Henderson is a town in Sibley County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 960 at the 2020 census.
History
Henderson was founded in August 1852 by Joseph R. Brown, and was named for his mother's maiden name.
By 1855, Henderson had become a fast-growing city. It harbored more than 60 buildings, including a hotel, a warehouse, a steam sawmill, as well as Brown's house, which functioned as a boarding house, a store and the Brown family residence.
In the following years, Henderson quickly became a major distribution center for the inland settlements surrounding the Minnesota River Valley. It was the trailhead of the Henderson-Pembina road.
By the mid-1860s, Henderson had two major brickyards, The Mattei and Schwartz Brickyards, which both contributed heavily to the early 1900s brick-style buildings still found in Henderson.
The seat for Sibley County was originally established in Henderson, and an imposing courthouse was erected, being put into service in 1879. But pressure from residents of Gaylord, from as far back as 1887, to gain the county seat precipitated a 1915 countywide vote that resulted in Gaylord gaining the seat; this caused around 200 residents to leave Henderson, a major decline in the town's population. During the 50 years after that population loss, Henderson's economy increasingly centered on agriculture. Its success in transitioning to agriculture brought rise to the present Sauerkraut Days celebration. The former courthouse, now the Henderson Community Building, houses Henderson City offices.
Museums and library
Henderson has two museums and one public library.
- Sibley County Historical Museum: Operated by the Sibley County Historical Society
- J.R. Brown Minnesota River Center: Operated by the Joseph R. Brown Heritage Society
- Henderson Public Library: Henderson is member of the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative.
Area parks and wildlife refuges
Allanson's Park
In 1855, the town founder, J.R. Brown, designated the land for future use as a public park. This land became Allanson's Park, which today has 15+ camping sites for tents, campers and RV's, a picnic shelter and playground.
Henderson Hummingbird Garden
The Henderson Hummingbird Garden was established as a part of the Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah and is in Bender Park.
High Island Park
High Island Creek Park is 220 acres with over six miles of trails and camping opportunities.
Rush River Park
Rush River Park is 285 acres with over 12 miles of trails with a picnic shelter and camping areas. It is a popular horseback riding destination.
Ney Nature Center
The Ney Nature Center is 446 acres. It provides year-round outdoor activities and indoor programing.
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is over 70 miles long, stretching from Bloomington to Henderson. It occupies over 14,000 acres. The Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. About 50% of Henderson borders the Refuge.
Notable people
- Joseph R. Brown, Minnesota and Wisconsin territorial legislator and founder of Henderson
- Jerry Dempsey, Minnesota state representative
- Terry Dempsey, Minnesota state representative and jurist
- Franklin P. Kroehler, Minnesota state senator
- Albert G. Lieske, Minnesota state representative
- Mary L. Mallett, temperance activist
- Ray Oldenburg, urban sociologist
- Henry Poehler, U.S. representative from Minnesota
- Edward T. Young, Minnesota attorney general
Schools
The local school district is Independent School District 2397 and operates three facilities. It is the consolidated district of ISD 734 (Henderson) and ISD 393 (Le Sueur), which consolidated in 1991.
- Park Elementary: Park is in Le Sueur with grades K-3
- Hilltop Elementary: Hilltop is in Henderson and is a 4-5 STEM elementary school
- Le Sueur-Henderson High School: The middle school/high school is in Le Sueur with grades 6–12.
Minnesota New County School: MNCS is a Minnesota Public Charter School with two sites that utilizes project-based learning. MNCS Elementary, also known as the "1900 Building", teaches grades K-5. MNCS High School is on Main Street and teaches grades 6–12.
EdVisions Off-Campus High School, also known as EOC, is a Minnesota public charter school formed in Henderson. It is an online high school that utilizes project-based learning with student enrollment from all over Minnesota.
Politics
Henderson is in Minnesota's 7th congressional district, represented by Michelle Fischbach. It is in Minnesota Senate district 17, represented by Glenn Gruenhagen, and Minnesota House district 17B, represented by Bobbie Harder.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of ; is land and is water.
Minnesota State Highways 19 and 93 are two of the main routes in the community. U.S. Highway 169 passes nearby.