Walnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 751 at the 2020 census. Another name formerly associated with the area is Walnut Station.
History
In 1862 a massacre occurred at Lake Shetek that became known as Slaughter Slough. One of the survivors, Henry W. Smith, escaped and made his way to Walnut Grove to warn the village. A John Renniker was killed Northeast of Walnut Grove and is included with those that died at the slough.
Walnut Grove was platted in 1874. It was named for a grove of black walnut trees near the original town site. It was incorporated in 1879. In 2004, Hmong people were 25% of the town.
Little House
thumb|Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove
Walnut Grove is the site of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books. Wilder and her family lived in the area for a part of her childhood and the location is the setting for the Plum Creek part of the Little House book series. Charles Ingalls, her father, was the community's first justice
Walnut Grove lies along U.S. Route 14, which connects it with Tracy to the west and Revere to the east. The town is located on Plum Creek.
Demographics
2010 census
At the 2010 census, the city had 871 people, 313 households and 210 families. The population density was . There were 367 housing units at an average density of . The city's racial make-up was 63.4% White, 0.5% Native American, 35.0% Asian, 1.0% from other races and 0.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.
There were 313 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present and 32.9% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.53.
The median age was 36.8 years. 31.3% of the city's population was under age 18; 7.9% was from age 18 to 24, 18.3% was from age 25 to 44, 23.1% was from age 45 to 64 and 19.3% was age 65 or older. The city's sex make-up was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census,
- Lester Mondale, Unitarian minister
- Leo K. Thorsness, Medal of Honor recipient
- Laura Ingalls Wilder, author
References
External links
- Walnut Grove, Minnesota – city website
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum site