Kittson County, Minnesota
Kittson County is a county in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Minnesota along the Canada–US border, south of the Canadian province of Manitoba. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,207.[1] Its county seat is Hallock.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]Evidence of occupation dating back 1800 years has been confirmed through archaeological expeditions done in the 1930s and 1970s around the burial mounds on the sand ridges in the eastern part of the county, which date to the Woodland Period. Evidence has been found that the Laurel, Arvilla, St. Croix, and Blackduck complexes were the area's early occupants. About 400 years ago, the Cree, Assiniboine, Sioux and Ojibwe inhabited the county.
The early explorers of the region were fur traders. Pembina, North Dakota's oldest settlement, across the Red River from Kittson County, dates from 1797, when the first trading post was established by Charles Baptiste Chaboillez of the Northwest Fur Company. The Hudson Bay and American Fur Companies were also in Pembina as the fur trading industry increased. The fur traders and voyageurs traveled on the eastern side of the Red. Alexander Henry the younger, who erected a fort for the North West Company in Pembina, is thought to be the first white man to test agriculture in the valley. Joe Rolette, who started a fur post for the American Fur Company in Pembina, and Norman W. Kittson (for whom the county is named),[3] were two early entrepreneurs who opened this area by developing the Red River ox cart trails and broadening the use of oxcarts. The need for oxcarts diminished as steamboats became the new mode for transporting furs and supplies. The railroad eventually replaced the steamboats.
Pembina County was one of five large counties the Minnesota Territory legislature established on October 27, 1849. It was not organized at that time. On March 9, 1878, the legislature renamed Pembina County to Kittson County. On February 25, 1879, Kittson County was divided, creating Marshall County. The county seat, Hallock, was organized in 1880. Kittson County was further diminished in 1894 when Roseau County was partitioned off. Kittson County has retained its present boundaries since 1894.[4]
St. Vincent, which is directly across the Red River from Pembina, was incorporated in 1857,[5] just before statehood. In 1878, the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad line reached St. Vincent and opened the area to settlement. With the railroad coming through, settlers began arriving to stake their claims. Many of the earliest settlers in what became Pembina and St. Vincent were Métis, going back to the late 18th century. The railway extended through the western part of the county, with Donaldson, Kennedy, Hallock, Northcote, Humboldt and St. Vincent along the line. The eastern part of the county was settled in the early 1900s. The Soo Line railroad was completed in 1904 and the communities of Karlstad, Halma, Bronson, Lancaster, Orleans and Noyes were established. Scandinavians, Ukrainians, Polish, Scottish, Irish, English, Germans, French Canadians, Canadian Gaelic speakers from New Brunswick, and Métis all contributed to the county's melting pot.
Once home to over 10,000 people, the county population declined below 5,000 in 2006.[6]
Historic sites
[edit | edit source]Three sites in the county are listed in the National Register of Historic Places: the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, in Caribou Township; the burial mounds known as the "Lake Bronson Site", in Norway and Percy Townships; and the Lake Bronson State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources, which include an observation tower and several buildings. Lake Bronson State Park also has interpretive sites for the tower, a pioneer cemetery and the WPA camp.
Geography
[edit | edit source]Kittson County is in Minnesota's northwest corner, on the borders of North Dakota and Canada. The Red River flows north along the county's western border. The South Fork of Two Rivers flows east through the central part of the county on its way to discharge into the Red; it meets the Middle Fork at Hallock, and the combined flow meets the North Fork a few miles east of the Red. The Joe River flows northwest out of the county into Canada, to discharge into the Red a few miles past the international border.
The county's terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain slopes to the north and west, with its highest point near the southeast corner at 1,079 ft (329 m) ASL.[8] The county has an area of 1,104 square miles (2,860 km2), of which 1,099 square miles (2,850 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (0.4%) is water.[9]
Kittson County was once part of glacial Lake Agassiz. Evidence of this prehistoric lake can still be seen in the county's topography. Remnants of McCauleyville Beach can be found in the eastern part of the county, an area of sandy soil and sand ridges. Other evidence of the glacier and Lake Agassiz is the approximately 140' drop in elevation from the eastern part of the county to the western part, near the Red River Valley, with its proliferation of black rich soil. Lake Bronson is a manmade reservoir, completed in 1937.
