Brown County, Minnesota

Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,912.[2] Its county seat is New Ulm.[3] The county was formed in 1855 and organized in 1856.

Brown County
County
Brown County Courthouse
Brown County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Brown County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°14′N 94°43′W
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedFebruary 20, 1855 (created)
1856 (organized)[1]
Named forJoseph Renshaw Brown
SeatNew Ulm
Largest cityNew Ulm
Area
 • Total618 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Land611 sq mi (1,580 km2)
 • Water7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  1.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total25,912
 • Estimate 
(2022)
25,723 Decrease
 • Density41.9/sq mi (16.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.brown.mn.us
1862 Johnson Map showing Brown County was much bigger at the time of the Sioux Uprising and would be later broken up into several other counties

Brown County comprises the New Ulm, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Mankato-New Ulm-North Mankato, MN Combined Statistical Area.

History

Brown County was founded in 1855 in the southwest corner of what was Minnesota Territory. It was named for Joseph Renshaw Brown, a member of the Governor's Council of the Territory in 1855.[4] In 1857, Brown County was divided, creating Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murry, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock counties. Watonwan was broken off in 1860. Redwood was created from a large portion of Brown County in 1862. Redwood was further divided into Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon and Yellow Medicine Counties in the 1870s. In 1862, the county's 150-mile northern border was the boundary line of the Upper and Lower Sioux reservations when hostilities broke out. New Ulm, the county seat, came under heavy attack twice by a superior Mdewakanton Dacotah force that was repulsed. Most of the town was torched and most of the population fled to St. Peter and Mankato. The town took many casualties, with the dead buried in the streets. In 1863, when the treaties with the eastern Dacotah were annulled and the two reservations were dissolved, the county border was moved north 10 miles to the Minnesota River.

Geography

The Minnesota River flows east-southeast along the county's northern border. The Cottonwood River flows east-northeast through the county's central and upper area, discharging into the Minnesota at the northern border. The Little Cottonwood River flows east through the lower portion of the county, on its way to discharge into the Minnesota in neighboring Blue Earth County. The terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture,[5] and generally slopes to the east, tending to drop into the river valleys. Its highest point is at its southwestern corner, at 1,263 ft (385 m) ASL.[6][7]

The county has an area of 618 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 611 square miles (1,580 km2) is land and 7.4 square miles (19 km2) (1.2%) is water.[8][9]

Soils of Brown County[10]

Transit

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Lakes

Most of the county is an area of rich farm land; most of its wetlands were drained for use in agriculture, leaving a number of lakes.[11] The county has at least 32 lakes,[12] some of which are deemed to be "protected waters" of the State of Minnesota;[13] these are designated with "(p)" below.

The lakes occupy "hollows in the driftsheet"; many have neither an inflow nor an outflow.[14]

Lakes in the county include:

  • Altermatt Lake (p)
  • Bachelor Lake (p), in Stark township
  • Boise Lake (p)
  • Clear Lake (p)
  • Gilman Lake (p)
  • Horseshoe Lake
  • Juni Lake (p), named for Benedict Juni, a Swiss settler.[15]
  • Lake Cottonwood (p)
  • Lake Hanska (p)
  • Linden Lake (p)
  • Lone Tree Lake (p)
  • Omsrud Lake (p)
  • School Lake (p), named for its location in school section 16.[15]: 72 
  • Sleepy Eye Lake (p)
  • Zanders Lake (p)

Climate and weather
New Ulm, Minnesota
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
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O
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D
 
 
0.6
 
 
24
6
 
 
0.7
 
 
29
11
 
 
1.9
 
 
41
23
 
 
2.9
 
 
58
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3.4
 
 
70
49
 
 
4.8
 
 
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4
 
 
83
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4.1
 
 
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72
51
 
 
2.3
 
 
60
38
 
 
1.6
 
 
42
25
 
 
0.9
 
 
27
10
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source:The Weather Channel[16]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
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J
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16
 
 
−4
−14
 
 
17
 
 
−2
−12
 
 
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21
9
 
 
122
 
 
26
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101
 
 
28
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104
 
 
27
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82
 
 
22
11
 
 
57
 
 
16
3
 
 
41
 
 
6
−4
 
 
22
 
 
−3
−12
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of New Ulm have ranged from a low of 6 °F (−14 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −37 °F (−38 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.64 inches (16 mm) in January to 4.82 inches (122 mm) in June.[16]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18602,339—
18706,396173.5%
188012,01887.9%
189015,81731.6%
190019,78725.1%
191020,1341.8%
192022,42111.4%
193023,4284.5%
194025,5449.0%
195025,8951.4%
196027,6766.9%
197028,8874.4%
198028,645−0.8%
199026,984−5.8%
200026,911−0.3%
201025,893−3.8%
202025,9120.1%
2022 (est.)25,723[17]−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20]
1990-2000[21] 2010-2020[2]

2020 Census
Brown County Racial Composition[22]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 23,968 92.5%
Black or African American (NH) 118 0.5%
Native American (NH) 39 0.2%
Asian (NH) 126 0.5%
Pacific Islander (NH) 6 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 484 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1,171 4.52%

2000 census
Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 U.S. census data

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,911 people, 10,598 households, and 7,164 families in the county. The population density was 44.0 per square mile (17.0/km2). There were 11,163 housing units at an average density of 18.3 per square mile (7.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.82% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 67.1% were of German and 9.6% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 10,598 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00.

