Chatfield is a city in Fillmore and

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counties in the

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Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. The population was 2,997 at the 2020 census. The city's area is split almost equally between the two counties. Chatfield is known as "The Gateway to Bluff Country" and "The Chosen Valley".

History

The city was named after Judge Andrew G. Chatfield. It was founded in 1853 by Andrew Twiford, and originally served as the Fillmore county seat prior to the county being further divided. The founding population was overwhelmingly from

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. The New Englanders who founded Chatfield built a community that became so successful it was dubbed "the Chosen Valley". During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the Chatfield Guards

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

distinguished themselves as Company A of the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and their commander, former engineer and newspaperman

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

(later promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

) Judson W. Bishop, later commanded the entire regiment.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of . It is also the home of the only stop light in Fillmore County, at the

intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their ...

of ''3rd Street'' (Fillmore County Road 2) and ''Main Street''. Chatfield has two waterways within its borders, the North Branch of the Root River and a tributary, Mill Creek. U.S. Highway 52, State Highway 30, State Highway 74, and Fillmore County Road 2 are four of the main routes in the city. The North Branch of the Root River flows nearby, and Mill Creek runs through the town. Mill Creek is a designated trout stream.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,779 people, 1,092 households, and 741 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,174 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 1,092 households, of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.1% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 36.9 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,394 people, 930 households, and 633 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 959 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.66%

, 0.46%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.29% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 930 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were

living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% 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 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $44,023, and the median income for a family was $53,625. Males had a median income of $32,174 versus $27,697 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $20,145. About 4.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Entertainment

On the second weekend of August, the town holds its annual "Western Days". The Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library is a world-class sheet music library dedicated to the preservation and use of sheet music from the brass band era. The Chatfield Center for the Arts presents live music, visual arts and theater. The Potter Auditorium was renovated in 2016. The Pope & Young Museum of Bowhunting opened in Chatfield in 2004.

Notable People

* Josef Fahrenholtz (born 2001), professional basketball player

Gallery

References

External links

www.ci.chatfield.mn.us

www.chatfieldmn.com

Chosen Valley Public Schools
{{authority control Cities in Fillmore County, Minnesota Cities in Olmsted County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota Rochester metropolitan area, Minnesota 1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory Populated places established in 1853