- Frontenac, Minnesota
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Frontenac, Minnesota — Unincorporated Town — Location within the state of Minnesota
Frontenac, MinnesotaCoordinates: 44°31′34″N 92°19′45″W / 44.52611°N 92.32917°W Country United States State Minnesota County Goodhue Area – Unincorporated Town 40.55 sq mi (105 km2) – Water 5.63 sq mi (14.6 km2) – Urban 34.93 sq mi (90.5 km2) Elevation 722 ft (218 m) Population (2000) – Unincorporated Town 1,450 – Density 41.5/sq mi (16/km2) – Urban 1,450 Time zone CST (UTC-6) – Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) ZIP code 55026 Area code(s) 651 FIPS code [1] GNIS feature ID [1] Frontenac is an unincorporated community in Florence Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River.
Contents
History
James Wells established a trading post in the location that would become Frontenac before 1850. He dealt mostly with Native Americans until the railroad was built in the early 1850s. In 1854 the Garrard brothers came upon the area during a hunting trip and bought large tracts of land. By 1857 the village was permanently established with the name of Westervelt in 1855 to honor the then postmaster, Evert V. Westervelt.[2]
The name was changed to 'Frontenac' in 1860 by the Garrard brothers after Frenchman, Louis de Buade de Frontenac, who was born in 1622. He was the French colonial governor of Canada in 1672–82 and 1689–98. He died in Quebec, Canada on November 28, 1698. There is no record of his traveling to the Mississippi River.[2]
Frontenac housed a station of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and the picturesque scenery soon began attracting wealthy residents. It became a village of summer homes with lakeside views.[2] The railway line outside the village ran from north to south, connected the remote area with larger cities, but it was far enough away from the bluffs not to detract from the vacation destination. There are actually two villages that comprise Frontenac. The railway line attracted some residents, while the bluffs attracted others. The houses along the railway line, and later the highway, became known as 'Frontenac Station' while the bluff residences are called 'Old Frontenac'. Both are in Florence Township and are listed as one location in the U.S. Census.[2]
Attractions
Mississippi River from Frontenac State Park, Minnesota (USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Mount Frontenac Ski and Golf
The Mount Frontenac Ski Resort was located on the south-eastern edge of Frontenac Station. It had 17 named runs, 6 lifts, and 80 acres (320,000 m2) of skiable area. Its longest run was 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in length.[3] The ski runs have been closed and are now part of an 18 hole golf course.[4]
Frontenac State Park
The land between Frontenac Station and Old Frontenac, as well as much of the land to the north and some to the south, was set aside as a State Park in 1957. Frontenac State Park includes the floodplain along the Mississippi River, bluffs which are a flyway for many migratory bird species, prairies and hardwood forests. It is within the Mississippi Flyway and is also part of the Driftless Area of the north central United States.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has 40.55 square miles (107.1 km²), of which 34.93 square miles (90.5 km2) is land and 5.63 square miles (14.6 km2) is water. The city is at the northern edge of the Driftless Area of karst topography.
Demographics
At the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,450 people, 633 households in Florence Township. The population density was 41.5 per square mile (175.8 km²) and there were 18.1 housing units per square mile (175.8 km²).
Transportation
Frontenac is located along U.S. Route 61 which also carries U.S. Route 63 at that point.
Rail lines run parallel to the highway, but there is no longer a station in Frontenac.
The Frontenac Airport is located 1 mi (1.6 km) south of Frontenac Station, and is administered by a private agency.[5]
See also
- Frontenac State Park
- Villa Maria Academy
- Minnesota Historical Society
References
- ^ a b c "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ a b c d Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Place Names database, June 2009.
- ^ Mount Frontenac Ski and Snowboard Area. SkiEngine.com. Retrieved on 2009-6-16.
- ^ Mount Frontenac Golf Course-official site. Retrieved on 2009-6-16.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Frontenac Airport (Minnesota)
External links
- Frontenac State Park official website
- Minnesota Historical Society homepage
Coordinates: 44°33′53.82″N 92°32′11.76″W / 44.56495°N 92.5366°W
Municipalities and communities of Goodhue County, Minnesota Cities Bellechester‡ | Cannon Falls | Dennison‡ | Goodhue | Kenyon | Lake City‡ | Pine Island‡ | Red Wing | Wanamingo | Zumbrota
Townships Belle Creek | Belvidere | Cannon Falls | Cherry Grove | Featherstone | Florence | Goodhue | Hay Creek | Holden | Kenyon | Leon | Minneola | Pine Island | Roscoe | Stanton | Vasa | Wacouta | Wanamingo | Warsaw | Welch | Zumbrota
Unincorporated
communitiesEggleston | Frontenac | Hader | Ryan | Stanton | White Rock
Indian
reservationFootnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Categories:- Populated places in Goodhue County, Minnesota
- Unincorporated communities in Minnesota
- Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
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