Warren, Minnesota
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Warren is a city located in Marshall County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,678. It is the county seat of Marshall County6.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²). 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by surface water. The Snake River flows in serpentine fashion through the city (hence the name), and there is development on both banks. This has proved problematic as the city attempts flood control. Some major floods in the city's history occurred in 1896 (twice), 1969, 1974, 1979, 1996 (twice), and 1997.
The streets of the original townsite of Warren are laid out on a grid parallel and perpendicular to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Some newer additions, particularly those south of Bridge Street (Minnesota Highway 1) are laid out on a conventional north-south grid. The BNSF is the dividing line for the street system east and west, and Bridge Street is the dividing line north and south.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,678 people, 699 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density is 453.1/km² (1,174.1/mi²). There are 785 housing units at an average density of 212.0/km² (549.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.27% White, 0.12% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. 2.62% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 699 households out of which 28.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% are married couples living together, 9.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% are non-families. 35.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 20.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,250, and the median income for a family is $45,063. Males have a median income of $32,216 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,547. 10.2% of the population and 6.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Warren was first settled in 1879 by Charles Wenzel. The coming of the Great Northern Railroad (now Burlington Northern Santa Fe) led to the establishment of a permanent settlement. It was named for a ticket agent for the railroad who probably never set foot in Warren. Warren was incorporated as a village in 1881 and as a city in 1892. There has always been some doubt surrounding the actual date of Warren's founding. Hence, the city celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1956 and its centennial in 1980.
Although several times larger than the next largest city in the county, Warren's prominence as the county seat has been threatened several times in its history. The original plan for the Soo Line Railroad (completed in 1905) branch line that passes through Warren called for it to run from Thief River Falls to Argyle and then west. Argyle interests hoped the establishment of a railroad junction there would lead to the removal of the county seat from Warren to Argyle. Other interests prevailed, although the railroad line forms a parabola extending north from Thief River Falls, and then south to Warren, as if the plan changed while the line was being built. In 1974, citizens of the eastern part of the county, noting Warren's location in the western quarter of the long county, and very nearly at its southern boundary, petitioned twice for the relocation of the county seat to Newfolden. Neither effort that year resulted in the question being put on the ballot, and in fact, voters in the interim had approved the construction of an addition to the courthouse in Warren.
Economy
Agriculture and agribusiness have been the mainstays of Warren throughout its history. In fact, for most of its history, there has been no other industry at all. Although the Red River Valley has a short growing season, which is often made even shorter due to floods, the area has excellent crop yields which help make farming in the area less risky than in other areas with poorer soil. The principal crops are wheat, soybeans, potatoes, and sugar beets. Warren was at one time home to the largest independent elevator in Minnesota. Northwest Grain Cenex Harvest States Cooperative has a large elevator on the Soo Line, and the American Crystal Sugar Co. operates a beet terminal just west of Warren during harvest. Warren has three bank branches, the largest being a branch of Community Bank of the Red River Valley, headquartered in East Grand Forks.
Education and Culture
Warren is home of the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo school district. The district has one six-year high school and one elementary school, both located in Warren. Both buildings have been called superior facilities for a district its size. The high school, built in 1954, includes a 1000-seat auditorium. The elementary school, built in 1970, was originally an "open school" design where the classrooms were separated by chalkboard partitions rather than walls, although a few walls were installed in 1987.
Warren has a public library, the Godel Memorial Library, and is home to the Marshall County Historical Society, the Marshall County Fair, and the Warren Riverside Country Club (9-hole, par 4, grass greens).
Religion
The city has three Lutheran churches (two affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and one affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod), a Roman Catholic parish and cemetery, an Evangelical Covenant Church, a United Methodist church, and an Assembly of God church. In the rural area surrounding the city, there are three small Lutheran churches.
People
Some famous people who have lived in Warren are Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and ophthamologist Harold Scheie, founder of the Scheie Eye Institute.
References
Solum, Nancy, ed. Self-Portrait of Marshall County: A History of One Minnesota County and Many People Who Made That History. Dallas: Taylor, 1976.
Stevens, Charles L. Warren and Vicinity in the Eighties: Some Recollections of Happenings in This Section Nearly Fifty Years Ago. Warren, Minn.: Warren Register, 1928.
Warren, Plains to Plenty: A Story of 75 Eventful Years, Warren, Minn: Sheaf Printing, 1956.
External links
- http://www.warrenminnesota.com/
- Demographic site INCLUDES SATELLITE PHOTO (http://www.city-data.com/city/Warren-Minnesota.html)