Askov is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
Pine County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States. The population was 364 at the
2010 census.
Minnesota State Highway 23 serves as a main route in the community, and
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
is nearby.
History
The village was originally within the lands of the village of
Partridge
A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perd ...
, at a stop far outside the original village along
Great Northern Railway; here a post office was set up, called Partridge from 1889 to 1909, before changing its name to Askov in 1909. Most of the original village of Partridge was destroyed in the
1894 Hinckley fire. The immigrants to the Danish "colony" of Askov were nationalistic
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
followers of the theologian and cultural leader
N. F. S. Grundtvig
Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential pe ...
. Danish immigrants had previously been mostly
economic migrant
An economic migrant is someone who emigrates from one region to another, including crossing international borders, seeking an improved standard of living, because the conditions or job opportunities in the migrant's own region are insufficient. Th ...
s fleeing poverty, but the first migrants to Askov were almost all Grundvigian Danes from elsewhere in the U.S.
[http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/8/v08i04p363-385.pdf ] The ''Dansk Folkesamfund'' (Danish Peoples Society) was founded in 1887 by
Svend Hersleb Grundtvig, N. F. S. Grundtvig's son, to conserve Danish social heritage and promote immigration to the U.S. The ''Dansk Folkesamfund'', with help from the railroad company, bought 45 parcels of land around the train station and post office in 1906 and by 1909 had sold them exclusively to Danish settlers, some 25 families.
[ The name "Askov" was chosen to commemorate the village of Askov, Denmark, the site of one of the largest folk high schools (''Askov Højskole'') founded by N. F. S. Grundtvig.] The name Askov is derived from "ash forest" (''ask skov'') in Danish. By 1916, almost 1,000 settlers of Danish descent lived here, although 1920 U.S. census data records only 242 inhabitants in Askov; most people lived in Partridge
A partridge is a medium-sized galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They are sometimes grouped in the Perd ...
. This was Minnesota's largest concentration of Danish settlers.[ The new village was incorporated on April 25, 1918, and officially separated from the ]township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
as the City of Askov on April 8, 1921. Initially the main economic activity was dairy (the first cooperative creamery being built in 1910) supplemented by mixed intensive farming.[ Nearly all the streets in Askov have Danish names.
Askov's population now has the following ancestries: German (20.8%), Irish (12.0%), Norwegian (7.3%), Danish (6.3%), Scandinavian (5.2%), American (4.7%).
The fashion brand Askov Finlayson was named after this city and neighboring ]Finlayson, Minnesota
Finlayson is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 315 at the 2010 census. The city's area was incorporated from Finlayson Township, the remainder of which is still adjacent to it. https://finlayson.municipalimpa ...
, which share a freeway exit on I-35.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the village has an area of , all land.
The Kettle River and Partridge Creek both flow nearby. Banning State Park is also nearby.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 364 people, 171 households, and 88 families living in the village. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 188 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.3% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.4% of the population.
There were 171 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.5% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the village was 41 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.
2000 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 368 people, 165 households, and 92 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 181 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.92% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.27% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.63% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.54% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.09% from two or more races.
There were 165 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,472, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $27,375 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $14,583. About 5.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
Tradition
Askov formerly called itself "rutabaga
Rutabaga (; North American English) or swede (British English and some Commonwealth English) is a root vegetable, a form of ''Brassica napus'' (which also includes rapeseed). Other names include Swedish turnip, neep (Scots), and turnip (Scott ...
capital of the world" due to the large amount of rutabaga grown and exported by the town up until the 1970's. The village is now home to an annual "Fair and Rutabaga Festival", a beauty pageant and fair held during the fourth weekend of August, a few months before rutabaga is harvested.[
]
Education
The local school district is East Central Schools.
Notable people
Askov is also the hometown of Minneapolis Lakers star and NBA Hall of Famer Vern Mikkelsen
Arild Verner Agerskov Mikkelsen (October 21, 1928 – November 21, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. One of the National Basketball Association's first power forwards in the 1950s, he was known for his tenacious defense. Als ...
and was the residence of former Minnesota governor Hjalmar Petersen
Hjalmar Petersen (January 2, 1890March 29, 1968) was an American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Minnesota.
Background
Hjalmar Petersen was born in Eskildstrup, Denmark to Lauritz and Anna Petersen, who moved with Hjalmar to Chi ...
. L. C. Pedersen, businessman and politician, also lived in Askov.Minnesota Legislators Past and Present-L.C. Pedersen
/ref>
References
External links
local newspaper
East Central Schools website
Askov Rutabaga Festival
{{authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Pine County, Minnesota
Danish-American culture in Minnesota