32-568: Maine Prairie Township is a township in Stearns County , Minnesota , United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2010 census. Maine Prairie Township was organized in 1858, and named after the state of Maine , the native home of a large share of its first settlers. According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 65.2 square miles (168.8 km); 61.9 square miles (160.2 km)
64-472: A household in the county was $ 42,426, and the median income for a family was $ 51,553. Males had a median income of $ 34,268 versus $ 23,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,211. About 4.30% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over. In its early history Stearns County was heavily Democratic due to being largely German Catholic and opposed to
96-508: A recognized ethnicity today), and in 1905 negotiated with the Canadian authorities to establish the St. Peter Colony in north-central Saskatchewan ." The first courthouse was put into service on July 12, 1864, and it remained in use until the present courthouse was dedicated in 1922. In 1913 a campaign was mounted to shift the county seat to Albany , due to its more central location. The effort
128-557: Is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota . As of the 2020 census , the population was 158,292. Its county seat and largest city is St. Cloud . Included within the Minnesota Territory since 1849, the county was founded by European Americans in 1855. It was originally named for Isaac Ingalls Stevens , then renamed for Charles Thomas Stearns . Stearns County is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area , which
160-644: Is also included in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Combined Statistical Area . The Stearns County area was formerly occupied by numerous indigenous tribes, such as the Sioux ( Dakota ), Chippewa ( Ojibwe ) and Winnebago ( Ho-chunk ). The first large immigration was of German Catholics in the 1850s. Early arrivals also came from eastern states. The Wisconsin Territory was established by the federal government effective July 3, 1836, and existed until its eastern portion
192-415: Is devoted to agriculture or has been developed. The terrain slopes to the east and south, with its highest point a local protuberance at 7.6 miles (12.2 km) west and 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south of St. Joseph , at 1,461 ft (445 m) ASL. The county's total area is 1,390 square miles (3,600 km ), of which 1,343 square miles (3,480 km ) is land and 47 square miles (120 km ) (3.4%)
224-546: Is land and 3.3 square miles (8.6 km), or 5.09%, is water. Minnesota State Highway 15 serves as a main route in the township. The township includes the city of Kimball , as well as the unincorporated community of Marty , to the north just west of Pearl Lake. Maine Prairie Township is located in Townships 121 and 122 North of the Arkansas Base Line and Range 29 West of the 5th Principal Meridian. As of
256-938: Is now Stearns County, each centered on a church-oriented hamlet. As the farmers prospered, the small frame churches were replaced by more substantial buildings of brick or stone such as St. Mary, Help of Christians , a Gothic Revival stone structure built in 1873. Stearns County retains in its German character and is still home to one of the largest rural Catholic populations in Anglo-America." Furthermore, according to Kathleen Neils Conzen, "Stearns County Germans early established daughter settlements at West Union in Todd County , Millerville in Douglas County , and Pierz in Morrison County, later flooded into North Dakota (where 'Stearns County German' remains
288-614: Is water. The northeastern border of Stearns County is formed by the Mississippi River. The land consists of rolling hills, scenic lakes, prairies, savannas and woodlands of a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Stearns is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils. The county has 166 lakes. Source: Sources: Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from
320-709: The Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory still exists. Fort Ripley is now the Minnesota National Guard 's Camp Ripley . The first school in the Territory was located at Fort Snelling, as was the first Post Office. The first justice of the peace in Minnesota was at Mendota , as was the first church, St. Peter's Catholic Church , which was built in 1840. The first territorial governor, Alexander Ramsey , requested that Congress approve funds for five military roads in
352-493: The census of 2000, there were 1,686 people, 581 households, and 474 families residing in the township. The population density was 29.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.5/km). There were 673 housing units at an average density of 11.9 per square mile (4.6/km). The racial makeup of the township was 98.81% White , 0.12% African American , 0.12% Native American , 0.30% Asian , 0.18% from other races , and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18% of
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#1732786596265384-702: The Territory: Mendota/Fort Snelling to the confluence of the Big Sioux River with the Missouri River ; Point Douglas to Fort Ripley; Fort Ripley Road/Swan River to Long Prairie Indian Agency; and Point Douglas to Superior. A budget was approved in 1850 for four of these roads, with the Point Douglas–Fort Ripley Military Road being the first. Additional funds were later appropriated for a survey of
416-821: The West Plains Trail, East Plains Trail, and Woods Trails. They connected Fort Garry and the Selkirk Settlement in British North America with Fort Snelling and the American Fur Trading Company at Mendota . Later, the Oxcarts became synonymous with St. Paul's Kellogg Street and the riverboat landing on the Mississippi River. Fort Ripley lay along the East Plains Trail. In 1850, 10 years after
448-401: The average family size was 3.22. In the township the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.3 males. The median income for a household in
480-514: The county's isolationism gave strong support to William Lemke ’s Union Party . Stearns County turned Republican until another Catholic nominee, John F. Kennedy , returned it to the Democratic ranks after being one of only 130 counties nationwide to back George McGovern in 1972. Since the “Reagan Revolution”, Stearns County has voted reliably Republican, with no Democrat gaining a majority since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Bill Clinton in 1996
