Chisago County, Minnesota

Chisago County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county covers an area of Template:Convert and, as of the 2020 Census, had a population of 56,621 people. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county's largest city is North Branch. Within Chisago County is the Chisago Lakes area, which includes the combined areas of Shafer, Chisago City, Lindström, and Center City. Center City is the county seat.<ref name="Chisago Lakes Visitor Bureau 2023">Template:Cite web</ref> The county has a diverse economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism.<ref name="Chisago County, MN">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Early history

Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Chisago County was home to the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes. The Dakota lived in the southern part of the county and the Ojibwe in the northern part.<ref name="Risjord 2005 p.">Template:Cite book</ref> The first European to explore the area was Sieur duLuth in 1679.<ref name="u439">Template:Cite web</ref> French and English trading posts were established in Taylors Falls and Sunrise during the 18th century. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, French fur traders who traveled south from Lake Superior established trading posts along the river, extending as far south as Taylors Falls.<ref name="u439" />

In 1837, a treaty between the United States and the Chippewa Nation led to the cession of all lands between the St. Croix and Mississippi River, opening the area for European settlement.<ref name="f801">Template:Cite web</ref>

European Settlement

The first European settlers arrived in the Chisago County area in the early 1800s. Most of them were of Swedish descent, and they came in search of land and new opportunities.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They established small farms and communities throughout the county. Chisago County's early economy was based on farming, logging, and mining. Its forests and mines attracted many settlers to the area. Records of early businesses in Chisago County are recorded in Lindströmsjö.<ref name="Lindströmsjö">Template:Cite web</ref> Many Swedes emigrated seeking religious freedom from the oppressive Lutheran Church of Sweden. However, the majority left for reasons other than religious repression and still identified as Lutherans.<ref name="Johnson 1948">Template:Cite book</ref> The early Swedish churches in Minnesota, like the Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church in Center City, were initially lay-led due to the absence of ordained clergy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the mid-1800s, the area that is now Chisago County was part of the Minnesota Territory, and it was not officially established as a county until 1851.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It took its name from the Chisago Lake.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In its aboriginal form it was "Ki-chi-saga", from two Ojibwe words: "kichi" (large) and "saga" (fair or lovely).<ref name="Wikisource, the free online library 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

The county seat was originally in Taylors Falls, but was relocated to Chisago City in 1865. It took three more years before the legislature approved this relocation and voters approved it in a referendum. The move was later challenged in the courts on allegations of election fraud, resulting in a two-year delay before the state Supreme Court validated the results. In 1875, the county seat was again moved, this time to Center City where it remains as of Template:Currentyear.<ref name="j048">Template:Cite web</ref>

The development of transportation infrastructure in Chisago County began with the completion of the first bridge across the St. Croix River at Taylors Falls in 1856. Prior to the bridge, ferryboats provided crossings at Sunrise and Rush City. In 1868, a military road was constructed, spanning the entire county from north to south. Railroads soon became a vital mode of transportation, with the completion of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad, also running north to south, in 1870.<ref name="u439" />

Progressive Era

By the early 1900s and the dawn of the Progressive Era, much of Chisago County's forests had been cleared, leading to the closure of sawmills and the departure of lumberjacks in search of new employment. Advancements in farm machinery enabled fewer workers to manage larger farms. The county's economy shifted toward manufacturing and industry. The county was home to factories and mills, including sawmills, flour mills, and paper mills.<ref name="Lindströmsjö" />

The Progressive Era also led to reform movements resonating throughout Minnesota and Chisago County.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The county's distinct approach to education can be primarily attributed to its homogeneous population and the unique structure of local governance.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This uniformity allowed the school boards in Chisago County to effectively control external influences through their selection of teachers.<ref name="Shaffer">Template:Cite thesis</ref>

Nearly 70% of Chisago County voters supported Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Post-war

Between 1970 and 2000, Chisago County's population surged by 135%. Enhanced transportation networks, including Interstate Highway 35 and U.S. Highway 8, facilitated access to broader regions and led to business and industrial growth.<ref name="u439" />

Modern era

Today, Chisago County has a diverse economy. It is home to several manufacturing companies, including the Anderson Corporation, a major producer of windows and doors.<ref name="Chisago County 2020">Template:Cite web</ref> Agriculture is also a large part of the local economy, with crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat grown in the county.<ref name="USDA 2023">Template:Cite web</ref> Tourism is also growing, with visitors drawn to the Chisago Lakes area's recreational opportunities.<ref name="Chisago Lakes Visitor Bureau 2023"/>

The county has retained and continues to celebrate much of its Swedish heritage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

Chisago County lies on Minnesota's eastern border, abutting the western border of Wisconsin (across the Saint Croix River). The Saint Croix flows south-southeast along the county's eastern border. The Sunrise River flows north through the county's central part, collecting the waters of the North Branch Sunrise River and Hay Creek before discharging into the St. Croix at the county's eastern boundary. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, devoted to agriculture.<ref name=CCM>Chisago County MN Google Maps (accessed March 6, 2019)</ref> The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the northwest corner, at Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (6.2%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• File:I-35.svg Interstate 35
• File:US 8.svg US Highway 8
• File:US 61.svg US Highway 61
• File:MN-95.svg Minnesota State Highway 95
• File:MN-243.svg Minnesota State Highway 243
• List of county roads

Adjacent counties

• Pine County - north
• Burnett County, Wisconsin - northeast
• Polk County, Wisconsin - east
• Washington County - south
• Anoka County - southwest
• Isanti County - west
• Kanabec County - northwest

Protected areas

• Fish Lake County Park
• Franconia Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area
• Interstate State Park
• Lawrence Creek Scientific and Natural Area
• Ojiketa Regional Park
• Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (part)
• Wild River State Park

Template:Div col end <ref name=CCM/>

Climate and weather

Chisago County has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with long, cold winters and warm summers. The average high temperature in the summer is around Template:Convert, while the average low temperature in the winter is around Template:Convert.

A record low of Template:Convert was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in July 1988.<ref name=WX/>

The county's location in the Upper Midwest region of the United States exposes it to a wide range of weather patterns, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. The county experiences moderate precipitation throughout the year, with an average annual rainfall of Template:Convert and an average annual snowfall of Template:Convert. Spring is the most active season for severe weather, with thunderstorms and tornadoes common. Winter storms are common during the winter, with heavy snowfall and blizzards.

Chisago County has many lakes and wetlands, which significantly affect its weather and climate. It has over 100 lakes, the largest being North and South Center Lakes, Green Lake, and Chisago Lake. The lakes and wetlands moderate temperatures by absorbing heat during the summer and releasing it during the winter.

Demographics

Template:US Census population According to the most recent census data, Chisago County's population is 56,621, making it Minnesota's 18th-most populous county. 52.1% of residents are male and 47.9% are female. The average family size in Chisago County was 3.05 persons, and 62.2% of households were married-couple families.

From 1960 to 2010, Chisago County has been one of the state's fastest growing counties. From 2000 to 2014, Chisago County was the fifth-fastest growing county in the state, experiencing a population increase of 12,924 (growth rate of 31.4 percent).<ref name="u439" />

95.4% of residents have at least a high school education, and 22.2% have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. 4.9% are veterans.<ref name="Census2020">Template:Cite web</ref>

Age

File:ChisagoCountyMn2022PopPyr.png

2022 US Census population pyramid for Chisago County, from ACS 5-year estimate

Race and ethnicity

Historically, Chisago County has been overwhelmingly populated by non-Hispanic Whites. Since 2000, it has been home to a small but growing Black, Asian, and Hispanic population.

Year	Total	White alone		Black alone		Hispanic (any race)		Native alone		Asian alone (incl. Pacific Is.)		Other race alone		Two or more
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
1950<ref name="Social Explorer o122">Template:Cite web</ref>	12,669	12,660	99.93	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	9Template:Efn	0.06	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
1960<ref name="Social Explorer w792">Template:Cite web</ref>	13,419	13,392	99.80	21	0.16	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	6Template:Efn	0.04	0	0.00	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
1970<ref name="Social Explorer i920">Template:Cite web</ref>	17,492	17,427	99.63	33	0.19	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	32	0.18	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
1980<ref name="Census 1980">Template:Cite web</ref>	25,717	25,423	98.86	28	0.11	91Template:Efn	0.35	76	0.30	59	0.23	40	0.16	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
1990<ref name="Census 1990">Template:Cite web</ref>	30,521	30,099	98.62	63	0.21	137Template:Efn	0.45	120	0.39	89	0.29	13	0.04	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
2000<ref name="Census 2000">Template:Cite web</ref>	41,101	39,953	97.21	210	0.51	473	1.15	187	0.45	287	0.70	126	0.31	327	0.80
2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	53,887Template:Efn	51,013	94.67	636	1.18	835	1.55	313	0.58	480	0.89	19	0.04	591	1.10
2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	56,621Template:Efn	50,804	89.73	845	1.49	1,451	2.56	309	0.55	771	1.36	185	0.33	2,256	3.98

