Lorain Township is a township in Nobles 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 278 at the 2000 census.

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 35.1 square miles (90.9 km²), of which 34.8 square miles (90.2 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.8 km²) (0.83%) is water. The main geographic feature of Lorain Township is the Okabena Creek which bisects the township from east to west. The northern portion of East Lake Ocheda is also found within Lorain Township. Main highways include: *

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

* Minnesota State Highway 264 * Nobles County Road 1 * Nobles County Road 3 * Nobles County Road 5 * Nobles County Road 35 * Nobles County Road 36

History

Organization of Lorain Township was approved by the Nobles County Board on September 3, 1872. The township was originally christened Fairview Township, and that name was used for nearly two years until the state auditor notified county officials that another Fairview Township existed elsewhere in the state (although two Fairview Townships currently exist within Minnesota). On July 5, 1874, the township was renamed Lorain Township after

Loraine, Illinois Loraine is a village in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 300 at the 2020 census. Geography Loraine is located at (40.152039, -91.223732). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Loraine has a total area of , all ...

. The change in spelling was made to differentiate the township from Loraine, Illinois.Names of Nobles County by Raymond Crippen
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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 278 people, 111 households, and 89 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 117 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 99.64%

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 ...

and 0.36% Native American.

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 ...

or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population. There were 111 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.8% 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, 2.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.85. In the township the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $39,821, and the median income for a family was $45,417. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $18,125 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 $17,109. About 4.8% of families and 7.2% 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 5.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 10.9% of those 65 or over.

Politics

Lorain Township is located in

Minnesota's 1st congressional district Minnesota's 1st congressional district spans southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, though this is changing rapidly due to pop ...

, represented by Republican

Brad Finstad Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American politician, farmer, and agricultural consultant serving as the U.S. representative for since 2022. Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with ...

. At the state level, Lorain Township is located in

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

District 21, represented by Republican

Bill Weber William Weber (May 8, 1957 – December 13, 2024) was an American 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 ra ...

, and in

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

District 21B, represented by Republican Marj Fogelman.

Local politics

Lorain Township is represented by Nobles County Commissione
Gene Metz

References

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