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Biwabik, Minnesota

Biwabik is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 961 at the 2020 census.

State Highway 135 (MN 135) and Vermilion Trail (County 4) are two of the main routes in Biwabik.

Its name is derived from the Ojibwe word for 'iron', biiwaabik. Biwabik is the gateway to the East Range on the Mesabi Iron Range.

Biwabik is a Bavarian-themed town that greets visitors to Giants Ridge Resort with two golf courses and a ski area, as well as trails, lakes, lodging and dining. The Mesabi Trail connects the community to Giants Ridge and Vermilion Trail Campground on Embarrass Lake, making the city a year-round destination. Events include the Calithumpian Fourth of July parade; Honktoberfest in September, an Oktoberfest which honors Honk the Moose; and Weihnachtsfest held on the first Saturday in December, with fireworks, music and food, and lights.

Recreation
Biwabik is the home of Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort. Golf Digest ranked Giants Ridge as an "Editors Choice" in 2019 as one of "The Best Golf Resorts in the Midwest." Golf Digest has also ranked the Quarry the #1 public course in the state and #4 overall. The Legend has ranked as the #4 public course in the state and #14 overall.

The Giants Ridge Bike Park features 10 lift-served gravity (downhill) mountain bike trails featuring berms, jumps, rollers and rock gardens. The downhill trail system is designed for riders of all ability levels and embraces the scenic but rugged terrain of Giants Ridge. There are 9.2 mi of purpose-built cross country mountain bike trail winding through the Superior National Forest.

Biwabik also hosts road cycling, mountain biking, golf, skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, boating, fishing, hunting, ATVing and snowmobiling. The Mesabi Trail and the East Range Multi Use Trail are in Biwabik, with several connection opportunities.

Events
The Biwabik Area Civic Association hosts several events each year:
 * Music in the park – Thursday nights in the summer
 * City-wide rummage sale – spring and fall
 * Honktoberfest – last weekend of September
 * Weihnachtsfest – first weekend of December

Other events include:
 * Pepsi Challenge ski race, which takes place at Giants Ridge in March.
 * The Minnesota State High School League state alpine and nordic ski meets at Giants Ridge in February.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.15 sqmi; 8.97 sqmi is land and 1.18 sqmi is water.

Unique to Biwabik is the Mary Ellen Jasper. The jasper variety was first discovered in Minnesota in the early 1900s. Mary Ellen Jasper contains 1.88-billion-year-old stromatolite fossils. It is fossilized algae, so the stromatolite is what makes the Mary Ellen unique.

History
Daniel R. Curtin, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman, at one time owned the town site of Biwabik, Minnesota. For 10 years, Curtin was in the lumber and mining business.

Biwabik is a town full of firsts. Biwabik was the first to incorporate as a village on the Iron Range in September 1892. It was also the first Iron Range town to be served by two railroads, the Duluth and Iron Range and the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway. Biwabik had the first large mine on the Mesabi and it was the first on the Iron Range with a steam shovel to mine.

An F3 tornado destroyed homes in the northern and northwestern parts of Biwabik on October 6, 1900, killing ten people in and near the city and injuring 70; six deaths were in one family.

In 1915, a moose visited the town regularly and in the book, Honk, the Moose, the residents named him "Honk" after the noise he made. This children's book Honk, the Moose, was written by famed author, Phil Stong and illustrated by Kurt Weise. Stong was a teacher and coach at the Biwabik school in the 1919–1920 school year. He featured people from Biwabik as characters. The book is a Newbery Honor and on Cattermole's 100 Best Children's Books of the 20th Century. A statue of Honk resides in the city park on Main Street.

Peter X. Fugina (1908–1994), educator and Minnesota state legislator was born in Biwabik.

2020 census
At the 2020 census, there were 961 people and 323 households in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 887 White, 13 Native American, 1 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, and 55 from two or more races. 19.4% German, 10.2% Irish, 9.4% Norwegian, 7% English, 6.5% Polish, 6.4% French, 5.5% Italian and .5% Scottish, according to the 2020 Census.

There were 323 households, of which 14.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.9% were married couples living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31% we male household, no spouse present. 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average family size was 2.5.

14.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 85.6% from 18 and over, with 21.4 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years.

The median household income was $41,719 and the median family income was $74,593. About 15.9% of people were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Biwabik, Minnesota


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Biwabik Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Biwabik Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. Biwabik is a name derived from the Ojibwe language meaning "iron". The population was 804 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 135 (MN 135) and Vermilion Trail (County 4) are two of the main routes in the township.

Other routes include Saint Louis County Roads 20 (Heritage Trail) and 97.

The city of Biwabik is located within the northeast part of Biwabik Township geographically but is a separate entity.

The city of McKinley is located within the northwest part of the township geographically but is a separate entity.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.4 sqmi; 27.1 sqmi is land and 2.3 sqmi, or 7.72%, is water.

The Pike River flows through the northwest corner of Biwabik Township.

The Saint Louis River flows through the southeast corner of the township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Biwabik Township :

 * The city of Biwabik (north-northeast)
 * The city of Virginia (west-northwest)
 * The city of Gilbert (west)
 * Fayal Township (southwest)
 * Tikander Lake Unorganized Territory (south)
 * White Township (southeast, east, and northeast)
 * The unincorporated community of Palo (southeast)
 * The city of Aurora (northeast)
 * Hay Lake Unorganized Territory (north)
 * Wuori Township (northwest)

County 97 runs east–west along Biwabik Township's southern boundary line with adjacent Tikander Lake Unorganized Territory in the southwest corner of Biwabik Township. Faber Road runs east–west along the township's southern boundary line in the southeast corner of Biwabik Township.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 911 people, 368 households, and 266 families residing in the township. The population density was 33.6 PD/sqmi. There were 499 housing units at an average density of 18.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 99.01% White, 0.44% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 368 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 23.9% 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 2.47 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $44,375, and the median income for a family was $50,069. Males had a median income of $40,231 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,435. About 8.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Breitung Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Breitung Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 605 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 1 (MN 1) and State Highway 169 (MN 169) serve as the main route in the township. The unincorporated community of Soudan is located within Breitung Township. Breitung Township is located along part of Lake Vermilion. The city of Tower is nearby.

History
The township is named after Edward Breitung, who was a miner from Michigan and a former U.S. Representative from that state; in the 1880s, he helped to develop the Soudan Mine in the township. Soudan Underground Mine State Park is located within Breitung Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 38.8 sqmi; 23.0 sqmi is land and 15.9 sqmi, or 40.80%, is water.

Stuntz Bay, Armstrong Bay, Bass Bay, and Canfield Portage Bay of Lake Vermilion are located within Breitung Township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Breitung Township :

 * The city of Tower (west)
 * Greenwood Township (west)
 * Fortune Bay (west)
 * Eagles Nest Township (east)
 * Bear Head Lake State Park (east-southeast)
 * Bear Island State Forest (southeast)
 * Kugler Township (south)
 * Vermilion Lake Township (southwest)
 * The unincorporated community of Peyla (southwest)

Census-designated place (CDP)

 * Soudan – Unincorporated community

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 662 people, 292 households, and 190 families residing in the township. The population density was 28.8 PD/sqmi. There were 523 housing units at an average density of 22.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.89% White, 0.45% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.

There were 292 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the township the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,750, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $40,000 versus $29,107 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,134. About 10.9% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.


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Brevator Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Brevator Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2010 census.

U.S. Highway 2 and State Highway 33 (MN 33) are two of the main routes in the township.

Highway 2 runs east–west through the northern portion of the township. Highway 33 runs north–south through the eastern portion of the township.

A portion of Brevator Township is located within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.7 sqmi; 34.6 sqmi is land and 1.1 sqmi, or 3.14%, is water.

The Saint Louis River and the White Pine River both flow through Brevator Township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following municipalities and communities are adjacent to Brevator Township :

 * Industrial Township (north)
 * Grand Lake Township (northeast)
 * Culver Township (northwest)
 * Stoney Brook Township (west)
 * Solway Township (east)
 * Thomson Township of Carlton County (southeast)
 * The city of Cloquet (south)

Saint Louis River Road runs east–west along Brevator Township's southern boundary line with adjacent city of Cloquet and Carlton County.

Crosby Road runs north–south along Brevator Township's eastern boundary line with adjacent Solway Township.

Seville Road runs east–west along Brevator Township's northern boundary line with adjacent Industrial Township.

Brookston Road runs north–south along Brevator Township's western boundary line with adjacent Stoney Brook Township.

Census-designated place (CDP)

 * Mahnomen – Unincorporated community

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,226 people, 403 households, and 326 families residing in the township. The population density was 35.5 PD/sqmi. There were 416 housing units at an average density of 12.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 79.04% White, 0.08% African American, 18.84% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 403 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the township the population was spread out, with 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $46,944, and the median income for a family was $50,625. Males had a median income of $38,158 versus $22,656 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,686. About 6.4% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.


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Brookston, Minnesota

Brookston is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States; located along the Saint Louis River, opposite the mouth of the Artichoke River. The population was 118 at the 2020 census.

Brookston is located 27 miles west of the city of Duluth and 17 miles northwest of the city of Cloquet.

U.S. Highway 2 and Saint Louis County Road 31 (CR 31) are two of the main routes in Brookston.

The city of Brookston is located within Culver Township geographically but is a separate entity. Brookston is politically independent of the township.

Brookston is located on the northern edge of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. It is one of three administrative centers of the reservation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.55 sqmi, all land.

History
Brookston is a city in sections 27 and 34 of Culver Township; it was platted about 1905 and incorporated as a village on April 13, 1907; the post office began in 1899. The city was destroyed by a forest fire in 1918 and rebuilt. It was formerly known as Stoney Brook Junction, the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad station located in section 28.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 141 people, 38 households and 27 families living in the city. The population density was 256.4 PD/sqmi. There were 39 housing units at an average density of 70.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 74.5% White, 7.1% African American, 14.9% Native American and 3.5% from two or more races.

There were 38 households, of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.19.

The median age was 40.3 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 63.1% male and 36.9% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 98 people, 38 households and 28 families living in the city. The population density was 175.9 PD/sqmi. There were 38 housing units at an average density of 68.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 82.65% White, 1.02% African American, 8.16% Native American, and 8.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population. 68.2% were of Finnish, 12.1% Danish and 10.6% Swedish ancestry.

There were 38 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.93.

29.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 12.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median household income was $32,917 and the median family income was $40,625. Males had a median income of $40,625 compared with $18,750 for females. The per capita income was $14,009. There were no families and 5.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 23.5% of those over 64.

title: Brookston, Minnesota


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Buhl, Minnesota

Buhl is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 952 at the 2020 census.

U.S. Highway 169 serves as a main route in the community.

The city's motto is "The Finest Water in America".

History
A post office called Buhl has been in operation since 1900. The city was named for Frank H. Buhl, a businessperson in the mining industry. Buhl was incorporated on February 25, 1901.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.56 sqmi; 3.35 sqmi is land and 0.21 sqmi is water.

Water
Buhl is noted for its pure water, supplied by a glacial aquifer located 700 feet deep below the surface, encased in 300 feet of solid granite. This is reflected in the city's motto, prominently displayed on the town's water tower.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,000 people, 430 households, and 228 families living in the city. The population density was 298.5 PD/sqmi. There were 496 housing units at an average density of 148.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.7% White, 1.7% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 430 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.0% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 42 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 20.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 983 people, 405 households, and 240 families living in the city. The population density was 299.0 PD/sqmi. There were 432 housing units at an average density of 131.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.91% White, 0.71% African American, 2.75% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population. 20.5% were of Finnish, 15.1% German, 10.7% Italian, 6.8% English and 5.8% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 405 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,574, and the median income for a family was $34,464. Males had a median income of $35,938 versus $21,538 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,828. About 7.2% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Buhl, Minnesota


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Camp 5 Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Camp 5 Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 35 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.1 sqmi; 31.4 sqmi is land and 3.7 sqmi, or 10.44%, is water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 41 people, 23 households, and 12 families living in the township. The population density was 1.3 people per square mile (0.5/km$2$). There were 130 housing units at an average density of 4.1/sq mi (1.6/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. Of the 23 households 4.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, and 43.5% were non-families. 43.5% of households were one person and 17.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.78 and the average family size was 2.23.

The age distribution was 7.3% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 25 to 44, 46.3% from 45 to 64, and 41.5% 65 or older. The median age was 63 years. For every 100 females, there were 141.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 153.3 males.

The median household income was $21,071 and the median family income was $45,750. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $11,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,784. There were no families and 9.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.


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Canosia Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Canosia Township is an urban township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. Canosia is a name derived from the Algonquian language meaning "pike fish". The population was 2,158 at the 2010 census.

Midway Road (County Road 13) and Martin Road (County Road 9) are two of the main routes in the township. Other routes include Lavaque Road (County Road 48), Lavaque Bypass Road, and Old Miller Trunk Highway.

U.S. Highway 53 passes briefly through the southwest corner of Canosia Township. The Pike Lake business district is located within the township. The town hall and fire hall are located at the corner of Midway Rd. and Martin Rd. (4896 Midway Rd, Duluth MN 55811)

Canosia Township is administered by a three-person town board that meets monthly. The town board oversees township road maintenance, the Canosia Volunteer Fire Department, the township cemetery, recreation area and recycling shed.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.7 sqmi; 30.1 sqmi is land and 5.6 sqmi, or 15.60%, is water.

Pike Lake, Caribou Lake, Fish Lake, and Wild Rice Lake are all partially located within Canosia Township.

Canosia State Wildlife Management Area is located within the north–central part of the township. The wildlife area is a diverse deciduous and coniferous forest, wetland and bog complex, with upland openings and waterfowl impoundments with wild rice.

Adjacent townships and cities
The following are adjacent to Canosia Township :

 * Fredenberg Township (north)
 * Gnesen Township (northeast)
 * The city of Rice Lake (east)
 * Solway Township (southwest)
 * Grand Lake Township (west)
 * The city of Hermantown (south)

The Duluth International Airport is to the immediate southeast of Canosia Township.

Unincorporated communities

 * Four Corners – Pike Lake business district

Seville Road runs east–west along Canosia Township's southern boundary line with adjacent city of Hermantown.

Solway Road runs north–south along Canosia Township's western boundary line with adjacent Grand Lake Township.

Lismore Road runs east–west along Canosia Township's northern boundary line with adjacent Fredenberg Township.

Town Line Road briefly runs north–south along Canosia Township's eastern boundary line with adjacent city of Rice Lake.

