Walnut Grove, Minnesota

Walnut Grove, Minnesota
City
U.S. Post Office, First State Bank Building, and water tower in Walnut Grove
Location of Walnut Grove, Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°13′30″N95°28′09″W / 44.22500°N 95.46917°W / 44.22500; -95.46917
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Redwood
Founded	1874
Incorporated	1879
Government
• Mayor	Paulette Koch
Area [1]
• Total	1.09 sq mi (2.82 km2)
• Land	1.09 sq mi (2.82 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,211 ft (369 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	751
• Density	688.36/sq mi (265.89/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56180
Area code	507
FIPS code	27-67846 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2397182 [2]
Website	www.walnutgrovemn.org

Walnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 871 at the 2010 census. ^[4] Another name formerly associated with the area is Walnut Station. ^[5]

History

In 1862 a massacre occurred at Lake Shetek that became known as Slaughter Slough. One of the survivors, Henry W. Smith, escaped and made his way to Walnut Grove to warn the village. A John Renniker was killed Northeast of Walnut Grove and is included with those that died at the slough. ^[6]

Walnut Grove was platted in 1874. ^[7] It was named for a grove of black walnut trees near the original town site. ^[8] It was incorporated in 1879. ^[7]

Walnut Grove gained more than 250 residents between 2001 and 2006. The residents are Hmong. This has increased the population to nearly 900, and Hmong now comprise 42 percent of the students in the Westbrook-Walnut Grove School District. ^[9]

Little House

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove is the site of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, ^[10] dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books. Wilder and her family lived in the area for a part of her childhood and the location is the setting for the Plum Creek part of the Little House book series. Charles Ingalls, her father, was the community's first justice ^[5] and her only brother, Charles Frederick "Freddy" Ingalls (November 1, 1875 – August 27, 1876), was born in Walnut Grove. The name "Walnut Grove" was also used in the Little House on the Prairie television series, although the program was filmed in California.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.75 km²), all land. ^[11]

Walnut Grove lies along U.S. Route 14, which connects it with Tracy to the west and Revere to the east. The town is located on Plum Creek.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	153		—
1890	127		−17.0%
1900	447		252.0%
1910	366		−18.1%
1920	663		81.1%
1930	586		−11.6%
1940	753		28.5%
1950	890		18.2%
1960	886		−0.4%
1970	756		−14.7%
1980	753		−0.4%
1990	625		−17.0%
2000	599		−4.2%
2010	871		45.4%
2020	751		−13.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

At the 2010 census, ^[12] the city had 871 people, 313 households and 210 families. The population density was 821.7 per square mile (317.3/km²). There were 367 housing units at an average density of 346.2 per square mile (133.7/km²). The city's racial make-up was 63.4% White, 0.5% Native American, 35.0% Asian, 1.0% from other races and 0.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 313 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present and 32.9% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.53.

The median age was 36.8 years. 31.3% of the city's population was under age 18; 7.9% was from age 18 to 24, 18.3% was from age 25 to 44, 23.1% was from age 45 to 64 and 19.3% was age 65 or older. The city's sex make-up was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[3] the city had 599 people, 291 households and 178 families. The population density was 577.7 per square mile (223.1/km²). There were 341 housing units at an average density of 328.9 per square mile (127.0/km²). The city's racial make-up was 97.66% White, 0.67% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 1.17% Pacific Islander and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 291 households, of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.67.

19.4% of the city's population was under age 18, 6.5% was from age 18 to 24, 22.7% was from age 25 to 44, 22.7% was from age 45 to 64 and 28.7% was age 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The city's median household income was $24,013 and the median family income was $34,167. Males had a median income of $24,750 and females $20,192. The per capita income was $15,637. About 5.0% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Main article: WWG Public Schools

In the late 1990s, the Westbrook Wildcats and the Walnut Grove Loggers combined school districts and sports teams to form the Westbrook-Walnut Grove Chargers.

• Schools: one high school in Westbrook (Grades 7–12) and one elementary school in Walnut Grove (Grades K–6)
• Mascot: Chargers
• School colors: Red and silver

Notable people

• Norman R. DeBlieck, farmer and Minnesota state legislator ^[13]
• Lester Mondale, Unitarian minister ^[14]
• Leo Thorsness, Medal of Honor recipient ^[15]
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, author ^[16]

Sister cities

• Westbrook, Minnesota, and Walnut Grove are sister cities because Westbrook-Walnut Grove (WWG) Public Schools is distributed between both towns.
• De Smet, South Dakota, and Walnut Grove are sister cities because of the impact that Laura Ingalls Wilder has had on both of the cities.

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Walnut Grove, Minnesota
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 27, 2011.^{[ dead link ]}
5. "Profile for Walnut Grove, Minnesota". ePpodunk. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019.
6. Shetek Massacre, Layne Lohre and Wendy Lyle, October 29, 1999, The Tracy Headlight Newspaper, August 16, 1962, Lake Shetek Massacre Edition 2024
7. 1 2 Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p.  453.
8. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 135.
9. Erik Posz (December 19, 2006). "It's not just for Norwegians". Redwood Gazette. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015.^{[ dead link ]}
10. "Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum".
11. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 13, 2012.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 13, 2012.
13. Norman R. DeBlieck-obituary
14. "In Memoriam: Unitarian Universalist Ministers 2003 - 2004". Archived from the original on December 21, 2006. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
15. Goldstein, Richard (May 4, 2017). "Leo Thorsness, Decorated Veteran Held Captive With McCain, Dies at 85" . The New York Times . p. B15. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
16. "Laura Ingalls Wilder Timeline". Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum; National Archives and Records Administration (hoover.archives.gov). Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2021.

External links

• Walnut Grove, Minnesota – city website
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum site