Frazee, Minnesota

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Frazee, Minnesota
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Frazee, Minnesota


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Minnesota
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Becker

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
leader_name =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2.4
area_land_km2 = 2.2
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 0.9
area_land_sq_mi = 0.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1377
population_density_km2 = 615.1
population_density_sq_mi = 1593.2

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 423
elevation_ft = 1388
latd = 46 |latm = 43 |lats = 42 |latNS = N
longd = 95 |longm = 42 |longs = 4 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 56544
area_code = 218
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 27-22472GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0643899GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Frazee is a city in Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,377 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (5.43%) is water.

Frazee is located 46.8 degrees north of the equator and 95.8 degrees west of the prime meridian. Altitude is convert|1274|ft|m above sea level.

U.S. Route 10 and Minnesota State Highway 87 are two of the main routes in the city.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,377 people, 504 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,593.2 people per square mile (618.2/km²). There were 553 housing units at an average density of 639.8/sq mi (248.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.39% White, 0.65% African American, 2.98% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 504 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,150, and the median income for a family was $31,576. Males had a median income of $27,153 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,257. About 14.7% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 33.9% of those age 65 or over.

Big Tom

Since Frazee has long been a part of the turkey industry, a group of turkey growers and committee members got together in 1984 and decided to put up a giant turkey statue. They commissioned the artist Shell Scott to construct it. The original statue was built on a metal frame and covered in cement, fiberglass, cardboard, and insulation. When it was finished in 1986, it stood convert|22|ft|m tall and cost $20,000 to build, earning Frazee the title of "Home of the world's largest turkey."

Because of Big Tom's physical makeup, it needed frequent repairs. There were also complaints that Big Tom was not proportioned like a real turkey. The area committee decided that they needed a new Big Tom and commissioned artist Dave Oswald. When removing the old statue in July 1998, a cutting torch was used to remove the wings. As soon as the torch touched the bird, Big Tom caught fire, completely destroying the statue.

The new statue arrived in Frazee in August 1998. Coming in three separate pieces on a flatbed trailer, it took eight hours to assemble. This Big Tom stands over convert|20|ft|m tall and is convert|17|ft|m wide. It weighs over 5,000 pounds, having 1,000 pounds of steel reinforcement. It is estimated to have 3,000 to 4,000 separate fiberglass feathers, which took the D.W.O. Fiberglass Company over 2,000 hours to make.

References

External links

* [http://www.frazeecity.com/mn/index.php?D=57 Frazee City - World's Largest Turkey]