Nerstrand, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Nerstrand is a small town in Rice County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 295 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 246
serves as a main route in the community. Minnesota State Highways 56
and 60
are nearby.
ed the present site of Nerstrand, building a house
and farm, and began to envision a town on the site. In 1877, he built a store on what became the right-of-way for railroad tracks on what is now Main Street. In 1885, the Minnesota and North Western Railroad (later the Chicago Great Western Railway
) was constructed, extending from Lyle
, Minnesota
to St. Paul, and Osmundson plat
ted the town on the line, naming it after his hometown of Nedstrand
in Tysvær
, Norway
.
The town was the center of a significant Norwegian immigrant community, which included people in the surrounding township and county. Some, like Tosten Bonde, who lived just outside the city limits, and Osmundson became state legislators. Thorstein Veblen
, who similarly grew up just outside of the town, became a noted sociologist and economist
.
The town incorporated in 1897 and its first city hall, built in the same year. It proved too small within a few years, and a new city hall was built in 1907. The Nerstrand City Hall
building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 6, 1982 alongside the Osmund Osmundson House
and Tosten Bonde's farmhouse
. The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
became a National Historic Landmark
. The railroad tracks have since been removed.
, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²).
The town features an elementary school with grades K-5, which is operated as a charter school
under state law. There is also a highly rated volunteer fire department.
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park
is located nearby. The Valley Grove Church Building, located nearby, is considered an important historical site, though there are several active churches around the area that are better preserved:
The town was notorious for the nearby Nerstrand Hill, bane of the locomotive engineer, with the steepest grade on the line from St. Paul to Manley Junction, Iowa
.
are still present today carrying on this role. These two businesses together provide over half the employment in Nerstrand.
The business district declined with the advent of the automobile, with most area residents choosing to shop in Northfield
which has always been more prominent because of the two colleges located there, or Faribault
which is the county seat.
As businesses left, Nerstrand became more of a bedroom community for people working in Northfield, Faribault, or Kenyon
. A few nonretail businesses, including a cabinet shop and two specialty construction firms, have come to the community, utilizing what would otherwise be vacant storefront space.
of 2000, there were 233 people, 80 households, and 65 families residing in the city. The population density
was 164.3 people per square mile (63.4/km²). There were 82 housing units at an average density of 57.8 per square mile (22.3/km²).
There were 80 households out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% were married couples
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,500, and the median income for a family was $50,156. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,362. None of the families and 0.4% of the population were living below the poverty line.
(1857–1929), usually characterized as an economist or sociologist, and best known for writing the book The Theory of the Leisure Class (ISBN 0-14-018795-2), lived about a mile northeast of town. His house and farm, The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
, contained several innovations, including what is believed to be the first bucket elevator
to be installed on a farm in Rice County. The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
was renovated in 1994 as a historic site and is occasionally open to the public. As of November, 2003, it is for sale.
Rice County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,665 people, 18,888 households, and 13,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 people per square mile . There were 20,061 housing units at an average density of 40 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 295 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 246
Minnesota State Highway 246
Minnesota State Highway 246 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 3 in the city of Northfield and continues south and east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 56 in Holden Township near Kenyon.Highway 246 is in...
serves as a main route in the community. Minnesota State Highways 56
Minnesota State Highway 56
Minnesota State Highway 56 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 63 near the Iowa state line and Chester, Iowa, and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with U.S...
and 60
Minnesota State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 60 is a highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 60 at the Iowa state line and continues east-northeast to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line , where the route becomes Wisconsin Highway 25 upon crossing the Mississippi River.Highway 60 is...
are nearby.
History
In 1856, Norwegian immigrant Osmund Osmundson moved to Wheeling Township in Rice County. He homesteadHomestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
ed the present site of Nerstrand, building a house
Osmund Osmundson House
The Osmund Osmundson House is a historic house in Nerstrand, Minnesota. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 6, 1982. The house is significant for its association with a prominent Rice County pioneer and town founder.-Structure:The Osmund Osmundson...
and farm, and began to envision a town on the site. In 1877, he built a store on what became the right-of-way for railroad tracks on what is now Main Street. In 1885, the Minnesota and North Western Railroad (later the Chicago Great Western Railway
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad...
) was constructed, extending from Lyle
Lyle, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 566 people, 211 households, and 148 families residing in the city. The population density was 733.2 people per square mile . There were 225 housing units at an average density of 291.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.82% White and 0.18%...
, 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...
to St. Paul, and Osmundson plat
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 the town on the line, naming it after his hometown of Nedstrand
Nedstrand
Nedstrand is a village and a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The village is located on the south-eastern coast of Nedstrandhalvøya, and its population is 241 ....
in Tysvær
Tysvær
Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Haugaland. The municipality is located at the northern side of Boknafjord, east of Karmøy. Tysvær has a population of 9,349 and an area of 419 km². Aksdalsvatnet is a lake in this municipality.Local...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
The town was the center of a significant Norwegian immigrant community, which included people in the surrounding township and county. Some, like Tosten Bonde, who lived just outside the city limits, and Osmundson became state legislators. Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen was an American economist and sociologist, and a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement...
, who similarly grew up just outside of the town, became a noted sociologist and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
.
The town incorporated in 1897 and its first city hall, built in the same year. It proved too small within a few years, and a new city hall was built in 1907. The Nerstrand City Hall
Nerstrand City Hall
Nerstrand City Hall is a historic city hall building in Nerstrand, Minnesota. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 6, 1982.-Structure:...
building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 6, 1982 alongside the Osmund Osmundson House
Osmund Osmundson House
The Osmund Osmundson House is a historic house in Nerstrand, Minnesota. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 6, 1982. The house is significant for its association with a prominent Rice County pioneer and town founder.-Structure:The Osmund Osmundson...
and Tosten Bonde's farmhouse
Bonde Farmhouse
The Bonde Farmhouse is a historic farmhouse located in Wheeling Township in Rice County, Minnesota, approximately from Nerstrand. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 6, 1982...
. The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein B. Veblen , economist, social scientist, and critic of American culture, lived on this farm as a youth and returned often as an adult. The product of an austere agrarian upbringing, Veblen has often been called one of America's most creative and original thinkers...
became a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. The railroad tracks have since been removed.
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 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²).
The town features an elementary school with grades K-5, which is operated as a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
under state law. There is also a highly rated volunteer fire department.
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, northeast of Faribault near the small town of Nerstrand. The park derives its name from the Big Woods, a large, contiguous forested area covering much of central Minnesota prior to the arrival of European settlers...
is located nearby. The Valley Grove Church Building, located nearby, is considered an important historical site, though there are several active churches around the area that are better preserved:
- St. John's United Church of Christ (3 mi southwest)
- Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) (in town)
- Nerstrand United Methodist Church (in town)
- Gol Lutheran Church (ELCA) (4 mi southeast)
The town was notorious for the nearby Nerstrand Hill, bane of the locomotive engineer, with the steepest grade on the line from St. Paul to Manley Junction, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Economy
Throughout its history, the town has acted as a source of services to area farmers. An implement dealer and a full-service grain elevatorGrain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
are still present today carrying on this role. These two businesses together provide over half the employment in Nerstrand.
The business district declined with the advent of the automobile, with most area residents choosing to shop in Northfield
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
which has always been more prominent because of the two colleges located there, or Faribault
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
which is the county seat.
As businesses left, Nerstrand became more of a bedroom community for people working in Northfield, Faribault, or Kenyon
Kenyon, Minnesota
Kenyon is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, along the North Fork of the Zumbro River. It was founded in 1856 and named in honor of Kenyon College...
. A few nonretail businesses, including a cabinet shop and two specialty construction firms, have come to the community, utilizing what would otherwise be vacant storefront space.
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 233 people, 80 households, and 65 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 164.3 people per square mile (63.4/km²). There were 82 housing units at an average density of 57.8 per square mile (22.3/km²).
There were 80 households out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,500, and the median income for a family was $50,156. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $23,333 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 $15,362. None of the families and 0.4% of the population were living below the poverty line.
Notable natives
Thorstein VeblenThorstein Veblen
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen was an American economist and sociologist, and a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement...
(1857–1929), usually characterized as an economist or sociologist, and best known for writing the book The Theory of the Leisure Class (ISBN 0-14-018795-2), lived about a mile northeast of town. His house and farm, The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein B. Veblen , economist, social scientist, and critic of American culture, lived on this farm as a youth and returned often as an adult. The product of an austere agrarian upbringing, Veblen has often been called one of America's most creative and original thinkers...
, contained several innovations, including what is believed to be the first bucket elevator
Bucket elevator
A bucket elevator, also called a grain leg, is a mechanism for hauling flowable bulk materials vertically.It consists of:# Buckets to contain the material;# A belt to carry the buckets and transmit the pull;...
to be installed on a farm in Rice County. The Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein Veblen Farmstead
Thorstein B. Veblen , economist, social scientist, and critic of American culture, lived on this farm as a youth and returned often as an adult. The product of an austere agrarian upbringing, Veblen has often been called one of America's most creative and original thinkers...
was renovated in 1994 as a historic site and is occasionally open to the public. As of November, 2003, it is for sale.