Cottonwood County, Minnesota

Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Cottonwood County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Cottonwood County
Location in the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location in the U.S.
Founded May 23, 1857 (created)
1870 (organized)[1]
Named for Cottonwood River[1]
Seat Windom
Largest city Windom
Area
 • Total 649 sq mi (1,681 km2)
 • Land 639 sq mi (1,655 km2)
 • Water 10 sq mi (26 km2), 1.5%
Population (est.)
 • (2016) 11,470
 • Density 18/sq mi (7/km2)
Congressional districts 1st, 7th
Time zone Central: UTC−6/−5
Website www.co.cottonwood.mn.us

Cottonwood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,687.[2] Its county seat is Windom.[3] The county was formed in 1857 and organized in 1870.[1]

History

Cottonwood County was established May 23, 1857 and formally organized on July 29, 1870. It was named after the Cottonwood River - a translation of the Dakota Sioux name, "Waraju" - which runs through the northeast corner of Germantown Township.[1] The river received its name from the abundance of cottonwood trees on its banks.[1][4]

Minnesota Governor Austin appointed three county commissioners when the county was established. They met at a private home about six miles northwest of Windom on the Des Moines River at Big Bend. During this meeting, they designated the commissioners districts and changed various county officers. In the fall of 1870, the first general election was held. The first deed on record was filed on January 10, 1870. The first land assessments were made in 1871, and in 1872, the first taxes were paid.[5]

County NRHP listings

Soils of Cottonwood County[9]



Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 649 square miles (1,680 km2), of which 639 square miles (1,660 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.5%) is water.[10]

Watersheds

The northeast part of the county drains north to the Minnesota River through numerous small creeks, the Cottonwood River and Watonwan River. The southwest part of the county drains south through the Des Moines River. These two watersheds come together at the Mississippi River near Keokuk, Iowa. Most wetlands in the county have been drained for agricultural use.

Lakes

Des Moines River WatershedMinnesota River Watershed

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
186012—
18705344,350.0%
18805,533936.1%
18907,41234.0%
190012,06962.8%
191012,6514.8%
192014,57015.2%
193014,7821.5%
194016,1439.2%
195015,763−2.4%
196016,1662.6%
197014,887−7.9%
198014,854−0.2%
199012,694−14.5%
200012,167−4.2%
201011,687−3.9%
Est. 201611,470[11]−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2016[2]
Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 U.S. census data

As of the 2000 census,[16] there were 12,167 people, 4,917 households, and 3,338 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 5,376 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.23% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 2.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 50.2% were of German and 18.6% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 4,917 households out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 22.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,943, and the median income for a family was $40,237. Males had a median income of $28,993 versus $19,934 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,647. About 7.40% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 64.3% 3,679 29.3% 1,678 6.4% 364
2012 56.6% 3,316 41.5% 2,433 1.9% 113
2008 52.3% 3,157 45.7% 2,759 2.0% 120
2004 55.9% 3,557 42.8% 2,726 1.4% 86
2000 54.5% 3,369 40.5% 2,503 5.0% 309
1996 42.7% 2,633 44.4% 2,737 13.0% 802
1992 37.3% 2,481 35.8% 2,382 26.9% 1,788
1988 51.8% 3,390 47.3% 3,095 0.9% 60
1984 57.9% 4,275 41.6% 3,073 0.5% 37
1980 54.3% 4,258 37.7% 2,958 8.0% 631
1976 49.7% 3,906 48.5% 3,813 1.8% 140
1972 60.2% 4,396 38.4% 2,802 1.4% 105
1968 54.8% 4,050 41.2% 3,046 4.0% 295
1964 45.5% 3,423 54.3% 4,090 0.2% 15
1960 64.6% 5,087 35.2% 2,768 0.2% 17
1956 66.3% 4,619 33.6% 2,344 0.1% 5
1952 71.5% 5,488 27.8% 2,130 0.7% 56
1948 48.6% 3,222 50.3% 3,333 1.2% 77
1944 62.1% 3,916 37.3% 2,354 0.6% 38
1940 58.3% 4,228 41.2% 2,991 0.5% 36
1936 37.9% 2,509 59.3% 3,929 2.8% 185
1932 39.4% 1,921 59.0% 2,877 1.6% 78
1928 67.5% 3,405 31.8% 1,604 0.8% 39
1924 57.0% 2,722 4.5% 217 38.5% 1,837
1920 86.3% 3,882 10.0% 451 3.7% 167
1916 60.2% 1,425 32.2% 762 7.6% 179
1912 16.1% 325 25.3% 511 58.6% 1,181
1908 65.8% 1,240 27.9% 526 6.3% 118
1904 84.4% 1,536 11.7% 213 3.9% 70
1900 68.5% 1,368 27.4% 547 4.1% 82
1896 58.7% 1,242 38.3% 810 3.0% 63
1892 52.4% 727 14.6% 202 33.1% 459

Major highways

Adjacent counties

County parks

  • Dynamite (Great Bend Township)
  • Lady Bird (Southbrook Township)
  • Pat's Grove (Springfield Township)[18]
  • Mountain (Mountain Lake Township)
  • Red Rock (Germantown Township)
  • South Dutch Charlie (Westbrook Township)[19][20]
  • Talcot Lake (Southbrook Township)

Communities

Cities

Townships

Unincorporated community

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 149.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 93.
  5. ↑ "Cottonwood County :: About Cottonwood County". www.co.cottonwood.mn.us. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  6. ↑ Nelson, Charles W.; Susan Zeik (October 26, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form: Cottonwood County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places". NRHP. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cottonwood County Parks". Cottonwood County, Minnesota. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 69 - 70. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  10. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  16. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  17. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  18. ↑ 43°52′32″N 95°17′39″W / 43.8756°N 95.2942°W
  19. ↑ 44°05′00″N 95°23′01″W / 44.0832°N 95.3836°W
  20. ↑ The park is named after the county's first resident of European descent, Charles "Dutch Charlie" Zierke. "Cottonwood County Timeline". Cottonwood County Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-08-16.

Further reading

  • John A. Brown (ed.), History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota: Their People, Industries, and Institutions: With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families. In Two Volumes. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen and Company, 1916. Volume 1 | Volume 2
  • Cottonwood County Minnesota Highway Map, Cottonwood County Highway Department, 2003.
  • DeLorme's Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer.

Coordinates: 44°01′N 95°11′W / 44.01°N 95.18°W / 44.01; -95.18

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