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Becker County, Minnesota

Coordinates: 46°56′N 95°40′W / 46.93°N 95.67°W / 46.93; -95.67
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Not to be confused with Becker, Minnesota.

Becker County
County
1913 Prairie School Carnegie library designed by Claude and Starck in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
1913 Prairie School Carnegie library designed by Claude and Starck in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Map of Minnesota highlighting Becker County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°56′N 95°40′W / 46.93°N 95.67°W / 46.93; -95.67
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedMarch 18, 1858 (created)
1871 (organized)[1]
Named forGeorge Loomis Becker
SeatDetroit Lakes
Largest cityDetroit Lakes
Area
 • Total1,445 sq mi (3,740 km2)
 • Land1,315 sq mi (3,410 km2)
 • Water130 sq mi (300 km2)  9.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total35,183
 • Estimate 
(2023)
35,283 Increase
 • Density25.9/sq mi (10.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitewww.co.becker.mn.us

Becker County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,183.[2] Its county seat is Detroit Lakes.[3] Part of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county. The county was created in 1858 and organized in 1871.

History

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Becker County became a county on March 18, 1858. It was named for George Loomis Becker,[4] one of three men elected to Congress when Minnesota became a state. Since Minnesota could only send two, Becker elected to stay behind, and he was promised to have a county named after him.

Colonel George Johnston founded the city of Detroit Lakes in 1871. It grew quickly with the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Johnston led settlers from New England to settle in this region.[5] An 1877 election decided that Detroit Lakes, then known as Detroit, would become the county seat. Detroit won the election by a 90% majority. Frazee, Lake Park, and Audubon were also in the running.

Soils of Becker County[6]
Soils of Callaway WMA area
A country road in Becker County in summer

In 1884, Detroit Lakes had many businesses, including two hotels, a bank, a newspaper, and an opera house. The first courthouse was built that year. In 1885, the first county fire department was constructed. In 1903, the Soo Line Railroad built a line through the county.

Detroit Lakes hosts a park dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic. The city rededicated the park on April 15, 2015, marking the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the death of President Lincoln. Colonel Tom Mortenson and his wife, Pam, sponsored the rededication, representing the Women's Relief Corps, which spearheaded community support for the effort that included new signage for the park and a time capsule to be opened on the 200th anniversary.[7]

Geography

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The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, tree-covered and dotted with lakes and ponds.[8] The terrain slopes to the west and north. Its highest point is a hill 2.1 miles (3.4 km) northeast of Wolf Lake, the site of the USFS Wolf Lake lookout tower, at 1,861 ft (567 m) ASL.[9] The next highest point is near its northwest corner, at 1,631 ft (497 m) ASL.[10] The county has an area of 1,445 square miles (3,740 km2), of which 1,315 square miles (3,410 km2) is land and 130 square miles (340 km2) (9.0%) is water.[11]

Becker County has diverse topography. It is home to several hundred lakes, many acres of fertile farm land, and forested areas. Much of the land consists of hills and deciduous trees.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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  • Atlanta State Wildlife Management Area
  • Becker State Wildlife Management Area
  • Callaway State Wildlife Management Area
  • Frank State Wildlife Management Area
  • Greenwater Lake Scientific and Natural Area
  • Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hasca State Park (part)
  • Lunde State Wildlife Management Area
  • Melbye State Wildlife Management Area
  • Ogema Springs State Wildlife Management Area
  • Pednor State Wildlife Management Area
  • Riparia State Wildlife Management Area
  • Smoky Hills State Forest
  • Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
  • Teiken-Dalve State Wildlife Management Area
  • Two Inlets State Forest
  • White Earth State Wildlife Management Area

[8]

Climate and weather

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Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
0.8
 
 
19
−2
 
 
0.5
 
 
26
3
 
 
1.1
 
 
37
17
 
 
1.9
 
 
56
32
 
 
3.5
 
 
69
45
 
 
4.4
 
 
78
55
 
 
3.8
 
 
82
60
 
 
3
 
 
81
58
 
 
3.6
 
 
71
47
 
 
3.1
 
 
56
35
 
 
1.2
 
 
38
21
 
 
0.7
 
 
23
5
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[12]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
20
 
