Hector, Minnesota is in Renville County, in the lower part of the state. The main routes through the city are US Route 212 and Minnesota Highway 4. Along Highway 212, Hector is east of Bird Island and west of Buffalo Lake. Other nearby communities include Bechyn, Churchill, Fernando, Lakeside, Olivia, and Stewart. Sleepy Eye is about thirty miles south, Glencoe is thirty miles east, Willmar forty miles northwest, and Granite Falls is about forty miles west of Hector. The community was founded in 1874 as Milford. When townspeople were told that there was already a town named Milford in Minnesota, they voted to change the town’s name to Hector a few months later, although they later learned that the other Milford was actually in South Dakota. A post office was established in 1875, and Hector was surveyed in 1878 after the Hastings and Dakota Railway Company laid it tracks on the north side of the original town site. Hector was incorporated as a village in 1881. By the turn of the 20th century, the village include six churches, four lodges, a fire department, two banks, an opera house, a flour mill, telephone system, and a water system. After reaching a population of one thousand in 1940, the city’s population has remained relatively consistent, with minor increases and decreases from one census year to another, its peak population being 1,297 in 1960.
 
 
Recommended Resources
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Schools
The public school district serves the Buffalo Lake, Hector and Stewart, Minnesota communities, offering a PK-12th grade curriculum through two campuses, a K-5th grade school in Buffalo Lake and a 6-12th grade school in Hector. A district calendar, district policies, guidelines, and employment policies are set forth.
http://www.blhsd.org/
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the congregation meets at its facilities on 5th Street West in Hector, Minnesota. Directions and map showing its location are presented, and a calendar of events, staff contacts and office hours, and an overview of its membership policies and missions are included.
http://www.firstlutheranhector.org/
The mayor and council for the city of Hector, Minnesota are introduced on the official municipal web site, along with administrative and departmental contacts, council agendas and minutes, the city code and ordinances, a community calendar, and a guide to local businesses and schools.
http://www.hector.govoffice.com/
The non-profit organization gathers resources on the people, schools, businesses, churches, cemeteries, properties, sports activities, and veterans of Hector, Minnesota, collecting old newspapers, property tax books, historical documents, maps, photographs, and memorabilia. Its history, services, collections, and a photo gallery are featured.
http://www.hectorhistory.org/
The publicly owned airport is about one mile south of Hector, Minnesota. An aerial photo, sectional chart, and distance calculator are presented, along with information about airport services, runway information, instrument procedures, operational statistics, and nearby airports.
http://www.airnav.com/airport/1D6/
Located on South Main Street in Hector, Minnesota, the Hector Public Library is part of the Pioneerland Library System. Library hours, a calendar of events, library hours, and contacts are posted to the site, with an overview of library services and collections, reference and research facilities, policies, and announcements.
http://www.hector.lib.mn.us/
Associated with the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the dental clinic serves the Hector, Minnesota community. Its services are outlined and its hours of operation and appointment policies are featured.
http://westfielddentalpa.com/