1940: Minnesota

Area and Population.

The 'Gopher State,' lying at the geographical center of the North American continent, is 11th in area among the states, with 84,682 sq. mi. A geographical 'first' is its thousands of lakes, 3,824 sq. mi. of its surface being water. In population, according to the 1940 census, it is still 18th, having increased by 228,347 (8.9 per cent) since 1930, to 2,792,300.

A fifth of the residents are foreign-born; mainly Swedes, Norwegians, Germans, Canadians, Finns, and British. About 4 per cent are Negroes, and 4 per cent Indians. Approximately half of the total live in cities. Of these the largest are Minneapolis, 492,370; St. Paul, the capital, 287,736; Duluth, 101,065; Winona, 22,490; Rochester, world-famous for the Mayo Clinic, 26,312; and St. Cloud, 24,173.

Agriculture.

The chief business of the state is agriculture; almost 60 per cent of its area is farm land; and 33 per cent of its people live on farms. In the value of its crops it ranks fifth in the Union. Corn is by far the chief crop; with oats, hay, barley, and wheat following in that order. Apples are the main orchard crop. Livestock is important enough to give the state 6th place in the Union in that regard.

Industry.

Minnesota is nationally first in flour and feed milling, and the processing of cereals; yet within the state, meat-packing and the poultry industry out-rank milling 100 per cent in the value of the product. The state has the greatest elevator capacity of any comparable area in the world. Among other great industries are dairying, metal manufacture, printing and publishing, and the making of paper products, bakery products, lumber and wood products, and malt liquors.

Water-borne shipping is also a major industry. The three largest cities are all inland ports of first importance: Minneapolis and St. Paul at the head of navigation on the Mississippi, and Duluth at the western terminus of Great Lakes navigation. Through these gateways flow the three great streams of grain, minerals, and lumber from the Northwest.

Mineral Products.

In iron-ore production Minnesota still leads the nation. Though the amount was seriously reduced in 1938 from the 1937 production of nearly 50,000,000 tons, there was a gain in 1939 of 96 per cent, which brought the total for that year to 32,370,241 tons, with a value of more than $97,000,000. Sand and gravel shipments in 1939 were in the neighborhood of 10,000,000 tons.

Education.

The latest census of the school population (ages 5 to 17), made by the State Department of Education in 1930, showed a total of 659,000. The Department reports that in 1938-39 there were 338,920 elementary pupils enrolled and 187,651 secondary; they were taught by 14,132 teachers in elementary grades, and 8,045 in secondary.

Banking and Finance.

The Commissioner of Banks reports that the 490 State Banks and trust companies had in 1939 a total capital of $13,403,600, and total deposits of $282,964,056, both increased over 1938. Banking conditions have continued to show improvement.

The State Auditor reports receipts by the state treasury for the year ending June 30, 1939, of $143,201,671; and expenses of $144,800,818.

Political Events.

Notable in 1940 was the support of Wendell Willkie by Governor Stassen. Minnesota, however, gave President Roosevelt a plurality of 47,922, a little better than 51 per cent of the total vote of 1,251,188. Governor Stassen, the youngest of the state governors, was re-elected.

State Officers.

Governor, Harold E. Stassen; Lieutenant Governor, C. Elmer Anderson, Secretary of State, Mike Holm; Auditor, Stafford King; Treasurer, Julius A. Schmahl; Attorney General, J. A. A. Burnquist; Commissioner of Education, John G. Rockwell.

United States Senators:

Henrik Shipstead, Joseph H. Ball.