Warren, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,678 people, 699 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,174.1 people per square mile (453.1/km²). There were 785 housing units at an average density of 549.3 per square mile (212.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.27% White, 0.12% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.01% from other races
, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 699 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $45,063. Males had a median income of $32,216 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,547. About 6.5% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
) led to the establishment of a permanent settlement. It was named for a ticket agent for the railroad who probably never set foot in Warren. Warren was incorporated as a village in 1881 and as a city in 1892. There has always been some doubt surrounding the actual date of Warren's founding. Hence, the city celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1956 and its centennial in 1980.
Although several times larger than the next largest city in the county, Warren's prominence as the county seat has been threatened several times in its history. The original plan for the Soo Line Railroad
(completed in 1905) branch line that passes through Warren called for it to run from Thief River Falls
to Argyle
and then west. Argyle interests hoped the establishment of a railroad junction there would lead to the removal of the county seat from Warren to Argyle. Other interests prevailed, although the railroad line forms a parabola
extending north from Thief River Falls, and then south to Warren, as if the plan changed while the line was being built.http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Warren,+MN,+United+States+of+America&ie=UTF8&ll=48.263084,-96.622696&spn=0.203412,0.462799&z=11&om=1 In 1974, citizens of the eastern part of the county, noting Warren's location in the western quarter of the long county, and very nearly at its southern boundary, petitioned twice for the relocation of the county seat to Newfolden
. Neither effort that year resulted in the question being put on the ballot, and in fact, voters in the interim had approved the construction of an addition to the courthouse in Warren.
Warren was featured on a 2006 episode of the History Channel's UFO Files
episode "Alien Encounters." The unsolved case of a mysterious object impacting a county sheriff's car on August 27, 1979 was featured (see Val Johnson Incident
).
has a short growing season, which is often made even shorter due to floods, the area has excellent crop yields which help make farming in the area less risky than in other areas with poorer soil. The principal crops are wheat, soybeans, potatoes, and sugar beets. Warren was at one time home to the largest independent elevator in Minnesota. Northwest Grain Cenex Harvest States Cooperative has a large elevator on the Soo Line, and the American Crystal Sugar Co. operates a sugar beet terminal just north of Warren during harvest. Warren has three bank branches, the largest being a branch of Community Bank of the Red River Valley, headquartered in East Grand Forks.
Warren has a public library, the Godel Memorial Library, and is home to the Marshall County Historical Society, the Marshall County Fair, and the Warren Riverside Country Club (9-hole, par 4, grass greens).
and one affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod), a Roman Catholic parish and cemetery, an Evangelical Covenant church, a United Methodist church, and an Assembly of God church. In the rural area surrounding the city, there are three small Lutheran churches.
, abstract painter Gerome Kamrowski
, and rock critic Paul Nelson
. Serial killer Carl Panzram
was born south of the city in rural Polk County but his connection to Warren is unknown.
Stevens, Charles L. Warren and Vicinity in the Eighties: Some Recollections of Happenings in This Section Nearly Fifty Years Ago. Warren, Minn.: Warren Register, 1928.
Warren, Plains to Plenty: A Story of 75 Eventful Years, Warren, Minn: Sheaf Printing, 1956.
Census
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 1,678 people, 699 households, and 432 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 1,174.1 people per square mile (453.1/km²). There were 785 housing units at an average density of 549.3 per square mile (212.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.27% White, 0.12% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.01% 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 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 699 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $45,063. Males had a median income of $32,216 versus $20,625 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 $17,547. About 6.5% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
Warren was first settled in 1879 by Charles Wenzel. The coming of the Great Northern Railway (now BNSF RailwayBNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
) led to the establishment of a permanent settlement. It was named for a ticket agent for the railroad who probably never set foot in Warren. Warren was incorporated as a village in 1881 and as a city in 1892. There has always been some doubt surrounding the actual date of Warren's founding. Hence, the city celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1956 and its centennial in 1980.
