%
200038,6033.3%
201039,1631.5%
202040,0292.2%
2022 (est.)40,140[12]0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[2]

The county population has declined since its peak in 1960, as younger people have moved to urban areas for economic opportunities.

2020 Census
Mower County Racial Composition[17]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 29,804 74.45%
Black or African American (NH) 1,613 4.03%
Native American (NH) 57 0.14%
Asian (NH) 2,052 5.13%
Pacific Islander (NH) 225 0.64%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,167 2.92%
Hispanic or Latino 5,081 12.7%

2000 census
Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 census data

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,603 people, 15,582 households, and 10,315 families in the county. The population density was 54.3 per square mile (21.0/km2). There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 22.9 per square mile (8.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.7% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.5% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 4.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.9% identified as being of German, 24.4% as Norwegian and 7.0% as of Irish ancestry.

There were 15,582 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

The county population contained 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,654, and the median income for a family was $45,154. Males had a median income of $31,743 versus $23,317 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,795. About 6.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Mower County has a county-council style of government, made up of five county commissioners, each elected from a single-member district. They are elected to four-year terms, and elected on a staggered basis.[18]

From its first participating election in 1860 through 1928, Mower County was traditionally Republican, voting for the Republican nominee in every election save 1912, when it voted for Bull Moose nominee and former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt.[19] After the New Deal realignment in 1932, Mower County leaned Democratic for about 80 years, voting for the Democrat in every presidential election through 2012 save in Eisenhower's two landslides (1952 and 1956), and 1960, when it voted for Nixon over Kennedy (despite having only narrowly voted for Eisenhower four years earlier). In 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to carry the county since 1960, winning a high plurality of 49.8%. In 2020, he carried it again, this time with a majority, making it the first time the county had voted Republican two elections in a row since 1956 and 1960.

State Legislature (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
Senate Gene Dornink[20] Republican District 27
House of Representatives Peggy Bennett[21] Republican District 27A
House of Representatives Patricia Mueller[22] Republican District 27B
U.S Congress (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
House of Representatives Brad Finstad[23] Republican 1st
Senate Amy Klobuchar[24] Democrat N/A
Senate Tina Smith[25] Democrat N/A
United States presidential election results for Mower County, Minnesota[26]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 10,025 51.82% 8,899 46.00% 421 2.18%
2016 8,823 49.81% 7,437 41.98% 1,455 8.21%
2012 6,938 37.42% 11,129 60.03% 472 2.55%
2008 7,075 36.87% 11,605 60.48% 507 2.64%
2004 7,591 37.54% 12,334 60.99% 297 1.47%
2000 6,873 37.19% 10,693 57.86% 914 4.95%
1996 4,994 27.65% 10,413 57.65% 2,656 14.70%
1992 5,147 25.47% 9,935 49.16% 5,128 25.37%
1988 6,969 36.63% 11,893 62.51% 163 0.86%
1984 8,054 39.01% 12,498 60.53% 95 0.46%
1980 7,908 38.91% 10,538 51.85% 1,879 9.24%
1976 8,163 37.99% 12,837 59.74% 487 2.27%
1972 9,929 48.36% 10,286 50.10% 315 1.53%
1968 7,736 39.70% 11,022 56.56% 728 3.74%
1964 6,510 32.32% 13,573 67.39% 57 0.28%
1960 11,040 52.40% 9,961 47.28% 67 0.32%
1956 9,570 50.66% 9,219 48.80% 101 0.53%
1952 9,862 53.16% 8,551 46.09% 138 0.74%
1948 5,672 37.07% 9,468 61.88% 161 1.05%
1944 6,588 47.62% 7,199 52.03% 48 0.35%
1940 7,169 47.11% 7,988 52.49% 60 0.39%
1936 4,743 35.17% 8,228 61.01% 516 3.83%
1932 4,005 37.79% 6,421 60.58% 173 1.63%
1928 6,209 63.09% 3,587 36.45% 46 0.47%
1924 5,061 55.69% 564 6.21% 3,463 38.11%
1920 6,339 82.06% 1,061 13.73% 325 4.21%
1916 2,520 59.43% 1,572 37.08% 148 3.49%
1912 1,321 31.63% 1,228 29.40% 1,628 38.98%
1908 2,629 63.46% 1,206 29.11% 308 7.43%
1904 2,769 77.50% 552 15.45% 252 7.05%
1900 3,076 70.75% 1,081 24.86% 191 4.39%
1896 3,379 68.83% 1,407 28.66% 123 2.51%
1892 2,234 56.36% 1,310 33.05% 420 10.60%

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Mower County's land is divided into 20 townships that each contain 36 square miles (six miles on a side). Mower County is five townships wide (30 miles (48 km) west to east) and four townships from north to south (24 miles).

See also

References
  1. Upham, Warren (2001). Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 385. ISBN 0-87351-396-7.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  5. Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names (1920), p. 359 (accessed May 3, 2019)
  6. The History of Mower County (pp. 44-56). Accessed May 3, 2019.
  7. Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 43-48. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  8. Mower County MN Google Maps (accessed May 3, 2019)
  9. ""Find an Altitude/Mower County MN" Google Maps (accessed May 3, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  10. Mower County High Point, Minnesota PeakBagger.com (accessed May 3, 2019)
  11. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  12. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  14. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  15. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  16. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  17. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Mower County, Minnesota".
  18. "County Board of Commissioners | Mower County, MN".
  19. "County winners, 1836-2016". Google Docs. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  20. Stultz, Sarah (November 5, 2020). "Dornink wins District 27 Senate seat". Albert Lea Tribune. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  21. "Rep. Peggy Bennett (27A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  22. "Rep. Patricia Mueller - RELEASE: Mueller Sworn In, Named to House Committees". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  23. "Republican Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in to finish Hagedorn's House term". August 12, 2022.
  24. "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  25. "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  26. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 10, 2018.

Further reading
  • History Committee (Mower County, Minn.) (1984). Mill on the willow: a history of Mower County, Minnesota. Mower County MN: History Committee.

43.67°N 92.75°W / 43.67; -92.75

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