Editing Graceville, Minnesota

{{Short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Graceville
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = Big_Stone_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Graceville_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Graceville, Minnesota
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Big Stone County, Minnesota|Big Stone]]
<!-- 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="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_27.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 1.50
|area_land_km2            = 1.50
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.58
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.58
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 529
|population_density_km2   = 352.65
|population_density_sq_mi = 913.64
<!-- 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             = 1109
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|34|07|N|96|26|14|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 56240
|area_code                = [[Area code 320|320]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-24758<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2394940<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394940}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Graceville''' is a city in [[Big Stone County, Minnesota]], United States. The population was 529 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2724758 |work=American FactFinder |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 1, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
Graceville was founded in the 1870s by a colony of Catholics and named for [[Thomas Grace (bishop of Saint Paul)|Thomas Langdon Grace]], the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota.<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/n73 54]}}</ref>

Covenant of our Lady of the Lake was a [[American Indian boarding schools|Native American residential school]] that operated in Graceville and opened in 1885.  The school held Native American girls from [[Sisseton, South Dakota]].  In 1896, the US government withdrew its funding of the school and the students were sent back to Sisseton.  The building was used as a school for students from the Graceville area for two years until it burned down in 1898.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interactive Digital Map of Indian Boarding Schools |url=https://boardingschoolhealing.org/digitalmap/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Child |first=State-Minnesota St Benedict’s Industrial School St Benedict’s Industrial School for Indian GirlsSt John’s Indian Industrial School St Mary’s Mission School Mission of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Indian Industrial School St Paul’s Industrial School Academy of the Holy |title=List |url=https://ctah.archivistsacwr.org/list/name/convent-of-our-lady-of-the-lake/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=CTAH |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|0.58|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=November 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archivedate=January 25, 2012 }}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 75#Minnesota|U.S. Route 75]] and [[Minnesota State Highway 28]] are the two major highways that run through the community. The town's [[main street]] is Studdart Avenue. The town is on the northeast corner of Toqua Lake, a recreational lake surrounded by two campgrounds, a golf course, and a shooting club.

Graceville is in a natural area called a [[wet prairie]], which is a mix of prairie land, swamp and numerous small lakes and ponds.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 40
|1890= 508
|1900= 856
|1910= 987
|1920= 1022
|1930= 969
|1940= 1020
|1950= 962
|1960= 823
|1970= 735
|1980= 780
|1990= 671
|2000= 605
|2010= 577
|2020= 529
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===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=November 13, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 577 people, 263 households, and 135 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|994.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 305 housing units at an average density of {{convert|525.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 99.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] and 0.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 263 households, of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 1.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.7% were non-families. 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 52.2 years. 17% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 35% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.9% male and 54.1% female.

===2000 census===
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 605 people, 257 households and 149 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|1,007.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 283 housing units at an average density of {{convert|471.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 99.50% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.17% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 257 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.92.

Age distribution was 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 32.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.

The [[median household income]] was $27,143, and the median family income was $35,385. Males had a median income of $27,031 versus $21,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,451. About 3.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Politics==
{{Hidden begin|titlestyle=background:#ccccff|title=Presidential election results 1960–2020}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Precinct General Election Results<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/election-results/|title=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State - Election Results|access-date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=February 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222230838/https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/election-results|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''67.8%''' ''227''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|31.3% ''105''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.9% ''3''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''57.5%''' ''195''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.5% ''117''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.0% ''27''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.4% ''148''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.8%''' ''172''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% ''6''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.3% ''153''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.0%''' ''179''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% ''6''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.1% ''143''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''56.8%''' ''193''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% ''4''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.0% ''142''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.1%''' ''166''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.9% ''30''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.1% ''89''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''63.1%''' ''215''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.8% ''37''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|29.8% ''108''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.6%''' ''180''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|20.6% ''75''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|29.3% ''119''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''70.7%''' ''287''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% ''0''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.4% ''163''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.6%''' ''251''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% ''0''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.2% ''191''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.6%''' ''261''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.2% ''35''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.2% ''102''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''70.5%''' ''275''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% ''13''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1972 United States presidential election|1972]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.2% ''126''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''66.0%''' ''258''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% ''7''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1968 United States presidential election|1968]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|30.2% ''117''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''65.6%''' ''254''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.2% ''16''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|22.3% ''88''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''77.7%''' ''306''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% ''0''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.1% ''109''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''73.6%''' ''307''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% ''1''
|}
{{Hidden end}}

==Arts and culture==
===Toquatennial Days===
In an effort to promote tourism, the Graceville Civic Group began Toquatennial Days on the first weekend of July in 1988, the 110th anniversary of the town's founding. Events included the crowning of "Miss Toquatennial" (entrants limited to women who would be seniors at the high school), a "Medallion Hunt", softball tournament, Sunday evening ice cream social and [[Drag (clothing)|drag]] competition (an apparent parody of past Miss Toquatennials), two street dances (a free "kiddie" dance on Friday night, and the Graceville Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser dance on Saturday night), and the Saturday morning "Graceville Gallop", a six-kilometer walk/run that circles Toqua Lake. The events culminated with a fireworks display at dusk on Sunday evening over Toqua Lake. Events continued to be held annually on the first weekend of July or last weekend of June until the Civic Group disbanded in 1998, but several local businesses and the Volunteer Fire Department have independently kept many of the events going every year, including the addition of a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and fire department "water fights".{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==Education==
Graceville is part of the Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley School District (Independent School District 2888). It is an elementary and high school conglomerate consisting of rural schools in [[Big Stone County]], which united in 1994. The school mascot is the [[Wolverine]] and the school newspaper is the "Paw Press." The high school is in Graceville and the elementary school in nearby Clinton.

Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley High School earned the [[Minnesota State High School League]] Championship in [[9-man football]], played at the H.H.H. [[Metrodome]] on November 13, 2012.<ref>[[List of Minnesota State High School League State Championships (Fall)#Football|MSHSL Championships List- MSHSL State Championships]]</ref> In 2009, C-G-B High School competed in the semifinal game against [[Stephen-Argyle School District]], losing 18–21.<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/70624557.html 9-Man Semi Finals] (Star Tribune, November 20, 2009)</ref> C-G-B sports compete in the Pheasant Conference of the [[Minnesota State High School League]].

==Notable people==
* [[Charles A. Berg]], farmer and politician
* Congresswoman [[Madeleine Bordallo]].
* [[Irish language]] [[Seanachaí|storyteller]] [[Éamon a Búrc]] (1866–1942) was a resident in the early years of settlement.
* Birthplace of [[Jack Conway (filmmaker)|Jack Conway]] Director, producer and actor from the first half of the 20th century.
* [[Bill Davis (baseball)|Arthur Willard Davis]] (born June 6, 1942 in Graceville), Major League Baseball first baseman
* [[Todd Hendricks]] (born August 13, 1968 in Graceville) is a former professional football player.
* Birthplace of former [[Minnesota Twins]] baseball manager [[Tom Kelly (baseball)|Tom Kelly]]
* [[Maureen Owen]] (born July 6, 1943, in Graceville), poet, editor, and biographer
* Birthplace of [[Charlie Ryan|Charles "Charlie" Ryan]] Singer and songwriter, best known "[[Hot Rod Lincoln]]".
* [[Robert Ernest Strand]], farmer and politician

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Bridget Connelly, ''"Forgetting Ireland; Uncovering a Family's Hidden History,"'' [[Borealis Books]], [[Minnesota Historical Society]], 2003.

==External links==
* http://www.gracevillemn.com 
*[http://greatriversnetwork.org/index.php?imagesonly=yes&q=Graceville&websites=no&brand=cms&count=25&displaymode=list&facetorder=count&field=q&historicgroup=all&sort=desc Photos of Graceville, Minnesota:] ''[[Minnesota Historical Society]]'' 
*[http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/35/v35i05p205-213.pdf Bishop Ireland's Connemara Experiment:] ''[[Minnesota Historical Society]]''

{{Big Stone County, Minnesota}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Big Stone County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Irish-American neighborhoods]]