Battle Lake is a city in Otter Tail 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 857 according to the 2020 census.

History

Battle Lake 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1881, and named after a nearby lake which commemorates an 18th-century battle between the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

and

Lakota Lakota may refer to: *Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of ...

Indians.

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 city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

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 2020, there were 857 people, 299 households, and 506 housing units. The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was 94.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.9% two or more races, 1.2%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

, 0.7%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.2% Asian, and 0.3% other races. There were 299 households with an average family size of 2.47. 53.2% were married couples living together, 31.8% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 9.7% had a male householder with no spouse present. The median age in the city was 60.3 years. 16.3% of the residents were under the age of 18.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 875 people, 386 households, and 215 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 486 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.7%

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 1.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population. There were 386 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.3% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.5% of households were individuals 65 years old or older living alone. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 49.5 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17% were from 25 to 44; 22.4% were from 45 to 64; and 33.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.0% male and 55.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 686 people, 327 households, and 192 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 407 housing units at an average density of 338.9/sq mi (131.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.54%

, 0.29%

, 0.15% Native American, 0.44% Asian, and 0.58% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population. There were 327 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.3% of households were individuals 65 years old or older living alone. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.79. In the city, the age breakdown was 21.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $27,333 versus $20,313 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 city was $17,269. About 8.6% 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 ...

, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The city of Battle Lake employs 260 people, per the 2020

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 ...

. Its largest industries are in health and social care. The median household income stood at $40,667, less than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire country.

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

, fishing, hunting and mining are the city's highest paid industries, averaging $72,813.

Arts and culture

Museums and other points of interest

The Prospect House and Civil War Museum was founded to share the story of “Cap” Colehour, Civil War Veteran and entrepreneur, who settled in the community of Battle Lake after the Civil War. The Prospect House was built in 1882 by Colehour, and the home's furnishings and decor have not been changed since its last remodel in 1929 by Colehour's daughter.

Fiction

The Murder-by-Month Mysteries, written by Jess Lourey, are set in Battle Lake.

Parks and recreation

Glendalough State Park is located three miles from Battle Lake. The 1,924-acre area was designated as a State Park in 1991. At the heart of the park is Annie Battle Lake, a 335-acre "Heritage Fishery." There are hiking trails, lakes, and woods in the state park. The property was a game farm during much of the 20th Century. It was long owned by the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, and featured a large enclosure of exotic birds - including peacocks and Chukar Partridges. The City of Battle Lake owns and operates three city parks: Lions Park, Halverson Park, and Sand Bay Park.

Education

Battle Lake Public Schools are part of the Battle Lake Public School District. The district has an elementary school and a secondary school.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Minnesota Highway

210 Year 210 ( CCX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Faustinus and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 963 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 210 for this y ...

and Minnesota Highway 78 are two of the main routes in the community.

References

External links

City of Battle Lake MinnesotaePodunk: Profile for Battle Lake, Minnesota

Battle Lake Public School District
{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Otter Tail County, Minnesota