Kanabec County, Minnesota

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Kanabec County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a county in the East Central part of U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,032.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Mora.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The Minnesota legislature authorized creation of Kanabec County on March 13, 1858,<ref>Minnesota State Government Series - State Counties</ref> with territory partitioned from Pine County. No county seat was designated at that time, and the county organization was not effected at that time. The county name came from the Ojibwe term ginebig, meaning "snake," after the Snake River — Kanabecosippi (Ginebigo-ziibi in the modern spelling) — which flows through the county.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The area of Kanabec County was attached to Chisago County for administrative and judicial purposes. What county business was handled locally was performed by part-time County Auditor and County Treasurer, in a single room in a stopping place operated by lumber-trader George Staples at Millet Rapids.

In 1871 the county was detached from Chisago, and assigned to Pine County. This assignment lasted through 1881.

The 1870 United States census listed 53 occupants of the Kanabec County area. However, an influx of settlers into its southern areas occurred in the early 1870s, and by 1876 an official county building was needed. A one-room wood building was erected at Millet Rapids, put into use in 1876. In 1881 the county was detached from Pine, and the government structure was finalized, with the county seat being designated at Brunswick. Only one court term was held at Brunswick; in the 1882 general election, a nearly-unanimous vote designated Mora as the county seat. The old courthouse building was sold to a local farmer, who moved it to his property to use as a home. The wood courthouse erected at Mora was used until 1894, when it burned and was replaced by a more fireproof building.<ref>About Us. Kanabec County website (accessed March 13, 2019)</ref>

Geography

The Snake River flows south-southeasterly through the central part of the county, fed by Groundhouse River (flowing northeasterly from the county's SW corner) and Red Creek and Mud Creek. The Snake continues easterly into Pine County. The county terrain consists of partly-wooded rolling hills, etched by drainages. It is largely devoted to agriculture.<ref name="KCM">Kanabec County MN Google Maps (accessed March 13, 2019)</ref> The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the NW corner, at Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (2.3%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Sunset over Fish Lake in Kanabec County

Lakes

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Ann Lake
Bachman Dam
Bass Lake (part)
Beauty Lake
Featherbed Lake
Fish Lake
Kent Lake
Knife Lake
Lake Eleven
Lake Five
Lake Full of Fish
Lewis Lake
Long Lake
Pennington Lake
Pomroy Lake
Rice Lake
Spring Lake
Thirteen Lake
White Lily Lake

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Adjacent counties

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Aitkin County - north
Pine County - east
Chisago County - southeast
Isanti County - south
Mille Lacs County - west

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Protected areas

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Ann Lake State Wildlife Management Area
Bean Dam State Wildlife Management Area
Hay-Snake State Wildlife Management Area
Rice Creek State Wildlife Management Area
Rum River State Forest (part)
Tosher Creek State Wildlife Management Area
Whited State Wildlife Management Area

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Historic Locations

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Ann River Logging Company Farm
Kanabec County Courthouse
Knife Lake prehistoric district
Ogilvie Watertower
C. E. Williams House
Zetterberg Company

Infrastructure

Demographics

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2020 Census

Kanabec County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	14,954	93.3%
Black or African American (NH)	65	0.4%
Native American (NH)	113	0.7%
Asian (NH)	80	0.5%
Pacific Islander (NH)	0	0%
Other/Mixed (NH)	582	3.63%
Hispanic or Latino	238	1.5%

2010 census

File:KanabecCountyMn2022PopPyr.png

2022 US Census population pyramid for Kanabec County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,239 people and 6,277 households in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,808 housing units (2014 estimate). The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, and 1.6% from other races or two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the 2000 census, 30.2% were of German, 18.1% Swedish, 13.1% Norwegian, 5.5% American and 5.4% Irish ancestry.

In the census of 2000, there were 5,759 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.

The county population contained 24.0% under the age of 18 and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,068. The per capita income for the county was $22,291. About 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line.