Amiret Township is a township in Lyon County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States. The population was 230 at the 2000 census.

History

Historically the Native American tribe that inhabited the area were the

Dakota people The Dakota (pronounced , or ) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe (Native American), tribe and First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultur ...

, specifically the Wahpekute Dakota. The Wahpekute Dakota resided primarily along the

Minnesota River Valley The Minnesota River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa. It rises in southwestern M ...

and its tributaries, including areas within Lyon County. The first white settlers arrived in Amiret Township in 1868, with Charles and Lafayette Grover staking their claims. James Mitchell followed suit in 1869, establishing a presence in the area. The township was officially organized on March 19, 1874, initially named "Madison Township." The name, however, proved short-lived. In 1879, it was renamed "Amiret Township" in honor of Amiretta Sykes, the wife of a prominent railroad official, M.L. Sykes. The construction of the

Chicago and Northwestern 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 ...

(later known as the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) through the county in 1872 played a pivotal role in Amiret Township's development. A village sprang up around the railroad station, initially called "Saratoga" (located about three miles southwest of present-day Amiret). The post office, established in 1873, was first named "Coburg" after William Coburn, a pioneer merchant and the first postmaster. The village and township continued to grow throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily centered around agriculture.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township has a total area of , all land. Lyon County itself falls within the Dissected Till Plains

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

. This region is characterized by rolling hills that were formed by

glaciers A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

during the last ice age. Melting glaciers left behind numerous lakes and wetlands dotting the landscape. The

Minnesota River The Minnesota River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa. It rises in southwestern ...

and its tributaries carve through the region, shaping the terrain and providing water sources.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 230 people, 85 households, and 71 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 95 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. There were 85 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, and 15.3% were non-families. 11.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 2.96. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $49,375, and the median income for a family was $55,250. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $21,875 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the township was $16,683. About 9.5% of families and 13.2% 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 ...

, including 19.4% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Townships in Lyon County, Minnesota Townships in Minnesota