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Minnesota Counties
There are eighty-seven Counties in Minnesota. On October 27, 1849 nine large Minnesota Counties were created. Among them were Benton, Dahkotah, Itasca, Ramsey, Mahkahta, Pembina, Wabashaw, Washington, and Wahnata. Of those Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Ramsey, Wabasha, and Washington still exist as their original name. With the creation of Kittson County on March 9, 1878, Pembina County no longer existed. When Minnesota was organized as a state, 57 of the present 87 Counties were established. The last county to be created was Lake of the Woods County in 1923Swift County, Minnesota
Swift County Education, Geography, and History
Swift County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 9,783. Its county seat is Benson
Etymology - Origin of Swift County Name
Named in honor of Henry A. Swift, state senator, 1862-65; governor of Minnesota, 1863.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Swift County History
Swift County was established February 18, 1870. This county was named after Henry Adoniram Swift, the governor of Minnesota in 1863. It is located in the west central part of Minnesota and consists of 757 square miles (2,000 km2) with 3 tiers of 7 townships each. The Swift County Courthouse was built in 1897 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The City of Benson is the County seat of Swift County. The railroad tracks run through the center of the town of Benson and divide the downtown business districts with parks on each side of the tracks.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 752 square miles (1,950 km2), of which 742 square miles (1,920 km2) is
land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.3%) is water.
Swift County is primarily an agriculture community. It is a vast, flat monotonous stretch of land, unbroken by trees. Besides farming, the
county is home to agriculture equipment manufacturers, an ethanol plant, and the Fibrominn Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Plant which burns
turkey litter mixed-with wood chips and mulch.
Swift County is home to a total of 24 lakes. Lake Oliver is one of the biggest in the county at 416 acres (1.7 km2). The lakes in Swift County
are great for fishing. There are 9 rivers and streams in this county.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Stevens County (north)
- Pope County (north)
- Kandiyohi County (east)
- Chippewa County (south)
- Lac qui Parle County (southwest)
- Big Stone County (west)
Education
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