Editing Austin, Minnesota (section)

==History==
[[File:SMNC1907.jpg|thumb|Southern Minnesota Normal College, 1907]]
[[File:HormelPlantAustinMNpostcard.jpg|thumb|left|A postcard from the 1920s showing the [[Hormel]] meatpacking plant]]

Fertile land, [[trapping]], and ease of access brought first trappers and then the early pioneers to this region. The rich gameland attracted Austin Nichols, a trapper who built the first log cabin in 1853.<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n378 359]}}</ref> At that time there were "about twenty families in the area."<ref name="austincity"/> More settlers began to arrive by [[wagon train]] in 1855, and by 1856 enough people were present to organize Mower County.<ref name="austincity">{{cite web|title=City of Austin City Council, History |access-date=March 3, 2012 |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/mayors/history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220001151/http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/mayors/history.html |archive-date=February 20, 2012}}</ref> In 1856 the settlement adopted the name "Austin", in honor of its first settler. That year the first hotel opened to travelers and the first physician, Dr. Ormanzo Allen, moved to town. The first newspaper, the ''Mower County Mirror'', was started in 1858.<ref name="austincity"/>

Mills, powered by the Cedar River, were the first industries in Austin. They provided much-needed flour and lumber. Growth was slow during the first two decades, but the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad]] arrived in the late 1860s, hastening economic development.<ref name="austincity"/> The town's first schoolhouse was constructed in 1865, and the first bank opened the following year.

In 1891 George A. Hormel opened a small family-owned butcher shop in Austin,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hormelfoods.com/About/History/Company-History |title=Milestones in Our History |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Hormel |access-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref> which eventually grew into today's [[Fortune 500]] company, [[Hormel Foods]]. By 1896 area doctors, with the help of local Lutheran congregations, formed the Austin Hospital Association, later becoming St. Olaf Hospital, and (since 1995) part of [[Mayo Clinic Health System]].<ref name="austincity"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations/austin/about-us/history |title=History |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Mayo Clinic Health System - Austin |access-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref>

In 1897 Charles Boostrom opened Austin's first college, the [[Southern Minnesota Normal College]] and Austin School of Commerce. It closed in 1925, and the city was without an institution of higher education until Austin Junior College opened in 1940. In 1964 it became part of the State College and University System and is now [[Riverland Community College]].

In 1913 the Minnesota Legislature made a {{convert|50|acre|adj=on}} parcel of land into Horace Austin State Park. At the time, the land was "one of the beauty spots of Southern Minnesota, but of late years has not been cared for and in places the banks have been disfigured by dumping along the shore of the stream," according to the bill's author, Senator Charles F. Cook.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.postbulletin.com/austin/news/horace-austin-state-park-beginnings-at-the-minnesota-legislature/article_2294cd3c-08aa-5844-83e5-f5610232da9d.html |title=Horace Austin State Park beginnings at the Minnesota Legislature |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=January 16, 2012 |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref> The park was converted to a state "scenic wayside" in 1937, then transferred to city ownership in 1949.

In the 1930s Austin Acres was built with funding from the [[Resettlement Administration|Subsistence Homesteads Division of the Department of the Interior]].<ref name="A return to Austin Acres">{{Cite news|title=A return to Austin Acres |work=The Austin Daily Herald |location=Austin, MN |access-date=March 3, 2012 |date=May 14, 2011 |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/05/14/a-return-to-austin-acres/}}</ref> The Austin Parks Board was formed in the 1940s to oversee the growing number of green spaces within the city.

[[File:Spam Museum in evening.jpg|thumb|[[Spam Museum]]]]
In 1971 the [[Jay C. Hormel Nature Center]], a {{convert|500|acre|adj=on}} nature preserve also including the {{convert|60|acre|adj=on}} Hormel Arboretum, was purchased from [[Geordie Hormel]] with a state grant. In 1973 the city opened [[Riverside Arena]], the city's first indoor ice arena, now home to a variety of ice activities including the [[Austin Bruins]] junior hockey team.

In August 1985, 1,500 Hormel meatpackers [[1985–1986 Hormel strike|went on strike]] at the Austin plant after management demanded a 23% cut in wages. In the early 1980s, recession had impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In an effort to keep plants from closing, many instituted wage cuts. Wilson Food Company declared bankruptcy in 1983, allowing them to cut wages from $10.69 to $6.50 and significantly reduce benefits. Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hage |first1=Dave |last2=Klauda |first2=Paul |title=No retreat, no surrender: labor's war at Hormel |date=1989 |publisher=W. Morrow |isbn=0688077455 |language=en |oclc=19325023 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780688077457 }}</ref> A protracted battle between union employees and Hormel continued until June 1986, one of the longest labor struggles of the 1980s. In January 1986 some workers crossed the picket lines, leading to riots; the conflict escalated to such a point that Governor [[Rudy Perpich]] called in the National Guard to keep the peace.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/08/17/austin-hormel-strike |title=25 years ago, Hormel strike changed Austin, industry |last1=Baier |first1=Elizabeth |date=August 17, 2010 |website=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref> The strike received national attention and a documentary, [[American Dream (film)|''American Dream'']], was filmed during the 10-month conflict. The movie was released in 1990 and won Best Documentary Feature at the 63rd Annual [[Academy Awards]].<ref name="americandream">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099028/ |title=American Dream (1990) |author=<!--not stated--> |website=IMDB |access-date=23 March 2016 }}</ref> [[Dave Pirner]] of the Minneapolis band [[Soul Asylum]] wrote a song about the strike, "P-9". It is on the band's 1989 album ''[[Clam Dip & Other Delights]]''. Hormel never gave in to the workers' demands, and when the strike ended in June 1986, 700 employees were left without work.<ref>{{cite news |last=Risen |first=James |date=1 September 1986 |title=Despite Settlement, It's Still Not Over : Hormel Strike May Divide Town for Years to Come |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-01-mn-12918-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles, CA |access-date=September 4, 2016}}</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:Hormel Institute.jpg|thumb|The Hormel Institute is a cancer-research facility operated by the [[University of Minnesota]] and [[Mayo Clinic]]. It was significantly expanded in 2015–16.]]
Austin completed a new $28 million courthouse and jail in 2010, a new intermediate school in 2013, and has a major redevelopment project at the site of the former Oak Park Mall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/deal-to-remake-oak-park-mall-in-austin-moves-forward-after-year/339133731 |title=Austin moves forward after year |last1=Ross |first1=Jenna |website=Minneapolis StarTribune |access-date=March 24, 2016}}/</ref><ref name="newfuture" />

The city is embarking on a community development project, Vision 2020. This grassroots movement was chartered in 2011 to implement ten major new community initiatives that could be completed by 2020. It includes a variety of projects related to economic development, heath and wellness, education, and tourism. A community recreation center is in progress, as is a tourism and visitor center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vision2020austin.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105140928/http://vision2020austin.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |title=Vision 2020 Austin |author=<!--not stated--> |access-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref> One goal is to make the downtown business district more of a destination, aided in part by the Spam Museum's relocation to Main Street in 2016.<ref name="newfuture">{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/03/austin-primed-for-a-new-future/ |title=Austin primed for a new future |last1=Schoonover |first1=Jason |date=March 25, 2016 |access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref>

In 2015 the [[National Association of Realtors]] named Austin one of the "Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You'd Actually Want to Live."<ref name="realtor">{{cite web |url=http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-10-affordable-small-towns-you-actually-want-to-live/ |title=Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You'd Actually Want to Live |last1=Pan |first1=Yuqing |website=Realtor.com |date=October 5, 2015 |access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref>

===Major floods===
[[File:Cedar River.jpg|thumb|Cedar River and Ramsey Dam]]
Austin has a long history of flooding. The Cedar River, along with [[East Side Lake|Dobbins Creek]] and [[Turtle Creek (Minnesota)|Turtle Creek]], flow through Austin, and many homes and businesses were constructed in [[floodplain]]s. A series of floods between 1978 and 2010 resulted in a major flood mitigation program. This involved the purchase and demolition of buildings within the floodplain, converting low-lying areas of town to parks, and the installation of a [[flood wall]] to protect downtown.<ref name="floodreport" />