Cemeteries
The township contains one cemetery located on the corner of Midway Rd. and Seville Rd.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,998 people, 751 households, and 573 families residing in the township. The population density was 66.3 PD/sqmi. There were 815 housing units at an average density of 27.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.80% White, 0.10% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.

There were 751 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $52,813, and the median income for a family was $56,741. Males had a median income of $40,236 versus $28,155 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,986. About 2.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.


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Cedar Valley Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Cedar Valley Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. Cedar Valley Township was named for the white cedar in the valley of the Floodwood River. The population was 195 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 73 (MN 73) serves as a main route in the township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 69.4 sqmi; 68.5 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi, or 1.24%, is water.

The Floodwood River flows through Cedar Valley Township. Floodwood Lake is located within the township.

Vaara Creek flows through the east–central portion of the township. Joula Creek briefly enters the southeast part of the township.

Adjacent townships and communities
The following are adjacent to Cedar Valley Township :

 * Van Buren Township (southeast)
 * Elmer Township (east)
 * Toivola Township (east)
 * Lavell Township (northeast)
 * Janette Lake Unorganized Territory of Saint Louis County (north)
 * The unincorporated community of Silica (north)
 * Goodland Township of Itasca County (west and northwest)
 * Wawina Township of Itasca County (west)
 * Northeast Aitkin Unorganized Territory of Aitkin County (southwest)
 * Potshot Lake Unorganized Territory of Saint Louis County (south)

Nearby places include Floodwood, Meadowlands, Silica, Hibbing, Goodland, Swan River, and Wawina.

Highway 73 runs north–south through the middle of Cedar Valley Township. The highway runs south to Floodwood, and north to Silica and Hibbing.

Saint Louis County Highway 133 (CR 133) runs east–west through the southeast part of the township; the roadway continues east to Meadowlands.

CR 133 also runs through the southwest portion of the township on a separate segment of CR 133 known as Wawina Road. CR 133 becomes Itasca County Road 25 at the Saint Louis–Itasca county line, and continues west to Wawina.

County Road 18 and County Road 184 (Floodwood River Road) both pass through the northwest part of Cedar Valley Township. County 18 continues west to the Saint Louis–Itasca county line, becomes Itasca County Road 20, the roadway continues west to Goodland.

The boundary line between Saint Louis, Itasca, and Aitkin counties is located at the southwest corner of Cedar Valley Township.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 232 people, 79 households, and 68 families residing in the township. The population density was 3.4 PD/sqmi. There were 107 housing units at an average density of 1.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.84% White, 0.86% Native American, 0.43% Asian, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 79 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.0% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.7% were non-families. 10.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $42,143, and the median income for a family was $42,321. Males had a median income of $43,750 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,569. About 5.2% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.3% of those 65 or over.


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Cherry Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Cherry Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 860 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 37 (MN 37) serves as a main route in the township. Other routes include Saint Louis County Roads 25 and 92.

The unincorporated community of Cherry is located within Cherry Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 33.5 sqmi; 32.9 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi, or 1.70%, is water.

The West Two River flows through the eastern portion of Cherry Township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Cherry Township :

 * The city of Hibbing (west)
 * Great Scott Township (north)
 * The city of Buhl (north)
 * The city of Kinney (north)
 * The city of Mountain Iron (northeast)
 * Clinton Township (east)
 * Iron Junction (east)
 * The unincorporated community of Forbes (east-southeast)
 * McDavitt Township (southeast)
 * The unincorporated community of Zim (southeast)
 * Lavell Township (south)

Saint Louis County Highway 5 (CR 5) briefly runs north–south along Cherry Township's western boundary line with adjacent city of Hibbing.

Hayes Road runs east–west along Cherry Township's northern boundary line with adjacent Great Scott Township.

Spirit Lake Road and Fraser Road both run north–south along Cherry Township's eastern boundary line with adjacent Clinton Township.

Townline Road–County Highway 16 (CR 16) runs east–west along Cherry Township's southern boundary line with adjacent Lavell Township.

Unincorporated communities

 * Cherry

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 915 people, 339 households, and 258 families living in the township. The population density was 27.8 PD/sqmi. There were 364 housing units at an average density of 11.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 99.02% White, 0.55% Native American, 0.11% Asian, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.11% of the population.

There were 339 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $50,263, and the median income for a family was $55,882. Males had a median income of $43,173 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,186. About 1.6% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person
Cherry Township is the birthplace of Gus Hall, an important politician and former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the United States.


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Chisholm, Minnesota

Chisholm is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,775 at the 2020 census. The city has been called "The Heart of the Iron Range" due to its location in the middle of the Mesabi Iron Range.

History
The city was named for its founder, Archibald Mark Chisholm (1862–1933), a mining man and investor from Glengarry County, Ontario, Canada. Chisholm was incorporated in 1901. A post office called Chisholm has been in operation since 1901. With a railroad line to Duluth and plenty of mining work available in and near town, Chisholm's population grew rapidly, and by 1908 it had more than 6,000 people and 500 buildings. On September 5, 1908, a fast-moving forest fire obliterated the town due to dry conditions and the wooden construction of nearly all the town's buildings. Many people escaped by going into the lake. No one died in the fire. Afterward, building codes were enhanced, and by the next summer more than 70 fireproof buildings had been erected.

Chisholm became a city in 1934. Muralist Elizabeth Carney Pope completed a Works Progress Administration (WPA) mural, Discovery of Ore, in the Chisholm post office in 1941.

1930s and 1940s
Located in the Iron Range region, Chisholm experienced significant change throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, reflecting the booms and busts of the iron mining industry. The 1930s were a challenging time for Chisholm. The Great Depression impacted iron ore demand, leading to mine closures and unemployment. Workers faced labor unrest and strikes. World War II brought renewed demand for iron ore, reviving Chisholm's economy.

1970s and 1980s
The 1970s saw a decline in iron ore prices and a shift to foreign competition. Mines in Chisholm began closing again, resulting in job losses and population decline. The city grappled with economic diversification efforts.

1990s to current
The late 20th and early 21st centuries brought continued adjustments. Tourism and healthcare emerged as new economic sectors. Chisholm focused on preserving its mining history and revitalizing its downtown area. Chisholm maintains a strong connection to its iron mining past. The Minnesota Museum of Mining and the Minnesota Discover Center interprets the region's mining history and the city hosts festivals and events celebrating its heritage.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 4.74 sqmi; 4.48 sqmi is land and 0.26 sqmi is water.

Chisholm is in the center of the Mesabi Iron Range, one of the four iron ranges in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region.

U.S. Highway 169 and State Highway 73 (MN 73) are two of Chisholm's main routes.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,976 people, 2,257 households, and 1,260 families living in the city. The population density was 1110.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,524 housing units at an average density of 563.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White, 0.8% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 2,256 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.1% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,960 people, 2,178 households, and 1,287 families living in the city. The population density was 1,129 PD/sqmi. There were 2,375 housing units at an average density of 540 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, less than one percent Pacific Islander, and 1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. (Percentages may not add to exactly 100 due to rounding.) 12.8% were of Finnish, 11.9% German, 9.9% Slovene, 8.5% Italian, 8.4% Norwegian, 6.4% Irish and 5.8% French ancestry.

