MANKATO, MINNESOTA

'Mankato' is a city in Blue Earth County¹, Minnesota with a population of 32,427 as of the 2000 census². It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, and is located along a large bend of the Minnesota River at its confluence with the Blue Earth River. While the majority of Mankato is located in Blue Earth County, the city extends into Le Sueur and Nicollet counties as well. It is neighbored by its sister city across the Minnesota River, North Mankato, and completely encompasses the town of Skyline.

Contents

History

Literary references

Geography

Demographics

Politics

Media

Major Area Employers

Education

Academic institutions

Major events

Places of interest

Notable residents, past and present

Rankings & Ratings

External links

History

Mankato was founded in February 5-6 1852. Mankato's founders were Parsons King Johnson and Henry Jackson. The city recently celebrated its sesquicentennial. ''Mankato'' is the Anglicized form of the Dakota ''mahkato'' or "green-blue earth," a reference to the characteristic blue clay deposits in the region, thought to contain copper by early explorers. The city was reputedly intended to have been named ''Mahkato'', but a typographical error by a clerk established the name as Mankato.^[1]
On December 26, 1862, the largest mass execution in U.S. history occurred in Mankato following the Dakota War of 1862. Thirty-eight Dakota Amerindians were hanged for participation in the uprising; a total of 303 were sentenced to be hanged but President Lincoln pardoned 265 at the urging of Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple. Lincoln's intervention was not popular at the time. Two commemorative statues are located on the site of the hangings (now home to the Blue Earth County Library and Reconciliation Park).
Former Vice President Schuyler Colfax died while traveling in Mankato on January 13, 1885.

Literary references

In Laura Ingalls Wilder's book ''On The Banks of Plum Creek'', which is part of the ''Little House on the Prairie'' series, Mankato was the "big city" that characters would visit to obtain supplies. Mankato also served as the basis for the "Deep Valley" of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series of children's books and novels. In Sinclair Lewis' 1920 novel "Main Street", heroine Carol Milford is a former Mankato resident. Lewis describes Mankato as follows: "In its
garden-sheltered streets and aisles of elms is white and green New
England reborn."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.9 km² (15.4 mi²). 39.4 km² (15.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.23%) is water. The Minnesota, Blue Earth and Le Sueur Rivers all flow through or near the city.
In the movie The Baxter, Mankato is referenced by one of the characters, Baxter.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,427 people, 12,367 households, and 6,059 families residing in the city. The population density was 823.2/km² (2,132.5/mi²). There were 12,759 housing units at an average density of 323.9/km² (839.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.55% White, 1.90% African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of the population.
There were 12,367 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 32.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,956, and the median income for a family was $47,297. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $22,081 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,652. About 8.5% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Mankato is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Mankato educator Tim Walz, a Democrat.

Media

The major daily newspaper in the area is the Mankato Free Press. The only local broadcast television network is KEYC-TV, Channel 12, a CBS affiliate. KEYC also carries a Fox affiliation on its digital subchannel and on local cable television.
Local radio stations are:

★ KDOG, 96.7 FM

★ KEEZ, 99.1 FM

★ KMSU, 89.7 FM

★ KQYK, 95.7 FM

★ KTOE, 1420 AM

★ KXLP, 93.1 FM

★ KYSM, 1230 AM

★ KYSM-FM, 103.5 FM

Major Area Employers

★ Taylor Corporation Companies: 4,500

★ Immanuel St. Joseph's - Mayo Health System: 1,828

★ Minnesota State University, Mankato: 1,600

★ Mankato Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (MRCI): 1,407

★ Mankato Area Public Schools: 1,160

★ Mankato Clinic: 683

★ Altell Wireless: 422

★ The Thro Company: 400

Education

The Mankato Area Public Schools are consolidated to include the cities of Mankato, North Mankato, Eagle Lake, and Madison Lake. There are nine elementary schools (Franklin, Eagle Lake, Kennedy, Washington, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Monroe, Hoover, and Garfield), two middle schools (Dakota Meadows Middle School and Mankato East Junior High), and three high schools (Mankato West High School, Mankato East High School, and Mankato Central High School). There are two parochial schools, K-12 Loyola Catholic School with Good Counsel and Fitzgerald campuses as well as Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and High School. There are two charter schools, Bridges Elementary and Riverbend Academy High School.

Academic institutions

★ Minnesota State University, Mankato

★ Bethany Lutheran College

★ Rasmussen College

★ South Central College

Major events

★ Minnesota State University, Mankato is home to the Minnesota Vikings summer training camp.

★ Minnesota State University, Mankato is home to the Minnesota Timberwolves Fall training camp.

★ Annual Ribfest in August.

Places of interest

★ Land of Memories Park along the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers, features bike trails, camping, disc golf, and soccer fields.

★ The Alltel Center is an arena in downtown Mankato.

★ Minneopa State Park is located west of Mankato.

★ The River Hills Mall

★ Happy Chef original restaurant and company headquarters. Mankato also is home to the 40-foot Happy Chef statue.

Notable residents, past and present

★ Adrienne Armstrong was a resident in the early 90's while attending Minnesota State University, Mankato, she is married to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong

★ Frederick Russell Burnham, "father of the international scouting movement," born near Mankato on 11 May 1861

★ Walter Jackson Bate, Pulitzer Prize winning biographer born in Mankato on 13 May 1918

★ Clifford Fagan, basketball referee, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

★ Sinclair Lewis, author

★ Maud Hart Lovelace, author of the Betsy-Tacy series of books

★ Julia Sears, pioneering feminist and suffragette

★ Glen Taylor, businessman and owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball teams

★ Timothy J. Walz, a former teacher at Mankato West High School and U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district

Rankings & Ratings

''Bizjournals.com'', 2006
Mankato/North Mankato was ranked 16th in the nation in a survey of 577 cities nationwide. The survey ratres the country's "micropolitan" areas in multiple quality of life criteria.
''America's Promise'', 2005
This national youth advocacy group, founded by Gen. Colin Powell and dedicated to making children and youth a priority, named Mankato on of the top 100 communities in the nation for kids. Criteria included the presence of caring adults, transportation for children, presence of places to learn and grow, education opportunities, and opportunities for children to volunteer.
''Rolling Stone College Guide'', 2005
Rolling Stone magazine named Mankato/St. Peter one of the top 50 college towns in the country because of its rich and diverse music scene.
''Site Selection'' Magazine, 2002, 2003 and 2004
For three consecutive years, Mankato/North Mankato ranked in the top 25 small cities nationwide for new and expanded corporate facility projects. The community ranked 16th in 2002(the Minnesota community to make the list), 13th in 2003, and 23rd in 2004.
''Bizdemographics'' awarded Mankato an "A" in terms of business climate, a sign of excellent economic health. The study considered charactersitics such as population growth, per capita income, job growth, and local educational levels.
''Demographics Daily'', September, 2000
Mankato and North Mankato placed in the top 50 U.S. cities classified as "dreamtowns." Cities were ranked according to quality of life indicators such as vitality, supply of good jobs, freedom from stress, connection to cultural mainstream, support for schools, access to health care, low cost of living, and small town character.
''The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities'', January, 1998
The City of Mankato was named the 14th most livable "micropolitan" in America and number one in Minnesota.
In 2004 Mankato was rated as the funniest city in America by Hallmark Cards.

External links

★ ci.mankato.mn.us — City of Mankato

★ greatermankato.com — Mankato Chamber of Commerce

★ mankatofreepress.com — The Free Press

★ katoinfo.com — local portal site

★ Mankato weather — provided by NOAA.