Editing Aitkin Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota

{{short description|Township in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Aitkin Township
|settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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||pushpin_map             = Minnesota
|pushpin_label            = Aitkin Township
|pushpin_label_position   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Minnesota
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                = Map highlighting Aitkin Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota.svg
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = Location in Aitkin County
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<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Minnesota}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Aitkin County, Minnesota|Aitkin]]

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|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Established
|established_date         = June 18, 1873
|named_for                = [[William Alexander Aitken]]

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 88.9
|area_land_km2            = 83.2
|area_water_km2           = 5.7
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |last1=|first1= |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=[[Census.gov]] |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 918
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 363
|elevation_ft             = 1191
|coordinates              = {{coord|46|32|21|N|93|45|43|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 56431
|area_code                = [[Area code 218|218]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-00478<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0663389<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = 
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}}
'''Aitkin Township''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|k|ᵻ|n}} {{respell|AY|kin}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |title=Minnesota Pronunciation Guide |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=July 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722194213/http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |archive-date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref> is a township in [[Aitkin County, Minnesota|Aitkin County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 918 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>  The 2021 population estimate is 934.<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021"/>

==History==
Aitkin Township, Aitken County, is named after [[William Alexander Aitken]], a [[fur trader]] for the [[American Fur Company]] which had a trading post at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ripple rivers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n33 14]}}</ref> It was incorporated June 18, 1873.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aitkin County, Minnesota|url=http://www.aitkincohs.org/docs/aitkincountytownships.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811160616/http://aitkincohs.org/docs/aitkincountytownships.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-11 |url-status=live|website=Aitken County Historical Society|accessdate=March 2, 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|88.9|km2|disp=flip}}; of this, {{convert|83.2|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|5.7|km2|disp=flip}}, or 6.40%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2700100478| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212144757/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2700100478| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Aitkin township, Aitkin County, Minnesota| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=June 12, 2013}}</ref>

The city of [[Aitkin, Minnesota|Aitkin]] lies geographically within the township but is a separate entity.

Within the township, the wreck of the 1884 steamboat ''[[Andy Gibson (steamboat)|Andy Gibson]]'' is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Minnesota National Register Properties Database |url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/ |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2009 |accessdate=2017-01-29}}</ref>

===Major highways===

* [[Image:US 169 (MN).svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota|U.S. Highway 169]]
* [[Image:MN-47.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 47]]
* [[Image:MN-210.svg|20px]] [[Minnesota State Highway 210]]

===Lakes===
* Bass Lake
* Blue Lake (north quarter)
* Cedar Lake (northeast half)
* Dogfish Lake
* Lily Lake
* Pickerel Lake
* Poor Farm Lake
* Tarr Lake

===Adjacent townships===
* [[Morrison Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Morrison Township]] (northeast)
* [[Spencer Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Spencer Township]] (east)
* [[Nordland Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Nordland Township]] (southeast)
* [[Farm Island Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota|Farm Island Township]] (south)
* [[Deerwood Township, Crow Wing County, Minnesota|Deerwood Township, Crow Wing County]] (southwest)
* [[Rabbit Lake Township, Crow Wing County, Minnesota|Rabbit Lake Township, Crow Wing County]] (west)

===Cemeteries===
The township contains the following cemeteries: Lakeview and Saint Thomas.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 642 people, 267 households, and 190 families residing in the township.  The [[population density]] was 19.8 people per square mile (7.6/km{{sup|2}}).  There were 356 housing units at an average density of 11.0/sq&nbsp;mi (4.2/km{{sup|2}}).  The racial makeup of the township was 97.35% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.40% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.47% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.78% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.09% of the population.

There were 267 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $34,250, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $34,583 versus $20,769 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $18,896.  About 4.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020547/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ United States National Atlas]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144543/http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/edgar.html United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles]
* [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/ United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)]
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{{Aitkin County, Minnesota}}

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[[Category:Townships in Aitkin County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Townships in Minnesota]]