Mankato

 

(mănkā'tō) , city (1990 pop. 31,477), seat of Blue Earth co., S Minn., at the confluence of the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers; inc. 1865. It is a trade and processing center for a farm and dairy region. Industries include soybean processing and the manufacture of flour, feeds, building materials, and computer equipment. Mankato stone has been quarried there for over 100 years. The city is the seat of Minnesota State Univ., Mankato. Sibley Park in Mankato was the site of Camp Lincoln, where more than 300 Sioux were held and 38 of them hanged, after their revolt in 1862. A state park, with waterfalls, adjoins the city.

Mankato
Nickname: Key City
Location of Mankato within Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°10′3.6″N 94°00′12.24″W / 44.167667, -94.0034
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet
Government
- Mayor	John Brady
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2006)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
- Metro
	[1]
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	56001-56003
Area code(s)	507
FIPS code	27-398782
GNIS feature ID	06474383
Website: ci.mankato.mn.us

Mankato is a city in Blue Earth County¹, Minnesota with a population of 32,427 as of the 2000 census². It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, and is located along a large bend of the Minnesota River at its confluence with the Blue Earth River. Mankato is located in Blue Earth County and neighbored by its sister city across the Minnesota River, North Mankato, and completely encompasses the town of Skyline.

History

Mankato Township was first settled by Parsons King Johnson in February 1852, and the city of Mankato was organized on May 11, 1858. The city was organized by Henry Jackson, P.k. Johnson, Col. D.A. Robertson, Justus C. Ramsey, and unnamed others. The city recently celebrated its sesquicentennial. A popular story says that the city was intended to have been named Mahkato, but a typographical error by a clerk established the name as Mankato.^[2] However, according to Upham, quoting historian Thomas Hughes of Mankato, "The honor of christening the new city was accorded to Mrs. P.K. Johnson and Mrs. Henry Jackson, who selected the name 'Mankato,' upon the the suggestion of Col. Robertson. He had taken the name from Nicollet's book, in which the French explorer compared the 'Mahkato" or Blue Earth River, with all its tributaries, to the water nymphs and their uncle in the German legend of Undine.'...No more appropriate name could be given the new city, than that of the noble river at whose mouth it is located." ^[3] While it may or may not be true that the city was intended to be called Mahkato, it is true that the Blue Earth River was called Makato Osa Watapa by the Dakota Indians, meaning "the river where blue earth is gathered." ^[3]

It is said that the location of the city of Mankato was selected by Ishtakhaba, also known as Chief Sleepy Eye, of the Sisseton band of Dakota Indians. Ishtakhaba directed the settlers to a site at the confluence of the Minnesota and Blue Earth Rivers which was well suited for building and for river traffic, and yet safe from flooding.

On December 26, 1862, the largest mass execution in U.S. history occurred in Mankato following the Dakota War of 1862. Thirty-eight Dakota Amerindians were hanged for participation in the uprising; a total of 303 were sentenced to be hanged but President Lincoln pardoned 265 at the urging of Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple. Lincoln's intervention was not popular at the time. Two commemorative statues are located on the site of the hangings (now home to the Blue Earth County Library and Reconciliation Park).

Former Vice President Schuyler Colfax died while traveling in Mankato on January 13, 1885.

Literary references

In Laura Ingalls Wilder's book On The Banks of Plum Creek, which is part of the Little House on the Prairie series, Mankato was the "big city" that characters would visit to obtain supplies. Mankato also served as the basis for the "Deep Valley" of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series of children's books and novels. In Sinclair Lewis' 1920 novel Main Street, heroine Carol Milford is a former Mankato resident. Lewis describes Mankato as follows: "In its garden-sheltered streets and aisles of elms is white and green New England reborn."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.9 km² (15.4 mi²). 39.4 km² (15.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.23%) is water. The Minnesota, Blue Earth and Le Sueur Rivers all flow through or near the city. In the movie The Baxter, Mankato is referenced by one of the characters, Baxter.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,427 people, 12,367 households, and 6,059 families residing in the city. The population density was 823.2/km² (2,132.5/mi²). There were 12,759 housing units at an average density of 323.9/km² (839.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.55% White, 1.90% African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of the population.

There were 12,367 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 32.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,956, and the median income for a family was $47,297. Males had a median income of $30,889 versus $22,081 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,652. About 8.5% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Mankato is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Mankato educator Tim Walz, a Democrat.

Media

The major daily newspaper in the area is the Mankato Free Press. The only local broadcast television network is KEYC-TV, Channel 12, a CBS affiliate. KEYC also carries a Fox affiliation on its digital subchannel and on local cable television.

Local radio stations are:

• KATO-FM, 93.1 FM
• KDOG, 96.7 FM
• KEEZ, 99.1 FM
• KMSU, 89.7 FM
• KQYK, 95.7 FM
• KTOE, 1420 AM
• KXLP, 94.1 FM
• KYSM, 1230 AM
• KYSM-FM, 103.5 FM

Major Area Employers

• Taylor Corporation Companies: 4,500
• Immanuel St. Joseph's - Mayo Health System: 1,828
• Minnesota State University, Mankato: 1,600
• Mankato Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (MRCI): 1,407
• Mankato Area Public Schools: 1,160
• Mankato Clinic: 683
• Altell Wireless: 422
• The Thro Company: 400
• The westman companies: 150

Education

The Mankato Area Public Schools are consolidated to include the cities of Mankato, North Mankato, Eagle Lake, and Madison Lake. There are nine elementary schools (Franklin, Eagle Lake, Kennedy, Washington, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Monroe, Hoover, and Garfield), two middle schools (Dakota Meadows Middle School and Mankato East Junior High), and three high schools (Mankato West High School, Mankato East High School, and Mankato Central High School). There are two parochial schools, K-12 Loyola Catholic School with Good Counsel and Fitzgerald campuses as well as Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and High School. There are two charter schools, Bridges Elementary and Riverbend Academy High School.

Academic institutions

• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Bethany Lutheran College
• Rasmussen College
• South Central College

Major events

• Minnesota State University, Mankato is home to the Minnesota Vikings summer training camp.
• Annual Ribfest in August.

Places of interest

• Land of Memories Park along the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers, features bike trails, camping, disc golf, and soccer fields.
• The Alltel Center is an arena in downtown Mankato.
• Minneopa State Park is located west of Mankato.
• The River Hills Mall
• Happy Chef original restaurant and company headquarters. Mankato also is home to the 40-foot Happy Chef statue.

Notable residents, past and present

• Adrienne Armstrong was a resident in the early 90's while attending Minnesota State University, Mankato, she is married to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong
• Frederick Russell Burnham, "father of the international scouting movement," born near Mankato on 11 May 1861
• Walter Jackson Bate, Pulitzer Prize winning biographer born in Mankato on 13 May 1918
• Clifford Fagan, basketball referee, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Sinclair Lewis, author
• Maud Hart Lovelace, author of the Betsy-Tacy series of books
• Julia Sears, pioneering feminist and suffragette
• Glen Taylor, businessman and owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball teams
• Timothy J. Walz, a former teacher at Mankato West High School and U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district

Rankings & Ratings

Bizjournals.com, 2006 Mankato/North Mankato was ranked 16th in the nation in a survey of 577 cities nationwide. The survey ratres the country's "micropolitan" areas in multiple quality of life criteria.

America's Promise, 2005 This national youth advocacy group, founded by Gen. Colin Powell and dedicated to making children and youth a priority, named Mankato on of the top 100 communities in the nation for kids. Criteria included the presence of caring adults, transportation for children, presence of places to learn and grow, education opportunities, and opportunities for children to volunteer.

Rolling Stone College Guide, 2005 Rolling Stone magazine named Mankato/St. Peter one of the top 50 college towns in the country because of its rich and diverse music scene.

Site Selection Magazine, 2002, 2003 and 2004 For three consecutive years, Mankato/North Mankato ranked in the top 25 small cities nationwide for new and expanded corporate facility projects. The community ranked 16th in 2002(the Minnesota community to make the list), 13th in 2003, and 23rd in 2004.

Bizdemographics awarded Mankato an "A" in terms of business climate, a sign of excellent economic health. The study considered charactersitics such as population growth, per capita income, job growth, and local educational levels.

Demographics Daily, September, 2000 Mankato and North Mankato placed in the top 50 U.S. cities classified as "dreamtowns." Cities were ranked according to quality of life indicators such as vitality, supply of good jobs, freedom from stress, connection to cultural mainstream, support for schools, access to health care, low cost of living, and small town character.

The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities, January, 1998 The City of Mankato was named the 14th most livable "micropolitan" in America and number one in Minnesota.

In 2004 Mankato was rated as the funniest city in America by Hallmark Cards.

External links

• ci.mankato.mn.us — City of Mankato
• greatermankato.com — Mankato Chamber of Commerce
• mankatofreepress.com — The Free Press
• katoinfo.com — local portal site
• Mankato weather — provided by NOAA.
• Mankatopedia — a Mankato wiki

Notes

1. ^ Population Estimates. Minnesota Demographic Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
2. ^ Blue Earth County, Minnesota : About Blue Earth County
3. ^ ^{a b} Upham, Warren (2001). Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, pp. 65. ISBN 0-87351-396-7. 

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