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Stevens County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Stevens County
U.S. county
Carnegie Library in Morris.
Carnegie Library in Morris.
Map of Minnesota highlighting Stevens County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Minnesota
Founded February 20, 1862
Named for Isaac Ingalls Stevens
Seat Morris
Largest city Morris
Area
 • Total 575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land 564 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Water 12 sq mi (30 km2)  2.0%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 9,671
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 9,728 Increase
 • Density 17.1/sq mi (6.6/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Stevens County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,671. Its county seat is Morris.

History

The county was created by act of the Minnesota legislature on February 20, 1862. It was not organized at that time, and no county seat was named. The county was named for Isaac Stevens, who had led a railroad survey party across Minnesota in 1853 and was influential in bringing national attention to the Minnesota Territory. The territorial legislature had intended to thus honor Stevens in 1855 when another county was being created, but a clerical error caused that county to be named Stearns. The error was corrected by the 1862 act; by that time Stevens was a brigadier general for the Union Army in the American Civil War. Stevens was killed later that year. The county government was organized in 1872. Morris, which had been platted in 1869, was named the county seat.

The University of Minnesota Morris is in Morris. It was developed in the early 20th century from the Morris Industrial School for Indians, which opened in 1887 and was originally operated by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy under contract to the federal government.

In 1975, a moderate earthquake occurred in the county.

Geography

The Pomme de Terre River flows south through central Stevens County, on its way to discharge into the Minnesota River. The county's terrain consists of rolling hills, with the area mostly devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the south, although the northeast and southwest portions rise from the central part of the county. The county's highest point is on the eastern portion of the northern border, at 1,250 ft (380 m) ASL. The county has an area of 575 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 564 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.0%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 59.svg U.S. Highway 59
  • MN-9.svg Minnesota State Highway 9
  • MN-28.svg Minnesota State Highway 28
  • MN-329.svg Minnesota State Highway 329

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

  • Alberta Marsh State Wildlife Management Area
  • Boekholt Grove State Wildlife Management Area
  • Bruillet State Wildlife Management Area
  • Cin State Wildlife Management Area
  • Dablow State Wildlife Management Area
  • Dolven State Wildlife Management Area
  • Everglade State Wildlife Management Area
  • Klason State Wildlife Management Area
  • Kline State Wildlife Management Area
  • Mathison State Wildlife Management Area
  • Muddy Creek State Wildlife Management Area
  • Reimers State Wildlife Management Area
  • Robertson State Wildlife Management Area
  • Selk State Wildlife Management Area
  • Thedin State Wildlife Management Area
  • Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie Scientific and Natural Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 174 —
1880 3,911 2,147.7%
1890 5,251 34.3%
1900 8,721 66.1%
1910 8,293 −4.9%
1920 9,778 17.9%
1930 10,185 4.2%
1940 11,039 8.4%
1950 11,106 0.6%
1960 11,262 1.4%
1970 11,218 −0.4%
1980 11,322 0.9%
1990 10,634 −6.1%
2000 10,053 −5.5%
2010 9,726 −3.3%
2020 9,671 −0.6%
2023 (est.) 9,728 0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 Census

Stevens County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 8,093 83.7%
Black or African American (NH) 84 0.9%
Native American (NH) 110 1.14%
Asian (NH) 68 0.7%
Pacific Islander (NH) 1 0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH) 329 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 986 10.2%

Communities

Cities

Townships

  • Baker Township
  • Darnen Township
  • Donnelly Township
  • Eldorado Township
  • Everglade Township
  • Framnas Township
  • Hodges Township
  • Horton Township
  • Moore Township
  • Morris Township
  • Pepperton Township
  • Rendsville Township
  • Scott Township
  • Stevens Township
  • Swan Lake Township
  • Synnes Township

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Stevens (Minnesota) para niños

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