Kinbrae, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kinbrae, Minnesota
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Location of Kinbrae, Minnesota
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Nobles |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Incorporated | February 17, 1896 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor - Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.000 sq mi (2.600 km2) |
| • Land | 0.867 sq mi (2.246 km2) |
| • Water | 0.137 sq mi (0.356 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,447 ft (441 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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14 |
| • Density | 11.53/sq mi (4.45/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
56131
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| Area code(s) | 507 |
| FIPS code | 27-33236 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395534 |
| Sales tax | 7.375% |
Kinbrae (pronounced KIN-bray) is a small city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. In 2020, only 10 people lived there. This makes Kinbrae the city with the fewest residents in all of Minnesota.
Contents
Kinbrae's Location and Size
Kinbrae is a very small city. It covers about 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but a small part is water.
You can find Kinbrae in the far northeastern corner of Nobles County. It is just one mile west of Jackson County. It is also one mile south of Murray County.
The main road that goes through Kinbrae is Nobles County Road 1.
Nobles County Road 1
Kinbrae's Past: A Brief History
Early Days and Railroads
In 1879, a railroad company started building tracks from Heron Lake to Fulda. They planned a train station in the Graham Lakes area. This spot was first called Airlie. It was named after David Ogilvy, who was the 10th Earl of Airlie. He was in charge of a Scottish company called the Dundee Improvement Company. This company wanted to build a town in southwest Minnesota.
In the fall of 1879, Ogilvy's company built a large grain elevator. It could hold 16,000 bushels of grain. They also built a hotel and a general store in Airlie. The Dundee Improvement Company did not help create the nearby town of Dundee. In fact, Kinbrae (then Airlie) and Dundee were rivals. They were built along different railroad lines, even though they were only half a mile apart.
Name Changes and Challenges
When the area was officially mapped in December 1879, Airlie was renamed DeForest. A train station and a post office were built in 1880. At that time, only 19 people lived there. The train station was called DeForest Station. However, the post office kept the name Airlie until January 1882, when it also became DeForest.
On April 20, 1883, the large grain elevator burned down. This event ended the Dundee Improvement Company's involvement in the town. A fun fact: David Ogilvy's granddaughter, Clementine Hozier, later married Winston Churchill. He was a famous British Prime Minister.
Becoming Kinbrae
In August 1883, DeForest Station, the town, and the post office were all renamed Kinbrae. We don't know much about where the name Kinbrae came from, but it is a Scottish name.
Ownership of Kinbrae then went to Hanson & Graeger. This company was from Chicago and bought land to help people settle. But they did not seem very interested in developing Kinbrae.
The town was then sold to W. N. Bickley and W. E. Fletcher in 1895. They worked hard to "boom the town." This means they tried to attract new businesses and people. By 1896, Kinbrae had grown quite a bit. It had:
- Two general stores
- A hardware store
- A lumber yard
- Two grain elevators
- A blacksmith shop
- A hotel
- A bank
- A creamery (for dairy products)
- Two churches (Methodist and Presbyterian)
- A school
Kinbrae Becomes a City
Kinbrae officially became an incorporated city on February 17, 1896. Mr. L. F. Miller was the first village president. By 1900, Kinbrae's population had grown to 137 people.
The post office in Kinbrae closed in 1971. By the year 2000, only 21 people lived in the town. In 2007, the number was estimated to be 17. In 2010, the people of Kinbrae thought about giving up their city status. But they decided to remain a city, no matter how small.
Kinbrae's Population Over Time
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 19 | — | |
| 1900 | 137 | — | |
| 1910 | 137 | 0.0% | |
| 1920 | 121 | −11.7% | |
| 1930 | 115 | −5.0% | |
| 1940 | 107 | −7.0% | |
| 1950 | 85 | −20.6% | |
| 1960 | 55 | −35.3% | |
| 1970 | 37 | −32.7% | |
| 1980 | 40 | 8.1% | |
| 1990 | 18 | −55.0% | |
| 2000 | 21 | 16.7% | |
| 2010 | 12 | −42.9% | |
| 2020 | 10 | −16.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 14 | 16.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 12 people living in Kinbrae. These people lived in 6 different homes. Three of these homes were families. All the people living in Kinbrae at that time were White.
The average age of people in Kinbrae in 2010 was 55 years old. No one was under 18. About 17% of residents were between 18 and 24. Most residents, about 67%, were between 45 and 64 years old. About 17% were 65 or older. The number of males and females was equal, with 50% male and 50% female.
See also
In Spanish: Kinbrae (Minnesota) para niños
