Dexter Township, Mower County, Minnesota

Dexter Township, Minnesota
Township
Dexter Township, Minnesota Location within the state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 43°42′37″N 92°45′35″W / 43.71028°N 92.75972°WCoordinates: 43°42′37″N 92°45′35″W / 43.71028°N 92.75972°W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Mower
Area
• Total	34.7 sq mi (89.9 km^2)
• Land	34.7 sq mi (89.9 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	1,385 ft (422 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	289
• Density	8.3/sq mi (3.2/km^2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	55926
Area code(s)	507
FIPS code	27-15904[1]
GNIS feature ID	0663977[2]

Dexter Township is a township in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The largest town in the township is Dexter with a population of 333 people. All other areas of the township are unincorporated areas. It is named for Dexter Parritt, an early settler.^[3]

History

The township was organized on June 6, 1870 and that day the people of the township elected a chairman (Dexter Parritt) two supervisors, two justices of the peace, a clerk and a treasurer.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.7 square miles (90 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 289 people, 100 households, and 79 families residing in the township. The population density was 8.3 people per square mile (3.2/km²). There were 105 housing units at an average density of 3.0/sq mi (1.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.23% White, 0.69% African American, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 100 households out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples living together, 1.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the township the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $49,750, and the median income for a family was $58,750. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $29,500 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,195. About 11.4% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 33.3% of those sixty five or over.

Communities

Renova

Renova is an unincorporated area about two miles northwest of Dexter, along Mower County Highway 2.

Sutton

Sutton was a small trading post on the Chicago Great Western Railway in the early days of the township. Its grain elevator burned in 1887, the trains discontinued stops there and the few people living there moved elsewhere.

Cemeteries

• Dexter Cemetery is on the north end of the northwest quadrant of section 13 of the township directly north of the city of Dexter. Its oldest known burial dates to 1888.

References

1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 360.

Further reading

• Mill on the Willow: A History of Mower County, Minnesota by various authors. Library of Congress No. 84-062356