Although several times larger than the next largest city in the county, Warren's prominence as the county seat has been threatened several times in its history. The original plan for the Soo Line Railroad
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
(completed in 1905) branch line that passes through Warren called for it to run from Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...
to Argyle
Argyle, Minnesota
Argyle is a city in Marshall County, Minnesota, United States, along the Middle River. The population was 639 at the 2010 census. Old Mill State Park is nearby.-History:Before James J...
and then west. Argyle interests hoped the establishment of a railroad junction there would lead to the removal of the county seat from Warren to Argyle. Other interests prevailed, although the railroad line forms a parabola
Parabola
In mathematics, the parabola is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface...
extending north from Thief River Falls, and then south to Warren, as if the plan changed while the line was being built.http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Warren,+MN,+United+States+of+America&ie=UTF8&ll=48.263084,-96.622696&spn=0.203412,0.462799&z=11&om=1 In 1974, citizens of the eastern part of the county, noting Warren's location in the western quarter of the long county, and very nearly at its southern boundary, petitioned twice for the relocation of the county seat to Newfolden
Newfolden, Minnesota
Newfolden is a city in Marshall County, Minnesota, along the Middle River. The population was 368 at the 2010 census. Old Mill State Park is nearby.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. Neither effort that year resulted in the question being put on the ballot, and in fact, voters in the interim had approved the construction of an addition to the courthouse in Warren.
Warren was featured on a 2006 episode of the History Channel's UFO Files
UFO Files
UFO Files was an American television series that was produced from 2004 to 2007 for The History Channel. The program covered the phenomena of unidentified flying and submerged objects, close encounters with alleged extraterrestrial life, and alleged military and government cover-up conspiracies.In...
episode "Alien Encounters." The unsolved case of a mysterious object impacting a county sheriff's car on August 27, 1979 was featured (see Val Johnson Incident
Val Johnson Incident
In UFOlogy, the Val Johnson Incident refers to an alleged encounter by Marshall County, Minnesota Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson with a UFO in 1979.-Incident:...
).
Economy
Agriculture and agribusiness have been the mainstays of Warren throughout its history. In fact, for most of its history, there has been no other industry at all. Although the Red River ValleyRed River Valley
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...
has a short growing season, which is often made even shorter due to floods, the area has excellent crop yields which help make farming in the area less risky than in other areas with poorer soil. The principal crops are wheat, soybeans, potatoes, and sugar beets. Warren was at one time home to the largest independent elevator in Minnesota. Northwest Grain Cenex Harvest States Cooperative has a large elevator on the Soo Line, and the American Crystal Sugar Co. operates a sugar beet terminal just north of Warren during harvest. Warren has three bank branches, the largest being a branch of Community Bank of the Red River Valley, headquartered in East Grand Forks.
Education and Culture
Warren is home of the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo school district. The district has one six-year high school and one elementary school, both located in Warren. Both buildings have been called superior facilities for a district its size. The high school, built in 1954, includes a 1000-seat auditorium. The elementary school, built in 1970, was originally an "open school" design where the classrooms were separated by chalkboard partitions rather than walls, although a few walls were installed in 1987.Warren has a public library, the Godel Memorial Library, and is home to the Marshall County Historical Society, the Marshall County Fair, and the Warren Riverside Country Club (9-hole, par 4, grass greens).
Religion
The city has three Lutheran churches (two affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
and one affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod), a Roman Catholic parish and cemetery, an Evangelical Covenant church, a United Methodist church, and an Assembly of God church. In the rural area surrounding the city, there are three small Lutheran churches.
People
Some famous people who have lived in Warren are ophthalmologist Harold Scheie, founder of the Scheie Eye InstituteScheie Eye Institute
The Scheie Eye Institute is the department of ophthalmology of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located within the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and is a leading center for research and treatment of disorders of the eye. In 2007, Scheie was the leading...
, abstract painter Gerome Kamrowski
Gerome Kamrowski
Gerome Kamrowski was an American artist and participant in the Surrealist Movement in the United States.He was born in Warren, Minnesota and begun to study art in the early 1930s at the St...
, and rock critic Paul Nelson
Paul Nelson (critic)
Paul Nelson was a folk and rock music critic who wrote for Sing Out! and Rolling Stone. He was instrumental in launching and supporting the careers of Bob Dylan, The New York Dolls, Elliott Murphy, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon...
. Serial killer Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram was an American serial killer, arsonist and burglar. He is known for his confession to prison guard and only friend, Henry Lesser. In graphic detail, Panzram confessed to 22 murders, and to having sodomized over 1,000 males...
was born south of the city in rural Polk County but his connection to Warren is unknown.
Further reading
Solum, Nancy, ed. Self-Portrait of Marshall County: A History of One Minnesota County and Many People Who Made That History. Dallas: Taylor, 1976.Stevens, Charles L. Warren and Vicinity in the Eighties: Some Recollections of Happenings in This Section Nearly Fifty Years Ago. Warren, Minn.: Warren Register, 1928.
Warren, Plains to Plenty: A Story of 75 Eventful Years, Warren, Minn: Sheaf Printing, 1956.