Kanabec County, Minnesota

Kanabec County, Minnesota
Kanabec County is a county in the East Central part of U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,032. Its county seat is Mora.
History
The Minnesota legislature authorized creation of Kanabec County on March 13, 1858, 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.
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.
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. The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the NW corner, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.3%) is water.
Lakes
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
Aitkin County - north
Pine County - east
Chisago County - southeast
Isanti County - south
Mille Lacs County - west
Protected areas
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
Ann River Logging Company Farm
Kanabec County Courthouse
Knife Lake prehistoric district
Ogilvie Watertower
C. E. Williams House
Zetterberg Company
Infrastructure
Airports
Mora Municipal Airport
Highways
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 27
Minnesota State Highway 47
Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 70
Minnesota State Highway 107
County Roads
County Road 1 - County Road 30
Demographics
2020 Census
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,239 people and 6,277 households in the county. The population density was . 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. As of the 2000 census, 30.2% were of German, 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
Braham (mostly in Isanti County)
Grasston
Mora (county seat)
Ogilvie
Quamba
Unincorporated communities
Brunswick
Coin
Grass Lake
Kroschel
Lewis Lake
Warman
Woodland
Abandoned Communities
Locations where the US Post office used to operate but no longer exist.
Bronson
Fisk
Heiden
Hillman
Mull
Raritan
Riverdale
Townships
Ann Lake Township
Arthur Township
Brunswick Township
Comfort Township
Ford Township
Grass Lake Township
Hay Brook Township
Hillman Township
Kanabec Township
Knife Lake Township
Kroschel Township
Peace Township
Pomroy Township
South Fork Township
Whited Township
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 2020).
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Kanabec County, Minnesota
References
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. . .
External links
Mn/DOT map of Kanabec County
Minnesota placenames of Native American origin
1882 establishments in Minnesota
Populated places established in 1882