Vasa Township is a township in Goodhue 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 872 at the 2000 census. Part of the township is part of the Vasa Historic District 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 ...

. Vasa Township was organized in 1858 and named for

Gustav I of Sweden Gustav Eriksson Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), also known as Gustav I, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföreståndare'') from 1521, during the on ...

(Gustav Vasa). The township has been referred to by multiple names in the past, including Mattson('s) Settlement, Vasa, and Vasa Village.

History

In 1853

Hans Mattson Hans Mattson (December 23, 1832, Önnestad – March 5, 1893) was a Swedish American politician. He served with distinction as a colonel in the American Civil War (1861–65) and in 1869 became the Minnesota Secretary of State. He later served ...

was the first European to settle the area. He later encouraged many Swedish families to join him. The group of families was known as the Mattson Settlement. The settlement was later renamed Vasa (variously referred to as Vasa Village), for the local Swedish church who had chosen the name of the king of Sweden during the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. The United States government and the Upper Dakota Sioux entered into the

Treaty of Traverse des Sioux The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux () was signed on July 23, 1851, at Traverse des Sioux in Minnesota Territory between the United States government and the Dakota people, Upper Dakota Sioux bands. In this land cession treaty, the Sisseton and Wahpe ...

in 1851, which made a large swathe of what is today western and southern Minnesota US land, including the growing site of Vasa. While there had already been rapid growth in European settlement of the area largely against Dakota wishes, as US leaders pushed the

Westward Expansion The United States of America was formed after thirteen British colonies in North America declared independence from the British Empire on July 4, 1776. In the Lee Resolution, passed by the Second Continental Congress two days prior, the colon ...

, the 1851 treaty further encouraged the wave. Between 1854 and 1880, Vasa grew beyond the original 10 families and the greater Goodhue County recorded more than 4,300 residents. During the 1800s, 19 buildings were built in the village center. Vasa prospered agriculturally and was notable for hosting a US post office on the original Minnesota

Rural Free Delivery Rural Free Delivery (RFD), since 1906 officially rural delivery, is a program of the United States Post Office Department to deliver mail directly to rural destinations. The program began in the late 19th century. Before that, people living in ru ...

route until the 1950s when core businesses closed and growth became stagnant. Today the site of the original village, including the church and orphanage, is on the National Register of Historical Places as the Vasa Historical District. It is the best preserved early Swedish settlement in Minnesota with architecture representative of the era, from which Swedish-descent Americans in Minnesota continue to draw cultural imagery.

Historic district

A portion of the community is listed on the

as the Vasa Historic District. Vasa was established in 1853 by

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

immigrant farmers. While its population declined significantly in the twentieth century, the architecture and landscape of the district is well-preserved and its National Register nomination described it as "the most intact... of the original Swedish colonies in Minnesota". The Old Vasa Swedish Lutheran Church, which was built in 1861, is now a museum of local Swedish history. Vasa Children's Home was originally located in the church and later had its own building nearby.

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 41.2 square miles (106.6 km), of which 41.0 square miles (106.1 km) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km) (0.49%) is water. State Highway 19 ( MN 19) and County 7 Boulevard are two of the main routes in the township.

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 872 people, 293 households, and 239 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 21.3 people per square mile (8.2/km). There were 310 housing units at an average density of 7.6/sq mi (2.9/km). The racial makeup of the township was 99.08%

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 ...

, 0.11%

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 ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.11% from other races, and 0.46% 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 0.80% of the population. There were 293 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 13.0% 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 2.98 and the average family size was 3.29. In the township the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $53,281, and the median income for a family was $56,688. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $22,500 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 township was $23,629. About 3.0% of families and 4.9% 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 4.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable figures

, the first European to settle the site of Vasa who later served as the

Minnesota Secretary of State The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch, executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbe ...

and the United States Consul General in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. * John Lind, the 14th

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

and a political agent in the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

under President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

. * Frank I. Johnson, Minnesota senator. *

Eric Norelius Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author. Background Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, Sweden. He received his early educa ...

, an early figure in Minnesota Lutheranism who established Vasa's church and orphanage.

References