Northfield, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northfield
City
Downtown Northfield, September 2010
Motto(s):  "Cows, College, Contentment"
Location of the city of Northfield within Rice and Dakota Counties in the state of Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Rice, Dakota
Platted	October 1855
Incorporated (village)	1871
Incorporated (city)	February 26, 1875
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
Area
• City	8.53 sq mi (22.10 km2)
• Land	8.51 sq mi (22.03 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2)  0.58%
Elevation	925 ft (282 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	20,790
• Estimate  (2022)	20,924
• Density	2,443.87/sq mi (943.55/km2)
• Urban	22,686
• Metro	67,693
Time zone	UTC–6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	55057
Area code(s)	507
FIPS code	27-46924
GNIS feature ID	2395265
Sales tax	7.375%

Northfield is a city in Minnesota, a state in the United States. It is located in both Dakota and Rice counties. Most of the city is in Rice County. In 2020, about 20,790 people lived there. Northfield is about 40 miles south of the big cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is considered a part of the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

History of Northfield

Northfield was planned out in October 1855 by a person named John W. North. The city was started by settlers from New England. These settlers were known as "Yankees." They came to this area as part of a movement to settle what was then the far western United States.

Northfield quickly became an important place for farming. Many farms grew wheat and corn. The city also had mills that used the power of the Cannon River to process wood and flour. As farming changed, dairy farms and other types of farms took the place of wheat farms. Today, the area mostly grows corn and soybeans, and raises hogs. The local cereal company, Malt-O-Meal, is one of the few reminders of Northfield's early wheat farming days.

The city's motto is "Cows, Colleges, and Community." This motto shows how important dairy farms were. It also highlights the city's two colleges: Carleton College and St. Olaf College.

Northfield's Colleges

Northfield has been a center for higher education for a long time. Carleton College was founded in 1866. It was first called Northfield College. It was started by the Minnesota Conference of Congregational churches. These churches were made up of the "Yankee" settlers who founded the town. Carleton College built its campus on the northern edge of the city.

St. Olaf College was founded in 1874. It was started by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants. These pastors and farmers wanted to keep their faith and culture strong. They did this by training teachers and preachers. St. Olaf College is on the western side of Northfield.

Today, these two colleges have more than 5,000 students. This makes Northfield a true college town.

Modern Northfield

In the 1970s, Interstate 35 was completed. This highway is about six miles west of Northfield. It helped the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area grow south. The old grain elevator in downtown Northfield stopped taking corn in 2000. It was torn down in 2002. Since the mid-1990s, the city has grown quickly with many new homes.

Geography and Location

Northfield covers about 8.61 square miles (22.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part is water. The city is generally built around the Cannon River. The land rises up from the river to the east and west.

Interstate 35 is about 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) west of Northfield. Three main roads in Northfield are Minnesota State Highways 3, 19, and 246.

Economy and Downtown

The Ames Mill on the Cannon River

When Northfield was first settled, local businesses created a small town square. This area is still a popular spot today. It is called Bridge Square. The old Ames Mill, which later became the Malt-O-Meal plant, was also nearby. It used power from a dam on the river.

Bridge Square and the downtown area are important cultural spots. The square has a large fountain and a memorial statue. There is also a "popcorn wagon" run by the senior center. You can find many shops and boutiques on the streets nearby. There are also nice walking paths along the river.

Northfield is also known for a famous event in its history. In 1876, the Jesse James gang tried to rob the First National Bank of Northfield. This event now brings many visitors to the town. The original bank building is now a museum. It is run by the Northfield Historical Society. The current First National Bank is located nearby. In its lobby, you can see a gun that was used during the robbery.

Arts and Culture

Defeat of Jesse James Days Celebration

The First National Bank in the Scriver Building in Northfield, Minnesota, site of the attempted robbery

The Scriver Building in Northfield, Minnesota

On September 7, 1876, a very important event happened in Northfield. The famous James-Younger Gang tried to rob the First National Bank. But the local citizens fought back! They armed themselves and stopped the robbery. This was a big victory for the town.

During the robbery, the gang killed the bank's cashier, Joseph Lee Heywood. They also killed a Swedish immigrant named Nicholas Gustafson. Some gang members were killed in the street. Others were caught later. Jesse and Frank James escaped.

