Hilltop, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Hilltop is a city in Anoka County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 744 at the 2010 census.
The city is a small enclave within the city of Columbia Heights
and consists of 16 city block
s. Minnesota State Highway 65
(Central Avenue) serves as a main arterial route, running on the town's eastern edge.
The majority of the town's residents live in the 263 mobile home
s, across four trailer park
s, that sit within the city's borders. Hilltop is one of only two incorporated cities in America that consist primarily of manufactured housing; the second is another Twin Cities
suburb of Landfall, Minnesota
.
. The land had a dairy farm and later was the Oak Grove Riding Academy and Stables. The first trailer park, Trailer City, opened on the land in the 1940s; another park, Sunnyside, soon opened next door. Residents of two trailer parks became concerned that the Township was planning to remove the mobile homes. In 1956, led by Trailer City Park owner Les Johnson, they approached neighboring Columbia Heights and requested to be annexed by the city. Columbia Heights turned down their request, so Johnson circulated a petition to have the residents vote on incorporation
. The petition for incorporation passed smoothly, 137 to 34, and Hilltop was created.
Columbia Heights soon annexed all the land surrounding Hilltop, and began to make antagonistic moves towards the young town, at one point threatening to halt Hilltop's water and sewer service for punitive reasons. Another item of conflict was Hilltop's plan to issue liquor license
s, which would compete with Columbia Height's own municipal liquor store that accounted for a third of the city's operating budget. Instead of initially contracting with Columbia Heights, Hilltop opted to contract its fire protection from Fridley and establish its own police department by hiring a retired highway patrolman as police chief and three part-time officers. By 1959, tensions rose to the point where the Metropolitan Municipalities Commission, a predecessor of the Twin Cities-wide Metropolitan Council
, asked the then-State Attorney General
Walter Mondale
to contest the Hilltop charter to the Minnesota Supreme Court
.
Hilltop's first mayor was William Wychor, who instituted ordinances prohibiting activities such as "fortune tellers and other such like imposters"; "a person known to be a pickpocket, thief, burglar, yeggman, or confidence man and having no visible or lawful means of support"; and anyone "procuring or attempting to solicit money or any other thing of value by falsely pretending and representing himself to be blind, deaf, dumb, without arms or legs, or to be otherwise physically deficient".
By 1961, Hilltop was growing in population and tax revenue after attracting construction of strip mall
including a supermarket, drugstore, and liquor store, in addition to a bowling alley (with liquor license) and motel. Media in the Columbia Heights began insinuating that Hilltop's liquor licenses were illegal, but were unable to provide evidence. The town constructed its own water tower
in the mid-1960s, which allowed it to tap the Minneapolis water supply and end its conflict with Columbia Heights. In 1967, the town's population had doubled from inception to 1039. Tension between the rival cities began to abate in 1968, when Hilltop mayor Vivian Caesar and Columbia Heights mayor Bruce Nawrocki met alongside their respective city councils to discuss mutual issues. The city's police department closed in 1972, when one of its officers drove the town's only squad car into a tree and ruined their only source of transportation. Unable to afford a replacement, the police department was disbanded and the town instead paid the Columbia Heights Police Department for service; rescue services were also contracted to Columbia Heights on a per-incident fee.
The city led the Twin Cities area in population loss during the 1970s, going from a high of 1,015 to 817 in 1980. Due to the town's small size and the fascination with the trailer park stereotype, what were sometimes smaller incidents caused major headlines in the media of the area: In 1970, then-mayor George Reiter attempted to replace the female village clerk because he believed men were temperamentally better suited for the position, a view held by many of his supporters in the city. Murders were especially troubling for the residents: In 1976 there was a triple homicide in the city, perpetrated by men from International Falls
; in 1980 three prison escapees were captured hiding out in the trailer of one of their mothers; and in 1987 there was a murder-suicide involving a brother and sister.
