Savage, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Savage is a suburb
an city 15 miles (24.1 km) south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis
in Scott County
in the U.S. state
of Minnesota
. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River
in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area
in the United States
. The population of Savage was 26,911 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 13
and County Road 42 are two of the main arterial routes in the city. Interstate 35W
and U.S. Route 169
are in close proximity to the city.
The landing point for Irish and Scottish immigrants in 1800, Savage has grown into a developing bedroom community, absorbing population growth from Burnsville
, its larger neighbor to the east. Once a shipbuilding port for the U.S. Navy, Savage is now an industrial manufacturing job center in the southern metro. The city is still relatively undeveloped, rural, and wild with sections of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
and Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve within its borders.
Previously named Hamilton
after the city in Ontario, Canada, the town was renamed Savage after Marion Willis Savage who owned and trained the nationally celebrated racing horse Dan Patch
.
fur traders and explorers explored the Minnesota River valley. After 1750, Mdewakanton
Dakota
then settled at Chief Black Dog's camp—near what is now Black Dog Lake in Burnsville
. Dakota used the Minnesota River valley region including present day Savage for fish, game, boating and camping.
In 1852, traders established a small post at the confluence of the Credit River
and the Minnesota River
. William Byrne, who immigrated from County Kilkenny, Ireland to Hamilton
, Ontario
, Canada
in 1840, arrived in the area shortly after, via steamboat from Fort Snelling. Already established in business and trade, he and other Irish and Scottish settlers build Hamilton Landing, a port for boats, named after the city he immigrated to in Canada. The town incorporated in 1892 as the village of Hamilton. Byrne later settled another nearby area which became Burnsville.
The Chicago Northwestern (present day Union Pacific Railroad
) railway line reached the site in 1865, and in 1866 the town gained a post office. Hamilton became the crossroads of trade and service in the region with the Credit River, Minnesota River, the valley's wagon and road trails, and the rail line.
The post office was later renamed Glendale Post Station in 1894 and formed Glendale Township to the west of Hamilton but was later consolidated with Savage in 1969. The roughly 17 blocks of the late 19th century town remain as Savage's downtown along Highway 13 (Minnesota).
In 1902, Minneapolis entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage purchased racing horse Dan Patch
and trained and raced him at his farm in the limits of Hamilton. Dan Patch's notoriety grew as the horse began breaking speed records and with it the prestige of the town. In 1904 the townspeople renamed the community after Savage with the post office officially confirming. In 1906 at the Minnesota State Fair, Dan Patch broke the world pacing mile record at 1 minute and 55 seconds, a record that remained unsurpassed for 54 years.
During World War II
, Savage was home to Camp Savage
, a Military Intelligence School (MIS) language school, which taught Japanese
to American military personnel. Established in 1942, the school trained with nisei
s and improved military intelligence of the time. It was later relocated to Fort Snelling and the camp is commemorated at Normandale College's Japanese garden. At about the same time, Cargill
, Incorporated, began building ships for the U.S. Navy at the newly constructed Meadowland Shipyard,renamed Port Cargill (former site of Hamilton Landing). To launch the ships, 14 miles (22.5 km) of the Minnesota River were dredged down to 9 feet (2.7 m) from Savage to the Mississippi River confluence. About 3,500 people were employed during peak production resulting in 18 auxiliary oil and gas carriers and 4 tugboats constructed. After World War II the port began shipping agricultural commodities.
Savage remained undeveloped in the post-war housing boom, isolated by the Minnesota River and without a direct interstate connection. Lack of available construction materials in the immediate area also prevented development. By the 1980s, with the upgrade of Highway 13 (Minnesota) and construction of the Highway 169
Bloomington Ferry Bridge
in 1996 across the Minnesota River, Savage's population finally boomed as one of the growing exurb cities with low cost greenfield land in the metropolitan area. The citizens of Savage reclaimed some of their history in the early 21st century, when it relocated the displaced Savage Depot built in 1880 by the then Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha Rail Road.
