Hassan Township, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Hassan Township is a 317 acres (1.3 km²) urban township
in Hennepin County
, Minnesota
, United States
. Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it is the only township in the county. The population was 2,463 at the 2000 census
.
The town began incorporation proceedings in 2003 but abandoned its petition and chose to sign a Joint Powers agreement with the nearby City of Rogers
to annex the entirety of Hassan Township. The Hassan Town Board approved annexation in June 2008 with orderly annexation to begin in 2012.
The origin of the name comes from the Dakota
word chanhasen meaning the "sugar-maple tree" (chan, tree; haza, a tree with sap). Since the then township of Chanhassen
established two years before Hassan, the chan syllable was dropped to avoid confusion.
, the township has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55.2 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (4.32%) is water. The township completely encircles the city of Rogers
. County Roads 81
, 116, and 144 are three of the main routes in the township.
of 2000, there were 2,463 people, 778 households, and 689 families residing in the township. The population density
was 120.8 people per square mile (46.6/km²). There were 788 housing units at an average density of 38.6/sq mi (14.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.38% White, 0.32% African American, 0.32% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 778 households out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.4% were married couples
living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.4% were non-families. 8.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the township the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $79,158, and the median income for a family was $81,832. Males had a median income of $46,689 versus $35,313 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $27,350. None of the families and 0.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Hassan is located along the south bank of the Crow River
and bisected by Interstate 94
, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of downtown Minneapolis. The City of Rogers lies entirely within the original township. Hassan's rolling landscape is composed of farmsteads, cultivated fields, scattered homes and subdivisions separated by wetlands, woodlands, and drainageways.
Settlement in 1854 by European immigrants brought about major changes in the landscape of what is now Hassan Township. Originally, as part of the "Big Woods", the areas was heavily timbered with oak, elm, basswood, ash, and maple. Large areas of marshland also existed. As settlers arrived, the woods were cleared and the land was tilled for farmstead construction and crop production.
Early on, small trade centers, known as hamlets, emerged in Hassan Township to serve the needs of the settlers. The hamlet of Hassan was first settled in 1854 and then organized in 1860 along Territorial Road in Section 21. Between 1854 and 1881, Hassan contained a clustering of houses, a post office, St. John's Episcopal Church, a school and a town hall. Today, an altered school, a church and town hall remain. Today, a few businesses still thrive in Hassan, including Hassan Sand and Gravel, Minuteman Services, and Town and Country Landscaping, among others.
Although not the earliest settlement, Fletcher, originally named St. Walburga by German immigrants, has become the most notable. It stands at the intersection of Territorial Road and County Road 116 (Fletcher Lane) in Hassan Township. Fletcher is considered to be the "finest example of a traditional crossroads hamlet in Hennepin County" and is eligible to become a historic district by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Territorial Road crosses over a series of ridges, including a section that includes the highest point in Hennepin County. It was authorized by the Territorial Legislature in 1855 and identified as the "first legitimate outlet" for this section of Hennepin County. Through the years, it became a major transportation route for Hassan Township and surrounding communities "because it was maintained and it provided relatively easy access to Minneapolis markets." (Hennepin History Museum; 1995).
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
, 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...
. Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it is the only township in the county. The population was 2,463 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The town began incorporation proceedings in 2003 but abandoned its petition and chose to sign a Joint Powers agreement with the nearby City of Rogers
Rogers, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,588 people, 1,195 households, and 982 families residing in the city. The population density was 715.1 people per square mile . There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of 248.1 per square mile...
to annex the entirety of Hassan Township. The Hassan Town Board approved annexation in June 2008 with orderly annexation to begin in 2012.
The origin of the name comes from 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...
word chanhasen meaning the "sugar-maple tree" (chan, tree; haza, a tree with sap). Since the then township of Chanhassen
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen is a city in Carver and Hennepin counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 22,952 at the 2010 census....
established two years before Hassan, the chan syllable was dropped to avoid confusion.
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 township has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55.2 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (4.32%) is water. The township completely encircles the city of Rogers
Rogers, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,588 people, 1,195 households, and 982 families residing in the city. The population density was 715.1 people per square mile . There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of 248.1 per square mile...
. County Roads 81
County Road 81 (Hennepin County, Minnesota)
County State-Aid Highway 81 or County Road 81 is a county highway in Hennepin County, Minnesota, which runs from its junction with Interstate 94 , CR 66, and CR 152 in the city of Minneapolis, and continues northwest to its terminus at Main Street in suburban...
, 116, and 144 are three of the main routes in the township.
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 2,463 people, 778 households, and 689 families residing in the 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 120.8 people per square mile (46.6/km²). There were 788 housing units at an average density of 38.6/sq mi (14.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.38% White, 0.32% African American, 0.32% Asian, 0.16% 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 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 778 households out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.4% 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, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.4% were non-families. 8.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the township the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $79,158, and the median income for a family was $81,832. Males had a median income of $46,689 versus $35,313 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 township was $27,350. None of the families and 0.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
History
Hassan is the sole remaining township in Hennepin County. The Town of Hassan is classified as an Urban Township which provides for the exercising of more powers than non-urban townships.Hassan is located along the south bank of the Crow River
Crow River (Minnesota)
The Crow River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in south-central Minnesota in the United States. It drains a watershed of 2,756 square miles .-Hydrography:The Crow River flows for most of its length as three streams:...
and bisected by Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of downtown Minneapolis. The City of Rogers lies entirely within the original township. Hassan's rolling landscape is composed of farmsteads, cultivated fields, scattered homes and subdivisions separated by wetlands, woodlands, and drainageways.
Settlement in 1854 by European immigrants brought about major changes in the landscape of what is now Hassan Township. Originally, as part of the "Big Woods", the areas was heavily timbered with oak, elm, basswood, ash, and maple. Large areas of marshland also existed. As settlers arrived, the woods were cleared and the land was tilled for farmstead construction and crop production.
Early on, small trade centers, known as hamlets, emerged in Hassan Township to serve the needs of the settlers. The hamlet of Hassan was first settled in 1854 and then organized in 1860 along Territorial Road in Section 21. Between 1854 and 1881, Hassan contained a clustering of houses, a post office, St. John's Episcopal Church, a school and a town hall. Today, an altered school, a church and town hall remain. Today, a few businesses still thrive in Hassan, including Hassan Sand and Gravel, Minuteman Services, and Town and Country Landscaping, among others.
Although not the earliest settlement, Fletcher, originally named St. Walburga by German immigrants, has become the most notable. It stands at the intersection of Territorial Road and County Road 116 (Fletcher Lane) in Hassan Township. Fletcher is considered to be the "finest example of a traditional crossroads hamlet in Hennepin County" and is eligible to become a historic district by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Territorial Road crosses over a series of ridges, including a section that includes the highest point in Hennepin County. It was authorized by the Territorial Legislature in 1855 and identified as the "first legitimate outlet" for this section of Hennepin County. Through the years, it became a major transportation route for Hassan Township and surrounding communities "because it was maintained and it provided relatively easy access to Minneapolis markets." (Hennepin History Museum; 1995).