In 1991, city manager
Karen Danz, who had stood in the position for 20 years, was arrested and convicted of embezzling
over $200,000 from the city treasury. With an annual budget of only $250,000 at the time, the crisis nearly drove the city to bankruptcy and jeopardized its police protection agreement with Columbia Heights. The city was ultimately saved by insurance and a fidelity bond
. In 1995 the city received more unwanted attention when the Star Tribune
carried a headline that "Tiny Hilltop is Crime Capital" due to its 131 serious crimes in 1994, which worked out to one for every six residents.
, the city has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
Hilltop is an enclave within Columbia Heights—that is, entirely surrounded on all borders by Columbia Heights.
of 2000, there were 766 people, 400 households, and 165 families residing in the city. The population density
was 6,111.3 people per square mile (2,275.0/km²). There were 426 housing units at an average density of 3,398.7 per square mile (1,265.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.64% White, 6.66% African American, 3.00% Native American, 3.39% Asian, 0.65% from other races
, and 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.
There were 400 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 17.8% were married couples
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.8% were non-families. 51.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,528, and the median income for a family was $32,875. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $25,652 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,576. About 17.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. For those 85 and older (4.29%), they accounted for an average of income $6,693 and were 96.4% Caucasian, 1.5% African American, .4% Hispanic and .3% Indian.
Police services are contracted to Columbia Heights Police Department based on an annual fee; rescue services are also handled by Columbia Heights on a per-incident fee. Fire department services are contracted to the Fridley Fire Department.
Anoka County, Minnesota
Anoka County is the fourth-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the counties of Isanti on the north, Chisago and Washington on the east, Hennepin and Ramsey on the south, Sherburne on the west, and the Mississippi River on the southwest.As of 2010, Anoka...
, 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...
. The population was 744 at the 2010 census.
The city is a small enclave within the city of Columbia Heights
Columbia Heights, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,520 people, 8,033 households, and 4,731 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,368.7 people per square mile . There were 8,151 housing units at an average density of 2,362.9 per square mile...
and consists of 16 city block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s. Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 65 is a highway in east-central and northeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with Washington Avenue at the north end of downtown Minneapolis and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
(Central Avenue) serves as a main arterial route, running on the town's eastern edge.
The majority of the town's residents live in the 263 mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
s, across four trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
s, that sit within the city's borders. Hilltop is one of only two incorporated cities in America that consist primarily of manufactured housing; the second is another Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
suburb of Landfall, Minnesota
Landfall, Minnesota
Landfall is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 686 at the 2010 census and is the smallest community in Washington County in terms of area. It lies on the eastern shore of Tanner's Lake on Interstate 94....
.
History
The land where Hilltop exists was originally an unincorporated part of the Fridley Township, a civil township next to the town of FridleyFridley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,449 people, 11,328 households, and 7,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,701.3 people per square mile . There were 11,504 housing units at an average density of 1,132.1 per square mile...
. The land had a dairy farm and later was the Oak Grove Riding Academy and Stables. The first trailer park, Trailer City, opened on the land in the 1940s; another park, Sunnyside, soon opened next door. Residents of two trailer parks became concerned that the Township was planning to remove the mobile homes. In 1956, led by Trailer City Park owner Les Johnson, they approached neighboring Columbia Heights and requested to be annexed by the city. Columbia Heights turned down their request, so Johnson circulated a petition to have the residents vote on incorporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
. The petition for incorporation passed smoothly, 137 to 34, and Hilltop was created.
Columbia Heights soon annexed all the land surrounding Hilltop, and began to make antagonistic moves towards the young town, at one point threatening to halt Hilltop's water and sewer service for punitive reasons. Another item of conflict was Hilltop's plan to issue liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
s, which would compete with Columbia Height's own municipal liquor store that accounted for a third of the city's operating budget. Instead of initially contracting with Columbia Heights, Hilltop opted to contract its fire protection from Fridley and establish its own police department by hiring a retired highway patrolman as police chief and three part-time officers. By 1959, tensions rose to the point where the Metropolitan Municipalities Commission, a predecessor of the Twin Cities-wide Metropolitan Council
Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council or Met Council is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Met Council is granted regional authority powers in state statutes by the Minnesota Legislature. These powers...
