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Chisago County ( ) is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the east-central part of the U.S. state of
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 ...
. The county covers an area of and, as of the 2020 Census, had a population of 56,621 people. It is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county's largest city is North Branch. Within Chisago County is the Chisago Lakes area, which includes the combined areas of Shafer, Chisago City, Lindström, and Center City. Center City is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. The county has a diverse economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism.


History


Early history

Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Chisago County was home to the Dakota and
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 ...
tribes. The Dakota lived in the southern part of the county and the Ojibwe in the northern part. The first European to explore the area was Sieur duLuth in 1679. French and English trading posts were established in Taylors Falls and Sunrise during the 18th century. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, French fur traders who traveled south from Lake Superior established trading posts along the river, extending as far south as Taylors Falls. In 1837, a treaty between the United States and the Chippewa Nation led to the cession of all lands between the St. Croix and
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
, opening the area for European settlement.


European Settlement

The first European settlers arrived in the Chisago County area in the early 1800s. Most of them were of Swedish descent, and they came in search of land and new opportunities. They established small farms and communities throughout the county. Chisago County's early economy was based on farming, logging, and mining. Its forests and mines attracted many settlers to the area. Records of early businesses in Chisago County are recorded in ''Lindströmsjö''. Many Swedes emigrated seeking religious freedom from the oppressive
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...
. However, the majority left for reasons other than religious repression and still identified as Lutherans. The early Swedish churches in Minnesota, like the Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church in Center City, were initially lay-led due to the absence of ordained clergy. In the mid-1800s, the area that is now Chisago County was part of the Minnesota Territory, and it was not officially established as a county until 1851. It took its name from the Chisago Lake. In its aboriginal form it was "Ki-chi-saga", from two Ojibwe words: "kichi" (large) and "saga" (fair or lovely). The county seat was originally in Taylors Falls, but was relocated to Chisago City in 1865. It took three more years before the legislature approved this relocation and voters approved it in a referendum. The move was later challenged in the courts on allegations of election fraud, resulting in a two-year delay before the state Supreme Court validated the results. In 1875, the county seat was again moved, this time to Center City where it remains as of . The development of transportation infrastructure in Chisago County began with the completion of the first bridge across the St. Croix River at Taylors Falls in 1856. Prior to the bridge, ferryboats provided crossings at Sunrise and Rush City. In 1868, a military road was constructed, spanning the entire county from north to south. Railroads soon became a vital mode of transportation, with the completion of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad, also running north to south, in 1870.


Progressive Era

By the early 1900s and the dawn of the
Progressive Era The Progressive Era (1890s–1920s) was a period in the United States characterized by multiple social and political reform efforts. Reformers during this era, known as progressivism in the United States, Progressives, sought to address iss ...
, much of Chisago County's forests had been cleared, leading to the closure of sawmills and the departure of lumberjacks in search of new employment. Advancements in farm machinery enabled fewer workers to manage larger farms. The county's economy shifted toward manufacturing and industry. The county was home to factories and mills, including sawmills, flour mills, and paper mills. The Progressive Era also led to reform movements resonating throughout Minnesota and Chisago County. The county's distinct approach to education can be primarily attributed to its homogeneous population and the unique structure of local governance. This uniformity allowed the school boards in Chisago County to effectively control external influences through their selection of teachers. Nearly 70% of Chisago County voters supported Progressive Party candidate
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
in
1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
.


Post-war

Between 1970 and 2000, Chisago County's population surged by 135%. Enhanced transportation networks, including Interstate Highway 35 and U.S. Highway 8, facilitated access to broader regions and led to business and industrial growth.


Modern era

Today, Chisago County has a diverse economy. It is home to several manufacturing companies, including the Anderson Corporation, a major producer of windows and doors. Agriculture is also a large part of the local economy, with crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat grown in the county. Tourism is also growing, with visitors drawn to the Chisago Lakes area's recreational opportunities. The county has retained and continues to celebrate much of its Swedish heritage.


Geography

Chisago County lies on Minnesota's eastern border, abutting the western border of
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
(across the Saint Croix River). The Saint Croix flows south-southeast along the county's eastern border. The Sunrise River flows north through the county's central part, collecting the waters of the North Branch Sunrise River and Hay Creek before discharging into the St. Croix at the county's eastern boundary. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, devoted to agriculture.''Chisago County MN'' Google Maps (accessed March 6, 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point near the northwest corner, at ASL. The county has an area of , of which is land and (6.2%) is water.


Major highways

*
Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...
* US Highway 8 * US Highway 61 * Minnesota State Highway 95 * Minnesota State Highway 243 * '' List of county roads''


Adjacent counties

* Pine County - north *
Burnett County, Wisconsin Burnett County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,526. Its county seat is Siren, with the majority of county governmental services located at the Burnett County Government Center ...
- northeast *
Polk County, Wisconsin Polk County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 44,977. Its county seat is Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, Balsam Lake. The county was created in 185 ...
- east * Washington County - south * Anoka County - southwest * Isanti County - west * Kanabec County - northwest


Protected areas

* Fish Lake County Park * Franconia Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area * Interstate State Park * Lawrence Creek Scientific and Natural Area * Ojiketa Regional Park *
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway The Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway is a federally protected system of riverways located in eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. It protects of river, including the St. Croix River (on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border), and the ...
(part) * Wild River State Park


Climate and weather

Chisago County has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
Dfb) with long, cold winters and warm summers. The average high temperature in the summer is around , while the average low temperature in the winter is around . A record low of was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of was recorded in July 1988. The county's location in the Upper Midwest region of the United States exposes it to a wide range of weather patterns, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. The county experiences moderate precipitation throughout the year, with an average annual rainfall of and an average annual snowfall of . Spring is the most active season for severe weather, with thunderstorms and tornadoes common. Winter storms are common during the winter, with heavy snowfall and blizzards. Chisago County has many lakes and wetlands, which significantly affect its weather and climate. It has over 100 lakes, the largest being North and South Center Lakes, Green Lake, and Chisago Lake. The lakes and wetlands moderate temperatures by absorbing heat during the summer and releasing it during the winter.


Demographics

According to the most recent census data, Chisago County's population is 56,621, making it Minnesota's 18th-most populous county. 52.1% of residents are male and 47.9% are female. The average family size in Chisago County was 3.05 persons, and 62.2% of households were married-couple families. From 1960 to 2010, Chisago County has been one of the state's fastest growing counties. From 2000 to 2014, Chisago County was the fifth-fastest growing county in the state, experiencing a population increase of 12,924 (growth rate of 31.4 percent). 95.4% of residents have at least a high school education, and 22.2% have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. 4.9% are veterans.


Age


Race and ethnicity

Historically, Chisago County has been overwhelmingly populated by
non-Hispanic Whites Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
. Since 2000, it has been home to a small but growing Black, Asian, and Hispanic population.


Ancestry

The most common ancestries in Chisago County are German, English, Swedish, Irish and Norwegian.


Nativity

200px, Percent of population reporting Swedish ancestry in 2020 by census tract In 2021, 97.9% of residents were born in the United States, and 78.5% had been born in Minnesota. Among the foreign-born population, 56.5% were naturalized U.S. citizens. 97.1% of residents spoke only English at home. From the late 19th to mid-20th century, a majority of the foreign-born population was born in Sweden. As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 1,174 people were foreign born, or 2.06% of the total population. Of these, about 40% were born in Asia, 30% in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, 15% in Canada, 10% in Europe, and 5% in Africa.


Religion

The 2020 U.S. Religion Census conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies found that 7,549 Chisago County residents were affiliated with the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, 6,098 with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...
, and 2,975 with the
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
. A notable religious building in Chisago County is the Chisago Lake Lutheran Church. The church was founded in 1890 and has been in Center City since 1906. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Another prominent religious building in the county is the First United Methodist Church of Lindström. The church has served the community for over 130 years. The Church of St. Joseph in Taylors Falls is a Catholic church that was founded in 1854. The current building was constructed in 1896.


Transportation

Among workers 16 years and older, 80.3% commuted to work by car, 9.0% carpooled, 1.6% used public transit, and 2.2% walked, biked, or used some other method. 7.0% worked from home. The median household income was $86,900, slightly above the state average. 6.4% of residents lived 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 ...
, and 2.5% were unemployed. 86.4% of housing in the county was owner-occupied. Arrowhead Transit provides public bus routes and Dial-A-Ride in Chisago County.


Education

* Chisago Lakes High School * North Branch Area High School * Rush City High School


Communities


Cities

* Center City (county seat) * Chisago City * Harris * Lindström * North Branch * Rush City * Shafer * Stacy * Taylors Falls *
Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...


Unincorporated communities

* Almelund *
Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
* Palmdale * Rush Point * Stark *
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...


Townships

* Amador Township * Chisago Lake Township * Fish Lake Township * Franconia Township * Lent Township (former, now defunct) * Nessel Township * Rushseba Township * Shafer Township * Sunrise Township * Wyoming Township (former, now defunct)


Culture

Chisago County is strongly influenced by the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, Swedish and Norwegian immigrants who settled there in the mid-19th century. It provided the setting for much of Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg's suite of novels ''The Emigrants'' in the 1950s, and Moberg engaged in both archival and oral history research for his books to recreate the area's early Swedish immigration. Sculptor Ian Dudley's bronze statue of Moberg stands in Chisago City's park. Moberg's fictional characters Karl-Oskar and Kristina Nilsson from Ljuder parish in
Småland Småland () is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name ''Småland'' literally means "small la ...
in 1850 with three small children and a group of relatives and neighbors, during the period of the first wave of mass emigration from Sweden. Moberg penned Karl Oskar as the first to settle around Lake Ki-Chi-Saga (from 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 ...
''Ki-chi-saga-igun'', or ''Gichi-zaaga'igan'' in contemporary spelling), meaning "big lake with an outlet", which was later shortened to Lake Chisago. The annual Karl Oskar Days in Lindström honor the early settlers' heritage.


Government and politics


Government

The County Board, comprising five members, is responsible for setting policies and making laws in the county. Its members are elected from specific regions and serve four-year terms in a rotating manner. The County Board sets the county tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government. The Chisago County Court Administrator's Office is responsible for maintaining records, managing case flow, overseeing jury management, and collecting fines for all District Court cases in the county. These cases encompass various types, such as juvenile, civil, family, probate, criminal, and conciliation court cases. Chisago County accommodates three chambered judges in a full-time capacity, and is part of the 10th Judicial District, which comprises eight counties and 45 judges. Any judge in this district may preside over cases in Chisago County.


County Commissioners


County officials


Politics

Chisago County has trended conservative in recent state and federal elections, backing every Republican nominee for president since 2000.


State legislators


Federal officials


Presidential elections


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Chisago County, Minnesota *
Swedish Americans Swedish Americans () are Americans of Swedish descent. The history of Swedish Americans dates back to the early colonial times, with notable migration waves occurring in the 19th and early 20th centuries and approximately 1.2 million arrivi ...
* Nordic immigration to North America


References


Notes


External links

*
Chisago County Historical Society website

Minnesota DOT Highway map of Chisago County

Youth demographics of Chisago County
{{Coord, 45.50247, -92.90834, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:wikidata 1851 establishments in Minnesota Territory Minnesota placenames of Native American origin Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minnesota counties Populated places established in 1851