Olney Township is a township in
Nobles 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 232 at the 2000 census.
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 township has a total area of 35.5 square miles (91.8 km), of which 35.4 square miles (91.7 km) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km) (0.08%) is water. The main geographic feature of Olney Township is the east branch of the Kanaranzi Creek, which extends through the northern sections of the township.
Main highways include:
*
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
*
Minnesota State Highway 91
Minnesota State Highway 91 (MN 91) is a highway in southwest Minnesota. It runs from Lyon County, Iowa, Lyon County Road L14 at the Iowa state line near Ellsworth, Minnesota, Ellsworth northward to Minnesota State Highway 23, State Highway 23 ...
* Nobles County Road 35
History
Organization of Olney Township was approved by the Nobles County Board on July 10, 1873. The original name selected was Hebbard Township in honor of pioneer settler William F Hebbard. However, no township meeting was called until October 14, 1873, and shortly before this meeting occurred, the Nobles County Board changed the name to New Haven Township. Shortly thereafter, the county was informed by the state auditor's office that another
New Haven Township existed elsewhere in the state. Finally, on June 15, 1874, the board accepted the suggestion of pioneer settler R. W. Moberly that the township be named after
Olney, Illinois, county seat of
Richland County, Illinois.
Names of Nobles County by Raymond Crippen
/ref>
Demographics
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 ...
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 6.5 people per square mile (2.5/km). There were 77 housing units at an average density of 2.2/sq mi (0.8/km). The racial makeup of the township was 99.14% 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 ...
, and 0.86% from two or more races.
There were 74 households, out of which 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.4% 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, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.8% were non-families. 8.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the township the population was spread out, with 35.3% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $34,375, and the median income for a family was $35,313. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $21,250 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 township was $12,378. About 2.9% of families and 1.8% 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 none of those under the age of eighteen or sixty five or over.
Politics
Olney Township is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district
Minnesota's 1st congressional district extends across southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, though this is changing rapidly d ...
, represented by Mankato
Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minnea ...
educator Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz ( ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician and retired educator. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019.
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz ...
, a Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
. At the state level, Olney Township is located in Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
District 22, represented by Republican Doug Magnus
Douglas Rudy Magnus (born November 1950) is an American, Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate, who represented District 22, which includes all of Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock counties in ...
, and in House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
District 22A, represented by Republican Joe Schomacker.
Local politics
Olney Towshnip is represented by Nobles County Commissione
Gene Metz
References
{{authority control
Townships in Nobles County, Minnesota
Townships in Minnesota