Ransom 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 271 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 36.4 square miles (94.2 km), all land. The main geographic feature of Ransom Township is a small segment of the Little Rock Creek found in the western portions of the township. Main highways include: * Nobles County Road 4 * Nobles County Road 6 * Nobles County Road 13

History

Organization of Ransom Township was approved by the Nobles County Board on September 3, 1872. It was originally called Grant Township after former General, and then presidential candidate,

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

. Many of the pioneer settlers were Union Army veterans and this name had wide support. However, the county board was informed by the state auditor's office that another Grant Township existed in Washington County, Minnesota. Thus, on July 10, 1873, the name was officially changed to Ransom Township in honor of Ransom Humiston, agent for the National Colony, which brought large groups of settlers to Worthington from 1872 until 1876. Township residents were not consulted on the name change. Grant Township in Washington County was broken up and absorbed among neighboring townships in 1919. However, the small town of

Grant, Minnesota Grant is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, and a suburb of St. Paul. The population was 4,096 at the time of the 2010 census. History The city was named for Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. From time to time, western villages in Grant Town ...

, still exists in the same vicinity.Washington County Historical Society
/ref>

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 271 people, 99 households, and 86 families residing in the township. 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 7.5 people per square mile (2.9/km). There were 112 housing units at an average density of 3.1/sq mi (1.2/km). The racial makeup of the township was 99.63%

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 0.37% from two or more races. There were 99 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.1% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 2.93. In the township the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $39,250, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $24,375 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 $13,801. About 4.5% of families and 10.1% 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 11.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.9% of those 65 or over.

Politics

Ransom 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

Mankato Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The population was 44,488 at the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Mi ...

educator

Tim Walz Timothy James Walz (; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 41st governor of Minnesota. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, vice pre ...

, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

. At the state level, Ransom 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 22, represented by Republican

Doug Magnus Douglas Rudy Magnus (born November 1950) is an American, Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate, who represented District 22, which includes all of Cottonwood County, Minnesota, Cottonwood, Jackson County, Minnesota, Ja ...

, 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 22A, represented by Republican

Joe Schomacker Joseph "Joe" Roy Schomacker (born March 25, 1986) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2011. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Schomacker represents District 21A in the southwestern corne ...

Local politics

Ransom Township is represented by Nobles County Commissione
Matt Widboom

References

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