There were 2,178 households, out of which 28% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44% were married couples living together, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41% were non-families. 37% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.9.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 23% from 45 to 64, and 22% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,472, and the median income for a family was $40,431. Males had a median income of $35,972 versus $21,406 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,204. About 6% of families and 12% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14% of those under age 18 and 11% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Chisholm Independent School District draws students from Chisholm and surrounding Balkan Township. Vaughan–Steffensrud Elementary School (named for the first two superintendents of the Chisholm school system) has classes for children from preschool through third grade, Chisholm Elementary School has students in grades 4 through 6, and Chisholm High School has grades 7 through 12.

Notable people

 * John Blatnik, former U.S. Congressman
 * Roger Enrico, former CEO of PepsiCo
 * Philip Falcone, billionaire Wall Street investor
 * Ann Govednik, Olympic breaststroke swimmer
 * Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, former Major League Baseball player, town doctor
 * Patty Hajdu, Canadian politician
 * Ben Hoberman, pioneer of the all-talk radio format
 * Richard Kelly, Minnesota state legislator and politician
 * Cameron Latu, college tight end
 * Joel Maturi, former University of Minnesota athletic director
 * Jim Oberstar, former U.S. Congressman
 * Dan Orlich, former NFL defensive end
 * Shawn Rojeski, 2006 Winter Olympics men's curling bronze medalist
 * Tony Sertich, Minnesota politician and former House majority leader
 * John Shuster, 2018 Winter Olympics men's curling gold medalist
 * Jason Smith, 2010 Winter Olympics men's curler
 * David Tomassoni, Olympic and professional hockey player and former Minnesota State legislator

In popular culture

 * In the motion picture Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella and Terence Mann go to Chisholm to find Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Graham, or "Doc" Graham, as the residents of Chisholm called him, did indeed live in Chisholm for 50 years as a doctor following his baseball career. The scenes depicting the town were actually filmed in Galena, Illinois.
 * Scenes of the drama film North Country (2005) were filmed in Chisholm.

title: Chisholm, Minnesota


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Clinton Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Clinton Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. Clinton Township was named for Clinton Markell, a prominent settler. The population was 1,015 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 37 (MN 37) and Saint Louis County Highway 7 are two of the main routes in the township. Other routes include Iron Junction Road.

The city of Iron Junction is located within Clinton Township geographically but is a separate entity.

The unincorporated communities of Keenan, Ramshaw, and Wolf are located within the township.

The unincorporated community of Forbes also extends into the southern portion of Clinton Township.

The unincorporated community of Peary is located at the southeast corner of the township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 33.9 sqmi; 33.2 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi, or 1.92%, is water.

The East Two River and Elbow Creek both flow through Clinton Township.

Long Lake Creek flows through the southeast corner of the township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Clinton Township :

 * Fayal Township (east)
 * The city of Eveleth (northeast)
 * The city of Leonidas (northeast)
 * The city of Mountain Iron (north)
 * Great Scott Township (northwest)
 * Cherry Township (west)
 * Lavell Township (southwest)
 * McDavitt Township (south)
 * The unincorporated community of Zim (south)
 * The unincorporated community of Central Lakes (southeast)

Unincorporated communities

 * Keenan
 * Ramshaw
 * Wolf
 * Forbes
 * Peary

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,036 people, 405 households, and 302 families residing in the township. The population density was 31.2 PD/sqmi. There were 421 housing units at an average density of 12.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 96.81% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 1.06% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

There were 405 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $44,773, and the median income for a family was $45,556. Males had a median income of $41,417 versus $23,068 for females. The per capita income for the township was $18,359. About 3.5% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.


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Colvin Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Colvin Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 317 at the 2010 census.

Vermilion Trail (County 4) serves as a main route in the township.

The unincorporated community of Markham is located within Colvin Township.

History
Colvin Township was named for Frank S. Colvin, a businessperson in the lumber industry.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.9 sqmi; 33.6 sqmi is land and 2.3 sqmi, or 6.40%, is water.

The Paleface River flows through the southwest and south–central parts of Colvin Township.

The Water Hen River flows through the west–central and north–central portions of the township.

The South Branch of the Water Hen River flows through the central and northeast portions of the township.

The Whiteface Reservoir is partially located within Colvin Township.

Adjacent townships and communities
The following are adjacent to Colvin Township:

 * White Township (north)
 * The unincorporated community of Palo (north)
 * Hush Lake Unorganized Territory (northeast)
 * Linwood Lake Unorganized Territory (east, southeast, and south)
 * Superior National Forest (east)
 * Cloquet Valley State Forest (south)
 * Ellsburg Township (southwest)
 * Mud Hen Lake Unorganized Territory (west)
 * The unincorporated community of Makinen (west-northwest)
 * Tikander Lake Unorganized Territory (northwest)

Unincorporated communities

 * Markham

Townline Road–County Highway 16 (CR 16) runs east–west along Colvin Township's northern boundary line with adjacent White Township.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 354 people, 149 households, and 102 families living in the township. The population density was 10.5 people per square mile (4.1/km$2$). There were 298 housing units at an average density of 8.9/sq mi (3.4/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 97.74% White, 0.85% Native American, 1.13% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.28%.

Of the 149 households 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.2% of households were one person and 12.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age distribution was 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 128.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.7 males.

The median household income was $39,821 and the median family income was $44,583. Males had a median income of $40,500 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,359. About 13.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.


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Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, sometimes spelled de l'Isle or de Lile (10 May 1760 – 26 June 1836), was a French army officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. Isle is known for writing the words and music of the Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin in 1792, which would later be known as La Marseillaise and become the French national anthem.

Early life
Rouget de Lisle was born at Lons-le-Saunier, reputedly on a market day. His parents lived in the neighbouring village of Montaigu. A plaque was placed at the precise spot of his birth and a statue erected in the town's center in 1882. He was the eldest son of Claude Ignace Rouget (5 April 1735 – 6 August 1792) at Orgelet and Jeanne Madeleine Gaillande (2 July 1734 – 20 March 1811).

In 1784, he was initiated into "Les Frères discrets", a masonic lodge in Charleville, just after being promoted officer.

Career
He enlisted into the army as an engineer and attained the rank of captain. A royalist like his father, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new constitution. Rouget de Lisle was cashiered and thrown into prison in 1793, narrowly escaping the guillotine. He was freed during the Thermidorian Reaction and retired to Montague.

La Marseillaise
The song that has immortalized him, "La Marseillaise", was composed at Strasbourg, where Rouget de Lisle was garrisoned in April 1792. However, another composition with the same tune was composed 11 years before by the Italian composer Giovan Battista Viotti at the court of Marie Antoinette. France had just declared war on Austria, and the mayor of Strasbourg and worshipful master of the local masonic lodge, baron Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich, held a dinner for the officers of the garrison, at which he lamented that France had no national anthem. Rouget de Lisle returned to his quarters and wrote the words in a fit of patriotic excitement. The piece was at first called Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin ("War Song for the Army of the Rhine") and only received its name of Marseillaise from its adoption by the Provençal volunteers whom Barbaroux introduced into Paris and who were prominent in the storming of the Tuileries Palace on 10 August 1792.

After the war, Rouget de Lisle wrote a few other songs of the same kind as the "Marseillaise", and in 1825 he published Chants français (French Songs) in which he set to music fifty poems by various authors. His Essais en vers et en prose (Essays in Verse and Prose, 1797) contains the Marseillaise; a prose tale Adelaide et Monville of the sentimental kind; and some occasional poems. He returned to public life after the July Revolution and was awarded the Legion of Honour by Louis Philippe I.

