Scandia is a city in
Washington 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 3,984 at the
2020 census.
Scandia is 25 miles northeast of
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, and is part of the Twin Cities Metro Area.
History
As evidenced by the town's name, Scandia has a rich Scandinavian heritage. It is the site of what is believed to have been Minnesota's first Swedish immigrant settlement. In 1850, the first log cabin was built on the shores of Hay Lake. The first sanctuary of Elim Lutheran Church was built in 1856 on a site near Hay Lake.
After many years as New Scandia Township, Scandia became a city on January 1, 2007, to allay concerns that the community could be annexed by the nearby city of
Forest Lake. The city is served by a weekly newspaper, the ''Country Messenger''.
Points of interest
*
Gammelgården of Scandia has preserved, presented, and promoted Swedish immigrant heritage and history since 1972, with events such as ''Spelmansstämma'', ''Midsommarafton'', and Dalapalooza. The latter is a reference to the
Dalecarlian horse
A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse (; Swedish: ''Dalahäst'') is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). In the old days the Dalecarlian horse was mostly used as a t ...
s the city has erected to welcome visitors, in much the same way
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
uses ''
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
'' characters.
*
Hay Lake School
The Hay Lake School is a historic schoolhouse in Scandia, Minnesota, United States, in use from 1896 to 1963. It is now operated by the Washington County Historical Society as a museum alongside the 1868 Johannes Erickson House. The school was l ...
was constructed in 1896. This was rural school district #2, organized in Washington County in 1855. After several years of holding school in local homes, the school was moved into the old Elim Lutheran Church building. The school used that structure, now a part of the Gammelgarden complex, until this brick building was built. The school was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on July 1, 1970.
* The
Erickson Log House Museum centers on the log house constructed in 1868 by Johannes Erickson and his 13-year-old son, Alfred. In 1904, Alfred Erickson constructed a new home and the old log home became at various times a granary, a garage, and a playhouse. In 1974, the Washington County Historical Society purchased the old log house and moved it one and a half miles to its present site. The Erickson Log House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1976.
''Erickson Log House Museum'' (Washington County Historical Society)
/ref>
* The Washington County Barn Quilt Trail is a 16.4-mile (26.39-km) route that winds through Scandia, Marine on St. Croix, and the Town of May. Along the way are 18 barn quilts based on patterns in the book ''The Quiltmaker's Gift''. The founder of the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail, Olivia Nienaber, wanted a theme to tie the quilts together. At the time she began developing the concept for the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail in 2015, she was 12 years old.
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 an area of ; is land and is water. Scandia is halfway between Stillwater and Taylors Falls along the St. Croix River. It is close to William O'Brien State Park
William O'Brien State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, along the St. Croix River. Its hiking trails traverse rolling glacial moraine, riparian zones, restored oak savanna, wooded areas and bogs. It is a popular place for birdwatching, ...
. State Highways 95 and 97 are two of the main routes in the community.
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 3,936 people, 1,499 households, and 1,178 families residing 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 1,704 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% 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 ...
, 0.1% 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, 1.0% 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 ...
, 0.4% 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 0.9% 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 ...
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 1.3% of the population.
Of Scandia's 1,499 households, 30.1% included children under 18, 69.9% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.4% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.94.
The median age in the city was 46.9. 22.7% of residents were under 18; 5.5% were between 18 and 24; 18.4% were between 25 and 44; 38.9% were between 45 and 64; and 14.5% were over 64. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 3,692 people, 1,294 households, and 1,075 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,389 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.86% 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 ...
, 0.24% 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 ...
, 0.19% Native American, 0.57% 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 ...
, 0.05% 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 ...
, 0.27% 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 0.81% 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 ...
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 0.76% of the population.
There were 1,294 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.7% 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, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the township the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $68,036, and the median income for a family was $76,389. Males had a median income of $45,298 versus $33,333 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 $27,399. About 2.0% of families and 2.3% 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 1.2% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
* Ann Bancroft, Arctic explorer
*Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...
, U.S. vice president
See also
* Copas, Minnesota
References
External links
City of Scandia, MN – Official website
Gammelgarden Museum
Scandia, Minnesota
at the Minnesota Historical Society
St. Croix 360-River stories to inspire stewardship: Log House Landing – Gateway to Scandia
Washington County Barn Quilt Trail
{{authority control
Cities in Washington County, Minnesota
Cities in Minnesota
Populated places established in 2007
2007 establishments in Minnesota