Major highways
[edit | edit source]
Adjacent counties and rural municipalities
[edit | edit source]- Town of Emerson, Manitoba (north)
- Rural Municipality of Franklin, Manitoba (north)
- Rural Municipality of Stuartburn, Manitoba (north)
- Roseau County, Minnesota (east)
- Marshall County, Minnesota (south)
- Walsh County, North Dakota (southwest)
- Pembina County, North Dakota (west)
Protected areas
[edit | edit source]Source:[7]
- Beaches State Wildlife Management Area
- Lake Bronson Parklands Scientific and Natural Area
- Lake Bronson State Park
Lakes
[edit | edit source]Source:[7]
- Lake Bronson
- Lake Stella
- Twin Lakes
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[11] | Pop 1990[12] | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 6,618 | 5,706 | 5,142 | 4,434 | 3,974 | 99.19% | 98.94% | 97.29% | 97.41% | 94.46% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.15% | 0.24% | 0.02% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 6 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 15 | 0.09% | 0.09% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 0.36% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 7 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 0.10% | 0.17% | 0.25% | 0.31% | 0.40% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [16] | x [17] | 0 | 0 | 6 | x | x | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.14% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.02% | 0.00% | 0.33% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [18] | x [19] | 40 | 20 | 97 | x | x | 0.76% | 0.44% | 2.31% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 41 | 46 | 67 | 69 | 83 | 0.61% | 0.80% | 1.27% | 1.52% | 1.97% |
| Total | 6,672 | 5,767 | 5,285 | 4,552 | 4,207 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 4,207. The median age was 48.9 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males age 18 and over.[20][21]
The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.0% of the population.[21]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 1,846 households in the county, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.0% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 2,272 housing units, of which 18.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.0% were owner-occupied and 19.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.[20]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,285 people, 2,167 households, and 1,447 families in the county. The population density was 4.81 per square mile (1.86/km2). There were 2,719 housing units at an average density of 2.47 per square mile (0.95/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.09% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 30.1% were of Norwegian, 25.7% Swedish, 13.7% German and 6.6% Polish ancestry. Kittson County had the highest percentage of Swedish speakers of any county in the United States.
There were 2,167 households, of which 29.2% had children under age 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.
The county population contained 25.1% under age 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,515, and the median income for a family was $40,072. Males had a median income of $30,240 versus $21,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,525. About 8.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under 18 and 10.4% of those 65 or older.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]- Donaldson
- Hallock (county seat)
- Halma
- Humboldt
- Karlstad
- Kennedy
- Lake Bronson (named "Bronson" until 1939)
- Lancaster
- St. Vincent
Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Ghost town
[edit | edit source]Townships
[edit | edit source]- Arveson Township
- Cannon Township
- Caribou Township
- Clow Township
- Davis Township
- Deerwood Township
- Granville Township
- Hallock Township
- Hampden Township
- Hazelton Township
- Hill Township
- Jupiter Township
- Norway Township
- Pelan Township
- Percy Township
- Poppleton Township
- Richardville Township
- St. Joseph Township
- St. Vincent Township
- Skane Township
- South Red River Township
- Spring Brook Township
- Svea Township
- Tegner Township
- Teien Township
- Thompson Township
Unorganized territories
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Kittson County has been a swing county for several decades, tending to vote Democratic. As of 2020, the county has selected the Democratic nominee in 60% of presidential elections since 1980. However in 2016, the county shifted hard to the right, with Donald Trump carrying the county by 22 points, after the county voted for Obama by 6 points in 2012. Trump would carry Kittson County again in 2020 and 2024, both times by wide margins and in 2024 with over 61% of the vote, the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate since Warren G. Harding in 1920.[23]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 408 | 32.46% | 307 | 24.42% | 542 | 43.12% |
| 1896 | 753 | 48.36% | 762 | 48.94% | 42 | 2.70% |
| 1900 | 885 | 58.96% | 562 | 37.44% | 54 | 3.60% |
| 1904 | 1,076 | 81.27% | 157 | 11.86% | 91 | 6.87% |
| 1908 | 969 | 62.16% | 499 | 32.01% | 91 | 5.84% |
| 1912 | 185 | 12.76% | 362 | 24.97% | 903 | 62.28% |
| 1916 | 709 | 43.98% | 749 | 46.46% | 154 | 9.55% |
| 1920 | 2,485 | 74.65% | 599 | 17.99% | 245 | 7.36% |
| 1924 | 1,333 | 42.88% | 249 | 8.01% | 1,527 | 49.12% |
| 1928 | 1,957 | 56.81% | 1,383 | 40.15% | 105 | 3.05% |
| 1932 | 950 | 27.81% | 2,332 | 68.27% | 134 | 3.92% |
| 1936 | 1,080 | 25.30% | 3,127 | 73.25% | 62 | 1.45% |
| 1940 | 1,279 | 28.55% | 3,167 | 70.69% | 34 | 0.76% |
| 1944 | 983 | 26.16% | 2,752 | 73.25% | 22 | 0.59% |
| 1948 | 1,035 | 24.74% | 2,970 | 71.00% | 178 | 4.26% |
| 1952 | 1,837 | 43.08% | 2,387 | 55.98% | 40 | 0.94% |
| 1956 | 1,569 | 41.31% | 2,222 | 58.50% | 7 | 0.18% |
| 1960 | 1,937 | 46.51% | 2,218 | 53.25% | 10 | 0.24% |
| 1964 | 1,153 | 29.23% | 2,790 | 70.72% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1968 | 1,436 | 40.88% | 1,894 | 53.91% | 183 | 5.21% |
| 1972 | 1,832 | 52.66% | 1,584 | 45.53% | 63 | 1.81% |
| 1976 | 1,555 | 42.85% | 2,008 | 55.33% | 66 | 1.82% |
| 1980 | 1,875 | 52.42% | 1,407 | 39.33% | 295 | 8.25% |
| 1984 | 1,716 | 51.24% | 1,610 | 48.07% | 23 | 0.69% |
| 1988 | 1,381 | 45.18% | 1,650 | 53.97% | 26 | 0.85% |
| 1992 | 1,098 | 36.80% | 1,307 | 43.80% | 579 | 19.40% |
| 1996 | 1,055 | 38.38% | 1,394 | 50.71% | 300 | 10.91% |
| 2000 | 1,353 | 51.31% | 1,107 | 41.98% | 177 | 6.71% |
| 2004 | 1,307 | 48.73% | 1,333 | 49.70% | 42 | 1.57% |
| 2008 | 1,016 | 39.56% | 1,492 | 58.10% | 60 | 2.34% |
| 2012 | 1,095 | 45.25% | 1,241 | 51.28% | 84 | 3.47% |
| 2016 | 1,349 | 56.56% | 823 | 34.51% | 213 | 8.93% |
| 2020 | 1,546 | 58.58% | 1,006 | 38.12% | 87 | 3.30% |
| 2024 | 1,535 | 61.40% | 911 | 36.44% | 54 | 2.16% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
- ↑ Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names, pp. 276-279 (1920). Accessed March 16, 2019
- ↑ Upham, Warren (2001). Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia (3rd, Revised ed.). Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 293. ISBN 9780873513968.
- ↑ Jane Helmke (2008). "Struggle for survival in Kittson County". KARE. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kittson County MN Google Maps (accessed March 16, 2019)
- ↑ ""Find an Altitude/Kittson County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 16, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 57-60. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Minnesota - Tables 15 and 16 – Race by Sex: 1980 and Tables 16 and 17 – Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 13-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Minnesota: Table 4-6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 17-79. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Kittson County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kittson County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kittson County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- ↑ Simon, Steve (November 21, 2024). "2024 State Canvassing Board Certificate". Minnesota Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 22, 2025. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
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