Olivia is the

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 ...

of Renville 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. Its population was 2,484 at the 2010 census.

History

Olivia was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1878, and named for a female station agent named Olive, according to local history. A post office has been in operation at Olivia since 1879. The county seat was transferred from

Beaver Falls Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

to Olivia in 1900.

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 , all land. U.S. Highways 71 and

212 Year 212 (Roman numerals, CCXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Asper and Camilius (or, less frequently, year 965 '' ...

are two of the main routes in the city.

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 2,484 people, 1,038 households, and 653 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 1,142 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9%

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 ...

, 1.0%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 3.7% 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 0.8% 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 8.3% of the population. There were 1,038 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,570 people, 1,075 households, and 658 families living in the city. The

was 1,102.7 people per square mile (425.9/km). There were 1,178 housing units at an average density of 505.4 per square mile (195.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.19%

, 0.12%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.12%

, 2.57% from

, and 0.89% from two or more races.

of any race were 7.63% of the population. There were 1,075 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,060, and the median income for a family was $44,781. Males had a median income of $31,793 versus $25,541 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 $17,889. About 6.0% of families and 11.3% 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 17.2% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Olivia's school system is partnered with Bird Island and Lake Lillian, and operates under the name BOLD Schools (Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian District). The school mascot is the BOLD Warrior. The BOLD high school is in Olivia, while the elementary is in Bird Island. Bird Island also has a Catholic school.

Corn Capital of the World

The

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

has designated Olivia the "

Corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

Capital of the World". Olivia has been calling itself the "Corn Capital of the World" since 1973, when it erected its well-known 50-foot corn monument in the shape of an ear of corn. Olivia is the home to nine seed research facilities. It is in the middle of Renville County, Minnesota's leading producer of corn. ;Corn Capital Days Olivia celebrates ''Corn Capital Days'' during the last weekend of July. Activities include a parade, corn cob toss, corn-lympics, free corn feed, kiddie parade, Lion's walk-in, fly-in, drive-in breakfast, and live music.

Notable people

Blix Donnelly Sylvester Urban "Blix" Donnelly (January 21, 1914 – June 20, 1976) was an American professional baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Donnelly appeared in 190 Major League Baseball (MLB) games between and for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphi ...

(1914–1976), baseball player * Michael J. Dowling (1866-1921), Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives * Darwin Hall (1844-1919), Minnesota state legislator * Paul F. Heard (1913–1964), producer, director, and scriptwriter of religious films *

Roger Reinert Roger Jonathon Reinert (born July 22, 1970) is an American politician, mayor of Duluth, Minnesota, and member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). He served in the Minnesota House from 2009 to 2011 and the Minnesota Senate f ...

(born 1970), member of the Minnesota Senate * Thomas Joseph Simmons (1932-2002), Minnesota state legislator and lawyer *

Kathleen Winsor Kathleen Winsor (October 16, 1919 – May 26, 2003) was an American author. She is best known for her first work, the 1944 historical novel '' Forever Amber''. The novel, racy for its time, became a runaway bestseller even as it drew criticism ...

(1919–2003), author of '' Forever Amber''

Media

Television

References

External links

City WebsiteOlivia Chamber of Commerce site
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Renville County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota