Kasota, Minnesota

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kasota, Minnesota
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

---

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Kasota, Minnesota


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Minnesota
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Le Sueur

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2.6
area_land_km2 = 2.6
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 1.0
area_land_sq_mi = 1.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 680
population_density_km2 = 260.0
population_density_sq_mi = 673.4

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 246
elevation_ft = 807
latd = 44 |latm = 17 |lats = 26 |latNS = N
longd = 93 |longm = 57 |longs = 51 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 56050
area_code = 507
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 27-32462GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0646046GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Kasota is a city in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 680 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.

Minnesota State Highway 22 serves as a main route in the community. U.S. Route 169 is nearby.

History

According to the "History of Nicollet and LeSueur Counties", Rueben Buetters was the first settler in Kasota and all of Le Sueur County in 1851. J.W. Babcock bounded the city and eventually established it as the Village of Kasota, the only establishment in the Kasota Township of any commercial or political importance. [Nicollet and LeSueur Counties, Volume I (county histories), William Gresham, 1916, Last Updated: 09 June 2000] ]

The Stone Industry

Babcock also was the first to begin quarrying Kasota limestone in and around the city of Kasota. The Babcock Stone Company was the chief stone company throughout the early history of the city, and according to the Kasota Historical Society the relationship between the stone company and the city was less than spectacular. At one point the Babcock company decided to blast within the city limits. This led to the creation of the park on County Road 21 in the town center - after the company was forced to fill in the quarry near the homes of city residents.

Eventually, in the early 1950s, the Babcock Stone Company went bankrupt. In 1953, the Vetter family bought the Babcock quarries, establishing the Vetter Stone Company, which currently operates just outside the Kasota city limits in Mankato, MN. The former location in Kasota is now occupied by Door Engineering, a company manufacturing industrial doors.

Kasota stone was recently selected as the primary stone in the building of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

Namesakes

Kasota (Dakota for "clear skies") was the name of a wooden Great Lakes iron ore steamer, built 1884. The Kasota sank after colliding with the passenger steamer The City of Detroit on the Detroit River in July of 1890. The Kasota was salvaged and rebuilt in 1892.

The USS Kasota was a naval tugboat, launched 1944, struck from the Navy list, 1961. According to nafts.net, it is believed that the Kasota (also known as the "Mighty Dueces") was the last 'Wooden hull' tug in the Navy at the time.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 680 people, 275 households, and 196 families residing in the city. The population density was 673.4 people per square mile (260.0/km²). There were 279 housing units at an average density of 276.3/sq mi (106.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.59% White, 0.74% African American, 2.06% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.

There were 275 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,097, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $30,300 versus $21,711 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,503. About 6.6% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

References