Hastings, Minnesota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hastings is a city in Minnesota at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. The population was 18,204 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dakota County6. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County, but a small part of the city extends into Washington County. The city is named for the first elected governor of the state of Minnesota, Henry Hastings Sibley.
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[edit] History
The area around Hastings was first settled by a military detachment sent from Fort Snelling to guard a blocked shipment of supplies in the winter of 1820. A Lieutenant William. G. Oliver camped in an area that would come to be known as Oliver's Grove.
After the Treaty of Mendota of 1851 opened the area for white settlement, the Oliver's Grove area was surveyed and was incorporated as a city in 1857, four years after admission of the state of Minnesota to the union. The name "Hastings" was drawn out of a hat having been one of the suggested names placed in by four of the original founders (the middle name of Henry Sibley).
Hastings and nearby township of Nininger were areas of tremendous land speculation in the late 19th century, being billed by Ignatius Donnelly as the potential "New Chicago". The Panic of 1857 would put an end to this dream.
Hastings is the site of the second oldest surviving county courthouse in the state (after Stillwater) which was finished in 1871 at a cost of $63,000. The county administration began the process of moving to a new facility from 1974 until 1989, when the City of Hastings purchased the old building. It was rededicated in 1993 as city hall.
A spiral bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1895 that was designed to slow down horse-drawn traffic from the opposite side of the river as it entered downtown. The novel design became a tourist attraction for the town, but was demolished in 1951 to make way for the current span that could accommodate truck traffic. Nevertheless, the spiral bridge is still remembered as a nostalgic landmark.
In 1930 the Army Corps of Engineers completed the first Lock and Dam No. 2 at Hastings, part of the canal lock systems on the Mississippi that stretch from Minneapolis to St. Louis.
Fasbender Clinic, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a city landmark.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 26.2 km² (10.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (7.92%) is water. The Mississippi River forms most of the northern border of Hastings, while the Vermillion River flows through the southern part of town, over a falls adjacent to a ConAgra grain elevator. Bluffs lie along the northern shore of the Mississippi River and there is a gorge surrounding the Vermillion River below the falls. Hastings is home to two small lakes, Lake Rebecca and Lake Isabelle. Both drain into the Mississippi River.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,204 people, 6,642 households, and 4,722 families residing in the city. The population density was 694.5/km² (1,798.2/mi²). There were 6,758 housing units at an average density of 257.8/km² (667.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.16% White, 0.43% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 6,642 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,145, and the median income for a family was $61,093. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $27,973 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,075. About 2.1% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
The busiest road in Hastings is U.S. Highway 61, which in Hastings is known as Vermillion Street. Highway 61 is a four lane thoroughfare that cuts through the eastern side of the city in a north-south direction. Following 61 north out of the city takes you to over the Mississippi River to Cottage Grove and eventually St. Paul, and taking it south brings you to Red Wing.
The other major road in Hastings is Minnesota State Highway 55; the main east-west roadway. Highway 55 is also a 4 lane highway that enters the city from west and cuts through the middle of town where it eventually comes to and end at Highway 61. Highway 55 is a major commuter route for residents of Hastings, taking them northwest to Eagan and eventually to Minneapolis. Other Minnesota State Highways in Hastings are Highway 316 (starting at Highway 61 and heading southeast out of town) and Highway 291 (Minnesota Veterans Home Highway). Other routes that lead into town are Dakota County Roads 42 (northwest side of town), 46 (southwest), 47 (southwest) and 54 (east).
Hastings is not served by the MTC public transportation bus routes, but preliminary studies are underway to bring commuter rail to Hastings via the Red Rock Corridor. Amtrak trains pass through, but do not stop in Hastings (North to St. Paul or south to Red Wing is required to board).
The Mississippi River in Hastings is a major thoroughfare for barges, and they're helped upstream by Lock and Dam No. 2 on the northwest side of town. There are several access points to the Missippippi River for private watercraft.
[edit] Climate
| Weather averages for Hastings, Minnesota | |||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 21 | 28 | 39 | 55 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 71 | 58 | 40 | 26 | 54 |
| Avg low °F | 2 | 9 | 22 | 36 | 48 | 57 | 62 | 60 | 51 | 39 | 24 | 10 | 35 |
| Avg high °C | -6 | -2 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 14 | 4 | -3 | 12 |
| Avg low °C | -17 | -13 | -6 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 4 | -4 | -12 | 2 |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 29.9 |
| Precipitation (cm) | 2.3 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 8.6 | 10.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 7.9 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 75.9 |
| Source: [1] 2006-12-04 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Famous people from Hastings
- Jackie Biskupski - Utah state legislator.
- Gil Dobie - College football coach
- Craig Kilborn - Comedian and television personality
- Bob McNamara - Former Denver Bronco, Minnesota Gopher football All American
- Richard "Pinky" McNamara - Prominent Minnesota Businessman, Philanthropist
- Sam Shane - Former MSNBC news anchor
- Jeff Taffe - Professional hockey player for the Phoenix Coyotes
- Ben Utecht - Professional football player for the Indianapolis Colts
[edit] Sites of Interest
- 2nd Street Downtown District
- Alexis Bailey Vineyard
- LeDuc Mansion
- Lock and Dam No. 2
- Ramsey Mill Ruins
- Vermillion Falls Park
[edit] References
- ^ Daily Normals of Hastings, Minnesota (English). National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on 12-04, 2006.
[edit] External links
- City of Hastings Official website
- Hastings Chamber of Commerce
- Hastings Public Schools - Independent School District 200
- Hastings Star Gazette weekly newspaper
- Historic Hastings Downtown Businesses
