Graham Lakes Township, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Graham Lakes Township is a township in Nobles County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 251 at the 2000 census.
, the township has a total area of 34.8 square miles (90.1 km²), of which, 33 square miles (85.5 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (5.20%) is water. The major geographic features in Graham Lakes Township include East Graham Lake
, West Graham Lake
, Jack Lake, and Kinbrae Lake.
Main highways include:
. He earned his livelihood by trapping for a few years, then turned to farming. He lived continuously on his farm from 1867 until the time of his death in 1897. Stephen Muck was the very first permanent resident of Nobles County.
The first town to appear on any map of Nobles County was a curious place called Gretchtown. According to an 1856 map - a map drawn 11 years before the arrival of Stephen Muck - Gretchtown was located on the south bank of West Graham Lake, very near to Muck's claim. Rumors of a railroad to be built through southwestern Minnesota had circulated in the 1850s, and even though no survey had been taken for the railroad, the town of Gretchtown had been created - at least on paper - to serve as a stopping point. When Nobles County was formally created by the Minnesota legislature on May 23, 1857, Gretchtown was brielfy designated as the county seat of Nobles County, a county at that time without any residents.
When a route for the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway was surveyed in 1871, it was located far south of the Graham Lakes region. No towns or villages existed in Graham Lakes Township until 1879 when Kinbrae
and Dundee
were established. Neither town grew beyond a few hundred residents. Thus, the Graham Lakes region has remained entirely rural, and the lake shores of both East Graham Lake and West Graham Lake remain undeveloped.
Organization of Graham Lakes Township was approved by the Nobles County Board on April 11, 1871. The first township meeting occurred April 21, 1871. The township was named for East Graham Lake and West Graham Lake which are entirely within the township's borders. These lakes were first noted on Joseph Nicollet
's 1842 map based upon his explorations of the late 1830s and early 1840s. Nicollet named the lakes after Joseph Duncan Graham. Graham served as a commissioner for the survey of the northeast segment of the boundary between the United States and Canada from 1840 until 1843.
of 2000, there were 251 people, 86 households, and 66 families residing in the township. The population density
was 7.6 people per square mile (2.9/km²). There were 93 housing units at an average density of 2.8/sq mi (1.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.60% White, and 0.40% from two or more races.
There were 86 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were married couples
living together, and 22.1% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the township the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $36,750, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $16,233. About 17.5% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.3% of those sixty five or over.
, represented by Mankato
educator Tim Walz
, a Democrat
. At the state level, Graham Lakes Township is located in Senate
District 22, represented by Republican
Doug Magnus
, and in House
District 22A, represented by Republican Joe Schomacker
.
Nobles County, Minnesota
Nobles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 21,378. Its county seat is Worthington.-Geography:...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 251 at the 2000 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 34.8 square miles (90.1 km²), of which, 33 square miles (85.5 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (5.20%) is water. The major geographic features in Graham Lakes Township include East Graham Lake
Graham Lakes, Minnesota
-Graham Lakes:The Graham Lakes are a pair of lakes located in the northeastern corner of Nobles County, Minnesota. The lakes are known as West Graham Lake and East Graham Lake. West Graham Lake is an oval shaped body of water that extends east-to-west slightly more than one mile . The...
, West Graham Lake
Graham Lakes, Minnesota
-Graham Lakes:The Graham Lakes are a pair of lakes located in the northeastern corner of Nobles County, Minnesota. The lakes are known as West Graham Lake and East Graham Lake. West Graham Lake is an oval shaped body of water that extends east-to-west slightly more than one mile . The...
, Jack Lake, and Kinbrae Lake.
Main highways include:
Nobles County Road 1
Nobles County Road 3- Nobles County Road 16
Nobles County Road 18
History
In the month of May, 1867, a pioneer named Stephen Muck pushed out into the unsettled Graham Lakes region and squatted on land on the bank of West Graham Lake. When surveyed, this land proved to be on section 22 of Graham Lakes Township. There he built a log structure from timber growing near the lake, the first house of wood in the county. In the fall of 1867, Muck brought his family from Jackson County, MinnesotaJackson County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,268 people, 4,556 households, and 3,116 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 5,092 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...
. He earned his livelihood by trapping for a few years, then turned to farming. He lived continuously on his farm from 1867 until the time of his death in 1897. Stephen Muck was the very first permanent resident of Nobles County.
The first town to appear on any map of Nobles County was a curious place called Gretchtown. According to an 1856 map - a map drawn 11 years before the arrival of Stephen Muck - Gretchtown was located on the south bank of West Graham Lake, very near to Muck's claim. Rumors of a railroad to be built through southwestern Minnesota had circulated in the 1850s, and even though no survey had been taken for the railroad, the town of Gretchtown had been created - at least on paper - to serve as a stopping point. When Nobles County was formally created by the Minnesota legislature on May 23, 1857, Gretchtown was brielfy designated as the county seat of Nobles County, a county at that time without any residents.
When a route for the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway was surveyed in 1871, it was located far south of the Graham Lakes region. No towns or villages existed in Graham Lakes Township until 1879 when Kinbrae
Kinbrae, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 21 people, 10 households, and 6 families residing in the city. The population density was 25.4 people per square mile . There were 14 housing units at an average density of 16.9 per square mile...
and Dundee
Dundee, Minnesota
Dundee is a city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States The population was 68 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Dundee is located in the extreme northeastern corner of Nobles County...
were established. Neither town grew beyond a few hundred residents. Thus, the Graham Lakes region has remained entirely rural, and the lake shores of both East Graham Lake and West Graham Lake remain undeveloped.
Organization of Graham Lakes Township was approved by the Nobles County Board on April 11, 1871. The first township meeting occurred April 21, 1871. The township was named for East Graham Lake and West Graham Lake which are entirely within the township's borders. These lakes were first noted on Joseph Nicollet
Joseph Nicollet
Joseph Nicolas Nicollet , also known as Jean-Nicolas Nicollet, was a French geographer and mathematician known for mapping the Upper Mississippi River basin during the 1830s....
's 1842 map based upon his explorations of the late 1830s and early 1840s. Nicollet named the lakes after Joseph Duncan Graham. Graham served as a commissioner for the survey of the northeast segment of the boundary between the United States and Canada from 1840 until 1843.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 251 people, 86 households, and 66 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 7.6 people per square mile (2.9/km²). There were 93 housing units at an average density of 2.8/sq mi (1.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.60% White, and 0.40% from two or more races.
There were 86 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, and 22.1% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the township the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $36,750, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $16,233. About 17.5% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.3% of those sixty five or over.
Politics
Graham Lakes Township is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional districtMinnesota's 1st congressional district
Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. The First District is primarily a rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, although this is changing rapidly due to strong population growth in...
, represented by Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
educator Tim Walz
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .The district comprises the state's southern end, running along the entire border with Iowa...
, a Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
. At the state level, Graham Lakes Township is located in Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
District 22, represented by Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
Doug Magnus
Doug Magnus
Douglas Rudy "Doug" Magnus is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 22, which includes all of Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock counties in the southwestern part of the state...
, and in House
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
District 22A, represented by Republican Joe Schomacker
Joe Schomacker
Joseph "Joe" Roy Schomacker is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represents District 22A, which includes all or portions of Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock counties in the southwestern part of the state...
.