Death
Rouget de Lisle died in poverty in Choisy-le-Roi, Val de Marne. His mortal remains were transferred from Choisy-le-Roi cemetery to the Invalides on 14 July 1915, during World War I.

title: Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle


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Cook, Minnesota

Cook is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 534 at the 2020 census.

U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 1 (MN 1) are the two main routes through the city. Cook serves as the gateway to the western half of Lake Vermilion.

History
The city of Cook was known initially as Little Fork, because of the river of the same name that runs through the city, later known as Ashawa, which means "by the river or across the river"; its name was changed to Cook on August 1, 1908, at the request of the U.S. Postal Service "because of confusion with a village in southern Minnesota named Oshawa". The town was named in honor of Wirth Cook, an owner of the railroad that was constructed through Cook in 1903 and 1904. Cook was incorporated on May 13, 1926.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.53 sqmi, all land.

2019 census
As of the census of 2019, there were 515 people, 268 households, and 134 families living in the city. The population density was 226.9 PD/sqmi. There were 306 housing units at an average density of 120.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 92.0% White, 0.2% African American, 4.9% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 268 households, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 43.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.84.

The median age in the city was 47 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 622 people, 275 households, and 158 families living in the city. The population density was 790.1 PD/sqmi. There were 302 housing units at an average density of 383.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.2% African American, 1.6% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. 20.3% were of Norwegian, 16.7% Finnish, 13.9% German, 12.7% Swedish, 6.6% American and 4.9% Irish ancestry.

There were 275 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 26.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,607, and the median income for a family was $34,643. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $22,232 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,848. About 9.5% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 1 (MN 1) are two of the main routes in Cook.

Education
North Woods School serves the Cook area. The mascot is the Grizzly.

Notable people

 * Doug Johnson, Minnesota state legislator and high school counselor
 * Rachel Latuff, educator
 * Noel Wien, aviator
 * Keith Secola, musician

title: Cook, Minnesota


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Cotton Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Cotton Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 445 at the 2010 census.

U.S. Highway 53 serves as a main route in the township.

The unincorporated community of Cotton is located within Cotton Township.

The community of Cotton is located 36 miles north of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S. Highway 53 and Saint Louis County Road 52. Cotton is located 27 miles south of the city of Virginia.

History
Cotton Township was named for Joseph Bell Cotton, a state legislator.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 72.1 sqmi; 69.3 sqmi is land and 2.7 sqmi, or 3.79%, is water.

The Whiteface River flows through the township.

Adjacent townships
The following are adjacent to Cotton Township :

 * Northland Township (south)
 * Ellsburg Township (north)
 * Kelsey Township (west)
 * Meadowlands Township (southwest)
 * McDavitt Township (northwest)
 * Whiteface Reservoir Unorganized Territory (east)

Unincorporated communities

 * Cotton
 * Shaw
 * Whiteface

The eastern portion of Cotton Township is located within the Cloquet Valley State Forest of Saint Louis County.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 506 people, 192 households, and 142 families residing in the township. The population density was 7.3 PD/sqmi. There were 384 housing units at an average density of 5.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 99.21% White, 0.59% Native American, and 0.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.20% of the population.

There were 192 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the township the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,313, and the median income for a family was $46,042. Males had a median income of $37,059 versus $21,500 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,216. About 0.7% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.


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Culver Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Culver Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 294 at the 2010 census.

U.S. Highway 2 serves as a main route for the township. Highway 2 runs east–west along Culver Township's southern boundary line with adjacent Stoney Brook Township.

The unincorporated community of Culver, within Culver Township, is located 27 miles northwest of the city of Duluth at the junction of Saint Louis County Highway 7 (CR 7) and County Road 8 (CR 8).

The city of Brookston is within Culver Township geographically but is a separate entity.

Part of Culver Township is within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation.

History
Culver Township was named for Joshua B. Culver, first mayor of Duluth, Minnesota.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.1 sqmi; 34.6 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi, or 1.45%, is water.

The Saint Louis River, the Cloquet River, and the Artichoke River all flow through Culver Township.

Adjacent townships
The following are adjacent to Culver Township :

 * Industrial Township (east)
 * Arrowhead Township (west)
 * Stoney Brook Township (south)
 * Brevator Township (southeast)
 * Alborn Township (north)
 * New Independence Township (northeast)
 * Ness Township (northwest)

Unincorporated communities

 * Culver

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 285 people in 99 households, including 72 families, in the township. The population density was 8.2 people per square mile (3.2/km$2$). There were 118 housing units at an average density of 3.4/sq mi (1.3/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 92.28% White, 5.96% Native American, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35%.

Of the 99 households 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 20.2% of households were one person and 10.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.05.

The age distribution was 29.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.

The median household income was $38,333 and the median family income was $41,875. Males had a median income of $35,833 versus $16,705 for females. The per capita income for the township was $15,028. About 9.0% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 18.4% of those sixty five or over.


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Duluth Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Duluth Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,941 at the 2010 census.

The township is located on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

North Shore Scenic Drive (County Road 61), the Minnesota 61 Expressway (MN 61), and Homestead Road (County Road 42) are three of the main routes in the township.

McQuade Road runs north–south along Duluth Township's western boundary line with adjacent Lakewood and Normanna Townships.

The unincorporated communities of French River, Palmers, and Clover Valley are located within Duluth Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 51.8 sqmi; 46.5 sqmi is land and 5.4 sqmi, or 10.34%, is water.

The French River flows through the southwest part of Duluth Township. The Little Knife River, the Knife River, and the Little Sucker River, also flow through the township. Creeks that flow through the township include Big Sucker, Schmidt, and Stanley. The Talmadge River briefly enters the southwest corner of Duluth Township and flows into Lake Superior.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Duluth Township :

 * Lakewood Township (west)
 * Normanna Township (west)
 * North Star Township (northwest)
 * Alden Township (north)
 * The city of Duluth (southwest)
 * The neighborhood of North Shore (southwest)
 * Lake No. 2 Unorganized Territory of Lake County (east)
 * The unincorporated community of Knife River (east)

Unincorporated communities

 * French River
 * Palmers
 * Clover Valley

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 669 households, and 479 families residing in the township. The population density was 37.1 PD/sqmi. There were 714 housing units at an average density of 15.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 98.26% White, 0.35% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.12% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population. 19.3% were of Norwegian, 14.6% German, 14.1% Swedish, 13.5% Finnish, 7.0% United States or American and 6.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 669 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $46,118, and the median income for a family was $57,292. Males had a median income of $42,381 versus $27,891 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,116. About 1.7% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.


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Eagles Nest Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Eagles Nest Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 242 at the 2010 census.

State Highway 1 (MN 1) and State Highway 169 (MN 169) serve as the main route in the township.

The unincorporated community of McComber is located within Eagles Nest Township.

Bear Head Lake State Park is located in the southeast portion of the township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.9 sqmi; 25.2 sqmi is land and 4.7 sqmi, or 15.85%, is water.

The Armstrong River flows through the central portion of Eagles Nest Township.

Mud Creek flows through the northern portion of the township.

Adjacent townships and communities
The following are adjacent to Eagles Nest Township :

 * Breitung Township (west)
 * The unincorporated community of Soudan (west)
 * Morse Township (east and northeast)
 * Bear Island State Forest (east and south)
 * Kugler Township (southwest)

The city of Tower is nearby to the west-southwest, but does not border the township.

The city of Ely is nearby to the east-northeast, but does not border the township.