After two major floods in July 1978, city officials and local residents decided to take action. Locals organized the Floodway Action Citizens Task Source (FACTS), which met with local and state leaders, as well as members of the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was decided that major flood prevention measures would not be cost-effective. A Community Development Block Grant was won from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, allowing for the buyout of homes lying in the flood plain. City planners also vowed to no longer build new structures in the existing flood plains. In 1983 and 1993 major floods again damaged many Austin homes and businesses. Over 400 homes were affected and a new round of buyouts took place through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

The worst flooding on record came when the Cedar River crested at {{convert|23.4|ft}} in the spring of 2000. Many of the worst-hit parts of town were now void of homes and businesses, but there was still damage and extensive clean-up was required. Flooding came again in September 2004, resulting in two fatalities. Additional protection (dikes) were added along the Cedar River as a result.

The most recent round of serious flooding came in 2010, after which a plan was developed for a permanent flood wall to protect downtown from the floodwaters of the Cedar River and Mill Pond. The wall was completed in 2014.<ref name="floodreport">{{cite web |url=https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408235501/https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |title=On the Move: A Minnesota City Creatively Battles Repetitive Flooding |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Federal Emergency Management Agency |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/public-works/flood-mitigation-program |title=Flood Mitigation Program |author=<!--not stated--> |website=City of Austin |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2013/09/council-moves-ahead-on-flood-project/ |title=Council moves ahead on flood project |last1=Mewes |first1=Trey |date=September 18, 2013 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>

===Major tornadoes===
[[File:Austinmn tornado damage.jpg|thumb|Tornado damage in Austin, 2009]]
On Monday, August 20, 1928, an F-2 sized tornado touched down on Winona Street (1st Avenue). The damage ran from the southern edge of Austin High School to the Milwaukee Road railyards on the city's east side. St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Carnegie Library, Main Street, the spire on Austin's former courthouse, Grand Theatre (replaced in 1929 by the Paramount Theatre), Austin Utilities, Lincoln School, and several boxcars at the Milwaukee railyards were damaged or destroyed. Austin residents noticed debris raining out of the sky, such as straw and laundry.

Another F-2 touched down in August 1961, at 808 18th Street SW. It quickly gained strength once on the ground, becoming an F-3 at 17th Street SW, where it destroyed a garage. The twister lifted briefly, touching down in the city fairgrounds and hitting the grandstand roof, tearing off parts and damaging beams.

In the summer of 1984, a tornado destroyed Echo Lanes Bowling Alley as it swept through southeast Austin. Neighboring Bo-Dee Campers also suffered considerable damage, and Schmidt TV was destroyed.

A tornado or straight-line winds took down massive amounts of branches and trees on Saturday, June 27, 1998, uprooting smaller trees and knocking large branches across streets. Several side streets in northwest Austin became impassable, including 8th Avenue NW (near Sumner Elementary School) and 14th Street NW (between I-90 and 8th Avenue). The event caused disruption in Sunday church services the next morning, and many congregations organized cleanup activities instead of regularly scheduled events.

A tornado touched down in Glenville on May 1, 2001, gaining strength before it turned into a F-3 headed for Austin. The twister dissipated shortly after hitting town, but did notable damage in both cities.

On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, an EF2 tornado touched down outside Austin and moved across the northwest and northern parts of the city, gradually weakening as it moved east. The worst damage in Austin was about {{convert|3|mi|0}} north of downtown. The visitors center at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center sustained damage, losing 300 trees. There were a few minor injuries.<ref>[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=jun1709 Austin, MN Tornado of June 17 2009]. Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/06/a%E2%80%88date-to-remember/ |title=A Date to Remember |last1=Peterson |first1=Matt |date=June 17, 2011 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 24, 2016}}</ref>
{{wide image|Austin Minnesota downtown power plant.jpg|750px|alt=Downtown Power Plant, Mill Pond, and Horace Austin Park|Downtown Power Plant, Mill Pond, and Horace Austin Park}}