Ancestry

The most common ancestries in Chisago County are German, English, Swedish, Irish and Norwegian.<ref name="EthnicityCombo">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="EthnicityFull">Template:Cite web</ref>

Ancestry	Any ancestryTemplate:Efn			Full ancestryTemplate:Efn
	Rank	Population	%	Rank	Population	%
German	1	19,608	34.63	1	6,551	11.57
Irish	2	8,895	15.71	4	1,515	2.68
Swedish	3	8,368	14.78	3	2,380	4.20
English	4	6,992	12.35	2	2,766	4.89
Norwegian	5	6,463	11.41	5	1,467	2.59
Polish	6	3,127	5.52	7	637	1.13
French	7	2,846	5.03	9	359	0.63
Italian	8	1,859	3.28	8	509	0.90
Scandinavian	9	1,692	2.99	6	985	1.74
Scottish	10	1,239	2.19	15	118	0.21
Danish	11	945	1.67	12	144	0.25
Dutch	12	908	1.60	11	146	0.26
Finnish	13	900	1.59	10	257	0.45
Czech	14	884	1.56	13	142	0.25
Mexican	15	883	1.56	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
French-Canadian	16	691	1.22	14	139	0.25

Nativity

File:Swedish ancestry in Chisago County, MN (2020).svg

Percent of population reporting Swedish ancestry in 2020 by census tract<ref name="w828">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2021, 97.9% of residents were born in the United States, and 78.5% had been born in Minnesota. Among the foreign-born population, 56.5% were naturalized U.S. citizens. 97.1% of residents spoke only English at home.

From the late 19th to mid-20th century, a majority of the foreign-born population was born in Sweden.<ref name="Social Explorer k158" /><ref name="Social Explorer n309" /> As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 1,174 people were foreign born, or 2.06% of the total population. Of these, about 40% were born in Asia, 30% in Latin America, 15% in Canada, 10% in Europe, and 5% in Africa.<ref name="t179" />

Country of birth of foreign born population, 1930–1970

Country of birth
	1900		1930<ref name="Social Explorer k158">Template:Cite web</ref>		1940<ref name="Social Explorer n309">Template:Cite web</ref>		1970
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Template:Flag	4,215	84.00	2,319	84.85	1,541	82.45	220	59.46
Template:Flag	390	2.94	133	4.86	92	4.93	52	14.05
Template:Flag	69	1.38	94	3.44	77	4.12	8	2.16
Template:Flag	128	2.55	56	2.05	38	2.03	16	4.32
Template:Flag	55	0.42	41	1.50	40	2.14	6	1.62
Other	161	3.21	90	3.29	80	4.28	68	18.38
Total foreign born	5,018	100.00	2,733	100.00	1,868	100.00	370	100.0

Country of birth of foreign born population, 2022<ref name="t179">Template:Cite web</ref>

Country	Number	Percent
Template:Flag	201	17.12
Template:Flag	178	15.16
Template:Flag	116	9.88
Template:Flag	68	5.79
Template:Flag	64	5.45
Template:Flag	61	5.20
Template:Flag	60	5.11
Template:Flag	51	4.34
Template:Flag	37	3.15
Template:Flag	36	3.07
Template:Flag	30	2.56
Template:Flag	28	2.38
Other	244	20.79
Total	1,174	100.00

Religion

File:Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church.jpg

Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church

The 2020 U.S. Religion Census conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies found that 7,549 Chisago County residents were affiliated with the Catholic Church, 6,098 with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and 2,975 with the Assemblies of God.<ref name="C 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

A notable religious building in Chisago County is the Chisago Lake Lutheran Church. The church was founded in 1890 and has been in Center City since 1906. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Another prominent religious building in the county is the First United Methodist Church of Lindström. The church has served the community for over 130 years.

The Church of St. Joseph in Taylors Falls is a Catholic church that was founded in 1854. The current building was constructed in 1896.