Unincorporated communities

 * McComber

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 169 people, 88 households, and 57 families living in the township. The population density was 6.7 people per square mile (2.6/km$2$). There were 350 housing units at an average density of 13.9/sq mi (5.4/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. Of the 88 households 9.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 1.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.7% of households were one person and 17.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.33.

The age distribution was 8.9% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 9.5% from 25 to 44, 51.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.8% 65 or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median household income was $36,250 and the median family income was $39,167. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,568. About 8.1% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.2% of those sixty-five or over.

Media
The official newspaper of Eagles Nest Township is The Timberjay. The Timberjay is published weekly, with a circulation of over 1000.


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Ellsburg Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ellsburg Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 219 at the 2010 census.

U.S. Highway 53 serves as a main route in the township.

The unincorporated community of Melrude is located within Ellsburg Township.

The town was named for a place in Sweden.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 72.0 sqmi; 69.6 sqmi is land and 2.4 sqmi, or 3.39%, is water.

The Paleface River and Bobcat Creek both flow through the township.

Adjacent townships and communities
The following are adjacent to Ellsburg Township :

 * Cotton Township (south)
 * McDavitt Township (west)
 * Kelsey Township (southwest)
 * Colvin Township (northeast)
 * Mud Hen Lake Unorganized Territory (north)
 * The unincorporated community of Makinen (north)
 * Heikkala Lake Unorganized Territory (north)
 * The unincorporated community of Central Lakes (north)
 * Linwood Lake Unorganized Territory (east)
 * Whiteface Reservoir Unorganized Territory (southeast)

The eastern portion of Ellsburg Township is located within the Cloquet Valley State Forest in Saint Louis County.

Unincorporated communities

 * Melrude

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 174 people, 77 households, and 51 families living in the township. The population density was 2.5 people per square mile (1.0/km$2$). There were 318 housing units at an average density of 4.6/sq mi (1.8/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 98.85% White, 0.57% African American and 0.57% Native American. Of the 77 households 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.3% of households were one person and 10.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 18.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.5 males.

The median household income was $39,250 and the median family income was $42,500. Males had a median income of $41,875 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income for the township was $15,582. About 23.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.


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Elmer Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota

Elmer Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 151 at the 2010 census.

Saint Louis County Highway 5 (CR 5) and County Highway 133 (CR 133) are two of the main routes in the township.

CR 5 runs north–south through the northeast portion of the township. CR 133 runs east–west through the middle of Elmer Township.

The unincorporated community of Elmer is located within the northeast corner of Elmer Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 40.7 sqmi; 40.6 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi, or 0.32%, is water.

Joula Creek flows through the western portion of the township.

The Saint Louis River runs north–south along Elmer Township's eastern boundary line with adjacent Meadowlands Township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities
The following are adjacent to Elmer Township :

 * Toivola Township (north)
 * Meadowlands Township (east)
 * The city of Meadowlands (east)
 * Ness Township (southeast)
 * Van Buren Township (south)
 * The city of Floodwood (south)
 * Potshot Lake Unorganized Territory (southwest)
 * Cedar Valley Township (west and northwest)

Unincorporated communities

 * Elmer

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 165 people, 59 households, and 47 families living in the township. The population density was 4.1 people per square mile (1.6/km$2$). There were 66 housing units at an average density of 1.6/sq mi (0.6/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White. Of the 59 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 20.3% of households were one person and 13.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.23.

The age distribution was 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.8 males.

The median household income was $42,344 and the median family income was $43,250. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $10,417 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,418. About 20.8% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 23.8% of those sixty five or over.


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Ely, Minnesota

Ely is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census.

Located on the Vermilion iron range, Ely once had several iron ore mines. It is an entry point for campers and canoers into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park wilderness area. The International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center are nearby.

Ely's main street has nature outfitters, outdoor clothing stores, and restaurants. State Highway 1 (MN 1), State Highway 169 (MN 169) and County Road 21 (Central Avenue) are Ely's main routes. The city is 16 mi south of the Canada–United States border and is within the Superior National Forest.

History

The first Europeans to explore the area were fur traders who made their way into the wilderness in search of furs. But it was the Lake Vermillion gold rush that brought the first large numbers of pioneers to the area in 1865. Although hardly any gold was ever found, it was discovered that the area did contain large deposits of iron ore. Thousands of new immigrants were arriving in America at that time, and many of them came to the area later known as the Minnesota Iron Range, looking for work.

When the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway laid tracks extending the rails from Tower to Ely in 1888, Ely began mining operations with the opening of the Chandler Mine. Ore was shipped by rail to docks on Lake Superior in Two Harbors and Duluth. From there it was shipped by lake freighter for processing in Ashtabula and other points in Ohio.

That year the miners incorporated the town of Florence, population 177, near the east side of Shagawa Lake on a site now known as Spaulding. Florence was named after the daughter of the Chandler mine's Captain Jack Pengilly (also the town's first mayor). After ore was discovered farther west, the town relocated, changing its name as well. Since it was discovered that the name "Florence" was already used by another village in Minnesota, "Ely" was chosen in honor of mining executive Samuel B. Ely, a big promoter of Vermilion Range ore who lived in Michigan. (He is not known to have visited his namesake town.) In 2020, The Ely Echo wrote:
 * The name Ely stems from the "Isle of Eels," a wetlands near Cambridge, England. In historic times,those lakes swarmed with the slithery fish (similar to eelpout) that provided sustenance for ancestors of Samuel B. Ely. His clan arrived in the states (from Ely, England) in the 1600s (one ancestor was a close associate of George Washington). Samuel, a mining executive, financed the railroad to Ely in 1888 which launched our town. He embraced Ojibwe culture and applied native names to some of his mining projects, including Ontonagon (hunting river) & Ishpeming (heaven), Michigan. Samuel's great grandson, Courtland Ely III, was Grand Marshal at Ely's 1988 Centennial Parade, stayed with Schurkes at Wintergreen & was given keys to the city by Gov. Rudy Perpich (an Iron Ranger from Hibbing).

The original town site consisted of 40 acres. A man named McCormick opened the first grocery store in a small log building. A. J. Fenske built the first frame building in the fall of 1887; he also opened a hardware and furniture store. The Pioneer Hotel was also built that year at the corner of Sheridan Street and Fourth Avenue. The first school opened in 1889 in a small frame building on Second Avenue; its enrollment was 112 during the first season.

According to a history written in 1910, "The first religious service was conducted by Father Buh, who came from Tower for that purpose, and the Catholic congregation erected the first church. The first Protestant minister was Rev. Mr. Freeman, who arrived in time to hold an Easter service in 1889, and located here permanently, organizing the Presbyterian church. There are now six churches, representing as many different faiths.

Soon other mines opened in Ely: The Pioneer Mine (1889), the Zenith (1892), the Savoy (1899), and the Sibley (1899). The Pioneer was by far the most productive, producing 41 million tons or 40% of the Vermilion Range's entire output. Eventually 11 mines opened near Ely. In 1967 the Pioneer mine closed. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and its offices house the Ely Arts & Heritage Center.

Originally the mining was an open-pit operation, but when the abundant ore was mined out, deep shafts were made to start mining underground. With the need for wooden support beams to keep the tunnels from collapsing and for lumber to meet the needs of the ever-expanding growth in the area, the logging and milling industries grew. Logging continues in the region, though on a limited scale and only for paper pulp—the major operations virtually disappeared by 1920 when the area's tree reserves were depleted.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.74 sqmi; 2.73 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

Ely is 100 mi north of Duluth, 117 miles southeast of International Falls, and 244 mi north of Minneapolis–Saint Paul.

