Preston, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Preston is a city in Fillmore County
, Minnesota
, United States
. The population was 1,325 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Fillmore County
. The Root River
runs through it, and Mystery Cave State Park is nearby. It bills itself as "America's Trout
Capital," with a 20-foot trout placed along Minnesota State Highway 16
.
that has two schools in Preston. Those schools are the Elementary (prekindergarten- fourth grade) and Middle Schools (fifth - sixth grade). The High School (sventh-twelfth grade) is located in nearby Harmony, Minnesota
. For the School years of 2005–2006, their enrollment is 641 students. Fillmore Central's predicted total enrollment is 604 students for the school years of 2006-2007.
. The old Preston grain elevator
used to be known as the Milwaukee Elevator Company Grain Elevator. It was built around 1890 for holding grain for shipment by railroad to the Eastern
cities of the United States
. The elevator was last used in the 1980s. It was built with "cribbed" construction, which has to do with interlocking bins. At the time it was a lot stronger and a lot more expensive to build it this way than to build it in stud construction. Now the Preston Historical Society is trying to restore the structure.
The Preston Overlook
was built in 1937 by the Minnesota Department of Highways under the program of Federal Relief Construction during the New Deal
. A site was chosen on of the highest point on the bluffs above the Root River
, 90 feet below. The Preston Overlook was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²), all of it land. The South Branch of the Root River snakes through the city.
U.S. Highway 52
and Minnesota Highway 16
are two of the main routes in the city.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,426 people, 583 households, and 374 families residing in the city. The population density
was 606.3 people per square mile (234.3/km²). There were 616 housing units at an average density of 261.9 per square mile (101.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.95% White, 0.14% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 583 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,016, and the median income for a family was $50,234. Males had a median income of $30,463 versus $21,520 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,578. About 4.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 15.0% 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 1,325 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Fillmore County
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...
. 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...
runs through it, and Mystery Cave State Park is nearby. It bills itself as "America's Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
Capital," with a 20-foot trout placed along Minnesota State Highway 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....
.
Education
Fillmore Central School District (#2198) is a public school districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
that has two schools in Preston. Those schools are the Elementary (prekindergarten- fourth grade) and Middle Schools (fifth - sixth grade). The High School (sventh-twelfth grade) is located in nearby Harmony, Minnesota
Harmony, Minnesota
Harmony is a city in Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2010 census. The town bills itself as the "Biggest Little Town in Southern Minnesota" and features the largest Amish community in the state.-Geography:...
. For the School years of 2005–2006, their enrollment is 641 students. Fillmore Central's predicted total enrollment is 604 students for the school years of 2006-2007.
History
The community was named for Luther Preston, a millwrightMillwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
. The old Preston grain elevator
Grain 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...
used to be known as the Milwaukee Elevator Company Grain Elevator. It was built around 1890 for holding grain for shipment by railroad to the Eastern
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
cities of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The elevator was last used in the 1980s. It was built with "cribbed" construction, which has to do with interlocking bins. At the time it was a lot stronger and a lot more expensive to build it this way than to build it in stud construction. Now the Preston Historical Society is trying to restore the structure.
Preston Overlook
Preston Overlook is a historic scenic overlook in Preston, Minnesota. It was built in 1937-38 by the Minnesota Department of Highways under the program of Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota....
was built in 1937 by the Minnesota Department of Highways under the program of Federal Relief Construction during the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. A site was chosen on of the highest point on the bluffs above 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...
, 90 feet below. The Preston Overlook was listed 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...
in 2003.
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 2.3 square miles (6 km²), all of it land. The South Branch of the Root River snakes through the city.
U.S. Highway 52
U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota
U.S. Highway 52 enters the state of Minnesota at the unincorporated community of Prosper, north of the town of Burr Oak, Iowa. The route is marked north–south in Minnesota along its independent segment from the Iowa state line to downtown St. Paul...
and Minnesota Highway 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....
are two of the main routes in the city.
Demographics
Census
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 1,426 people, 583 households, and 374 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 606.3 people per square mile (234.3/km²). There were 616 housing units at an average density of 261.9 per square mile (101.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.95% White, 0.14% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% 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 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 583 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% 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, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,016, and the median income for a family was $50,234. Males had a median income of $30,463 versus $21,520 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 $18,578. About 4.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
Trail connection
Preston is intersected by the Harmony-Preston Valley 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...
.