Becker County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,183. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Detroit Lakes Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsum ...

. Part of the

White Earth Indian Reservation The White Earth Indian Reservation ( oj, Gaa-waabaabiganikaag, "Where there is an abundance of white clay") is the home to the White Earth Band, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in the state by land area. T ...

extends into the county. The county was created in 1858 and organized in 1871.

History

Becker County became a county on March 18, 1858. It was named for

George Loomis Becker George Loomis Becker (February 4, 1829 – January 6, 1904) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Life and career Becker was born in Locke, New York in 1829. He attended Case Western Reserve ...

, one of three men elected to Congress when Minnesota became a state. Since Minnesota could only send two, Becker elected to stay behind, and he was promised to have a county named after him. Colonel George Johnston founded the city of

in 1871. It grew quickly with the construction of the

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by 38th United States Congress, Congress in 1864 and given ...

. Johnston led settlers from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

to settle in this region. An 1877 election decided that Detroit Lakes, then known as Detroit, would become the county seat. Detroit won the election by a 90% majority. Frazee, Lake Park, and

Audubon The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...

were also in the running. In 1884, Detroit Lakes had many businesses, including two hotels, a bank, a newspaper, and an opera house. The first courthouse was built that year. In 1885, the first county fire department was constructed. In 1903, the Soo Line Railroad built a line through the county. Detroit Lakes hosts a park dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic. The city rededicated the park on April 15, 2015, marking the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the death of President Lincoln. Colonel Tom Mortenson and his wife, Pam, sponsored the rededication, representing the Women's Relief Corps, which spearheaded community support for the effort that included new signage for the park and a time capsule to be opened on the 200th anniversary.

Geography

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, tree-covered and dotted with lakes and ponds.''Becker County MN'' Google Maps (accessed March 4, 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the west and north. Its highest point is a hill 2.1 miles (3.4 km) northeast of

Wolf Lake ''Wolf Lake'' is an American supernatural drama television series that originally aired on CBS from September 19 to October 24, 2001. Nine episodes were produced, but only five aired before the series was canceled by CBS. The full series, includ ...

, the site of the USFS Wolf Lake lookout tower, at 1,861' (567m) ASL. The next highest point is near its northwest corner, at 1,631' (497m) ASL. The county has an area of , of which is land and (9.0%) is water. Becker County has diverse topography. It is home to several hundred lakes, many acres of fertile farm land, and forested areas. Much of the land consists of hills and deciduous trees.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...

U.S. Highway 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south United States highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA superhighway, NAFTA ...

Minnesota State Highway 34 Minnesota State Highway 34 (MN 34) is a highway in west-central and north-central Minnesota, which runs from its Intersection (road), intersection with Minnesota State Highway 9, State Highway 9 (near Interstate 94 in Minnesota, Interstate 94 ...

Minnesota State Highway 87 Minnesota State Highway 87 (MN 87) is a highway in north-central and northwest Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 at Frazee and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 84 i ...

Minnesota State Highway 113 Minnesota State Highway 113 (MN 113) is a highway in northwest Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 32 in Syre and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highway 71 in Clover Township (17 ...

Adjacent counties

* Mahnomen County - north * Clearwater County - northeast * Hubbard County - northeast * Wadena County - southeast * Otter Tail County - south *

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...

- west * Norman County - northwest

Protected areas

* Atlanta State Wildlife Management Area * Becker State Wildlife Management Area * Callaway State Wildlife Management Area * Frank State Wildlife Management Area * Greenwater Lake Scientific and Natural Area * Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge * Hasca State Park (part) * Lunde State Wildlife Management Area * Melbye State Wildlife Management Area * Ogema Springs State Wildlife Management Area * Pednor State Wildlife Management Area * Riparia State Wildlife Management Area * Smoky Hills State Forest *

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States. It lies in the glacial lake country of northwestern Minnesota in Becker County, northeast of Detroit Lakes. It was established in 1938 as a refuge breeding gr ...

** Tamarac Wilderness * Teiken-Dalve State Wildlife Management Area * Two Inlets State Forest * White Earth State Wildlife Management Area

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Detroit Lakes have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July; a record low of was recorded in February 1936 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 30,000 people, 11,844 households, and 8,184 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 22.8/sqmi (8.81/km²). There were 16,612 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.35%

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 on ...

, 0.19%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 7.52% Native American, 0.36%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.24% 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 2.32% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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. 32.2% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 26.0%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

and 5.2%

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

ancestry. There were 11,844 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02. The county population contained 26.6% under age 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 39. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,797, and the median income for a family was $41,807. Males had a median income of $29,641 versus $20,693 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 county was $17,085. About 8.5% of families and 12.2% 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 16.4% of those under 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and over.

2020 Census

Communities

Cities

* Callaway *

* Frazee * Lake Park * Ogema *

Townships

* Atlanta Township * Audubon Township * Burlington Township * Callaway Township * Carsonville Township * Cormorant Township * Cuba Township * Detroit Township * Eagle View Township * Erie Township * Evergreen Township * Forest Township * Green Valley Township * Hamden Township * Height of Land Township * Holmesville Township * Lake Eunice Township * Lake Park Township * Lake View Township * Maple Grove Township * Osage Township * Pine Point Township * Riceville Township * Richwood Township * Round Lake Township * Runeberg Township * Savannah Township * Shell Lake Township * Silver Leaf Township * Spring Creek Township * Spruce Grove Township * Sugar Bush Township * Toad Lake Township * Two Inlets Township * Walworth Township * White Earth Township * Wolf Lake Township

Census-designated places

* Elbow Lake * Osage * Pine Point * White Earth

Unincorporated communities

* Bucks Mill * Cormorant * Goldenrod * Midway * Oak Lake * Pine Point * Ponsford * Richwood * Rochert * Shoreham * Snellman * Two Inlets

Lakes

* Big Cormorant Lake (Minnesota) * Middle Cormorant Lake * Upper Cormorant Lake * Little Cormorant lake * Nelson lake * Erickson Lake * Lake Melissa * Detroit Lake * Lake Sallie * Lake Maud

Government and politics

Becker County voters have voted Republican in recent decades. As of 2020, the county has selected the Democratic nominee for president in only one election since 1980.

In popular culture

Becker County is the setting of the 2006 independent film ''

Sweet Land ''Sweet Land'' is a 2005 American independent period drama film written and directed by Ali Selim. It is an adaptation of the 1989 short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" by Will Weaver. The film stars Elizabeth Reaser, Tim Guinee, Lois Smi ...

'', though it was filmed in Chippewa County. A popular

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel, CBOYSTV films, is headquartered in Becker County. CBoysTV is an American comedy and motorsports channel run by five men. The channel has amassed over a million subscribers.

Images

File:Becker County MN County Public Works Center at Detroit Lakes.jpg, The County Public Works Center for Becker County in Detroit Lakes File:Becker County Highway Department Building.jpg, Highway Department building for Becker County

References

External links

Becker County government’s website
{{Coord, 46.93, -95.67, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990 Minnesota counties 1871 establishments in Minnesota