Kanabec County, Minnesota

Kanabec County, Minnesota
County
Kanabec County Courthouse in Mora (2007)
Kanabec County Courthouse in Mora (2007)
Map of Minnesota highlighting Kanabec County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 45°57′N 93°18′W / 45.95°N 93.3°W / 45.95; -93.3
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedMarch 13, 1858 (created)
1882 (fully organized)
Named afterSnake River
SeatMora
Largest cityMora
Area
 • Total
534 sq mi (1,380 km2)
 • Land522 sq mi (1,350 km2)
 • Water12 sq mi (31 km2)  2.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
16,032
 • Estimate 
(2024)
16,608 Decrease
 • Density30.7/sq mi (11.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.kanabeccounty.org

Kanabec County (/kəˈneɪbɪk/ kə-NAY-bik)[1] is a county in the East Central part of U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,032.[2] Its county seat is Mora.[3]

History

The Minnesota legislature authorized creation of Kanabec County on March 13, 1858,[4] with territory partitioned from Pine County. No county seat was designated at that time, and the county organization was not effected at that time. The county name came from the Ojibwe term ginebig, meaning "snake," after the Snake River — Kanabecosippi (Ginebigo-ziibi in the modern spelling) — which flows through the county.[5]

The area of Kanabec County was attached to Chisago County for administrative and judicial purposes. What county business was handled locally was performed by part-time County Auditor and County Treasurer, in a single room in a stopping place operated by lumber-trader George Staples at Millet Rapids.

In 1871 the county was detached from Chisago, and assigned to Pine County. This assignment lasted through 1881.

The 1870 United States census listed 53 occupants of the Kanabec County area. However, an influx of settlers into its southern areas occurred in the early 1870s, and by 1876 an official county building was needed. A one-room wood building was erected at Millet Rapids, put into use in 1876. In 1881 the county was detached from Pine, and the government structure was finalized, with the county seat being designated at Brunswick. Only one court term was held at Brunswick; in the 1882 general election, a nearly-unanimous vote designated Mora as the county seat. The old courthouse building was sold to a local farmer, who moved it to his property to use as a home. The wood courthouse erected at Mora was used until 1894, when it burned and was replaced by a more fireproof building.[6]

Geography

The Snake River flows south-southeasterly through the central part of the county, fed by Groundhouse River (flowing northeasterly from the county's SW corner) and Red Creek and Mud Creek. The Snake continues easterly into Pine County. The county terrain consists of partly-wooded rolling hills, etched by drainages. It is largely devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the NW corner, at 1,309 ft (399 m) ASL.[8] The county has a total area of 534 square miles (1,380 km2), of which 522 square miles (1,350 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.3%) is water.[9]

Sunset over Fish Lake in Kanabec County

Lakes

Source:[7]

  • Ann Lake
  • Bachman Dam
  • Bass Lake (part)
  • Beauty Lake
  • Featherbed Lake
  • Fish Lake
  • Kent Lake
  • Knife Lake
  • Lake Eleven
  • Lake Five
  • Lake Full of Fish
  • Lewis Lake
  • Long Lake
  • Pennington Lake
  • Pomroy Lake
  • Rice Lake
  • Spring Lake
  • Thirteen Lake
  • White Lily Lake

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Source:[7]

  • Ann Lake State Wildlife Management Area
  • Bean Dam State Wildlife Management Area
  • Hay-Snake State Wildlife Management Area
  • Rice Creek State Wildlife Management Area
  • Rum River State Forest (part)
  • Tosher Creek State Wildlife Management Area
  • Whited State Wildlife Management Area

Historic Locations

Source:[10]

  • Ann River Logging Company Farm
  • Kanabec County Courthouse
  • Knife Lake prehistoric district
  • Ogilvie Watertower
  • C. E. Williams House
  • Zetterberg Company

Infrastructure

Airports

Highways

County Roads

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
186030—
187093210.0%
1880505443.0%
18901,579212.7%
19004,614192.2%
19106,46140.0%
19209,08640.6%
19308,558−5.8%
19409,65112.8%
19509,192−4.8%
19609,007−2.0%
19709,7758.5%
198012,16124.4%
199012,8025.3%
200014,99617.1%
201016,2398.3%
202016,032−1.3%
2024 (est.)16,608[11] Increase3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[2]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,032. The median age was 45.4 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.0 males age 18 and over.[16][17]

The racial makeup of the county was 94.1% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[17]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18]

There were 6,530 households in the county, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.4% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]

There were 7,735 housing units, of which 15.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.2% were owner-occupied and 18.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%.[16]

2010 census

2022 US Census population pyramid for Kanabec County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,239 people and 6,277 households in the county. The population density was 31.1 per square mile (12.0/km2). There were 7,808 housing units (2014 estimate). The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, and 1.6% from other races or two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 30.2% of the population were of German ancestry, 18.1% Swedish, 13.1% Norwegian, 5.5% American and 5.4% Irish ancestry.

