Frontenac, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Frontenac is an unincorporated community
in Florence Township, Goodhue County
, Minnesota
, United States
, on the Mississippi River
.
until the railroad was built in the early 1850s. In 1854 the Garrard brothers came upon the area during a hunting trip and bought large tracts of land. By 1857 the village was permanently established with the name of Westervelt in 1855 to honor the then postmaster, Evert V. Westervelt.
The name was changed to 'Frontenac' in 1860 by the Garrard brothers after Frenchman, Louis de Buade de Frontenac
, who was born in 1622. He was the French colonial governor of Canada in 1672–82 and 1689–98. He died in Quebec
, Canada
on November 28, 1698. There is no record of his traveling to the Mississippi River.
Frontenac housed a station of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
and the picturesque scenery soon began attracting wealthy residents. It became a village of summer homes with lakeside views. The railway line outside the village ran from north to south, connected the remote area with larger cities, but it was far enough away from the bluffs not to detract from the vacation destination. There are actually two villages that comprise Frontenac. The railway line attracted some residents, while the bluffs attracted others. The houses along the railway line, and later the highway, became known as 'Frontenac Station' while the bluff residences are called 'Old Frontenac'. Both are in Florence Township and are listed as one location in the U.S. Census.
includes the floodplain along the Mississippi River, bluffs which are a flyway for many migratory bird species, prairies and hardwood forests.
It is within the Mississippi Flyway
and is also part of the Driftless Area of the north central United States.
, the city has 40.55 square miles (107.1 km²), of which 34.93 square miles (90.5 km²) is land and 5.63 square miles (14.6 km²) is water. The city is at the northern edge of the Driftless Area of karst topography
.
of 2000, there were 1,450 people, 633 households in Florence Township. The population density
was 41.5 per square mile (175.8 km²) and there were 18.1 housing units per square mile (175.8 km²).
which also carries U.S. Route 63
at that point.
Rail lines run parallel to the highway, but there is no longer a station in Frontenac.
The Frontenac Airport is located 1 mi (1.6 km) south of Frontenac Station, and is administered by a private agency.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Florence Township, Goodhue County
Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.-History:...
, 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...
, on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
History
James Wells established a trading post in the location that would become Frontenac before 1850. He dealt mostly with Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
until the railroad was built in the early 1850s. In 1854 the Garrard brothers came upon the area during a hunting trip and bought large tracts of land. By 1857 the village was permanently established with the name of Westervelt in 1855 to honor the then postmaster, Evert V. Westervelt.
The name was changed to 'Frontenac' in 1860 by the Garrard brothers after Frenchman, Louis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis de Buade de Frontenac
Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698...
, who was born in 1622. He was the French colonial governor of Canada in 1672–82 and 1689–98. He died in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
on November 28, 1698. There is no record of his traveling to the Mississippi River.
Frontenac housed a station of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
and the picturesque scenery soon began attracting wealthy residents. It became a village of summer homes with lakeside views. The railway line outside the village ran from north to south, connected the remote area with larger cities, but it was far enough away from the bluffs not to detract from the vacation destination. There are actually two villages that comprise Frontenac. The railway line attracted some residents, while the bluffs attracted others. The houses along the railway line, and later the highway, became known as 'Frontenac Station' while the bluff residences are called 'Old Frontenac'. Both are in Florence Township and are listed as one location in the U.S. Census.
Attractions
Mount Frontenac Ski and Golf
The Mount Frontenac Ski Resort was located on the south-eastern edge of Frontenac Station. It had 17 named runs, 6 lifts, and 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of skiable area. Its longest run was 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) in length. The ski runs have been closed and are now part of an 18 hole golf course.Frontenac State Park
The land between Frontenac Station and Old Frontenac, as well as much of the land to the north and some to the south, was set aside as a State Park in 1957. Frontenac State ParkFrontenac State Park
Frontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Mississippi River southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities. The centerpiece of the park is a , steep limestone bluff overlooking Lake Pepin, a natural widening of the...
includes the floodplain along the Mississippi River, bluffs which are a flyway for many migratory bird species, prairies and hardwood forests.
It is within the Mississippi Flyway
Mississippi Flyway
The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi River in the United States and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico...
and is also part of the Driftless Area of the north central United States.
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 40.55 square miles (107.1 km²), of which 34.93 square miles (90.5 km²) is land and 5.63 square miles (14.6 km²) is water. The city is at the northern edge of the Driftless Area of karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
.
Demographics
At 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 1,450 people, 633 households in Florence 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 41.5 per square mile (175.8 km²) and there were 18.1 housing units per square mile (175.8 km²).
Transportation
Frontenac is located along U.S. Route 61U.S. Route 61
U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...
which also carries U.S. Route 63
U.S. Route 63
U.S. Route 63 is a long north–south United States highway primarily in the Midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 in Ruston, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 2 in Benoit, Wisconsin, about east of Duluth, Minnesota. It is not related to U.S...
at that point.
Rail lines run parallel to the highway, but there is no longer a station in Frontenac.
The Frontenac Airport is located 1 mi (1.6 km) south of Frontenac Station, and is administered by a private agency.
See also
- Frontenac State ParkFrontenac State ParkFrontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Mississippi River southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities. The centerpiece of the park is a , steep limestone bluff overlooking Lake Pepin, a natural widening of the...
- Villa Maria Academy
- Minnesota Historical SocietyMinnesota Historical SocietyThe Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
External links
- Frontenac State Park official website
- Minnesota Historical Society homepage