Worthington is a city in and 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 ...

Nobles County, Minnesota Nobles County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 22,290. Its county seat is Worthington, Minnesota, Worthington. Nobles County comprises the Wo ...

, United States. The population was 13,947 at the time of the 2020 census. The city's site was first settled in the 1870s as Okabena Station on a line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, later the

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

(now part of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

) where steam engines would take on water from adjacent

Lake Okabena Lake Okabena is a small lake located in Nobles County, Minnesota, Nobles County in southwestern Minnesota. It was first noted on a map made by French explorer Joseph Nicollet in 1841, based upon his explorations of the 1830s. The name ''okab ...

. More people entered, along with one A. P. Miller of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, under a firm called the National Colony Organization. Miller named the new city after his wife's maiden name.

History

The first European likely to have visited the Nobles County area of southwestern Minnesota was French explorer

Joseph Nicollet Joseph Nicolas Nicollet (July 24, 1786 – September 11, 1843), also known as Jean-Nicolas Nicollet, was a French geographer, astronomer, and mathematician known for mapping the Upper Mississippi River basin during the 1830s. Nicollet led three ...

. Nicollet mapped the area between 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

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

Rivers in the 1830s. He called the region "Sisseton Country" in honor of the Sisseton band of

Dakota Indians The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

then living there. It was a rolling sea of wide open prairie grass that extended as far as the eye could see. One small lake in Sisseton Country was given the name "

" on Nicollet's map, "Okabena" being a

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

word meaning "nesting place of the herons". The town of Worthington was founded by "Yankees" (immigrants 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 (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

and

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

who were descended from the English

Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

who settled New England in the 1600s).The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620–1865 page 247 In 1871, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railway Company began connecting its two namesake cities with a rail line. The steam engines of that time required a large quantity of water, resulting in water stations being needed every along their routes. One of these stations, at the site of present-day Worthington, was designated "The Okabena Railway Station". Meanwhile, in that same year, Professor Ransom Humiston of Cleveland, Ohio, and Dr. A.P. Miller, editor of the ''Toledo Blade'', organized a company to locate a colony of

settlers who had already settled in Northern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

along the tracks of the Sioux City and St. Paul Railway. These people were "

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...

" settlers whose parents had moved from New England to the region of Northeast Ohio known as the

Connecticut Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. The Reserve had been granted to the Colony under the terms o ...

. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church, though due to the

Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements. R ...

, many of them had converted to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

and

Presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now

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 ...

. This colony, the National Colony, was to be a village of

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

, a place where evangelical Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists could live free of the temptations of alcohol. A town was plotted, and the name was changed from the Okabena Railway Station to Worthington, Miller's mother-in-law's maiden name. On April 29, 1872, regular passenger train service to Worthington started, and on that first train were the first of the National Colony settlers. One early arrival described the scene: ''We were among the first members of the colony to arrive at the station of an unfinished railroad… There was a good hotel, well and comfortably furnished, one or two stores neatly furnished and already stocked with goods, ndseveral other in process of erection… The streets, scarcely to be defined as such, were full of prairie schooners, containing families waiting until masters could suit themselves with "claims," the women pursuing their housewifely avocations meanwhile—some having cooking stoves in their wagons, others using gypsy fires to do their culinary work; all seeming happy and hopeful.'' Some settlers from New England were drinking men, most of them Civil War veterans from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

and

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

, and they came into conflict with the temperance movement. A curious event took place on Worthington's very first

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

celebration. Hearing that there was a keg of beer in the Worthington House Hotel, Humiston entered the hotel, seized the keg, dragged it outside, and destroyed it with an axe. A witness described what happened next: ''Upon seeing this, the young men of the town thought it to be rather an imposition, and collected together, procured the services of the band, and under the direction of a military officer marched to the rear of the hotel, and with a wheelbarrow and shovel took the empty keg that had been broken open, and playing the dead march with flag at half staff marched to the flagpole in front of Humiston's office where they dug a grave and gave the empty keg a burial with all the honors attending a soldier's funeral.'' ''They then, with flag at full mast and with lively air, marched back to the ice house, procured a full keg of beer, returning to the grave, resting the keg thereon. Then a general invitation was given to all who desired to partake, which many did until the keg was emptied... In the evening they reassembled, burning Prof. Humiston in effigy about 10 p.m. Thus ended the glorious Fourth at Worthington, Minn.'' Despite tensions between pro- and anti-temperance factions, the town grew rapidly. By the end of summer in 1872, 85 buildings had been constructed where just one year before there had been only a field of prairie grass. Settlers poured into the region. At first they came almost exclusively from the six

states due to issues of overpopulation combined with land shortages. Some had come from

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

and had parents and grandparents who had moved to that region from New England during the early 1800s and late 1700s. Due to the large number of New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York, Worthington, like much of Minnesota at the time, was very culturally continuous with early New England culture for much of its early history. It was the age of the

