City of Scandia
Scandia is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,936 at the 2010 census. Scandia is 25 miles northeast of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is part of the Twin Cities Metro Area.
History
As evidenced by the town’s name, Scandia has a rich Scandinavian heritage. It is the site of what is believed to have been Minnesota’s first Swedish immigrant settlement. In 1850, the first log cabin was built on the shores of Hay Lake. The first sanctuary of Elim Lutheran Church was built in 1856 on a site near Hay Lake.
After many years as New Scandia Township, Scandia became a city on January 1, 2007, to allay concerns that the community could be annexed by the nearby city of Forest Lake. The city is served by a weekly newspaper, the Country Messenger.
Points of Interest
Gammelgården of Scandia has preserved, presented, and promoted Swedish immigrant heritage and history since 1972, with events such as Spelmansstämma, Midsommarafton, and Dalapalooza. The latter is a reference to the Dalecarlian horses the city has erected to welcome visitors, in much the same way Saint Paul uses Peanuts characters.
Hay Lake School was constructed in 1896. This was rural school district #2, organized in Washington County in 1855. After several years of holding school in local homes, the school was moved into the old Elim Lutheran Church building. The school used that structure, now a part of the Gammelgarden complex, until this brick building was built. The school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1970.
The Erickson Log House Museum centers on the log house constructed in 1868 by Johannes Erickson and his 13-year-old son, Alfred. In 1904, Alfred Erickson constructed a new home and the old log home became at various times a granary, a garage, and a playhouse. In 1974, the Washington County Historical Society purchased the old log house and moved it one and a half miles to its present site. The Erickson Log House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1976.
The Washington County Barn Quilt Trail is a 16.4-mile (26.39-km) route that winds through Scandia, Marine on St. Croix, and the Town of May. Along the way are 18 barn quilts based on patterns in the book The Quiltmaker’s Gift. The founder of the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail, Olivia Nienaber, wanted a theme to tie the quilts together. At the time she began developing the concept for the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail in 2015, she was 12 years old.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 39.82 square miles (103.13 km2); 34.80 square miles (90.13 km2) is land and 5.02 square miles (13.00 km2) is water. Scandia is halfway between Stillwater and Taylors Falls along the St. Croix River. It is close to William O’Brien State Park. State Highways 95 and 97 are two of the main routes in the community.
Notable person
- Ann Bancroft, Arctic explorer
References:
“Scandia, Minnesota” │ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandia,_Minnesota