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Appleton, Minnesota facts for kids

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Appleton
Appleton's Old City Hall
Appleton's Old City Hall
Nickname(s): 
"Home of Honored Veterans"
Location of Appletonwithin Swift County, Minnesota
Location of Appleton
within Swift County, Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Swift
Area
 • Total 1.92 sq mi (4.98 km2)
 • Land 1.87 sq mi (4.84 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
1,007 ft (307 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,392
 • Density 744.39/sq mi (287.34/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56208
Area code(s) 320
FIPS code 27-01864
GNIS feature ID 2393968
Website www.appletonmn.com

Appleton is a city located in Swift County, Minnesota, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,392 people lived there.

Appleton is known as "Home of Honored Veterans." Many streets in the city are named after local veterans who bravely served and died in wars.

A plant-protein factory, run by Eat Just, Inc., is also located in Appleton.

Elmer A. Benson, who was a U.S. Senator and later the governor of Minnesota, was born in Appleton in 1895.

History of Appleton

Appleton was founded in 1872. It was named after Appleton, Wisconsin.

The city got its first post office in 1873. Appleton officially became a city in 1881.

Gethsemane Episcopal Church is an old building in Appleton. It was built in 1879. This church is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Geography and Location

Appleton covers an area of about 2 square miles (4.98 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part is covered by water.

The Pomme de Terre River flows through the city. It then continues southwest to Marsh Lake. Marsh Lake is on the Minnesota River.

Major roads that go through Appleton include U.S. Highway 59. Also, Minnesota State Highways 7 and 119 pass through the city.

People of Appleton

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 400
1890 994 148.5%
1900 1,184 19.1%
1910 1,221 3.1%
1920 1,579 29.3%
1930 1,625 2.9%
1940 1,877 15.5%
1950 2,256 20.2%
1960 2,172 −3.7%
1970 1,789 −17.6%
1980 1,842 3.0%
1990 1,552 −15.7%
2000 2,871 85.0%
2010 1,412 −50.8%
2020 1,392 −1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,412 people living in Appleton. These people lived in 677 households. About half of these households were families.

The city had about 717 people per square mile. Most people living in Appleton were White (92.8%). There were also smaller groups of African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 4.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Appleton was 48.5 years old. About 20% of the residents were under 18. Many people (27.5%) were 65 or older.

Schools in Appleton

Appleton Public Schools are part of the Lac qui Parle Valley School District.

The schools in this district include:

  • MMN Elementary School
  • Appleton Elementary School (located in Appleton)
  • LqPV Middle School
  • Lac qui Parle Valley High School

Ranae Tostenson is the superintendent, who is in charge of all the schools.

Media and Television

Appleton used to have a PBS TV station called KWCM-TV. This station moved in 2016.

Appleton is also known for having several smaller TV stations. These stations show programs that are usually seen on cable television. This is not very common in the United States.

Active TV Stations

  • KWCM-TV (channel 10 analog/31 digital) - This is a PBS station.
  • K56BZ (channel 56 analog) - This station shows programs from KARE (NBC).
  • K58EO (channel 58 analog) - This station shows programs from WFTC (MyNetworkTV).

Famous People from Appleton

  • Elmer Austin Benson (1895–1985) was a lawyer and politician. He was a U.S. Senator and later the Governor of Minnesota.
  • Charles Peter “Chuck” Brown (1951–2003) was a politician. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
  • Jerry Koosman is a former professional baseball pitcher.
  • Martin J. McGowan, Jr. (1920–2009) was an editor and publisher of the Appleton Press newspaper. He also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
  • Brad Rheingans is a former professional wrestler.
  • Clinton Sundberg was a Hollywood actor.
  • Herbert A. Winkelmann was a pioneering chemist who worked with rubber at B.F. Goodrich.
  • Edward T. Young (1858–1940) was the Minnesota Attorney General. He also served in both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate.

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See also

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