HUTCHINSON, MINNESOTA

'Hutchinson' is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, along the South Fork of the Crow River.

Contents

History

Preservation of History

Geography

Economy

Notable Natives

Notable Non-Natives

Demographics

References

History

The Hutchinson Family Singers-John, Asa, and Judson Hutchinson-are credited with founding the town in November 1855.
The town was besieged during the Sioux Uprising in 1862. Chief Little Crow was shot by a farmer a few miles north and west of Hutchinson a year later. A statue of Little Crow overlooks the Crow River at the east end of downtown Hutchinson.

Preservation of History

Historic Hutchinson, an organization with the mission “To restore, to preserve and to protect the living and structural history and spirit of the Hutchinson area and to showcase these assets now and for the future,” has created a historical tour of Hutchinson. More information can be obtained at the Historic Hutchinson official website and additional photographs can be found here.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.3 km² (7.8 mi²). 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (5.12%) is water. Major bodies of water include the Crow River which flows through the downtown, and Otter Lake. Hutchinson has the nation's second oldest park system (only New York City's is older).

Economy

Data from the top 31 employers in Hutchinson^[1] show the following distribution of employment:

★ Manufacturing (3959)

★ Retail (1178)

★ Medical (826)

★ School and Local Government (450)

★ Utilities (122)

★ Printing/Publishing (116)

★ Agricultural Service (75)

★ Food/Gardening Products (66)

★ Construction (30)

★ Wholesalers (21)
The bulk of the manufacturing jobs are with Hutchinson Technology (1791 employees, computer and peripheral equipment) and 3M (1781 employees, video/audio tapes and adhesive tapes). The Goebel Fixture Co. employees 125 in a unique niche market, producing cabinetry fixtures for department stores nationwide.
The town's agricultural roots, notably as the birthplace of the Geier Hitch, are fast becoming a dim memory.
The retail and service economy has shifted from agricultural supply and processing to a combination of local manufacturing and use as a bedroom community by commuters to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

Notable Natives

★ John W. Foss, U.S. Army general and former United States Army Training and Doctrine Command commander

★ Les Kouba [1]


★ Sarah Olson, 2002 Princess Kay of the Milky Way

★ Cory Sauter

★ Lindsay Whalen

Notable Non-Natives

The Hutchinson Family Singers-John, Asa, and Judson Hutchinson-are credited with founding the town in November 1855.
Chief Little Crow was shot by a farmer a few miles north and west of Hutchinson a year after the 1862 Sioux Uprising. A statue of Little Crow overlooks the Crow River at the east end of downtown Hutchinson.

Demographics

According to the 2000 United States Census ², there were 13,080 people, 5,333 households, and 3,418 families residing in the city. The population density was 680.6/km² (1,763.6/mi²). There were 5,667 housing units at an average density of 294.9/km² (764.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.24% White, 0.36% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 5,333 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,278, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $36,800 versus $24,862 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,970. About 3.1% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

City of Hutchinson, Minnesota official web site
1. Hutchinson Community Development Commission