 
−7
−19
 
 
13
 
 
−3
−16
 
 
27
 
 
3
−8
 
 
47
 
 
13
0
 
 
89
 
 
21
7
 
 
113
 
 
26
13
 
 
97
 
 
28
16
 
 
75
 
 
27
14
 
 
91
 
 
22
8
 
 
77
 
 
13
2
 
 
30
 
 
3
−6
 
 
18
 
 
−5
−15
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Detroit Lakes have ranged from a low of −2 °F (−19 °C) in January to a high of 82 °F (28 °C) in July; a record low of −46 °F (−43 °C) was recorded in February 1936 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 0.53 inches (13 mm) in February to 4.44 inches (113 mm) in June.[12]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860386—
1870308−20.2%
18805,2181,594.2%
18909,40180.2%
190014,37552.9%
191018,84031.1%
192022,85121.3%
193022,503−1.5%
194026,56218.0%
195024,836−6.5%
196023,959−3.5%
197024,3721.7%
198029,33620.4%
199027,881−5.0%
200030,0007.6%
201032,5048.3%
202035,1838.2%
2023 (est.)35,283[13]0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16]
1990-2000[17] 2010-2020[2]

2020 Census

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Becker County Racial Composition[18]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 29,645 84.3%
Black or African American (NH) 200 0.6%
Native American (NH) 2,417 6.9%
Asian (NH) 156 0.44%
Pacific Islander (NH) 9 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 2,181 6.2%
Hispanic or Latino 575 1.6%

2000 census

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2022 US Census population pyramid for Becker County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2000, there were 30,000 people, 11,844 households, and 8,184 families in the county. The population density was 22.8 per square mile (8.8/km2). There were 16,612 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.35% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 7.52% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.2% were of German, 26.0% Norwegian and 5.2% Swedish ancestry.

There were 11,844 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02.

The county population contained 26.6% under age 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 39. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,797, and the median income for a family was $41,807. Males had a median income of $29,641 versus $20,693 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,085. About 8.5% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and over.

Communities

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Cities

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Townships

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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[8]

Lakes

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  • Big Cormorant Lake (Minnesota)
  • Middle Cormorant Lake
  • Upper Cormorant Lake
  • Little Cormorant lake
  • Nelson lake
  • Erickson Lake
  • Lake Melissa
  • Detroit Lake
  • Lake Sallie
  • Lake Maud

[19]

Government and politics

[edit]

From its inaugural election in 1872 to 1928, Becker County voted Republican all but twice and never voted Democrat; the only two occasions it backed a non-Republican in that span were in 1912 when former Republican president turned Progressive candidate Theodore Roosevelt carried the county and in 1924 when Progressive Robert M. La Follette narrowly carried the county, edging out incumbent Republican president Calvin Coolidge by just 151 votes in the county. Following Black Tuesday and the onset of the Great Depression, Becker County proceeded to voted Democrat in nearly every election for the next half-century, only backing the Republican nominee in nationwide Republican landslides in 1952 and 1972 by Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon respectively in the elections from 1932 to 1976, though the Democrat margin of victories were typically modest outside of their nationwide landslides. Beginning in 1980, Becker County has backed the Republican nominee in every presidential election except for the reelection of Bill Clinton in 1996, and never by huge margins up to and including 2012. However, in 2016, Donald Trump attained the highest percentage of the vote and margin of victory for either party in the county since 1936 and the highest for a Republican since 1920.