Homestead Act The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

, when of government land could be claimed for free. All one had to do was live on the land and "improve" it, a vague requirement. In such an atmosphere, settlers without connection to the National Colony also arrived in great number, and few of those were temperance activists. The ensuing winter was severe, and swarms of grasshoppers stripped farmers' fields bare in the summer of 1873. Still, settlers came. 1874 produced a bumper harvest, followed by another grasshopper invasion in 1875. 1876 and 1877 were both good farming years. Grasshoppers returned for the last time in 1879, and a bright future began for southwestern Minnesota. According to the 1880 census, Nobles County had 4,435 residents, 636 of them in Worthington. In the early 1900s German immigrants began arriving in Worthington in large numbers, not directly from Germany, but mostly from other places in the midwest, especially

, where their communities had already been established.Nobles County History by Al Goff - Nobles County Historical Society, Minnesota - 1958 Unlike in other parts of the country, the Germans did not face xenophobia in Nobles County, but were welcomed by the Yankee population. This led to many writing back to Ohio, which led to chain migration to the region, greatly increasing the German-American population. The "Yankee" population of Americans of English descent did not come into conflict with the German-American community for much of their early history together, but the two communities were divided on the issue of World War I, the Yankee community divided about and the Germans unanimously opposed to American entry into the war. The Yankee community was generally pro-British, but many also did not want the United States to enter the war. The Germans were sympathetic to Germany and did not want the United States to enter into a war against Germany, but the Germans were not anti-British. Before World War I, many German community leaders in Minnesota and Wisconsin spoke openly and enthusiastically about how much better America was than Germany, due primarily (in their eyes) to the presence of English law and the English political culture the Americans had inherited from the colonial era, which they contrasted with the turmoil and oppression in Germany they had so recently fled. Other immigrant groups followed the Germans, including settlers from Ireland, Norway and Sweden. From 1939 to 1940, Worthington was home to the Worthington Cardinals, a minor league baseball team. Worthington played as a member of the Class D Western League. The Worthington Cardinals were an affiliate of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. On December 12, 2006, the

Immigration and Customs Enforcement The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration th ...

(ICE) staged a coordinated predawn raid at the

Swift & Company JBS USA Holdings, Inc. is an American food processing company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational company JBS S.A. The subsidiary was created when JBS entered the U.S. market in 2007 with its purchase of Swift & Company. JBS speci ...

meat packing plant The meat-packing industry (also spelled meatpacking industry or meat packing industry) handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally no ...

in Worthington and five other Swift plants in western states, interviewing workers and hauling hundreds off in buses.

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 t ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

The U.S. Bureau of Census now classifies Worthington as a micropolitan area, with a population of 20,508. The area has had a relatively high level of immigration, mostly Hispanics, in the early 21st century. Some sources credit this immigration trend for revitalizing the city's economy, which had been constrained by a shrinking population.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 12,764 people, 4,458 households, and 2,917 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,699 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.2%

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 o ...

, 5.5%

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 ...

, 0.7% Native American, 8.6%

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 ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 20.5% 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 2.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 35.4% of the population. There were 4,458 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.36. The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 21.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,283 people, 4,311 households, and 2,828 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,578.9 people per square mile (609.3/km). There were 4,573 housing units at an average density of 639.9 per square mile (246.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 76.81%

, 1.91%

, 0.49% Native American, 7.06%

, 0.13%

, 11.49% from

, and 2.11% from two or more races.

of any race were 19.28% of the population. There were 4,311 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $44,643. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $20,880 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 $18,078. About 9.1% of families and 13.3% 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 18.4% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Worthington is in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Brad Finstad Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American farmer, agricultural consultant, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. The ...

of New Ulm. At the state level, Worthington is in Senate District 22, represented by

Bill Weber William Weber (born May 8, 1957) is a former television sports commentator best known for his work on TNT and NBC NASCAR broadcasts. Weber was also the lead announcer for Champ Car World Series events and other auto racing series on NBC. He is ...

, and in House District 22B, represented by Republican

Rod Hamilton Rodney W. "Rod" Hamilton (born March 25, 1968) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 22B, which includes all or portions of ...

Local politics

The mayor of Worthington is Mike Kuhle. City council members meet in City Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of every month to discuss objectives and goals for the city. The city is divided into two wards, with one at-large council member. The mayor and council members are elected to four-year terms. Current Worthington city council members, in addition to Kuhle, include: *Larry Janssen, 1st Ward *Chris Kielblock, 1st Ward *Alaina Kolpin, 2nd Ward *Amy Ernst, 2nd Ward *Chad Cummings, At Large

Sister city

There is a sister-city relationship between Worthington and

Crailsheim Crailsheim is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Incorporated in 1338, it lies east of Schwäbisch Hall and southwest of Ansbach in the Schwäbisch Hall district. The city's main attractions include two Evangelical churches, ...

