Editing Cosmos, Minnesota

{{short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Cosmos, Minnesota
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = File:Water tower, Cosmos, Minnesota.jpg
|image_caption            = Cosmos water tower

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Meeker_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Cosmos_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Meeker County and the state of Minnesota
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Meeker County, Minnesota|Meeker]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web |title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Minnesota |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_27.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 2.59
|area_land_km2            = 2.53
|area_water_km2           = 0.06
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.00
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.98
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US2713420&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Cosmos city, Minnesota: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 507
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_km2   = 200.60
|population_density_sq_mi = 519.47

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 1112
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|56|10|N|94|41|44|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 56228
|area_code                = [[Area code 320|320]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-13420<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2393643<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393643}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.cosmos-mn.com}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Cosmos''' is a city in [[Meeker County, Minnesota|Meeker County]], [[Minnesota]], United States, along the South Fork of the [[Crow River (Minnesota)|Crow River]]. The population was 507 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/>

== History ==
[[File:Business district in Cosmos, Minnesota.jpg|thumb|left|Business district]]Cosmos Township was first settled by Daniel Jackman, from [[Maine]], in 1867. On his arrival, until he could build his house, he lived in a tent and cooked on an open fire. He took up a homestead in section 26. He returned to [[Minneapolis]] the following spring, but immediately returned and built his home in the summer of 1868. In 1877, he made a trip to the [[Black Hills]] and spent the season in gold mining, but returned in the fall. When the township was organized, the first election was held at his house. He was elected the first chairman of the board of supervisors and held that office for three years.

Several others followed that first year, such as [[American Civil War|Civil War]] veteran Isaac L. Layton or Leighton from Maine, Hansom W. Young from [[New Brunswick]], and Daniel S. Hoyt in 1867 as a surveyor from [[Massachusetts]]. The first two were the first farmers and they planted wheat. Originally, the town was called "Nelson" after Ole K. Nelson, from [[Norway]], who was credited with bringing the first team of horses and plow and breaking the first soil. On January 25, 1870, the town and township were incorporated and its current name of Cosmos was proposed by surveyor and township clerk Daniel Hoyt. ''Cosmos'' is an ancient Greek word meaning order and harmony or "represents the university of created things and its synonym is harmony."{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Cosmos remained small until rumors spread around 1910 that a railroad would be built. In 1922, the Luce Railroad ([[Minnesota Western Railroad|Minnesota Western]]) was constructed, and Cosmos continued to grow. On September 24, 1926, the present village plat was made and Cosmos became an incorporated village. Hoyt was elected the first township clerk. He froze to death in February 1870, trying to walk on foot to the [[Minnesota River]]. The city was incorporated as a village on September 21, 1926, and finally as a city in 1969. A post office was established as in [[Renville County, Minnesota|Renville County]] in 1870, then to [[McLeod County, Minnesota|McLeod County]] in 1871, and finally it was transferred to Meeker County in 1872. Isaac Layton was the postmaster.  The post office closed in 1906 and re-opened in 1924. The town had a railway station serving several rail lines, including the Minnesota Western. The town sits along the South Fork of the Crow River. Today the [[Luce Line Trail]] runs from Cosmos to Minneapolis.

While the town had been organized in 1870, it wasn't officially incorporated as a village until 1926.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Halvorson |first=Darlene |title=Meeker County Memories |publisher=Meeker County Historical Society |year=1984}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:PanoramioCrop-LuceLineBikeWalkTrailCosmosMN.jpg|thumb|left|Cosmos is on the Luce Line Trail for walking and biking.]]
Cosmos is in southwestern Meeker County along the South Fork of the [[Crow River (Minnesota)|Crow River]]. The city of Cosmos sits at the center of [[Cosmos Township, Meeker County, Minnesota|Cosmos Township]], but is a separate municipality. Minnesota State Highways [[Minnesota State Highway 4|4 (Milky Way Street)]] and [[Minnesota State Highway 7|7 (Astro Boulevard)]] are the two main routes in the town. The space theme extends to other streets which are named after planets or constellations. MN 4 leads north {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Grove City, Minnesota|Grove City]] and south {{convert|13|mi}} to [[Hector, Minnesota|Hector]], while MN 7 leads east-southeast {{convert|18|mi}} to [[Hutchinson, Minnesota|Hutchinson]] and west {{convert|33|mi}} to [[Clara City, Minnesota|Clara City]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the city of Cosmos has a total area of {{convert|1.00|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.98|sqmi|sqkm|2}} are land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, or 2.4%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/> The South Fork of the Crow River passes through the southern end of the city, flowing easterly to eventually join the [[Crow River (Minnesota)|Crow River]] at [[Rockford, Minnesota|Rockford]] and the [[Mississippi River]] at [[Dayton, Minnesota|Dayton]].

==Space Festival==
On the third weekend in July, the city holds the Cosmos Space Festival. It features Minn-E-Rods, a softball tournament, a volleyball tournament, an antique tractor pull, meals in the park, pig races, a Space Festival parade, fireworks, a pancake breakfast, a pork chop dinner, church in the park, music entertainment, crafters, a pedal tractor pull, a disc golf tournament, laser tag, a bean bag tournament, citywide garage sales, drawings, and many other activities.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1930= 230
|1940= 357
|1950= 382
|1960= 487
|1970= 570
|1980= 571
|1990= 610
|2000= 582
|2010= 473
|2020= 507
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2012-11-13}}</ref> of 2010, there were 473 people, 229 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|422.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 261 housing units at an average density of {{convert|233.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.2% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.5% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 229 households, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64, and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 582 people, 240 households, and 154 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|519.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 261 housing units at an average density of {{convert|232.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 98.28% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].  Four persons (0.69%) identified as [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], one (0.17%) as [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], two (0.34%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and three (0.52%) from two or more races. Two persons (0.34%) were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 240 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,278, and the median income for a family was $36,750. Males had a median income of $31,364 versus $23,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,447.  About 5.8% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Mary Jane Shultz]], professor and researcher in physical, environmental, materials and surface chemistry
*[[Shannon Currier]], head football coach at [[Concordia Golden Bears]].

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.cosmos-mn.com}}

{{Meeker County, Minnesota}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in Meeker County, Minnesota]]