, the city has a total area of 16.5 square miles (42.7 km²), of which, 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (3.69%) is water. The city's northern boundary is the Minnesota River
; its tributary the Credit River
flows northwardly through the city.
of 2000, there were 21,115 people, 6,807 households, and 5,717 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,326.9 people per square mile (512.4/km²). There were 6,994 housing units at an average density of 439.5 per square mile (169.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.65% White, 1.59% African American, 0.25% Native American, 5.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 6,807 households out of which 56.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples
living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 43.5% from 25 to 44, 13.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,097, and the median income for a family was $79,244 (these figures had risen to $92,571 and $99,814 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,884 versus $35,824 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $26,858. About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Savage is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
, represented by John Kline
, a Republican
, scoring 2.8% progressive
on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006 House
votes.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an city 15 miles (24.1 km) south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in Scott County
Scott County, Minnesota
Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was organized in 1853 and named in honor of General Winfield Scott. As of 2010, the population was 129,928. Its county seat is Shakopee...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population of Savage was 26,911 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 13
Minnesota State Highway 13
Minnesota State Highway 13 is a highway in Minnesota that runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 65 in Albert Lea to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 149 at the West St...
and County Road 42 are two of the main arterial routes in the city. Interstate 35W
Interstate 35W (Minnesota)
Interstate 35W , is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Minneapolis. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35E through downtown Saint Paul...
and U.S. Route 169
U.S. Route 169
U.S. Route 169 currently runs for 966 miles from the city of Virginia, Minnesota to Tulsa, Oklahoma at U.S. Route 64.-Oklahoma:U.S. Highway 169 is a major south–north highway spanning in Oklahoma. The southern terminus for US-169 is Memorial Drive...
are in close proximity to the city.
The landing point for Irish and Scottish immigrants in 1800, Savage has grown into a developing bedroom community, absorbing population growth from Burnsville
Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River...
, its larger neighbor to the east. Once a shipbuilding port for the U.S. Navy, Savage is now an industrial manufacturing job center in the southern metro. The city is still relatively undeveloped, rural, and wild with sections of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota. There are eight refuge units strung along of the Minnesota River. Located just south of the city of Minneapolis, this is one of only four American national wildlife refuges in an urban...
and Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve within its borders.
Previously named Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
after the city in Ontario, Canada, the town was renamed Savage after Marion Willis Savage who owned and trained the nationally celebrated racing horse Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
.
History
In the 17th century, FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fur traders and explorers explored the Minnesota River valley. After 1750, Mdewakanton
Mdewakanton
Mdewakantonwan are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti Dakota . Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota, which in the Dakota language was called mde wakan .As part of the Santee Sioux, their ancestors had migrated from the Southeast of the present-day United States, where the...
Dakota
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
then settled at Chief Black Dog's camp—near what is now Black Dog Lake in Burnsville
Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River...
. Dakota used the Minnesota River valley region including present day Savage for fish, game, boating and camping.
In 1852, traders established a small post at the confluence of the Credit River
Credit River (Minnesota)
The Credit River is a small tributary of the Minnesota River, 22 miles long, in the southern Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 46 square miles in a suburban...
and the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
. William Byrne, who immigrated from County Kilkenny, Ireland to Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1840, arrived in the area shortly after, via steamboat from Fort Snelling. Already established in business and trade, he and other Irish and Scottish settlers build Hamilton Landing, a port for boats, named after the city he immigrated to in Canada. The town incorporated in 1892 as the village of Hamilton. Byrne later settled another nearby area which became Burnsville.
The Chicago Northwestern (present day Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
) railway line reached the site in 1865, and in 1866 the town gained a post office. Hamilton became the crossroads of trade and service in the region with the Credit River, Minnesota River, the valley's wagon and road trails, and the rail line.
The post office was later renamed Glendale Post Station in 1894 and formed Glendale Township to the west of Hamilton but was later consolidated with Savage in 1969. The roughly 17 blocks of the late 19th century town remain as Savage's downtown along Highway 13 (Minnesota).
