Porter, Minnesota

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

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Porter, Minnesota


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Minnesota
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Yellow Medicine

government_footnotes =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.8
area_land_km2 = 5.8
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.2
area_land_sq_mi = 2.2
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 190
population_density_km2 = 32.9
population_density_sq_mi = 85.2

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 367
elevation_ft = 1204
latd = 44 |latm = 38 |lats = 17 |latNS = N
longd = 96 |longm = 9 |longs = 57 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 56280
area_code = 507
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 27-52144GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0649673GR|3
website = http://www.portermn.org
footnotes =

Porter is a city in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 190 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) of it is land and 0.45% is water. The North Branch of the Yellow Medicine River flows through the city. [cite book| title= Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer |year=1994 |publisher= DeLorme |location=Yarmouth, Me. |isbn= 0-89933-222-6 |pages= p. 28]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 190 people, 88 households, and 54 families residing in the city. The population density was 85.2 people per square mile (32.9/km²). There were 98 housing units at an average density of 44.0/sq mi (17.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.37% White, 1.05% African American and 1.58% Native American.

There were 88 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $27,000. Males had a median income of $23,875 versus $21,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,910. About 17.7% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.6% of those sixty five or over.

Community

Porter was founded in 1881 by Scandinavian settlers. The town’s heritage is still celebrated today with the annual Lutefisk, Lefse and Swedish Meatball Supper at Bethel Lutheran Church (Porter Norwegian Lutheran Church) in early November.

Auctions highlight a tradition in Porter. In January the long standing Porter March of Dimes auction takes place at the Porter Community Hall. The fundraiser has been an annual event for over 70 years. Porter celebrates its annual Market Day Sale in April. The annual auction draws thousands to the town and shuts down streets for auction rings. The auction is a pre-World War II tradition that carries on to this day. As has been tradition for the over 90 years of the auction, homemade pies and sandwiches are still served in the Porter Community Hall by the Bethel Lutheran Church and food stands are operated by the Deb’s Café and various Porter organizations throughout the auction grounds.

In August the community celebrates the bountiful harvests of the community with our Harvest Festival. The event has been held on the 3rd weekend in August for nearly 50 years now. Highlighted by the softball tournament, there have been more activities than any one person could enjoy in the past years.

References