Porter is a city in Yellow Medicine and Lincoln counties,

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 166 at the 2020 census.

History

Porter 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 October 1881 when the Winona and St. Peter Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for L. C. Porter, a mill owner and early settler. A post office has been in operation in Porter since 1882. Porter was incorporated on February 16, 1898.

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. The North Branch of the Yellow Medicine River flows through the city.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 183 people, 86 households, and 47 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 97 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.5%

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 0.5% Asian.

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 1.1% of the population. There were 86 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.3% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 32.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 190 people, 88 households, and 54 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 98 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.37%

, 1.05%

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 ...

and 1.58% Native American. There were 88 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.74. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $27,000. Males had a median income of $23,875 versus $21,500 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 $12,910. About 17.7% of families and 18.1% 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 22.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.6% of those 65 or over.

Community

Porter was founded in 1881 by Scandinavian settlers. The town's heritage is still celebrated today with the annual Lutefisk, Lefse and Swedish Meatball Supper at Bethel Lutheran Church (Porter Norwegian Lutheran Church) in early November. Auctions highlight a tradition in Porter. In January the long-standing Porter March of Dimes auction takes place at the Porter Community Hall. The fundraiser has been an annual event for over 70 years. Porter celebrates its annual Market Day Sale in April. The annual auction draws thousands to the town and shuts down streets for auction rings. The auction is a pre-World War II tradition that carries on to this day. As has been tradition for the over 90 years of the auction, homemade pies and sandwiches are still served in the Porter Community Hall by the Bethel Lutheran Church and food stands are operated by the Deb's Café and various Porter organizations throughout the auction grounds. In August the community celebrates the bountiful harvests of the community with our Harvest Festival. The event has been held on the 3rd weekend in August for over 50 years.

References

{{authority control Cities in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota