Webster Township, Rice County, Minnesota

Webster Township is a township in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,825 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Hazelwood, Little Chicago, and Webster are in Webster Township.

Webster Township, Minnesota
Township
Webster Township, Minnesota Location within the state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°30′35″N 93°20′14″W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Rice
Area
• Total	35.7 sq mi (92.5 km^2)
• Land	35.1 sq mi (91.0 km^2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.5 km^2)
Elevation	1,145 ft (349 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	1,825
• Density	51.9/sq mi (20.1/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	55088
Area code(s)	952
FIPS code	27-68962[1]
GNIS feature ID	0665945[2]

History

Webster Township was settled in the spring of 1855. It is named after Ferris Webster, who settled in the township a year later, and had a store in section 35. A post office was established in 1879, in section 8, and was later moved to section 10, in the same building as a store, with a creamery nearby.[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²); 35.1 square miles (91.0 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (1.60%) is water.

Interstate 35 and State Highway 19 (MN 19) are two of the main routes in the township. Other routes include Rice County Roads 3, 5, 6, and 46.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,825 people, 599 households, and 503 families residing in the township. The population density was 51.9 people per square mile (20.1/km²). There were 615 housing units at an average density of 17.5/sq mi (6.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.25% White, 0.05% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.

There were 599 households out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 10.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $62,961, and the median income for a family was $66,912. Males had a median income of $42,367 versus $29,732 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,040. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Baseball team

The Webster Sox represent Webster Township in the DRS Amateur Baseball League[4] (DRS stands for Dakota, Scott, and Rice Counties). The DRS is a conference member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association, which is divided into three classes (A, B, and C). The Sox Play at the Class C level. The team plays its home games at Webster Town Park at the Webster Coliseum. The team's players come from the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. Both the team and field are managed by town resident Mike Sandmann.

Restaurants

• Ranchero Supper Club
• Firehouse Grille
• The Big Steer
• Whistle Stop Tavern

References

1. "U.S. Census website". 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. Minnesota Place Names. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-5-18
4. Webster Sox Baseball team. Retrieved on 2009-5-18.