Goodhue County, Minnesota

Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,582. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.
Goodhue County comprises the Red Wing, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.
History
The county was created on March 5, 1853, with territory partitioned from Wabasha County. It was named for James Madison Goodhue (1810–1852), who published the first newspaper in the territory, The Minnesota Pioneer.
The county was originally settled exclusively by "Yankee" settlers, meaning that they both came to Goodhue County either directly from the six New England states or from upstate New York, where they were born to parents who had moved to that region from the six New England states in the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution, and that they were descended from the English Puritans who emigrated to North America during the early 1600s. Because of the prevalence of New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York the county was said to have a "distinctly New England character". While this was true of many neighboring counties it was considered exceptionally true of Goodhue County. The New Englanders brought with them many of their New England values, including a love of education and fervent support of the abolitionist movement. When the New Englanders arrived, they laid out farms, established post routes, and built schools and government buildings out of locally available materials. The New Englanders and their descendants made up the great majority of Goodhue County's inhabitants until the late 19th and early 20th century, when immigrants from Germany and Norway began arriving in the Minnesota-Wisconsin border region in large numbers. There were small numbers of immigrants from Germany, Norway and Sweden during the first several decades of Goodhue County's history as well.
Hamline University, Minnesota's first college of higher learning, was started in Red Wing in 1854. It closed during the Civil War, and reopened in 1869 in Saint Paul.
The county was a leading producer of wheat during the mid-19th century, and for several years the county boasted the highest wheat production in the country. Fires at two of Red Wing's mills in the 1880s and developing railroad routes across Minnesota encouraged farmers from neighboring counties to begin sending their wheat to Minneapolis mills, reducing the county's importance in the wheat trade around the start of the 20th century.
The first municipal swimming pool in the state was built in Goodhue County.
In October 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the county for a bridge dedication ceremony. The Hiawatha Bridge had been built to replace the Old High Bridge that spanned the Mississippi River since 1895. This visit drew 20,000 people. Eisenhower hoped his visit would help in the elections, swaying Minnesota voters to vote for Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election in the coming month. But John F. Kennedy carried the state on his way to being elected the next president.
Geography
Goodhue County lies on Minnesota's border with Wisconsin (across Lake Pepin). The Cannon River flows eastward through the northern part of the county on its way to discharge into Lake Pepin. The Little Cannon River flows northward through the west-central part of the county, discharging into the Cannon River at Cannon Falls. The North Fork of the Zumbro River flows eastward through the lower part of the county. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, etched with drainages and gullies, and with high bluffs against the river valleys. The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is near its southwest corner at ASL. The county has an area of , of which is land and (3.0%) is water. Goodhue is one of 17 Minnesota counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils.
Lakes
Birch Lake
Brewer Lake
Cannon Lake
Clear Lake
Devils Lake
Espen Lakes
Goose Lake
Lake Byllesby
Larson Lake
Nelson Lake
North Lake
Rattling Springs Lake
Spring Banks Lake
Spring Creek Lake
Sturgeon Lake
Twin Lakes
Major highways
U.S. Highway 52
U.S. Highway 61
U.S. Highway 63
Minnesota State Highway 19
Minnesota State Highway 20
Minnesota State Highway 56
Minnesota State Highway 57
Minnesota State Highway 58
Minnesota State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 246
Minnesota State Highway 292
Minnesota State Highway 316
List of county roads
Adjacent counties
Pierce County, Wisconsin - north
Pepin County, Wisconsin - northeast
Wabasha County - east
Olmsted County - southeast
Dodge County - south
Rice County - west
Dakota County - northwest
Protected areas
Cannon River Turtle Preserve Scientific and Natural Area
Frontenac State Park
Miesville Ravine Park Reserve (part)
North Fork Zumbro Woods Scientific and Natural Area
Spring Creek Prairie Scientific and Natural Area
Woodbury State Wildlife Management Area
Demographics
2020 Census
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,127 people, 16,983 households, and 11,905 families in the county. The population density was . There were 17,879 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.57% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 16,983 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.
The county population contained 26.50% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,972, and the median income for a family was $55,689. Males had a median income of $36,282 versus $25,442 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,934. About 3.70% of families and 5.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.20% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Bellechester (part)
Cannon Falls
Dennison (part)
Goodhue
Kenyon
Lake City (part)
Pine Island (part)
Red Wing (county seat)
Wanamingo
Zumbrota
Census-designated place
Frontenac
Unincorporated communities
Belle Creek
Belvidere Mills
Bombay
Claybank
Forest Mills
Hader
Hay Creek
Roscoe
Ryan
Skyberg
Sogn
Stanton
Vasa
Wacouta
Wangs
Wastedo
Welch
White Rock
Ghost towns
Central Point Township
Fairpoint
Florence
Thoten/Belvidere
Townships
Belle Creek Township
Belvidere Township
Cannon Falls Township
Cherry Grove Township
Featherstone Township
Florence Township
Goodhue Township
Hay Creek Township
Holden Township
Kenyon Township
Leon Township
Minneola Township
Pine Island Township
Roscoe Township
Stanton Township
Vasa Township
Wacouta Township
Wanamingo Township
Warsaw Township
Welch Township
Zumbrota Township
Government and politics
Goodhue County usually leans Republican. It has selected the Republican nominee in nine of the eleven presidential elections since 1980.
See also
List of County Roads in Goodhue County, Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places listings in Goodhue County, Minnesota
References
External links
Goodhue County Government's website
Minnesota counties
Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River
1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1853