Chisago County, Minnesota


Chisago County is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county covers an area of and, as of the 2020 Census, had a population of 56,621 people. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county's largest city is North Branch. Within Chisago County is the Chisago Lakes area, which includes the combined areas of Shafer, Chisago City, Lindström, and Center City. Center City is the county seat. The county has a diverse economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism.

History

Early history

Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Chisago County was home to the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes. The Dakota lived in the southern part of the county and the Ojibwe in the northern part. The first European to explore the area was Sieur duLuth in 1679. French and English trading posts were established in Taylors Falls and Sunrise during the 18th century. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, French fur traders who traveled south from Lake Superior established trading posts along the river, extending as far south as Taylors Falls.
In 1837, a treaty between the United States and the Chippewa Nation led to the cession of all lands between the St. Croix and Mississippi River, opening the area for European settlement.

European Settlement

The first European settlers arrived in the Chisago County area in the early 1800s. Most of them were of Swedish descent, and they came in search of land and new opportunities. They established small farms and communities throughout the county. Chisago County's early economy was based on farming, logging, and mining. Its forests and mines attracted many settlers to the area. Records of early businesses in Chisago County are recorded in Lindströmsjö. Many Swedes emigrated seeking religious freedom from the oppressive Lutheran Church of Sweden. However, the majority left for reasons other than religious repression and still identified as Lutherans. The early Swedish churches in Minnesota, like the Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church in Center City, were initially lay-led due to the absence of ordained clergy.
In the mid-1800s, the area that is now Chisago County was part of the Minnesota Territory, and it was not officially established as a county until 1851. It took its name from the Chisago Lake. In its aboriginal form it was "Ki-chi-saga", from two Ojibwe words: "kichi" and "saga".
The county seat was originally in Taylors Falls, but was relocated to Chisago City in 1865. It took three more years before the legislature approved this relocation and voters approved it in a referendum. The move was later challenged in the courts on allegations of election fraud, resulting in a two-year delay before the state Supreme Court validated the results. In 1875, the county seat was again moved, this time to Center City where it remains as of.
The development of transportation infrastructure in Chisago County began with the completion of the first bridge across the St. Croix River at Taylors Falls in 1856. Prior to the bridge, ferryboats provided crossings at Sunrise and Rush City. In 1868, a military road was constructed, spanning the entire county from north to south. Railroads soon became a vital mode of transportation, with the completion of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad, also running north to south, in 1870.

Progressive Era

By the early 1900s and the dawn of the Progressive Era, much of Chisago County's forests had been cleared, leading to the closure of sawmills and the departure of lumberjacks in search of new employment. Advancements in farm machinery enabled fewer workers to manage larger farms. The county's economy shifted toward manufacturing and industry. The county was home to factories and mills, including sawmills, flour mills, and paper mills.
The Progressive Era also led to reform movements resonating throughout Minnesota and Chisago County. The county's distinct approach to education can be primarily attributed to its homogeneous population and the unique structure of local governance. This uniformity allowed the school boards in Chisago County to effectively control external influences through their selection of teachers.
Nearly 70% of Chisago County voters supported Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

Post-war

Between 1970 and 2000, Chisago County's population surged by 135%. Enhanced transportation networks, including Interstate Highway 35 and U.S. Highway 8, facilitated access to broader regions and led to business and industrial growth.

Modern era

Today, Chisago County has a diverse economy. It is home to several manufacturing companies, including the Anderson Corporation, a major producer of windows and doors. Agriculture is also a large part of the local economy, with crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat grown in the county. Tourism is also growing, with visitors drawn to the Chisago Lakes area's recreational opportunities.
The county has retained and continues to celebrate much of its Swedish heritage.

Geography

Chisago County lies on Minnesota's eastern border, abutting the western border of Wisconsin. The Saint Croix flows south-southeast along the county's eastern border. The Sunrise River flows north through the county's central part, collecting the waters of the North Branch Sunrise River and Hay Creek before discharging into the St. Croix at the county's eastern boundary. The largest lakes in the county are Green Lake and Chisago Lake. The county has 72,257 acres of wetlands.
The county terrain consists of rolling hills, devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the northwest corner, at ASL. The county has an area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

Chisago County has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and warm summers. The average high temperature in the summer is around, while the average low temperature in the winter is around.
A record low of was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of was recorded in July 1988.
The county's location in the Upper Midwest region of the United States exposes it to a wide range of weather patterns, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. The county experiences moderate precipitation throughout the year, with an average annual rainfall of and an average annual snowfall of. Spring is the most active season for severe weather, with thunderstorms and tornadoes common. Winter storms are common during the winter, with heavy snowfall and blizzards.

Demographics

From 1960 to 2010, Chisago County has been one of the state's fastest growing counties. From 2000 to 2014, Chisago County was the fifth-fastest growing county in the state, experiencing a population increase of 12,924.
95.4% of residents have at least a high school education, and 22.2% have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. 4.9% are veterans.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 56,621. The median age was 40.8 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.7 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 90.8% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.6% of the population.
34.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 65.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 20,900 households in the county, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.7% were married-couple households, 15.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 17.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 22,294 housing units, of which 6.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 86.6% were owner-occupied and 13.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.

Age

Race and ethnicity

Historically, Chisago County has been overwhelmingly populated by non-Hispanic Whites. Since 2000, it has been home to a small but growing Black, Asian, and Hispanic population.

Ancestry

The most common ancestries in Chisago County are German, English, Swedish, Irish and Norwegian.

Nativity

In 2021, 97.9% of residents were born in the United States, and 78.5% had been born in Minnesota. Among the foreign-born population, 56.5% were naturalized U.S. citizens. 97.1% of residents spoke only English at home.
From the late 19th to mid-20th century, a majority of the foreign-born population was born in Sweden. As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 1,174 people were foreign born, or 2.06% of the total population. Of these, about 40% were born in Asia, 30% in Latin America, 15% in Canada, 10% in Europe, and 5% in Africa.
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