Copper mining controversy
Since the 1960s, as Iron Range mines began closing, leaving only a few in operation, Ely, like many northern Minnesota communities, faced economic decline. Duluth, on the shores of Lake Superior, has built a tourist trade that has helped to sustain its economy. Ely, seen as the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, has also developed a lively tourist trade, but due to environmental concerns the area has recently seen controversy about a proposal to build a mining operation for copper just outside the BWCAW. The company involved, Twin Metals Minnesota, is operated by a Chilean company, Antofagasta PLC. It says it plans "to build modern mines that must go through a rigorous regulatory process before they can move forward", but environmentalists are concerned that runoff from the mining operation could damage the BWCA wilderness area. The copper deposits beneath the forests and lakes of northeastern Minnesota are encased in sulfide ore and when that is exposed it produces sulfuric acid, which has resulted in severe water pollution in copper mines in several western U.S. areas.

In October 2021, the Biden administration filed an application for a "mineral withdrawal" that will put a hold on the development of the mine proposal while the environmental impacts are studied. The Obama administration had launched a similar study, but 24 weeks into the 28-week study the newly elected Trump administration ended it, allowing the plans for the mining operation to continue. The completed study could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the BWCAW. The Trump mineral leases were judged illegal, and in January 2022 the Biden administration canceled two Twin Metals mineral leases. The Timberjay called the Biden administration's decision a "potentially fatal blow to [a] proposed copper-nickel mine."

Climate
On the Köppen climate classification, Ely falls in the warm summer humid continental climate zone (Dfb). Summertime is warm (sometimes hot) and wintertime is cold (sometimes severely) and drawn out, sometimes beginning in October and lasting well into April.

On February 13, 2021, Ely set a new daily record low for the city with an actual air temperature of -50F. This compares to the Minnesota record low tempearture of -60F recorded near the town of Tower, MN on February 2, 1996.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.86% White, 0.86% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population. 21.8% were of German, 12.2% Slovene, 11.7% Finnish, 8.7% Norwegian, 6.4% English, 5.6% Swedish and 5.4% Polish ancestry.

There were 1,912 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,615, and the median income for a family was $36,047. Males had a median income of $34,559 versus $18,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,855. About 9.5% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,460 people, 1,681 households, and 814 families residing in the city. The population density was 1267.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,022 housing units at an average density of 740.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 1.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 1,681 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.6% were non-families. 45.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.66.

The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, Ely had 3,268 residents living in an estimated 1,770 households.

Arts and culture
Ely hosts many community events in Whiteside Park, such as the Blueberry Arts Festival in July, the Harvest Moon Festival in September, and the Winter Festival in February. There is also an Ely-only artist gallery, Art & Soul Gallery.

Ely's post office contains two tempera-on-plaster murals, Iron-Ore Mines and Wilderness, painted by Elsa Jemne in 1941. Federally commissioned post office murals were produced during the New Deal through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.

North American Bear Center
Ely is home to the North American Bear Center, which opened in 2007. It is an interactive museum and educational facility featuring American black bears. The center, the only science/nature museum of its kind, is dedicated to helping people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans. A wall of windows overlooks a 2.5-acre naturally forested enclosure with a pond and waterfalls, which is home to four resident bears. There are also exhibits, a theater, children's activities, and interpretive nature trails.

International Wolf Center

The International Wolf Center is one of the world's leading organizations dedicated to educating people about wolves. Founded in 1985 by a group of biologists led by L. David Mech, a world-renowned wolf biologist, it opened in 1993. The center features gray wolves viewable through large windows that allow visitors to watch them communicate, play, hunt and eat. In addition to the onsite ambassador wolves, the center offers a variety of educational programs at its Ely interpretive facility and other locations in northern Minnesota and across North America. Afternoon, weekend and weeklong programs include howling trips, radio tracking, snowshoe treks, family activities, dogsledding, videos, presentations, flights over wolf country, demonstrations, and hikes.

Arts & Heritage Center
The Ely Arts & Heritage Center is in the historic Pioneer Mine complex. It is managed by a nonprofit arts organization, Ely Greenstone Public Art. It offers classes, exhibits, and festivals.

Dorothy Molter museum
The Dorothy Molter cabin and museum are in Ely. Known as the "Root Beer Lady", Molter lived for 56 years on Knife Lake in the BWCAW. She gradually gained national prominence and extensive coverage in media, books and documentaries, and over the years tens of thousands of canoeists stopped by to visit and drink her homemade root beer. Molter was born May 6th, 1907 in Pennsylvania, but was quickly separated from her family and raised in an orphanage. She first visited her future home (The Isle of Pines Resort) on Knife Lake in 1930 and it became her home in 1934 after falling in love with the area. Until the mid/late 1940s, the Isle of Pines resort was typical of many north woods resorts. It was reachable by seaplanes and motorboats, and later by snowmobiles as they came into use.

After a 1949 flight ban Molter began importing her supplies for root beer by boat and reusing glass bottles that she stored in a shed. Canoeists stopping by would be asked to bring supplies from town and would commonly leave an oar behind, hundreds of which are still on display at the museum. Molter's land was taken from her in the 1964 Wilderness Act, however, after a nationwide uproar and her friends protesting, she was allowed to temporarily stay as long as the resort was closed down. Along with Molters land being taken, nearly all motorized transportation to Molter's lodge was eliminated, residences, buildings, business and the few roads from the wilderness were removed, leaving Molter as the only full-time resident in a wilderness area three times the size of Rhode Island. Later she was given a lifetime pardon to live in her home. After her death, her multiple cabins, all her belongings, and other parts of her residence were dismantled and moved to Ely by boat. They were all then reconstructed there, and the Dorothy Molter Museum was established, and to this day sells her root beer to preserve her legacy.

Ely-Winton History Museum

The Ely-Winton History Museum is on the Vermilion Community College Campus. It depicts local history through displays, photographs, and oral histories. Logging and mining histories are told using geological samples and old logging and mining tools. Examples of past businesses are demonstrated as well as the importance of women on the frontier. In 2018 the museum opened an exhibit of paintings representative of Ely mining history, featuring the works of Albin Zaverl. It also has a collection of the work done by Ojibwe artist Carl Gawboy, who grew up in Ely. The museum offers programs about the history of the area twice a month during the summer. The museum mission statement reads:

 * The mission depicts local history through artifacts, photographs, oral histories, numerous videos/DVDs; displays include Ojibwe, fur trade, mining, logging, immigration, voyageurs, and Footprints Across The Wilderness, the history of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with a new exhibit each summer. They cover the history of the area from prehistoric times through mining, immigration and logging. Arts displays include Carl Gawboy and Albin Zaverl.

Historically significant structures in and around Ely

The U.S. National Register of Historic Places deems certain structures worthy of preservation for their historical significance. Several sites in and around Ely have been placed on the Register's list: Bull-of-the-Woods Logging Scow, Ely State Theater, Listening Point, and Tanner's Hospital.

Listening Point was the private retreat of conservationist Sigurd Olson on Burntside Lake. Olson acquired the property in 1956, then purchased a log cabin and a log sauna elsewhere that he had dismantled, moved to Listening Point, and reassembled. In 1998 the Listening Point Foundation was organized to preserve the property as an open-air museum to Olson.