, Germany, the first such relationship in history between an American and a German city. The relationship began in 1947, when Martha (Cashel) McCarthy and her parents led a campaign to collect clothing and food for Crailsheim's citizens (who had endured the destruction of 90% of their city ten days prior to the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Education

Worthington is served by Independent School District 518. Worthington's school mascot is the Trojan, and its high school athletic teams play in the Big South Conference. ISD 518 is known regionally for its robust music program offerings, with band, string orchestra, choir, and theater ensembles open to all students. Worthington Senior High School's 'Spirit of Worthington' Trojan Marching Band, with over 160 members, is an ensemble that has performed nationally 5 times. The Trojans' performances included two at the 75th and 78th annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago in 2008 and 2011, respectively. In 2019, the Trojans were a featured band at the Chic-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. *High School: Worthington High School Worthington Senior High School *Middle School: Worthington Middle School *Elementary School: Prairie Elementary School Worthington's private, parochial schools include: #Worthington Christian School, which serves grades K-8. #St. Mary's Elementary School, which serves grades K-6. Worthington's local higher education institution is Minnesota West Community and Technical College. Minnesota West's Worthington campus is a two-year college that offers associate degrees in a wide variety of majors, along with diplomas and certificates in areas from practical nursing to accounting, among others. Worthington and the surrounding area are served by the Nobles County Library, part of the Plum Creek Library System, which is based in the city.

Transportation

;Highways * I-90

Interstate 90 * US 59

U.S. Route 59 * MN-60

Minnesota State Highway 60 Trunk Highway 60 (MN 60) is a highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 60 at the Iowa state line (at Bigelow) and continues east-northeast to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line (at Wabasha), where the route ...

Minnesota State Highway 266 (decommissioned - designated as Nobles County Road 25) * County 25 (MN)

Nobles County Road 25 * County 35 (MN)

Nobles County Road 35

Notable people

Dwayne Andreas Dwayne Orville Andreas (March 4, 1918 – November 16, 2016), was one of the leading farm industrialists of the 20th century. He was former CEO and chairman of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Under his leadership he turned ADM into the larg ...

, CEO of Archer Daniels Midland and political donor, was born in Worthington * Wayne R. Bassett Sr., librarian and Minnesota state legislator * William Elijah Bloom, Minnesota state legislator *

Wendell Butcher Wendell Ralph Butcher (March 28, 1914 – December 18, 1988) was an American football Back (American football), back who played five seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL), Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college ...

, football player *

George Dayton George Draper Dayton (March 6, 1857 – February 18, 1938) was an American businessman and philanthropist, most famous for being the founder of Dayton's department store, which later became Target Corporation. Life and career Dayton was born ...

, banker and real estate developer in Worthington before moving to Minneapolis to start Dayton's Department Store (now part of

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

); the recently restored (2003), 1890 George D. Dayton House is a community historic site 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 ...

that now functions as a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

and venue for social events * Matt Entenza, former minority leader of

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

(2002–2006) and 2010 DFL candidate for governor of Minnesota; grew up in Worthington and attended Worthington public schools * Gordon Forbes. lawyer and Minnesota state legislator * Francis G. Judge, electrician, businessman, and Minnesota state legislator *

Big Tiny Little Dudley "Big Tiny" Little, Jr. (August 31, 1930 – March 3, 2010)
Thedeadrockstarsclub.com, accessed March 2010 wa ...

, pianist and television personality *

Peter Ludlow Peter Ludlow (; born January 16, 1957), who also writes under the pseudonym Urizenus Sklar, is an American philosophy of language, philosopher of language. He is noted for interdisciplinary work on the interface of linguistics and philosophy— ...

, prominent analytic philosopher * Stephen Miller, fourth

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

from 1864–1866, settled in Worthington, representing area in Minnesota House of Representatives from 1873 to 1874;

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

1876; buried in Worthington Cemetery * Gordon Moore (judge), Associate Justice of the

Minnesota Supreme Court The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center. History The court was first assemb ...

; former Nobles County Attorney from 2003–2012; judge in the

District Court of Minnesota The District Court of Minnesota is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Jurisdiction of the court The Minnesota Constitution provides that the district court has original jurisdiction in civil and crimina ...

's 5th Judicial District from 2012–2020; Worthington resident for 25 years * Lee Nystrom, NFL player, was born in Worthington * Tim O'Brien, novelist known for

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

literature, grew up in Worthington and references city in several of his novels, including Lake Okabena in

The Things They Carried ''The Things They Carried'' (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his ex ...

, published 1990 * John Olson, longtime state senator and Worthington native, represented southwestern Minnesota from 1959–1977; chaired

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 h ...

's General Legislation Committee from 1967 to 1971 and Higher Education Committee (1971–1973)

Local events

Worthington hosts many annual events: Windsurfing Regatta & Music Festival (June), International Festival (July), King Turkey Day (September), and Holiday Parade (November).

Media

''The Globe'' serves Worthington, Nobles County, and surrounding areas with a print newspaper, an e-paper and website. It was purchased by the

Forum Communications Company Forum Communications Company is an American multimedia and technology company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. With multiple online and print news brands throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Forum Communications of ...

in 1995 and publishes a print edition on Wednesdays and an e-edition on Saturdays.

References

External links

City of WorthingtonCommunity Web Site of Worthington, MinnesotaHistoric Dayton House''Worthington Daily Globe'' newspaper siteWorthington Windsurfing Regatta and Unvarnished Music Festival
{{authority control Cities in Nobles County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota