Princeton is a city in Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located at the confluence of the Rum River and its West branch. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. Nearly all residents live within Mille Lacs County.
U.S. Route 169 and Minnesota State Highway 95 are two of the main arterial routes in the city.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.5 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.5 km²) of it is land and 0.23% is water.
History
In the winter of 1855 Samuel Ross, Jame W. Gillian, Dorilius Morrison, John S. Prince and Richard Chute platted the town of Princeton. The plat was officially recorded on April 19, 1856.[3]The town is traditionally thought to have been named in honor of John S. Prince. A lack of historical evidence directly supporting this claim has prompted an alternative theory that homesick New Englanders named the town in honor of Princeton, New Jersey.[4]
Lumbering
Princeton's location near the confluence of the Rum River and its West branch was critical to the town's development. In 1847 Daniel Stanchfield led an expedition to explore the Rum River.[3] The group discovered vast white pine forests upstream from the future site of Princeton along the Rum River, the West Branch Rum River, and their tributaries. Three sawmills were built in Princeton between 1856 and 1867. Lumbermen floated logs down the Rum River to the mills in Princeton, though most of the logs passed through Princeton to mills in Minneapolis.
Brickmaking
Brick-making was another important industry in the Princeton area. The brick industry developed about two miles northeast of Princeton near beds of clay. A community known as Brickton formed in the location. From 1889 through the late 1920's several brickyards operated in Brickton, collectively producing as many as 20,000,000 bricks per year.[3] When the brick industry declined, Brickton ceased to exist. “Years after the last brick had been shipped from Brickton, specifications in contracts for construction of public buildings often stated that it should be of Princeton brick or of equally good quality.”[3]
Other
Other important industries in Princeton's early years included potato farming, starch production, and dairy.
The Princeton Farmers Market has been a seasonal mainstay for decades. Longtime area farmers the Becks are popular at the market, along with newcomer Greenbush Farms.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,624 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.7 people per square mile (342.8/km²). There were 1,670 housing units at an average density of 376.9/sq mi (145.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.27% White, 0.13% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 1,624 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,216, and the median income for a family was $42,558. Males had a median income of $31,684 versus $22,009 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,381. About 2.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable natives
References
Coordinates: 45°34′12″N 93°34′54″W / 45.57°N 93.58167°W / 45.57; -93.58167
