Mendota is a city in

Dakota County Dakota County may refer to: *Dakota County, Minnesota in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area of east-central Minnesota *Dakota County, Nebraska Dakota County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of th2020 United States Census the populati ...

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 name is derived from the

Dakota language Dakota (''Dakhótiyapi, Dakȟótiyapi''), also referred to as Dakhota, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Sioux tribes. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language. It is critically endan ...

, meaning "mouth or junction of one river with another. The population was 198 at the 2010 census.

History

The town was one of the first permanent European-American settlements in the state of Minnesota, being founded around the same time as

Fort Snelling Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anth ...

. It is also the location of the Sibley Historic Site with two of the earliest known stone buildings in the State of Minnesota, the

Henry Hastings Sibley Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territory, the first governor of the state of Minnesota, and a U.S. mil ...

house, the Faribault house, and other buildings associated with the

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...

, all dating from the 1830s, and the Dupuis House, the first red brick house in Mendota, built in 1854 by

Hypolite Dupuis Hypolite Dupuis (October 16, 1804July 1879) was known as a "veritable old settler" in the Minnesota River Valley when it was largely inhabited by Native Americans. He was a French Canadian fur trader who eventually settled in Mendota, Minnesot ...

for his wife
Angelique (Renville) Dupuis and his large, growing Dakota mixed-blood family. Hypolite Dupuis arrived in Mendota sometime between 1840, and 1842 and began clerking for Sibley
The main route through the small city is State Highway 13, also known as ''Sibley Memorial Highway''. Other roads in the city are mainly small unimproved roads. The city of Mendota is home to the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community, they are a non-federally recognized Indian community in Minnesota. They have sought federal recognition since 1996. They are a registered 501 C(3). Their present community came into existence after congress passed appropriation acts for the "Sioux in Minnesota" in the 1880s and 1890s. Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community U.S. Stat. 25: pg.228 U.S. Stat. 25: pg.992 U.S. Stat. 26: pg.349

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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city of Mendota is located at the confluence of the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and

rivers. The city is surrounded on three sides by the city of

Mendota Heights Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Geography According to ...

Fort Snelling State Park Fort Snelling State Park is a state park of the U.S. state of Minnesota, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. For many centuries, the area of the modern park has been of importance to the Mdewakanton Dakota people who consi ...

is 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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 198 people, 78 households, and 52 families living in the city. 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 . There were 82 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4%

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 ...

, 1.5%

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 ...

, 1.5% Native American, 2.0%

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 ...

, 1.5% 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 2.0% from two or more races.

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 were 3.5% of the population. There were 78 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 10.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 197 people, 80 households, and 48 families living in the city. The

was 1,045.8 people per square mile (400.3/km²). There were 80 housing units at an average density of 424.7 per square mile (162.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.39%

, 1.52%

, 2.03% Native American, 0.51%

, 0.51% from

, and 3.05% from two or more races. There were 80 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were

living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 126.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,938, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $26,250 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 $26,745. None of the families and 1.3% of the population were living 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 ...

Notable people

* Timothy J. Corbett, first Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Crookston *

, Clerk for Henry H. Sibley, arrived in Mendota in 1842. *

Jean-Baptiste Faribault Jean-Baptiste Faribault (October 19, 1775 – August 20, 1860) was a trader with the Native Americans in the United States, Indians and early settler in Minnesota. His father, Barthélemy Faribault, a lawyer of Paris, France, settled in C ...

, trader and early Minnesota settler * Joseph Godfrey, only African American combatant in the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...

* Henry H. Sibley, first

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of Minnesota, arrived in Mendota in 1835

Gallery of images

Image:MendotaPlaque.jpg, City historical marker File:St. Peter's Mendota 2006.jpg, St. Peters Church File:St. Peter's Mendota plaque 2006.jpg, St. Peters Church plaque Image:Sibleybldgs.jpg, The original Mendota buildings Image:SibleyHouse.jpg, The

house Image:SibleyHousePlaque.jpg, The

house plaque Image:Sibleykitchen.jpg, The Sibley summer kitchen Image:SibleypowderHouse.jpg, The fur company powder house Image:ColdStoreHouse.jpg,

cold store Image:ColdStoreHouse2.jpg, The fur company cold store Image:FaribaultHouse.jpg, The

house

References

Mendota Walking in the Foot Steps of History source is from http://www.cityofmendota.org/donations.html current link to ref. # 8 is a phishing scam for verizon wireless

External links

City of Mendota, MN – Official Website
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River Cities in Dakota County, Minnesota Minneapolis–Saint Paul Dakota toponyms Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Dakota County, Minnesota