In the census of 2000, there were 5,759 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.

The county population contained 24.0% under the age of 18 and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,068. The per capita income for the county was $22,291. About 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Abandoned Communities

Locations where the US Post office used to operate but no longer exist.[19]

  • Bronson
  • Fisk
  • Heiden
  • Hillman
  • Mull
  • Raritan
  • Riverdale

Townships

Politics

Kanabec County voters have moved toward the Republican Party in the past few decades; since 1980 the county has selected the Republican Party candidate in 67% of national elections (as of 2024).

United States presidential election results for Kanabec County, Minnesota[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1860 15 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
1868 8 88.89% 1 11.11% 0 0.00%
1872 22 62.86% 13 37.14% 0 0.00%
1876 109 78.99% 29 21.01% 0 0.00%
1880 101 67.79% 48 32.21% 0 0.00%
1884 280 87.50% 40 12.50% 0 0.00%
1888 162 45.25% 82 22.91% 114 31.84%
1892 182 53.53% 38 11.18% 120 35.29%
1896 484 64.11% 256 33.91% 15 1.99%
1900 658 73.44% 210 23.44% 28 3.13%
1904 872 86.08% 106 10.46% 35 3.46%
1908 803 69.52% 242 20.95% 110 9.52%
1912 218 16.99% 270 21.04% 795 61.96%
1916 776 49.02% 608 38.41% 199 12.57%
1920 2,436 75.68% 332 10.31% 451 14.01%
1924 1,507 47.57% 128 4.04% 1,533 48.39%
1928 2,380 68.35% 1,040 29.87% 62 1.78%
1932 1,268 35.17% 2,106 58.42% 231 6.41%
1936 1,350 33.02% 2,579 63.09% 159 3.89%
1940 2,311 50.85% 2,185 48.07% 49 1.08%
1944 1,913 51.52% 1,776 47.83% 24 0.65%
1948 1,531 38.56% 2,305 58.06% 134 3.38%
1952 2,205 55.85% 1,714 43.41% 29 0.73%
1956 1,950 52.80% 1,736 47.01% 7 0.19%
1960 2,278 54.33% 1,890 45.08% 25 0.60%
1964 1,348 33.50% 2,666 66.25% 10 0.25%
1968 1,847 43.48% 2,154 50.71% 247 5.81%
1972 2,395 51.71% 1,969 42.51% 268 5.79%
1976 1,943 36.58% 3,188 60.03% 180 3.39%
1980 2,500 45.39% 2,654 48.18% 354 6.43%
1984 3,027 52.88% 2,660 46.47% 37 0.65%
1988 2,571 45.93% 2,970 53.05% 57 1.02%
1992 1,876 29.83% 2,532 40.27% 1,880 29.90%
1996 1,924 32.35% 2,927 49.21% 1,097 18.44%
2000 3,480 51.09% 2,831 41.57% 500 7.34%
2004 4,527 54.89% 3,592 43.55% 129 1.56%
2008 4,479 52.70% 3,743 44.04% 277 3.26%
2012 4,328 53.10% 3,593 44.09% 229 2.81%
2016 5,230 63.96% 2,327 28.46% 620 7.58%
2020 6,278 67.93% 2,774 30.02% 190 2.06%
2024 6,818 70.27% 2,718 28.01% 167 1.72%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Minnesota Pronunciation Guide". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Minnesota State Government Series - State Counties
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 172.
  6. ^ About Us. Kanabec County website (accessed March 13, 2019)
  7. ^ a b c Kanabec County MN Google Maps (accessed March 13, 2019)
  8. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Kanabec County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 13, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  10. ^ "National Register of Historical Places - MINNESOTA (MN), Kanabec County". nationalhistoricalregister.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  15. ^ "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 18, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  19. ^ "Notification Service | Post Offices". www.postalhistory.com. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 19, 2018.

Further reading

  • Ziegler, Frank and Robert H Beck (1981). Ken-ā-big : the story of Kanabec County: an illustrated history of Kanabec County, its early years. Mora, MN: B & W Printers. ISBN 978-1-199-49133-6. ISBN 1-199-49133-0.

45°57′N 93°18′W / 45.95°N 93.30°W / 45.95; -93.30

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanabec_County,_Minnesota