The Ely State Theater is a 1936 Streamline Moderne design, epitomizing the small-town commissions of leading regional theater designers, Minneapolis architects Liebenberg & Kaplan.

Tanner's Hospital is a former hospital building built in 1901 as a moneymaking enterprise due to the area's high disease rate, a consequence of low investment in sanitation infrastructure in the mining boom towns of the Iron Range, where the long-term existence of any given community was unpredictable.

The Bull-of-the-Woods Logging Scow is a small paddle steamer wrecked in Burntside Lake. It was built around 1893 for one of the lumber companies in the area. There were at least a few of these vessels, locally known as "alligators" or "gators", in operation in northeastern Minnesota in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They could tow timber rafts, hoist logs, navigate shallow waters, and even pull themselves across dry land. It is the only known surviving example of its type.

Parks and recreation

There are many Minnesota wilderness hiking trails in the Ely area. Echo Trail (Saint Louis County Road 116), considered one of Minnesota's most scenic trails, is a former logging road that runs north and west out of Ely and provides the primary access to the lakes of the western BWCAW. The trail is a 72-mile (116-km) road on asphalt and gravel through the wilderness of the Superior National Forest and Kabetogama State Forest.

Trezona Trail offers historic views of the old iron ore mining operations that first brought new immigrants to the area.

The Kekekabic Trail, commonly called "The Kek", is a hiking trail that runs about 39 miles, beginning in Ely and ending at the Gunflint Trail.

A paved biking trail, the Mesabi Trail, begins in Ely and stretches across the Mesabi Iron Range ending in Grand Rapids, a distance of approximately 120 miles.

In 2015, the Ely Marathon began, sending runners from the north side of Burntside Lake down the Echo Trail and into the city. It has become an annual event and grown to include several races. The marathon is known as the world's only marathon with a "canoe portage" category and holds the world record time for a marathon-length canoe portage.

Attractions

Ely is the largest "jumping off" town for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and a major one for Quetico Provincial Park. The BWCAW is renowned as a destination for canoeing and fishing on its many lakes, and is the nation's most-visited wilderness. With extensive outfitting and other services, Ely can credibly be claimed to do the most wilderness canoe outfitting of any town or city in the world.

Longtime Ely resident Sigurd F. Olson was instrumental in creating the BWCAW. A writer, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness, he served for more than 30 years as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests of the Quetico-Superior country of northern Minnesota and southwestern Ontario. He worked for the protection of the Boundary Waters, helped draft the Wilderness Act of 1964, and helped establish Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. He was known honorifically as the Bourgeois—a term the voyageurs used for trusted leaders.

Outfitters
Ely Minnesota is considered to be one of the main gateways to the American side of the BWCAW. Because of this it is estimated that 250,000 people visit Ely Minnesota a year to enter the backcountry. To handle all of the people, Ely houses 20 outfitters. Outfitters are companies that provide gear and information for visitors because not everyone can afford or store their own gear, nor do they know all the information necessary. Some specialize in shorter day trips, some do weeks long, and some even provide guides.

These outfitters are…

 * River Point Outfitting Co.
 * Lodge of Whispering Pines and Outfitters
 * Ely Outfitting Company
 * Spirit of the Wilderness
 * Moose Track Adventures Outfitter & Guide Service
 * North Country Canoe Outfitters
 * Piragis Northwoods Outfitters
 * Canadian Waters
 * LaTourell’s Moose Lake Outfitters
 * Packsack Canoe Trips
 * Boundary Waters Guide Service
 * Way To Go Canoe Outfitters
 * Boundary Waters Outfitters
 * Williams & Hall Wilderness Guides & Outfitters
 * Northern Tier National High Adventure - Boy Scouts of America
 * Cliff Wold’s Outfitting Co.
 * Echo Trail Outfitters
 * Voyageur North Outfitters
 * Canoe Country Outfitters
 * Kawishiwi Lodge

Camp Widjiwagan

Camp Widjiwagan is a wilderness camp for girls and boys on Burntside Lake. The camp is nationally recognized for its canoeing and backpacking programs; it also has an environmental education program, the Widjiwagan Outdoor Learning Program. During the summer it runs canoe and backpacking programs offered at several degrees of experience, with more advanced trips for experienced campers. Environmental education programs are held during the fall, winter and spring, with students studying wilderness survival, plant and tree identification, basic hiking skills, animal tracking, the night sky, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Master builder of wood-and-canvas canoes Joe Seliga lived in Ely and was an instructor at the camp. When he died in 2005, Camp Widjiwagan received his canoe form.

Hegman Lake pictographs
The Hegman Lake Pictographs, within the BWCAW about 15 miles north of Ely, have been called "perhaps the most visited and photogenic pictograph within the State of Minnesota." On a large overlooking rock wall on North Hegman Lake, this ancient rock art is believed to have been created by the Ojibwe. The painting's meaning is uncertain. It appears to represent the Ojibwe meridian constellations visible in winter during the early evening. While some anthropologists believe the pictographs may have served as a guide for navigating in the deep woods during the winter hunting season, others see it as a visual representation of the connection between the spiritual and temporal worlds. In the summer the site can be reached only by canoe. In the winter, when the lakes are frozen, it can be reached by foot, with snowshoes if the snow is deep.

Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base
The Boy Scouts of America's national Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base is a base for canoe trips and winter camping, activities and training.

Education
The Ely Public School District includes two public schools for primary and secondary education.
 * Ely Memorial High School (Grades 6–12)
 * Washington Elementary School (Grades Pre-K-5)

Ely is home to Minnesota North College – Vermilion, formerly named Vermilion Community College.

Ely has a public library, the Ely Public Library, which is part of the Arrowhead Library System. Originally housed in the Ely Community Center, the library moved to a new, separate facility in 2014.

Media
Ely is served by two community-oriented newspapers, the Ely Echo and the North Country Angler, and a radio station, WELY.

Notable people

 * Jessica Biel – actress, born in Ely
 * Thomas A. Brown (1889–1959) – notoriously corrupt police chief of St. Paul, Minnesota, during both Prohibition and the Public Enemies era. Infamous as a conspirator in multiple felonies committed by the Dillinger Gang and the Barker-Karpis Gang. After successfully evading prosecution, Brown settled in Ely as a liquor store owner.
 * Jim Brandenburg – photographer with National Geographic
 * Jim Klobuchar – journalist, father of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
 * Lynn Rogers – black bear expert
 * Patrick Roger Vail - Minnesota politician and businessman

Famous hoaxes
People from Ely, with the support (and often assistance) of the city council, have created various hoaxes as a way of garnering free publicity for the city. One was that of a fictional family that "paints the leaves" of trees every fall. The fictional family was retiring from the business, and wanted people to send in a "color application" if they wanted to help carry out the tradition. Previously, a story was released about Ely seceding from the United States to be part of Canada. Both hoaxes were featured on Ely's Chamber Of Commerce website, www.ely.org. In 2009, Ely made a tongue-in-cheek international bid to host the 2016 Olympics, with a man allegedly already employed with a bucket to drain Miner's Lake south of town in order to provide stadium seating. This hoax became widely known throughout Minnesota, and was often reported on radio stations. Shirts, bumper stickers, signs, and even interstate billboards bearing the slogan "Ely in 2016" became commonplace throughout the state.

title: Ely, Minnesota