In 1902, Minneapolis entrepreneur Marion Willis Savage purchased racing horse Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
and trained and raced him at his farm in the limits of Hamilton. Dan Patch's notoriety grew as the horse began breaking speed records and with it the prestige of the town. In 1904 the townspeople renamed the community after Savage with the post office officially confirming. In 1906 at the Minnesota State Fair, Dan Patch broke the world pacing mile record at 1 minute and 55 seconds, a record that remained unsurpassed for 54 years.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Savage was home to Camp Savage
Camp Savage
Camp Savage is the former site of a Military Intelligence Service language school operating during World War II. The school itself was established in San Francisco, but was moved in 1942 to Savage, Minnesota in the interest of national security. The purpose of the school was to teach the Japanese...
, a Military Intelligence School (MIS) language school, which taught Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
to American military personnel. Established in 1942, the school trained with nisei
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
s and improved military intelligence of the time. It was later relocated to Fort Snelling and the camp is commemorated at Normandale College's Japanese garden. At about the same time, Cargill
Cargill
Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, multinational corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded in 1865, it is now the largest privately held corporation in the United States in terms of revenue. If it were a public company, it would rank, as of 2011, number 13 on the Fortune 500,...
, Incorporated, began building ships for the U.S. Navy at the newly constructed Meadowland Shipyard,renamed Port Cargill (former site of Hamilton Landing). To launch the ships, 14 miles (22.5 km) of the Minnesota River were dredged down to 9 feet (2.7 m) from Savage to the Mississippi River confluence. About 3,500 people were employed during peak production resulting in 18 auxiliary oil and gas carriers and 4 tugboats constructed. After World War II the port began shipping agricultural commodities.
Savage remained undeveloped in the post-war housing boom, isolated by the Minnesota River and without a direct interstate connection. Lack of available construction materials in the immediate area also prevented development. By the 1980s, with the upgrade of Highway 13 (Minnesota) and construction of the Highway 169
U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota
U.S. Route 169 is a major north–south highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, connecting the Minnesota River valley with the Twin Cities and the Iron Range. Much of the route is built to expressway or freeway standards.-Route description:U.S...
Bloomington Ferry Bridge
Bloomington Ferry Bridge
The Bloomington Ferry Bridge is a 1.1-mile expressway bridge across the Minnesota River between Bloomington, Minnesota and Shakopee, Minnesota that carries U.S. Route 169. The current bridge opened in 1996. This bridge was designated Hennepin County Road 18 and Scott Country Road 18 upon its 1996...
in 1996 across the Minnesota River, Savage's population finally boomed as one of the growing exurb cities with low cost greenfield land in the metropolitan area. The citizens of Savage reclaimed some of their history in the early 21st century, when it relocated the displaced Savage Depot built in 1880 by the then Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha Rail Road.
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 city has a total area of 16.5 square miles (42.7 km²), of which, 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (3.69%) is water. The city's northern boundary is the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
; its tributary the Credit River
Credit River (Minnesota)
The Credit River is a small tributary of the Minnesota River, 22 miles long, in the southern Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota in the United States. Via the Minnesota River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 46 square miles in a suburban...
flows northwardly through the city.
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 21,115 people, 6,807 households, and 5,717 families residing in the city. 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 1,326.9 people per square mile (512.4/km²). There were 6,994 housing units at an average density of 439.5 per square mile (169.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.65% White, 1.59% African American, 0.25% Native American, 5.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 6,807 households out of which 56.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 43.5% from 25 to 44, 13.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,097, and the median income for a family was $79,244 (these figures had risen to $92,571 and $99,814 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,884 versus $35,824 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 city was $26,858. About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
The current mayor is Janet Williams and the four City Council seats are occupied by Gene Abbott, Al McColl, Jane Victorey, and Christine Kelly.Savage is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Carver, Scott, Le Sueur, Goodhue and Rice Counties. It also contains most of Dakota County and south Washington County including the cities of Cottage Grove and the southern part of Woodbury...
, represented by John Kline
John Kline (politician)
John Paul Kline is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. The district includes most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, including Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville and Eagan. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:Kline was born...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, scoring 2.8% progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006 House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
votes.