Lansing Township, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Lansing Township is a township
in Mower County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 1,292 at the 2000 census. The largest city contained partially within the township is Austin
with 23,314 people. The southern part of Austin is in Austin Township
. Lansing Township also contains the town of Mapleview
(population
189) and the unincorporated area
s of Ramsey, Corning, and Lansing.
near what is now Oakwood Cemetery and the following year John Pettibone, an Ohio
man, bought a claim in what is today the unincorporated
village of Lansing on Mower County Highway 2. Clark's claim was sold to William Baudler in 1855 and Pettibone sold his Lansing claim to D.M.V. Stewart and A.B. Vaughan in 1857 and returned to Ohio. Vaughan (the name Lansing is taken from Alanson, his first name) had an engine
hauled by oxen team from Wabasha
, Minnesota
and built the Lansing Steam Mill
that was operated until 1860 before it was converted to a grist mill. A.B. Vaughan donated the land for Lansing Cemetery.
, the township has a total area of 32.3 square miles (83.7 km²), of which, 32.2 square miles (83.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,292 people, 488 households, and 374 families residing in the township. The population density
was 40.1 people per square mile (15.5/km²). There were 514 housing units at an average density of 15.9/sq mi (6.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.29% White, 0.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.62% from other races
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.
There were 488 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $39,911, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $17,301. About 9.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
in 1866 from Council Hills Station, Illinois. In 1867 Simon built a flour mill containing just one run of buhr stones on the Cedar River. It was located on Water Street, the street that is now 4th St. NE in Austin. The Hormel
company bought the mill in 1915 and used it to produce Hormel Minnesota Peerless flour
. The mill burned to the ground in January, 1967.
on U.S. Route 218
, about three miles north of Austin
.
Plat
ted in 1873, Ramsey is an unincorporated community
about a mile northeast of Austin
near the Ramsey Golf Course. It was at the junction of two railroads and at one time a stagecoach
service operated between Austin and the small community. Gregson's Mill was located on the Cedar River and Ramsey's other main attraction, "The Old Mill" restaurant
, is named to honor this time in the community's past. Ramsey Golf Course lies north of Ramsey Mill Pond. A dam
was built for this pond
and the old mill
which used to be there. The old millstone
can be found embedded in the fireplace
of the course's clubhouse
.
Township (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
in Mower County
Mower County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,603 people, 15,582 households, and 10,315 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 23 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 1,292 at the 2000 census. The largest city contained partially within the township is Austin
Austin, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
with 23,314 people. The southern part of Austin is in Austin Township
Austin Township, Minnesota
Austin Township is a township in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,396 at the 2000 census. The largest city partially in the township is Austin with a population of 23,314 people. The northern parts of the city of Austin are in Lansing Township...
. Lansing Township also contains the town of Mapleview
Mapleview, Minnesota
Mapleview is a city in Lansing Township, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. It is situated directly to the north of Austin's Oakwood Cemetery and can more or less be considered a suburb of Austin, although it is politically independent of it. The population was 176 at the 2010 census...
(population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
189) and the unincorporated area
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...
s of Ramsey, Corning, and Lansing.
History
In 1853 H.O. "Hunter" Clark built a log cabinLog home
A log home is structurally identical to a log cabin...
near what is now Oakwood Cemetery and the following year John Pettibone, an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
man, bought a claim in what is today the unincorporated
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...
village of Lansing on Mower County Highway 2. Clark's claim was sold to William Baudler in 1855 and Pettibone sold his Lansing claim to D.M.V. Stewart and A.B. Vaughan in 1857 and returned to Ohio. Vaughan (the name Lansing is taken from Alanson, his first name) had an engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
hauled by oxen team from Wabasha
Wabasha, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,599 people, 1,062 households, and 665 families residing in the city. The population density was 318.4 people per square mile . There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of 142.9 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...
and built the Lansing Steam Mill
Steam mill
A steam mill is a type of grinding mill using a stationary steam engine to power its mechanism.-Reference to Marx:For Karl Marx, what defined feudalism was that the power of the ruling class rested on their control of arable land, leading to a class society based upon the exploitation of the...
that was operated until 1860 before it was converted to a grist mill. A.B. Vaughan donated the land for Lansing Cemetery.
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 32.3 square miles (83.7 km²), of which, 32.2 square miles (83.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.
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 1,292 people, 488 households, and 374 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 40.1 people per square mile (15.5/km²). There were 514 housing units at an average density of 15.9/sq mi (6.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.29% White, 0.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.62% 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 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.
There were 488 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $39,911, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $32,344 versus $25,750 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 $17,301. About 9.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Alderson's Mill
Simon and Sophia Alderson moved to AustinAustin, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
in 1866 from Council Hills Station, Illinois. In 1867 Simon built a flour mill containing just one run of buhr stones on the Cedar River. It was located on Water Street, the street that is now 4th St. NE in Austin. The Hormel
Hormel
Hormel Foods Corporation is a food company based in southeastern Minnesota , perhaps best known as the producer of Spam luncheon meat. The company was founded as George A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota, U.S., by George A. Hormel in 1891. The company changed its name to Hormel Foods...
company bought the mill in 1915 and used it to produce Hormel Minnesota Peerless flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
. The mill burned to the ground in January, 1967.
Andyville
Andyville is a small unincorporated communityUnincorporated 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...
on U.S. Route 218
U.S. Route 218
U.S. Route 218 is an original United States Highway, created in 1926. Although technically a spur of U.S. Route 18, US 218 neither begins nor ends at US 18, but overlaps US 18 for near Charles City, Iowa. US 218 begins at U.S. Route 136 in downtown Keokuk and ends away at...
, about three miles north of Austin
Austin, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
.
Ramsey
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1873, Ramsey is an unincorporated community
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...
about a mile northeast of Austin
Austin, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
near the Ramsey Golf Course. It was at the junction of two railroads and at one time a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
service operated between Austin and the small community. Gregson's Mill was located on the Cedar River and Ramsey's other main attraction, "The Old Mill" restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, is named to honor this time in the community's past. Ramsey Golf Course lies north of Ramsey Mill Pond. A dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was built for this pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
and the old mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
which used to be there. The old millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
can be found embedded in the fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
of the course's clubhouse
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
.
Cemeteries
- Lansing Cemetery is located on the northern side of the northwest quadrant of section 11 of the township. It is directly south of Mower County Highway 2. Its oldest known burialBurialBurial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
dates to 1859.
- Oakwood Cemetery is located in section 34 of the township, directly across from the Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
in AustinAustin, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
. It is bounded on the south by Interstate 90Interstate 90Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
and on the north by the town of MapleviewMapleview, MinnesotaMapleview is a city in Lansing Township, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. It is situated directly to the north of Austin's Oakwood Cemetery and can more or less be considered a suburb of Austin, although it is politically independent of it. The population was 176 at the 2010 census...
. With over 10,000 burials, it is the largest cemetery in Mower County. At one time it was three separate cemeteries. The northernmost was Cedar Cemetery and the southernmost Baudler Cemetery, with Old Oakwood Cemetery between them. Many of the poems contained in Richard EberhartRichard EberhartRichard Ghormley Eberhart was an American poet who published more than a dozen books of poetry and approximately twenty works in total...
's 1947 work Burr Oaks were influenced by the area around this bur oakBur oakQuercus macrocarpa, the Bur Oak, sometimes spelled Burr Oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section Quercus sect. Quercus, native to North America in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada...
-filled cemetery.
Further reading
- Mill on the Willow: A History of Mower County, Minnesota by various authors. Library of Congress No. 84-062356