United States presidential election results for Becker County, Minnesota[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 12,438 64.11% 6,589 33.96% 374 1.93%
2016 10,880 63.18% 5,208 30.24% 1,134 6.58%
2012 9,204 56.18% 6,829 41.69% 349 2.13%
2008 8,851 52.17% 7,687 45.31% 427 2.52%
2004 9,795 58.30% 6,756 40.21% 250 1.49%
2000 8,152 56.88% 5,253 36.65% 928 6.47%
1996 5,461 40.83% 5,911 44.20% 2,002 14.97%
1992 5,430 39.63% 4,958 36.18% 3,314 24.19%
1988 6,738 53.26% 5,787 45.74% 126 1.00%
1984 7,553 57.65% 5,456 41.65% 92 0.70%
1980 6,848 52.14% 5,221 39.75% 1,065 8.11%
1976 5,611 44.65% 6,597 52.50% 358 2.85%
1972 6,033 55.43% 4,695 43.14% 156 1.43%
1968 4,728 46.37% 4,875 47.81% 593 5.82%
1964 3,751 36.70% 6,453 63.14% 16 0.16%
1960 5,090 48.99% 5,257 50.60% 42 0.40%
1956 4,608 49.81% 4,619 49.93% 24 0.26%
1952 5,815 55.84% 4,539 43.59% 60 0.58%
1948 3,495 35.93% 5,885 60.50% 347 3.57%
1944 3,803 43.46% 4,889 55.87% 58 0.66%
1940 4,292 39.68% 6,432 59.47% 92 0.85%
1936 2,683 28.34% 6,473 68.38% 310 3.27%
1932 2,299 28.00% 5,547 67.56% 364 4.43%
1928 4,273 55.47% 3,253 42.23% 177 2.30%
1924 2,936 45.51% 429 6.65% 3,087 47.85%
1920 4,811 75.78% 901 14.19% 637 10.03%
1916 1,761 50.44% 1,453 41.62% 277 7.93%
1912 509 16.76% 732 24.10% 1,796 59.14%
1908 2,058 64.39% 728 22.78% 410 12.83%
1904 1,872 79.49% 310 13.16% 173 7.35%
1900 1,790 64.62% 771 27.83% 209 7.55%
1896 1,479 58.81% 985 39.17% 51 2.03%
1892 853 55.43% 266 17.28% 420 27.29%
County Board of Commissioners[21]
Position Name District Term Ends
Commissioner Erica Jepson District 1 2026
Commissioner David Meyer District 2 2026
Commissioner John Okeson District 3 2024
Commissioner Richard Vareberg District 4 2024
Commissioner Barry Nelson District 5 2024
State Legislature (2023-2025)
Position Name Affiliation District
Senate Steve Green Republican District 2
Senate Rob Kupec Democrat District 4
Senate Paul Utke[22] Republican District 5
House of Representatives Matt Bliss Republican District 2B
House of Representatives Jim Joy Republican District 4B
U.S Congress (2022-2025)
Position Name Affiliation District
House of Representatives Michelle Fischbach Republican 7th
Senate Amy Klobuchar[23] Democrat N/A
Senate Tina Smith[24] Democrat N/A
[edit]

Becker County is the setting of the 2006 independent film Sweet Land, though it was filmed in Chippewa County.

A popular YouTube channel, CBOYSTV films, is headquartered in Becker County. CBoysTV is an American comedy and motorsports channel run by five men. The channel has amassed over a million subscribers.[25]

Images

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  • The County Public Works Center for Becker County in Detroit Lakes
    The County Public Works Center for Becker County in Detroit Lakes
  • Highway Department building for Becker County
    Highway Department building for Becker County

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Citizen Kane, Charles Curry Aiken (2005). "The American counties: origins of county names, dates of creation, and population data, 1950-2000" p. 18. Scarecrow Press, 2005
  5. ^ A Pioneer History of Becker County, Minnesota: Including a Brief Account of Its Natural History ... and a History of the Early Settlement of the County; Also, Including ... Historical Information Collected by Mrs. Jessie C. West. And Numerous Articles Written by Various Early Pioneers Relating to the History of the Several Townships of Becker County by Alvin H. Wilcox, Mrs. Jessie Campbell West. Pioneer Press Company 1907
  6. ^ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 53-56. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  7. ^ Detroit Lakes: Park to be Re-dedicated
  8. ^ a b c Becker County MN Google Maps (accessed March 4, 2019)
  9. ^ Wolf Lake Lookout, Minnesota. PeakBagger.com (accessed May 4, 2019)
  10. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Becker County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 4, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  11. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Detroit Lakes MN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  13. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  15. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  16. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  17. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  18. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Becker County, Minnesota".
  19. ^ "Becker County · Minnesota".
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  21. ^ "Becker County Board of Commissioners". www.co.becker.mn.us. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "MN State Senate". www.senate.mn. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". www.klobuchar.senate.gov. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  24. ^ "Home". Senator Tina Smith. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "With throttles wide open, small-town 'CBoys' achieve YouTube stardom". Star Tribune.
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46°56′N 95°40′W / 46.93°N 95.67°W / 46.93; -95.67

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