Lanesboro, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Lanesboro is a city in Fillmore County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 754 at the 2010 census.
The town is a popular destination for tourists. The Root River
flows through it, with a waterfall on the edge of town. The Root River State Trail and other bike paths also serve the town. An Amish
community is in the area and the town is home to many unique shops and restaurants, and a new theater.
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
Minnesota State Highways 16
and 250
; and County Roads 8 and 21 are four of the main routes in Lanesboro.
.
magazine.
Crown Trout Jewelers of Lanesboro was a finalist in the 2002 International Gold Virtuosi Jewelry Design Competition, one of four American jewelry studios given that distinction from 5200 total entries.
Most recently, Outside Magazine featured the community as one of the "20 Best Dream Towns in America".
Since 1989, Lanesboro has been home to the Commonweal Theatre Company
, a professional ensemble dedicated to celebrating the human condition through actor-based storytelling. Each year, the Commonweal offers 4-6 plays ranging from Ibsen to family-friendly entertainment to holiday classics. During the summer months, two plays run in repertory, giving visitors the opportunity to see two different shows during their stay. The Commonweal, in cooperation with area businesses and organizations, hosts an annual Ibsen Festival celebrating Norwegian art and culture through workshops, lectures, food, and featuring Commonweal's production of an Ibsen play. A live one-hour radio show, "Over the Back Fence," is broadcast each Sunday evening from the theater during the summer months with tickets sold at the door. On July 7, 2007, the Commonweal opened a new theater facility called The Commonweal. This $3.5 million home seats 191 patrons in a thrust auditorium with an exterior designed to complement historic Lanesboro. The interior design was coordinated by area artist Karl Unnasch with regional elements such as reclaimed barn stone and lumber, cement floors and a permanent installation of area objects.
The Cornucopia Art Center, in downtown Lanesboro, has spacious galleries showcasing works by regional artists and frequently hosts traveling exhibitions.
in town. It is a member of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, the southeast Minnesota library region.
. As the town's tourist popularity grows, more festivals and get-togethers are being added to the town's busy schedule of events.
In 2008, the governor of Minnesota declared Lanesboro the Rhubarb Capital of Minnesota. The first weekend in June Lanesboro hosts a Rhubarb Festival. In 2007, Garrison Keillor broadcast A Prairie Home Companion
from the Lanesboro softball field and featured stories and songs about rhubarb.
Every Wednesday and Saturday during the growing season, the Lanesboro Farmers' Market can be found in Sylvan Park.
The town and a fictional museum were mentioned in an episode of Brothers & Sisters on October 19, 2008.
of 2000, there were 788 people, 384 households, and 221 families residing in the city. The population density
was 595.4 people per square mile (230.5/km²). There were 424 housing units at an average density of 320.3 per square mile (124.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.24% White, 0.25% African American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from other races
, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.
There were 384 households out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,206, and the median income for a family was $43,571. Males had a median income of $26,477 versus $22,115 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,311. About 7.7% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.
Fillmore County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,122 people, 8,228 households, and 5,718 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 8,908 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
, 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 754 at the 2010 census.
The town is a popular destination for tourists. The Root River
Root River (Minnesota)
The Root River flows for through the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. It is an excellent river for canoeing...
flows through it, with a waterfall on the edge of town. The Root River State Trail and other bike paths also serve the town. An Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community is in the area and the town is home to many unique shops and restaurants, and a new theater.
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 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
Minnesota State Highways 16
Minnesota State Highway 16
Minnesota State Highway 16 is a two-lane highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate Highway 90 in Dexter and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highways 14 and 61 in La Crescent....
and 250
Minnesota State Highway 250
Minnesota State Highway 250 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 16 in Lanesboro and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 30 in Arendahl Township....
; and County Roads 8 and 21 are four of the main routes in Lanesboro.
Trail connection
Lanesboro is one of several towns intersected by the Root River segment of the Blufflands State TrailBlufflands State Trail
Blufflands State Trail is a paved multi-use rail trail system in southeast Minnesota. The trail system consists of two main segments, the Root River segment, and Harmony-Preston Valley segment. The trails are used mainly for bicycling, hiking, and inline skating in the summer, and for cross...
.
Recognition
Lanesboro received the Great American Main Street Award in 1998. Author John Villani named the community one of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in America. It has also been rated one of the "50 Best Outdoor Sports Towns" by Sports AfieldSports Afield
Sports Afield was founded in 1887 as a hunting and fishing magazine by Claude King and is the oldest continuous outdoor publication in North America. The first issue, in January 1888, was eight pages long and printed on newspaper stock, published in Denver, Colorado...
magazine.
Crown Trout Jewelers of Lanesboro was a finalist in the 2002 International Gold Virtuosi Jewelry Design Competition, one of four American jewelry studios given that distinction from 5200 total entries.
Most recently, Outside Magazine featured the community as one of the "20 Best Dream Towns in America".
Culture
Commonweal Theatre Company
The Commonweal Theatre Company is a professional theatre company in Lanesboro, Minnesota . Established in 1989 by Eric Bunge, Scott Olson and Scott Putman, the company's season runs April to December and comprises six plays chosen from among the world's finest classic, contemporary, and emerging...
, a professional ensemble dedicated to celebrating the human condition through actor-based storytelling. Each year, the Commonweal offers 4-6 plays ranging from Ibsen to family-friendly entertainment to holiday classics. During the summer months, two plays run in repertory, giving visitors the opportunity to see two different shows during their stay. The Commonweal, in cooperation with area businesses and organizations, hosts an annual Ibsen Festival celebrating Norwegian art and culture through workshops, lectures, food, and featuring Commonweal's production of an Ibsen play. A live one-hour radio show, "Over the Back Fence," is broadcast each Sunday evening from the theater during the summer months with tickets sold at the door. On July 7, 2007, the Commonweal opened a new theater facility called The Commonweal. This $3.5 million home seats 191 patrons in a thrust auditorium with an exterior designed to complement historic Lanesboro. The interior design was coordinated by area artist Karl Unnasch with regional elements such as reclaimed barn stone and lumber, cement floors and a permanent installation of area objects.
The Cornucopia Art Center, in downtown Lanesboro, has spacious galleries showcasing works by regional artists and frequently hosts traveling exhibitions.
Library
Lanesboro Public Library is a public libraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in town. It is a member of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, the southeast Minnesota library region.
Events
Every Father's Day in June, an art festival dubbed "Art in the Park" fills the town's Sylvan Park. Near summer's end, the popular "Buffalo Bill Days" celebrates one of Lanesboro's famous frequent visitors, Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
. As the town's tourist popularity grows, more festivals and get-togethers are being added to the town's busy schedule of events.
In 2008, the governor of Minnesota declared Lanesboro the Rhubarb Capital of Minnesota. The first weekend in June Lanesboro hosts a Rhubarb Festival. In 2007, Garrison Keillor broadcast A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
from the Lanesboro softball field and featured stories and songs about rhubarb.
Every Wednesday and Saturday during the growing season, the Lanesboro Farmers' Market can be found in Sylvan Park.
The town and a fictional museum were mentioned in an episode of Brothers & Sisters on October 19, 2008.
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 788 people, 384 households, and 221 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 595.4 people per square mile (230.5/km²). There were 424 housing units at an average density of 320.3 per square mile (124.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.24% White, 0.25% African American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% 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 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.
There were 384 households out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% 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, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,206, and the median income for a family was $43,571. Males had a median income of $26,477 versus $22,115 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 $18,311. About 7.7% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.