Transportation

Among workers 16 years and older, 80.3% commuted to work by car, 9.0% carpooled, 1.6% used public transit, and 2.2% walked, biked, or used some other method. 7.0% worked from home. The median household income was $86,900, slightly above the state average. 6.4% of residents lived below the poverty line, and 2.5% were unemployed. 86.4% of housing in the county was owner-occupied.

Education

• Chisago Lakes High School
• North Branch Area High School
• Rush City High School

Communities

Cities

• Center City (county seat)
• Chisago City
• Harris
• Lindström
• North Branch
• Rush City
• Shafer
• Stacy
• Taylors Falls
• Wyoming

Unincorporated communities

• Almelund
• Franconia
• Palmdale
• Rush Point
• Stark
• Sunrise

Townships

• Amador Township
• Chisago Lake Township
• Fish Lake Township
• Franconia Township
• Lent Township (former, now defunct)
• Nessel Township
• Rushseba Township
• Shafer Township
• Sunrise Township
• Wyoming Township (former, now defunct)

Culture

File:Svenskar i Amerika. Olof Olsson från Nerikes Kil, utvandrade ca 1880 till Rush City, Minnesota - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0039211.jpg

Swedish immigrants in Rush City, Minnesota, in 1887.

Chisago County is strongly influenced by the German, Swedish and Norwegian immigrants who settled there in the mid-19th century. It provided the setting for much of Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg's suite of novels The Emigrants in the 1950s, and Moberg engaged in both archival and oral history research for his books to recreate the area's early Swedish immigration. Sculptor Ian Dudley's bronze statue of Moberg stands in Chisago City's park.

Moberg's fictional characters Karl-Oskar and Kristina Nilsson from Ljuder parish in Småland in 1850 with three small children and a group of relatives and neighbors, during the period of the first wave of mass emigration from Sweden.

Moberg penned Karl Oskar as the first to settle around Lake Ki-Chi-Saga (from the Ojibwe Ki-chi-saga-igun, or Gichi-zaaga'igan in contemporary spelling), meaning "big lake with an outlet", which was later shortened to Lake Chisago. The annual Karl Oskar Days in Lindström honor the early settlers' heritage.

Government and politics

Government

The County Board, comprising five members, is responsible for setting policies and making laws in the county. Its members are elected from specific regions and serve four-year terms in a rotating manner.<ref name="Board of Commissioners">Template:Cite web</ref>

The County Board sets the county tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government.

The Chisago County Court Administrator's Office is responsible for maintaining records, managing case flow, overseeing jury management, and collecting fines for all District Court cases in the county. These cases encompass various types, such as juvenile, civil, family, probate, criminal, and conciliation court cases. Chisago County accommodates three chambered judges in a full-time capacity, and is part of the 10th Judicial District, which comprises eight counties and 45 judges. Any judge in this district may preside over cases in Chisago County.

County Commissioners

Office<ref name="Board of Commissioners"/>		Name	Party
	District 1	Jim Swenson	Nonpartisan
	District 2	Rick Greene	Nonpartisan
	District 3	Marlys Dunne	Nonpartisan
	District 4	Ben Montzka	Nonpartisan
	District 5	Dan Dahlberg	Nonpartisan

County officials

Office<ref name="Departments of Chisago">Template:Cite web</ref>		Name	Party
	Attorney	Janet Reiter	Nonpartisan
	Auditor-Treasurer	Bridgitte Konrad	Nonpartisan
	Recorder	Karen Long	Nonpartisan
	Sheriff	Brandon Thyen	Nonpartisan

Politics

Chisago County has trended conservative in recent state and federal elections, backing every Republican nominee for president since 2000.

State legislators

Office		District	Name	Party	Residence
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Senate	11	Jason Rarick	Republican	Pine City
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Senate	28	Mark Koran	Republican	North Branch
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	House	11B	Nathan Nelson	Republican	Hinckley
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	House	28A	Jimmy Gordon	Republican	Isanti
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	House	28B	Max Rymer	Republican	North Branch

Federal officials

Office		District	Name	Party
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Senate	Statewide	Amy Klobuchar	DFL
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	Senate	Statewide	Tina Smith	DFL
bgcolor=Template:Party color|	House	8th	Pete Stauber	Republican

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Chisago County, Minnesota
• Swedish Americans
• Nordic immigration to North America

External links

• Template:Official website
• Chisago County Historical Society website
• Minnesota DOT Highway map of Chisago County
• Youth demographics of Chisago County