Kittson County | |
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 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:48°47′N96°47′W / 48.78°N 96.78°W /48.78; -96.78 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | March 9, 1878 (created by re-naming Pembina Co.) February 25, 1879 (organized) |
| Named after | Norman Wolfred Kittson |
| Seat | Hallock |
| Largest city | Hallock |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,104 sq mi (2,860 km2) |
| • Land | 1,099 sq mi (2,850 km2) |
| • Water | 4.8 sq mi (12 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,207 |
• Estimate (2023) | 4,060 |
| • Density | 3.8/sq mi (1.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Kittson County is acounty in the northwestern corner of theU.S. state ofMinnesota along theCanada–US border, south of theCanadian province ofManitoba. As of the2020 census, the population was 4,207.[1] Itscounty seat isHallock.[2]
Evidence of occupation dating back 1800 years has been confirmed through archaeological expeditions done in the 1930s and 1970s around the burial mounds on the sand ridges in the eastern part of the county, which date to theWoodland Period. Evidence has been found that the Laurel, Arvilla, St. Croix, and Blackduck complexes were the area's early occupants. About 400 years ago, theCree,Assiniboine,Sioux andOjibway inhabited the county.
The early explorers of the region were fur traders.Pembina, North Dakota's oldest settlement, across theRed River from Kittson County, dates from 1797, when the first trading post was established by Charles Baptiste Chaboillez of theNorthwest Fur Company. TheHudson Bay and American Fur Companies were also in Pembina as the fur trading industry increased. The fur traders andvoyageurs traveled on the eastern side of the Red.Alexander Henry the younger, who erected a fort for the North West Company in Pembina, is thought to be the first white man to test agriculture in the valley.Joe Rolette, who started a fur post for the American Fur Company in Pembina, andNorman W. Kittson (for whom the county is named),[3] were two early entrepreneurs who opened this area by developing the Red River Ox Cart trails and broadening the use of oxcarts. The need for oxcarts diminished as steamboats became the new mode for transporting furs and supplies. The railroad eventually replaced the steamboats.
Pembina County was one of five large counties theMinnesota Territory legislature established on October 27, 1849. It was not organized at that time. On March 9, 1878, the legislature renamed Pembina County to Kittson County. On February 25, 1879, Kittson County was divided, creatingMarshall County. The county seat, Hallock, was organized in 1880. Kittson County was further diminished in 1894 whenRoseau County was partitioned off. Kittson County has retained its present boundaries since 1894.[4]
St. Vincent, which is directly across the Red River from Pembina, was incorporated in 1857,[5] just before statehood. In 1878, theSt. Paul & Pacific Railroad line reached St. Vincent and opened the area to settlement. With the railroad coming through, settlers began arriving to stake their claims. Many of the earliest settlers in what became Pembina and St. Vincent wereMétis, going back to the late 18th century. The railway extended through the western part of the county, withDonaldson,Kennedy,Hallock,Northcote,Humboldt andSt. Vincent along the line. The eastern part of the county was settled in the early 1900s. TheSoo Line railroad was completed in 1904 and the communities ofKarlstad,Halma,Bronson,Lancaster,Orleans andNoyes were established. Scandinavians, Ukrainians, Polish, Scottish, Irish, English, Germans, French Canadians,Canadian Gaelic speakers fromNew Brunswick, and Métis all contributed to the county's melting pot.
Once home to over 10,000 people, the county population declined below 5,000 in 2006.[6]
Three sites in the county are listed in theNational Register of Historic Places: theSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, inCaribou Township; theburial mounds known as the "Lake Bronson Site", inNorway andPercy Townships; and theLake Bronson State ParkWPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources, which include an observation tower and several buildings. Lake Bronson State Park also has interpretive sites for the tower, a pioneer cemetery and theWPA camp.
Kittson County is in Minnesota's northwest corner, on the borders ofNorth Dakota andCanada. TheRed River flows north along the county's western border. The South Fork of Two Rivers flows east through the central part of the county on its way to discharge into the Red; it meets the Middle Fork at Hallock, and the combined flow meets the North Fork a few miles east of the Red. TheJoe River flows northwest out of the county into Canada, to discharge into the Red a few miles past the international border.
The county's terrain consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain slopes to the north and west, with its highest point near the southeast corner at 1,079 ft (329 m) ASL.[8] The county has an area of 1,104 square miles (2,860 km2), of which 1,099 square miles (2,850 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (0.4%) is water.[9]
Kittson County was once part of glacialLake Agassiz. Evidence of this prehistoric lake can still be seen in the county's topography. Remnants of McCauleyville Beach can be found in the eastern part of the county, an area of sandy soil and sand ridges. Other evidence of the glacier and Lake Agassiz is the approximately 140' drop in elevation from the eastern part of the county to the western part, near the Red River Valley, with its proliferation of black rich soil. Lake Bronson is a manmade reservoir, completed in 1937.
