{{short description|City in Minnesota, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Wilder |settlement_type = City |nickname = |motto =
<!-- Images --> |image_skyline = Wilder, MN.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |image_seal =
<!-- Maps --> |image_map = Jackson_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Wilder_Highlighted.svg |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location of Wilder, Minnesota |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 =
<!-- Location --> |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Minnesota |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Jackson
<!-- Government --> |government_footnotes = |government_type = Mayor – Council |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Kenny Hunter, Jr.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} |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 = 2.04 |area_land_km2 = 2.04 |area_water_km2 = 0.00 |area_total_sq_mi = 0.79 |area_land_sq_mi = 0.79 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
<!-- Population --> |population_as_of = 2020 |population_est = |pop_est_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_total = 62 |population_density_km2 = 30.34 |population_density_sq_mi = 78.58
<!-- General information --> |timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> |elevation_ft = 1453 |coordinates = {{coord|43|49|41|N|95|12|21|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}} |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 27-70258<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 2397310<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2397310}}</ref> |website = |footnotes = |pop_est_footnotes = }} '''Wilder''' is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 62 at the 2020 census.<ref name="2010 Census (City)">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Wilder%20city,%20Minnesota |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
==History==
thumb|left|Amherst H. Wilder, namesake of Wilder, Minnesota
thumb|left|The Reverend James Lloyd Breck, namesake of The Breck School
Wilder was founded in 1885.<ref name="history">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA196 | title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways | author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company | year=1908 | page=196}}</ref> It was named for Amherst Holcomb Wilder, a railroad official.<ref name="Upham 263">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog | title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance | publisher=Minnesota Historical Society | last=Upham | first=Warren | year=1920 | page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n282 263]}}</ref> Wilder was incorporated as a city in 1899.<ref name="Upham 263" /> A post office was established in Wilder in 1886, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1991.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MN&county=Jackson&searchtext=&pagenum=2 | title=Jackson County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=5 April 2015}}</ref> thumb|left|Wilder Campus of the Breck School, 1902 The Breck School was established in Wilder in 1886. It was the first of many Breck campuses subsequently built throughout Minnesota. The school was named after the Reverend James Lloyd Breck, known as "The Apostle of the Wilderness" for his work in establishing mission schools for indigenous peoples in Wisconsin and Minnesota.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=An Apostle of the Wilderness: James Lloyd Breck, D.D., His Missions and His Schools|author=Holcombe, T.I.|date=1903|publisher=T. Whittaker|url=https://archive.org/details/anapostlewilder00holcgoog|accessdate=2015-04-13}}</ref> The Wilder Campus was built to serve children of local farmers whose one-room school education left them unprepared to attend regular high schools. Room, board, and tuition for a year cost $110.<ref>Breck School History https://www.breckschool.org/about-breck/history</ref> Classes began in late September and ended in March. This allowed farm students to return home to assist with spring planting duties. Classes included penmanship, grammar, and arithmetic, but also included such advanced topics as Greek, rhetoric, chemistry, and physics. The Breck School in Wilder closed in 1909, and was reestablished in St Paul in 1916.<ref>Worthington Daily Globe https://www.dglobe.com/news/wilder-sign-is-indicator-of-another-era-breck-school-educated-area-youths-starting-in-late-19th-century</ref> Breck’s campus today is in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
[[File:Franklin_Clarence_Mars,_student.jpg|thumb|left|Franklin Clarence Mars while attending the Breck School in Wilder, MM 1889-1900]]
Franklin Clarence Mars known as Frank, attended the Breck School in Wilder, MN from 1899 to 1900. Mars later gained fame as the founder of the Mars Candy Company.<ref>See Notable Alumni https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breck_School</ref><ref>The Historical Marker Database https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=233117</ref> In 1988, the Mars family was ranked as the richest family in the United States of America by ''Fortune'' magazine. It has since been surpassed by the Walton family and the Koch family, and was ranked as the third richest family in America in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2016/06/29/billion-dollar-clans-americas-25-richest-families-2016/#6a49929032f5|title=Billion-Dollar Clans: America's 25 Richest Families 2016|first=Kerry A.|last=Dolan|website=Forbes|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref>
==Geography== According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|0.81|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.80|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<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=2012-11-13}}</ref>
Minnesota State Highways 60 and 86 are two of the main routes in the community.
==Demographics== {{US Census population |1900= 174 |1910= 95 |1920= 91 |1930= 97 |1940= 127 |1950= 118 |1960= 107 |1970= 132 |1980= 120 |1990= 83 |2000= 69 |2010= 60 |2020= 62 |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref> }} thumb|left|Main Street, c. 1910
===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=2012-11-13}}</ref> of 2010, there were 60 people, 25 households, and 16 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|75.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 28 housing units at an average density of {{convert|35.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 100.0% White.
There were 25 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16% 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 3.00.
The median age in the city was 38 years. 28.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 56.7% male and 43.3% female.
===2000 census=== As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 69 people, 29 households, and 20 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|87.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 33 housing units at an average density of {{convert|41.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 100.00% White.
There were 29 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 34.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $41,563. Males had a median income of $27,143 versus $18,438 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,222. There were 7.4% of families and 11.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including 15.8% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
==Politics== {{unreferenced section|date=June 2023}} Wilder is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Jim Hagedorn. At the state level, Wilder is located in Senate District 22, represented by Republican Doug Magnus, and in House District 22B, represented by Republican Rod Hamilton.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Jackson County, Minnesota}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Cities in Jackson County, Minnesota Category:Cities in Minnesota