512-491: The end of the Second Great Awakening (1790–1840), of the three churches with regular services in the Minnesota Territory, 1 was Methodist , 1 was Presbyterian , and 1 was Catholic . The Roman Catholic diocese of Saint Paul of Minnesota was established by Pope Pius IX on July 19, 1850, and consisted of the entirety of the Minnesota Territory. Because of this original territorial designation, to this day
544-632: The largest city. 45°33′N 94°37′W / 45.55°N 94.61°W / 45.55; -94.61 Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and the western portion became unorganized territory and shortly after
576-589: The naming of three county commissioners and specified St. Cloud as the county seat. Writing in 1997, Jewish-American historian of America's religious architecture Marilyn J. Chiat commented, "Father Francis X. Pierz , a missionary to Indians in central Minnesota, published a series of articles in 1851 in German Catholic newspapers advocating Catholic settlement in central Minnesota. Large numbers of immigrants, mainly German, but also Slovenian and Polish , responded. Over 20 parishes where formed in what
608-458: The only one to manage a plurality. The county's growing social conservative bent has fueled the Republican trend. In 2016 Donald Trump won the county with 59.8% of the vote, the highest percentage any presidential candidate has received since President Eisenhower in 1956. He improved on that in 2020 with 60.1% of the vote. As of 2024, one city in the county leans Democratic: St. Cloud ,
640-412: The pietistic Scandinavian Lutheran Republican Party of that era . It did not vote Republican until Theodore Roosevelt swept every Minnesota county in 1904. Anti- Woodrow Wilson feeling from World War I caused the county to shift overwhelmingly to Warren G. Harding in 1920 before swinging to Robert M. La Follette , coreligionist Al Smith and fellow “wet” Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1936
672-438: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 56.9% were of German and 9.4% Norwegian ancestry. There were 47,604 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who
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#1732786596265704-406: The population. There were 581 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.8% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and
736-588: The racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families in the county. The population density was 99.2 per square mile (38.3/km ). There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37.4 per square mile (14.4/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 95.99% White , 0.83% Black or African American , 0.26% Native American , 1.58% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.47% from other races , and 0.82% from two or more races. 1.37% of
768-602: The region was via waterway , of which the Mississippi River was primary. The primary mode of transport was the riverboat . Minnesota Territory had three significant pioneer settlements: St. Paul , St. Anthony/ Minneapolis , and Stillwater , plus two military reservations: Fort Snelling and Fort Ripley . All of these were located on waterways. A reservation for the Winnebago people had been created at Long Prairie in 1848. The Chippewa Agency, at Crow Wing ,
800-887: The route to the Big Sioux/Missouri, the Fort Ridgely and South Pass Wagon Road and the Wagon Road from Fort Ripley to Fort Abercrombie . Private trails were cut as well, the most well known of which was Dodd Road from 1853. It was named after its builder, Captain William B. Dodd, and significant portions of it still exist. When the region was still part of the Wisconsin Territory , the Red River Trails were further developed by Joe Rolette . There were three main trails, now identified as
832-399: The township was $ 50,833, and the median income for a family was $ 55,769. Males had a median income of $ 36,116 versus $ 23,802 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 19,875. About 1.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over. Stearns County, Minnesota Stearns County
864-441: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15. The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 16.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males. The median income for
896-558: Was founded in 1852. The Upper and Lower Sioux Agencies were created in 1853. All of these were also located adjacent to waterways. The primary territorial institutions were in the three main settlements. St. Paul was made the territorial capital , Minneapolis was selected as the site of the University of Minnesota , and Stillwater was chosen for the Territorial Prison . The military reservations were federal land, of which
928-599: Was granted statehood (as Wisconsin ) in 1848. The federal government set up the Minnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly organized territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October of that year. The original counties had portions partitioned off in 1851 to create Cass County and in 1853 to create Sibley , Pierce , and Nicollet counties. In 1855 parts of those counties were partitioned off to create Stearns County. It
960-643: Was not successful. Stearns County was also founded off of farmers' markets and crop trades, making it one of the top grossing crop producing counties in the state of Minnesota. Stearns County borders nine counties. The Mississippi River flows southeast along its northeast border, and the Sauk River drains the central part of the county into the Mississippi at St. Cloud . The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, lightly wooded, dotted with lakes and ponds, and carved with drainages. All available area
992-580: Was reorganized as part of the Dakota Territory . The Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849, encompassing the entirety of the present-day state of Minnesota and the majority portions of modern-day North and South Dakota east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers. At the time of formation there were an estimated 5,000 settlers living in the Territory. There were no roads from adjoining Wisconsin or Iowa . The easiest access to
Maine Prairie Township, Stearns County, Minnesota - Misplaced Pages Continue
1024-487: Was to be named Stevens County for territorial governor Isaac Ingalls Stevens , who had conducted an expedition through the area in 1853, but due to a clerical error, the county was named Stearns for Charles Thomas Stearns, a member of the Territorial Council. (To compensate for this error the area two counties west was later named Stevens County .) The February 20, 1855, act that created the county directed
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