Source:[7]
Source:[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,612 | — | |
| 1870 | 64 | −96.0% | |
| 1880 | 905 | 1,314.1% | |
| 1890 | 5,387 | 495.2% | |
| 1900 | 7,889 | 46.4% | |
| 1910 | 9,669 | 22.6% | |
| 1920 | 10,638 | 10.0% | |
| 1930 | 9,688 | −8.9% | |
| 1940 | 10,717 | 10.6% | |
| 1950 | 9,649 | −10.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,343 | −13.5% | |
| 1970 | 6,853 | −17.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,672 | −2.6% | |
| 1990 | 5,767 | −13.6% | |
| 2000 | 5,285 | −8.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,552 | −13.9% | |
| 2020 | 4,207 | −7.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 4,060 | [11] | −3.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[1] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 3,974 | 94.5% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1 | 0.02% |
| Native American (NH) | 15 | 0.4% |
| Asian (NH) | 17 | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 6 | 0.1% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 111 | 2.64% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 83 | 2% |
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 5,285 people, 2,167 households, and 1,447 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 4.81 per square mile (1.86/km2). There were 2,719 housing units at an average density of 2.47 per square mile (0.95/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.09%White, 0.15%Black orAfrican American, 0.26%Native American, 0.25%Asian, 0.38% fromother races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 30.1% were ofNorwegian, 25.7%Swedish, 13.7%German and 6.6%Polish ancestry. Kittson County had the highest percentage of Swedish speakers of any county in the United States.
There were 2,167 households, of which 29.2% had children under age 18 living with them, 57.4% weremarried couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.
The county population contained 25.1% under age 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,515, and the median income for a family was $40,072. Males had a median income of $30,240 versus $21,320 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,525. About 8.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.3% of those under 18 and 10.4% of those 65 or older.
Kittson County has been a swing county for several decades, tending to vote Democratic. As of 2020, the county has selected the Democratic nominee in 60% of presidential elections since 1980.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 1,535 | 61.40% | 911 | 36.44% | 54 | 2.16% |
| 2020 | 1,546 | 58.58% | 1,006 | 38.12% | 87 | 3.30% |
| 2016 | 1,349 | 56.56% | 823 | 34.51% | 213 | 8.93% |
| 2012 | 1,095 | 45.25% | 1,241 | 51.28% | 84 | 3.47% |
| 2008 | 1,016 | 39.56% | 1,492 | 58.10% | 60 | 2.34% |
| 2004 | 1,307 | 48.73% | 1,333 | 49.70% | 42 | 1.57% |
| 2000 | 1,353 | 51.31% | 1,107 | 41.98% | 177 | 6.71% |
| 1996 | 1,055 | 38.38% | 1,394 | 50.71% | 300 | 10.91% |
| 1992 | 1,098 | 36.80% | 1,307 | 43.80% | 579 | 19.40% |
| 1988 | 1,381 | 45.18% | 1,650 | 53.97% | 26 | 0.85% |
| 1984 | 1,716 | 51.24% | 1,610 | 48.07% | 23 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 1,875 | 52.42% | 1,407 | 39.33% | 295 | 8.25% |
| 1976 | 1,555 | 42.85% | 2,008 | 55.33% | 66 | 1.82% |
| 1972 | 1,832 | 52.66% | 1,584 | 45.53% | 63 | 1.81% |
| 1968 | 1,436 | 40.88% | 1,894 | 53.91% | 183 | 5.21% |
| 1964 | 1,153 | 29.23% | 2,790 | 70.72% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1960 | 1,937 | 46.51% | 2,218 | 53.25% | 10 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 1,569 | 41.31% | 2,222 | 58.50% | 7 | 0.18% |
| 1952 | 1,837 | 43.08% | 2,387 | 55.98% | 40 | 0.94% |
| 1948 | 1,035 | 24.74% | 2,970 | 71.00% | 178 | 4.26% |
| 1944 | 983 | 26.16% | 2,752 | 73.25% | 22 | 0.59% |
| 1940 | 1,279 | 28.55% | 3,167 | 70.69% | 34 | 0.76% |
| 1936 | 1,080 | 25.30% | 3,127 | 73.25% | 62 | 1.45% |
| 1932 | 950 | 27.81% | 2,332 | 68.27% | 134 | 3.92% |
| 1928 | 1,957 | 56.81% | 1,383 | 40.15% | 105 | 3.05% |
| 1924 | 1,333 | 42.88% | 249 | 8.01% | 1,527 | 49.12% |
| 1920 | 2,485 | 74.65% | 599 | 17.99% | 245 | 7.36% |
| 1916 | 709 | 43.98% | 749 | 46.46% | 154 | 9.55% |
| 1912 | 185 | 12.76% | 362 | 24.97% | 903 | 62.28% |
| 1908 | 969 | 62.16% | 499 | 32.01% | 91 | 5.84% |
| 1904 | 1,076 | 81.27% | 157 | 11.86% | 91 | 6.87% |
| 1900 | 885 | 58.96% | 562 | 37.44% | 54 | 3.60% |
| 1896 | 753 | 48.36% | 762 | 48.94% | 42 | 2.70% |
| 1892 | 408 | 32.46% | 307 | 24.42% | 542 | 43.12% |
Places adjacent to Kittson County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities ofKittson County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
