Ectueation.—The enrollment of the public schools is about 500,000, with an average daily attendance of 375,000. The teachers numbered about 18,000. In 1919 there were 236 high schools in which were enrolled 45,457 pupils, with an. average yearly attendance of 37,422. Under the high schools there were 179, 637 graded pupils, with an average daily attendance of 148,913, with 5,260 teach ers. There are normal schools at Wi nona, Mankato, St. Cloud, Moorehead, and Duluth. The University of Minne sota is a part of the educational system of the State. Other institutions of higher learning are Carleton College, Hemline University, Macalester College, and Gustavus Adolphus College. Albert Lea College is for women only.
Chvrches.—The strongest denomina tions in the State are the Roman Cath olic; Lutheran, Independent Synods; Methodist Episcopal; Lutheran Synod ical Conference; Lutheran General Coun cil; Regular Baptist; Presbyterian; Con gregational; and Protestant Episcopal.
Transportation.—The railroad mileage of the State is about 9,000. The lines having the longest mileage are the Great Northern, 2,100; Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie, 1,131; Chi cago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, 1,233; and the Northern Pacific, 1,021.
Finance.—The total revenue of the State for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1919, was $32,493,164, while the total expenditures were $33,689,641. The balance at the beginning of the year was $8,153,000 and at the end of the year was $6,986,513. The State has no bonded debt.
Charities and Corrections.—The State Board of Control has control over 13 of the charitable and correctional institu tions. Among these are the St. Peter State Hospital, the State Hospital at Rochester, the State Hospital at Fergus Falls, State Asylum at Onaka, State Asylum at Hastings, and schools for the feeble-minded, deaf, and blind at Fari bault.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of two years. Legis lative sessions are held biennially begin ning on Tuesday after the first Monday of January, and are limited to 90 days each. The Legislature has 67 members
in the Senate and 131 in the House. There are ten Representatives in Con gress. The State government in 1920 was Republican.
History.—The site of the present State of Minnesota was first visited by a French exploring party under Louis Hen nepin, a Franciscan priest, who as cended the Mississippi river as far as the Great Falls. By the treaty of Ver sailles in 1763, this region was ceded to Great Britain, and in 1766 it was ex plored by Jonathan Carver, a native of Connecticut. In 1783 the Northwest Ter ritory, including Minnesota, E. of the Mississippi, was ceded to the United States. No attempt was made to extin guish the Indian title till 1805, when a purchase was made of a tract of land for military purposes at the mouth of the St. Croix, and another at the mouth of the Minnesota river, including St. An thony's Falls. In 1827 a small tract of country between the St. Croix and Mis sissippi was ceded by the Indians to the United States, and lumbering operations commenced upon the St. Croix. The Ter ritory of Minnesota was established, and the government organized in 1849. It embraced nearly twice the area of the present State, its W. limits extending to the Missouri and White Earth rivers. In 1851 the Sioux ceded to the United States all their lands in the territory be tween the Mississippi and Big Sioux rivers and in 1858 Minnesota was ad mitted to the Union. That portion of the State lying E. of the Mississippi be longed originally to the "territory N. W. of the Ohio," while that portion W. of the Mississippi was included in the ter ritory known as the Louisiana Purchase. In 1862 the Indians attacked the frontier settlements, and in a few days killed about 800 settlers. In consequence the Sioux and Winnebagoes were removed from the State, and their lands opened to settlement.