Brewster, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Brewster
City

Location of Brewster, Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Nobles
Government
• Type	Mayor - Council
Area
• Total	1.39 sq mi (3.59 km²)
• Land	1.39 sq mi (3.59 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	1,483 ft (452 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	506
• Density	365.34/sq mi (141.09/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56119
Area code(s)	507
FIPS code	27-07660
GNIS feature ID	2393412

Brewster is a small city located in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. In 2020, the census counted 506 people living there.

What is Brewster's Geography Like?
- Important Roads in Brewster
The Story of Brewster: How Our City Began
Brewster's Population Over Time
- What the 2010 Census Showed
Images for kids
See also

What is Brewster's Geography Like?

A map showing the hills and valleys around Brewster, MN

Brewster is a city in Minnesota. The United States Census Bureau says the city covers about 1.36 square miles (3.52 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits. It is located very close to the Jackson County line. Brewster is on section 25 of Hersey Township.

Important Roads in Brewster

You can reach Brewster using these main highways:

Minnesota State Highway 60
Nobles County Road 1
Nobles County Road 14

The Story of Brewster: How Our City Began

Brewster has an interesting history, starting way back in 1872. It was the first town created in Nobles County by a railroad company.

How Brewster Got Started

Brewster was first settled in the spring of 1872. Back then, it was known as Hersey. It was named after General Samuel F. Hersey, who was a lumber businessman and a director for the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad.

The first person to live there was W. R. Bennett. He came to manage the railroad station. Soon after, T. J. Smith opened the first store. A. O. Conde started a lumber yard and a grain business. Martin Heiser opened another store, and a hotel was started by Mr. Humphrey. John Iverson also opened a blacksmith shop. All these businesses began in 1872. That same year, A. J. Timlin became the first postmaster.

Why the Name Changed to Brewster

In 1880, the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad was bought by another company called the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, also known as the Omaha Road. There was already a station named Hersey in Wisconsin on the Omaha Road's tracks. To avoid confusion, the name of the town was changed. For a short time, it was called Nobles County Station.

Soon after, the name Brewster was chosen. There are two main ideas about why this name was picked:

One idea is that it was named after a director of the Omaha Road. This was stated by E. F. Drake, who was president of the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad.
Another idea is that it was named after Brewster, a town in Massachusetts. That town was named after Elder William Brewster, one of the first settlers of Plymouth Colony.

Becoming an Official City

By the fall of 1898, about 180 people lived in Brewster. They decided it was time for the community to become an official city. An election was held on December 14, 1898. Out of 28 votes, only one person was against the idea of having a local government. On January 9, 1899, Leon Morris became the first president of Brewster Village.

Brewster's Population Over Time

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	234	—
1910	311	32.9%
1920	405	30.2%
1930	396	−2.2%
1940	467	17.9%
1950	478	2.4%
1960	500	4.6%
1970	563	12.6%
1980	559	−0.7%
1990	532	−4.8%
2000	502	−5.6%
2010	473	−5.8%
2020	506	7.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

What the 2010 Census Showed

The census is a count of the population. In 2010, the census showed that 473 people lived in Brewster. These people lived in 207 households, and 130 of those were families.

The city had about 347.8 people per square mile (134.3 people per square kilometer). There were 218 housing units, which are places where people live.

Most people in Brewster were White (95.3%). A small number were African American (0.2%), Native American (1.3%), or from other races (2.7%). About 5.3% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 30.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (47.3%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.29 people.

The average age in Brewster was 39.5 years old. About 27.3% of residents were under 18. About 14.8% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.9%) and females (50.1%).