Rushford is a city in Fillmore 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 1,860 at the 2020 census.

History

The first pioneers pole-boated up the Root River to the junction of Rush Creek, peering through 10-foot tall grasses to see what astonishing beauty the bluff lands had to offer. The early settlers gave Rushford its name on Christmas Day in 1854, during a chicken supper hosted by Capt. Dyer. The name stems from the nearby Rush Creek, which had tall Rushes growing along its banks. The area was once referred to as “Trail City” because seven Indian trails met at the creek. The Wieser Brothers were said to be the first founders of the city and quickly followed by hundreds. Rushford has had a post office in operation since 1856, and the 1867 two-story Railroad Depot still stands at its original site, being restored as a Visitors Center for the local area. As a result of the

2007 Midwest flooding The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007. While Hurricane Dean was affecting the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Erin (2007 ...

, the city was flooded when Rush Creek overtopped the dikes. Rushford's spirit bounced back to produce a very bustling and thriving community..

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 , of which is land and is water. The city of Rushford is completely surrounded by another city, Rushford Village. Rushford is located in southeastern Minnesota's Bluff Country, part of the

driftless area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

. Magelssen's Bluff, a 440-foot hill directly over the town, has the town name written in large white letters on the side of the hill. Minnesota Highways 16, 30, and 43 are three of the main routes in the city.

Climate

Recreation

Every five years, Rushford holds a citywide Homecoming celebration, with a standing invitation to all former residents of the city to return and visit. The town also hosts an annual celebration formerly called "Frontier Days," now called "Rushford Days." Rushford is one of several towns intersected by the Root River segment of the Blufflands State Trail, a Rails to Trails project linking several small towns along 42 miles of the former railroad grade. The historic Rushford Depot (pictured to the right) is a landmark along this trail, with a museum inside the old depot and other historic buildings on the grounds. Rushford also has several parks and a public swimming pool.

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 1,731 people, 706 households, and 456 families living 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 772 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.7%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% 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 0.8% of the population. There were 706 households, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64, and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,696 people, 704 households, and 433 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 761 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.00%

, 0.24%

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 ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.12% from two or more races. 0.29% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 704 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93. Rushford-Peterson Schools

Education

Rushford is associated with nearby Peterson, Minnesota in Rushford-Peterson School District. Superintendent is Ben Bernard. Rushford-Peterson School District held an open house on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017 for the new 170,000-square-foot school building.

Notable person

* Steve Heiden, professional football coach and former player * Jorli Hauge, state basketball runner up. Farmer Wants a Wife Season 6 contestant. Iowa State alumni

Gallery

References

External links

City of RushfordRushford-Peterson School DistrictRushford Peterson ValleyRushford DaysTri-County Record - Bluff Country NewsRushford Institute for NanoTechnology
{{authority control Cities in Fillmore County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota