Madelia ( ) is a city in

Watonwan County Watonwan County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,253. Its county seat is St. James. History In 1849, the new territorial legislature of the recently organized Minnesota Territory author ...

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, along the

Watonwan River The Watonwan River is a tributary of the Blue Earth River, long, in southern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of in an agricultural re ...

. The population was 2,396 at the 2020 census.

History

Madelia was founded in 1857, and named for the daughter of a first settler. A post office has been in operation at Madelia since 1860. Madelia was incorporated in 1872. In 1876, the remaining members of the James-Younger Gang were captured near Madelia after their failed attempt at bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. Madelia used to hold an event every September called Younger Brothers Day. The event included several activities including a reenactment of the bank robbery as well as the gunfight and capture of the Younger Brothers. From 1885-1890 Winfield Scott Hammond served as the Madelia School Superintendent. Hammond later went on to pass the bar exam and serve in Minnesota State Legislature, the U.S. Congress, and eventually ran and was elected as Minnesota's 18th Governor. Madelia contains two properties listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: the 1872 Flanders' Block and the 1908 West Bridge. In 2016, a fire greatly damaged downtown, destroying at least eight businesses.

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. Minnesota State Highways 15 and 60 are two of the main routes in the city.

Government

Madelia is located within

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 ...

Demographics

2010 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 2010, there were 2,308 people, 900 households, and 572 families residing 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 1,004 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.0%

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 ...

, 1.7%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 12.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

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 26.8% of the population. There were 900 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,340 people, 911 households, and 571 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.47%

, 0.64%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 11.88% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 20.98% of the population. There were 911 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were

living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,219, and the median income for a family was $41,167. Males had a median income of $29,417 versus $19,806 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 $16,266. About 8.5% of families and 9.7% 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 12.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older.

Education

The Madelia Community Schools service approximately 650 students in Kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district maintains two buildings – a K-6 elementary school and a 7–12 junior-senior high school. The community reinforced its support of education in 1999 when it passed a bond referendum that funded the construction of an addition to the elementary school, demolition of the 1913 elementary school addition, and renovation of the 1949 and 1965 additions. The district offers a progressive curriculum that includes advanced

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...

, and

computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ...

Extracurriculars

High school sport offerings include: nine man football, volleyball, cross-country, basketball, baseball, wrestling, softball, track and field, and golf. Some sports are partnered with neighboring Truman High School. When this occurs, the team mascot is the Madelia-Truman Jayhawks, with orange and blue team colors. Non-partnered sports are known as the Madelia Blackhawks, with orange and black team colors. The Jayhawk wrestling team competed in state competition from 2008 through 2013.

Parochial School

St. Mary's Catholic Church operates a small parochial school. St. Mary's Elementary serves approximately 55 students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. St. Mary's is accredited by the National Catholic Education Association. Principal is Jen Slater.

Recreation

Madelia offers several different places of recreation. Watona park is the site for many different city and seasonal events. Watona offers a full service campground, several playgrounds and shelters, two baseball fields, one softball field, and the 9 hole Madelia golf course. Near Watona park are several basketball and tennis courts, as well as the outdoor Madelia Swimming Pool. Watonwan County Historical Society. The Watonwan County Historical Society was organized in 1935. World War II ended those activities. Twenty-nine interested persons met at the American Legion Post House, Madelia, in 1966 launching the present organization.

Notable people

* Otto T. Bang (1931–2008), businessman and politician, was born in Madelia. *

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...

, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920, resided in Madelia in 1883–1884. He wrote a story, "Fear", about his experiences there. The eminent Unitarian minister and writer,

Kristofer Janson Kristofer Nagel Janson (May 4, 1841 – November 17, 1917) was a Norwegian poet, author and Unitarian clergyman. Kristofer Janson is commonly recognized as the founder of the Norwegian Unitarian Church. Background Kristofer Janson was born in B ...

, who preached in the nearby

Nora Free Christian Church Nora Unitarian Universalist Church, originally called Nora Free Christian Church, is a historic church in Hanska, Minnesota, United States. The congregation was formed by a number of Brown County citizens who dissented from the Norwegian Luthe ...

, met Hamsun in Madelia and offered Hamsun employment as a secretary. * Julius E. Haycraft (1871–1951), lawyer, judge, and politicianMinnesota Legislators: Past & Present-Julius E. Haycraft
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References

External links

City website

Madelia schools
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Watonwan County, Minnesota