Two popular sayings in Northfield come from this event. One is "Jesse James Slipped Here." This means the gang failed. The other is "Get your guns boys, they're robbing the bank!" This was the alarm shouted by a store owner, J.S. Allen. It made the men of Northfield grab their guns and fight back. The shootout lasted about seven minutes.

This historic event is now celebrated every year. It's called The Defeat of Jesse James Days. It happens the weekend after Labor Day. It is one of the biggest outdoor festivals in Minnesota. Thousands of people come to watch reenactments of the robbery. These shows happen on Division Street, right outside the old bank.

The festival also has many other fun activities. There's a rodeo, a carnival, a car show, and a parade. You can also find arts and crafts, and listen to live music. Many food stands are set up in Bridge Square. Before the festival, there's a horseshoe hunt. An old horseshoe is hidden somewhere in the city. The person who finds it wins a cash prize!

In Popular Media

Northfield's famous bank raid has been featured in several movies:

• The True Story of Jesse James (1957)
• The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
• The Long Riders (1980)

Northfield was also the setting for the TV movie Love Always, Santa (2016). In an episode of the 1979 TV series Spider-Woman, a character travels back in time to Northfield during the 1876 bank raid.

Parks and Recreation

Bridge No. 8096 over Spring Creek, which runs through the Carleton College Cowling Arboretum

The city of Northfield has 35 parks. These parks cover over 400 acres (1.6 square kilometers) of land. Three of these parks have picnic shelters where you can enjoy a meal outdoors.

The Carleton College Cowling Arboretum is a large nature preserve. It covers 800 acres (3.2 square kilometers) and belongs to Carleton College. It has many trails perfect for walking in the summer. In the winter, you can go cross-country skiing there.

St. Olaf College also has its own natural lands. These cover about 430 acres (1.7 square kilometers). About 150 acres (0.61 square kilometers) are restored prairie. This prairie has many native grasses and wildflowers. There are also areas of "big woods" habitat and wetlands. The St. Olaf Natural Lands are open to everyone all year round. Visitors are welcome to walk the trails and explore.

The Mill Towns State Trail was built in 1998. It was a joint project between Northfield and the nearby city of Dundas.

Education

Northfield is home to two well-known colleges: St. Olaf and Carleton. Many students and staff from these colleges live in the town all year.

The Northfield Public School district runs several schools. These include three elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and an alternative learning center. Northfield also has public charter schools. These are Arcadia (for grades 6–12) and Prairie Creek Community School (for grades K–5). Prairie Creek is in nearby Castle Rock. These schools get money from the State of Minnesota.

Transportation

Northfield is located where Minnesota State Highway 3 and Minnesota State Highway 19 meet. The closest major highway, I-35, is west of the city. Northfield also has one of the first roundabouts in the U.S. that has separate paths for bikes and people walking. This is at the intersection of TH 246 and Jefferson Parkway.

In the past, four different railroads served Northfield. Today, the Union Pacific Railroad has a freight-only line that runs through Northfield. Another railroad, Progressive Rail, operates several smaller lines from Northfield. There have been studies about bringing passenger train service back to the area.

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Northfield:

• Peter Agre (born 1949), a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry.
• Adelbert Ames (1835–1933), a general in the Civil War.
• Steven Brust (born 1955), an author and musician.
• Lincoln Child (born 1957), an author.
• F. Melius Christiansen (1871–1955), a pioneer of a cappella choral music.
• Laurence McKinley Gould (1896–1995), a geologist and polar explorer.
• Alexandra Holden (born 1977), an actress.
• Siri Hustvedt (born 1955), an author and poet.
• Justin Kloos, an NHL player.
• Karl Rolvaag (1913–1990), a former governor of Minnesota.
• Ole Edvart Rølvaag (1876–1931), an author.
• Peter Schjeldahl (1942–2022), an art critic.
• Marilyn Sellars (born 1944), a country music singer.
• Edward John Thye (1896–1969), a former governor of Minnesota and U.S. Senator.
• Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929), an economist.
• Paul Wellstone (1944–2002), a U.S. Senator.
• Johnny Western (born 1934), a singer-songwriter and actor.

Media

Radio Stations

See also

In Spanish: Northfield (Minnesota) para niños