The county population contained 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,800, and the median income for a family was $49,811. Males had a median income of $32,347 versus $23,918 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,535. About 4.40% of families and 6.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Government and politics

Brown County has traditionally voted Republican. As of 2020, the county has not supported the Democratic nominee for president since 1964.

United States presidential election results for Brown County, Minnesota[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 9,552 65.27% 4,753 32.48% 330 2.25%
2016 8,708 63.20% 3,763 27.31% 1,308 9.49%
2012 7,938 56.99% 5,630 40.42% 361 2.59%
2008 7,456 54.74% 5,809 42.65% 355 2.61%
2004 8,395 60.93% 5,158 37.44% 225 1.63%
2000 7,370 57.43% 4,650 36.23% 814 6.34%
1996 5,580 45.15% 4,864 39.36% 1,915 15.49%
1992 5,390 39.57% 4,278 31.41% 3,953 29.02%
1988 6,898 56.67% 5,109 41.97% 166 1.36%
1984 8,399 64.72% 4,469 34.44% 109 0.84%
1980 8,051 57.01% 4,915 34.80% 1,156 8.19%
1976 7,479 53.27% 5,792 41.26% 768 5.47%
1972 7,791 61.21% 4,347 34.15% 591 4.64%
1968 7,039 57.00% 4,585 37.13% 726 5.88%
1964 5,851 49.02% 6,069 50.84% 17 0.14%
1960 7,084 56.89% 5,353 42.99% 16 0.13%
1956 7,965 72.02% 3,067 27.73% 27 0.24%
1952 8,152 72.09% 3,129 27.67% 27 0.24%
1948 5,068 50.60% 4,804 47.96% 144 1.44%
1944 7,018 70.54% 2,842 28.57% 89 0.89%
1940 7,533 66.66% 3,678 32.55% 90 0.80%
1936 2,679 26.09% 6,637 64.64% 951 9.26%
1932 2,027 22.64% 6,716 75.00% 212 2.37%
1928 3,611 40.05% 5,341 59.24% 64 0.71%
1924 2,255 31.87% 270 3.82% 4,551 64.32%
1920 5,841 80.68% 796 10.99% 603 8.33%
1916 2,078 59.68% 1,101 31.62% 303 8.70%
1912 472 14.93% 1,359 42.99% 1,330 42.08%
1908 1,518 45.22% 1,536 45.76% 303 9.03%
1904 2,073 68.39% 869 28.67% 89 2.94%
1900 1,695 52.06% 1,471 45.18% 90 2.76%
1896 1,807 53.41% 1,469 43.42% 107 3.16%
1892 1,080 38.48% 1,174 41.82% 553 19.70%
County Board of Commissioners[24]
Position Name District Next Election
Commissioner David Borchert District 1 2024
Commissioner Anton Berg District 2 2026
Commissioner Scott Windschitl District 3 2024
Commissioner Brian Braun District 4 2026
Commissioner Jeffrey Veerkamp District 5 2026
State Legislature (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
Senate Gary Dahms[25] Republican District 16
House of Representatives Paul Torkelson[26] Republican District 16B
U.S Congress (2021-2023)
Position Name Affiliation District
House of Representatives Brad Finstad[27] Republican 1st
Senate Amy Klobuchar[28] Democrat N/A
Senate Tina Smith[29] Democrat N/A

See also

Footnotes
  1. "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. History of the Origin of the Place Names in Nine Northwestern States. 1908. p. 12.
  5. Brown County MN Google Maps (accessed March 5, 2019)
  6. ""Find an Altitude/Brown County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 5, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  7. Brown County High Point, Minnesota. PeakBagger.com (accessed May 5, 2019)
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  9. Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth ME: DeLorme. 1994. pp. 21–22, 30–31. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
  10. Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 65-67. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  11. "Stark Township". Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  12. "Brown County MN Lakes". Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  13. "Final Designation of Protected Waters and Wetlands Within Brown County, Minnesota" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DIVISION OF WATERS. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  14. Winchell & Upham 1884, p. 560.
  15. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 72.: 72 
  16. "Monthly Averages for New Ulm MN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  17. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  18. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  19. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  20. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  21. "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 5, 2014.
  22. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brown County, Minnesota".
  23. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  24. "County Commissioner". www.co.brown.mn.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  25. "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  26. "Rep. Paul Torkelson (16B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  27. "Republican Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in to finish Hagedorn's House term". August 12, 2022.
  28. "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  29. "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

Works cited

Further reading

44.23°N 94.72°W / 44.23; -94.72

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