Cannon Falls is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,083 at the 2010 census. Located along U.S. Route 52 southeast of the Twin Cities, Cannon Falls is the home of Pachyderm Studio, where many famous musicians have recorded, including Nirvana, which recorded its 1993 album In Utero there. Cannon Falls is named for the falls along the Cannon River and serves as the western trailhead for the Cannon Valley Trail. Colonel William J. Colvill, a hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, is buried in the Cannon Falls Cemetery. Two American presidents have visited the city. The first, Calvin Coolidge, visited in 1928 to dedicate the memorial erected in honor of Colvill. The second, Barack Obama, held a town hall-style discussion at Hannah's Bend Park on August 15, 2011, while campaigning for a second term.
History
The first settler was Edway Stoughton. Charles Parks settled the land that is now Cannon Falls in July 1854. Cannon Falls village proper was laid out by Richard and William Freeborn and platted in 1855 by county surveyor S. A. Hart. The village was incorporated March 10, 1857. A post office was established as Cannon River Falls in 1855, and the name shortened to Cannon Falls in 1889. Cannon Falls was reincorporated as a city in 1905. An abundance of water power from both the big Cannon River and the Little Cannon River attracted manufacturers and capital investment. The first flouring mill was built by R. C. Knox & Co., in 1957. Other manufacturers, such as a wool mill, a grist mill and a mill producing syrup from amber cane, used power generated from the Little Cannon River starting in 1861.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water. U.S. Highway 52, State Highways 19 and 20, and County Road 24 are the main routes in the city. Lake Byllesby, a reservoir of the Cannon River, lies just west of town.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,083 people, 1,708 households, and 1,061 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 1,869 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 94.3% White, 2.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 1,708 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 40 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families living in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile. There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 98.18% White, 0.18% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population. There were 1,550 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,721, and the median income for a family was $53,903. Males had a median income of $37,095 versus $24,906 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,820. About 3.5% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
