Crookston, Minnesota

Crookston is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Polk County.[6] The population was 7,891 at the 2010 census.[7] It is part of the "Grand Forks, ND–MN Metropolitan Statistical Area" or "Greater Grand Forks".

Crookston
City
Crookston Commercial Historic District
Seal
Location of Crookston
within Polk County and state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°46′26″N 96°36′28″W
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountyPolk
MetroGreater Grand Forks
Government
 • MayorWayne Melbye
Area
 • Total5.17 sq mi (13.40 km2)
 • Land5.17 sq mi (13.40 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
876 ft (267 m)
Population
 • Total7,891
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
7,764
 • Density1,500.87/sq mi (579.49/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56716
Area code218
FIPS code27-13870[4]
GNIS feature ID0642475[5]
Websitecrookston.mn.us
Aerial view of Crookston, Minnesota, with the Red Lake River twisting through the town

Crookston is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston. Crookston is partially a commuter town to the larger city of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

History

Early history

The Crookston area was virtually unoccupied until European contact and remained little more than a hunting ground associated with the Pembina settlements until the 1860s. The land in Crookston's immediate vicinity is not connected with any verifiable Native American or European historic events or circumstances until transfer in the Treaties of Old Crossing in 1863–64. Before that, the territory now included in Crookston was part of Rupert's Land and Assiniboia before becoming part of the United States as a result of the boundary settlement in the Treaty of 1818.

The Crookston area was traversed by trappers and traders, including Ojibwa and Lakota Indians, Métis, and other mixed-race people as well as white men between 1790 and 1870. A branch of the Red River Trails passed nearby; it was used by fur traders between the 1840s and 1870s.[8]

Settlement

The present-day site of Crookston first saw settlement by non-Indian people around 1872.[9] It was the site of a federal land office[9] by 1876 and sited on a portion of the Great Northern Railway that began operation by 1880. The town was incorporated on April 1, 1879[9] as "Queen City". By the end of that year, the town had a jail, graded streets, and a few plank sidewalks. Soon it was decided that the town needed a new name. Two factions emerged supporting two different names. One wished to honor the town's first mayor, Captain Ellerey C. Davis, with the name Davis. Another group picked the name Crookston to honor Colonel William Crooks,[9] a soldier and railroad builder. The name was reportedly chosen by coin toss.

Soon Scandinavian and German immigrants began populating Crookston. At one point, eight different railroad lines reached the town, and it became a center of commerce and manufacturing.

Geography

Crookston sits in the fertile Red River Valley, once a part of glacial Lake Agassiz. As Lake Agassiz receded, it left behind rich mineral deposits. This made the area around Crookston prime for agricultural uses. Grains such as wheat and other crops, including sugar beets and potatoes grow well in the area around Crookston.

Crookston has a relatively flat landscape. The Red Lake River flows through the city and makes several twists and turns (oxbows). The riverbank has eroded somewhat.

U.S. Highways 2 and 75 and Minnesota State Highways 9 and 102 are four of the main routes in the community.

Crookston is the northern terminus of the Agassiz Recreational Trail, a 53-mile multi-use trail built on an abandoned railroad grade that has its southern terminus at Ulen.[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.15 square miles (13.34 km2), all land.[11]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18801,227—
18903,457181.7%
19005,35955.0%
19107,55941.1%
19206,825−9.7%
19306,321−7.4%
19407,16113.3%
19507,3522.7%
19608,54616.2%
19708,312−2.7%
19808,6283.8%
19908,119−5.9%
20008,1920.9%
20107,891−3.7%
2019 (est.)7,764[3]−1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
2018 Estimate[13]

Crookston has not seen major population growth since the 1970s. The economy has suffered due to a lack of well-paying jobs, a trend accelerated by a larger influx of individuals and families low on the socioeconomic scale.[14]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census[2] there were 7,891 people, 3,109 households, and 1,743 families living in the city. The population density was 1,532.2 inhabitants per square mile (591.6/km2). There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 641.4 per square mile (247.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.2% White, 1.4% African American, 1.7% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.0% of the population.

There were 3,109 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 40.3% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.9% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 35.1 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.5% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census[4] there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families living in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile (640.3/km2). There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile (264.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.5% White, 0.50% African American, 1.54% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.64% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.18% of the population.

There were 3,078 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.10.

The city's age distribution shows 24.2% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,609, and the median income for a family was $44,157. Males had a median income of $30,564 versus $21,021 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,219. About 7.5% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Crookston has the University of Minnesota Crookston (a campus of the University of Minnesota system). It began as an agricultural high school before becoming a two-year college and then a four-year university. On January 30, 2010, the new Crookston Sports Center was dedicated.

Crookston is in Crookston School District 593, and is home to Crookston High School, home of the Pirates. Students from the neighboring towns of Euclid, Gentilly, and Mentor attend Crookston High. The school district enrolls about 1,600 students in K-12. Before the new high school was built in 1997, students attended Central High School in downtown Crookston. Central High School had been in operation since 1913.

Private elementary schools include Cathedral Elementary (Catholic, formerly Mount Saint Benedict high school), Our Savior's Lutheran, and Bible Baptist.

Media

KROX 1260 AM is Crookston's only local radio station. The local newspaper is the Crookston Daily Times.

Culture

Crookston is home to the Grand Theater, the oldest continuously operating movie theater in the United States. Built in 1910, it served as an opera house until 1917, when it began to primarily show movies. It played host to entertainers including early film actress Mary Pickford.[15]

Notable people

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  2. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  7. "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. "Compendium of History and Biography of Polk County, Minnesota".
  9. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Crookston" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 502.
  10. Dokken, Brad (December 24, 2009), "Construction begins on Agassiz trail bridges", Northland Outdoors, archived from the original on July 14, 2011, retrieved March 1, 2011
  11. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  12. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  13. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  14. "2014 - City of Crookston Study" (PDF). City of Crookston. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  15. Helgerson, Brooke. (2010). "The Grand Theater: A Case Study of Architecture and Community." Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, December 1, 2017.
  16. "John Noah". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2016.

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