, asked the then-State Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
to contest the Hilltop charter to the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
.
Hilltop's first mayor was William Wychor, who instituted ordinances prohibiting activities such as "fortune tellers and other such like imposters"; "a person known to be a pickpocket, thief, burglar, yeggman, or confidence man and having no visible or lawful means of support"; and anyone "procuring or attempting to solicit money or any other thing of value by falsely pretending and representing himself to be blind, deaf, dumb, without arms or legs, or to be otherwise physically deficient".
By 1961, Hilltop was growing in population and tax revenue after attracting construction of strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
including a supermarket, drugstore, and liquor store, in addition to a bowling alley (with liquor license) and motel. Media in the Columbia Heights began insinuating that Hilltop's liquor licenses were illegal, but were unable to provide evidence. The town constructed its own water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
in the mid-1960s, which allowed it to tap the Minneapolis water supply and end its conflict with Columbia Heights. In 1967, the town's population had doubled from inception to 1039. Tension between the rival cities began to abate in 1968, when Hilltop mayor Vivian Caesar and Columbia Heights mayor Bruce Nawrocki met alongside their respective city councils to discuss mutual issues. The city's police department closed in 1972, when one of its officers drove the town's only squad car into a tree and ruined their only source of transportation. Unable to afford a replacement, the police department was disbanded and the town instead paid the Columbia Heights Police Department for service; rescue services were also contracted to Columbia Heights on a per-incident fee.
The city led the Twin Cities area in population loss during the 1970s, going from a high of 1,015 to 817 in 1980. Due to the town's small size and the fascination with the trailer park stereotype, what were sometimes smaller incidents caused major headlines in the media of the area: In 1970, then-mayor George Reiter attempted to replace the female village clerk because he believed men were temperamentally better suited for the position, a view held by many of his supporters in the city. Murders were especially troubling for the residents: In 1976 there was a triple homicide in the city, perpetrated by men from International Falls
International Falls, Minnesota
International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
; in 1980 three prison escapees were captured hiding out in the trailer of one of their mothers; and in 1987 there was a murder-suicide involving a brother and sister.
In 1991, city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
Karen Danz, who had stood in the position for 20 years, was arrested and convicted of embezzling
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
over $200,000 from the city treasury. With an annual budget of only $250,000 at the time, the crisis nearly drove the city to bankruptcy and jeopardized its police protection agreement with Columbia Heights. The city was ultimately saved by insurance and a fidelity bond
Fidelity bond
A fidelity bond is a form of insurance protection that covers policyholders for losses that they incur as a result of fraudulent acts by specified individuals. It usually insures a business for losses caused by the dishonest acts of its employees....
. In 1995 the city received more unwanted attention when the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
carried a headline that "Tiny Hilltop is Crime Capital" due to its 131 serious crimes in 1994, which worked out to one for every six residents.
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 a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
Hilltop is an enclave within Columbia Heights—that is, entirely surrounded on all borders by Columbia Heights.
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 766 people, 400 households, and 165 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 6,111.3 people per square mile (2,275.0/km²). There were 426 housing units at an average density of 3,398.7 per square mile (1,265.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.64% White, 6.66% African American, 3.00% Native American, 3.39% Asian, 0.65% 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 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.35% of the population.
There were 400 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 17.8% 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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.8% were non-families. 51.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,528, and the median income for a family was $32,875. Males had a median income of $28,295 versus $25,652 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 $16,576. About 17.7% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. For those 85 and older (4.29%), they accounted for an average of income $6,693 and were 96.4% Caucasian, 1.5% African American, .4% Hispanic and .3% Indian.
Government
Hilltop's government consists of a mayor and a three person city council. The city manager is the town's only full-time employee. As of 2003, the mayor's salary was $300 a month, and council members received $250 a month.Police services are contracted to Columbia Heights Police Department based on an annual fee; rescue services are also handled by Columbia Heights on a per-incident fee. Fire department services are contracted to the Fridley Fire Department.
External links
- City of Hilltop website