Biwabik, Minnesota

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Biwabik
City of Biwabik Public Works Garage
City of Biwabik Public Works Garage
Location of the city of Biwabik within Saint Louis County, Minnesota
Location of the city of Biwabik
within Saint Louis County, Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°32′0″N 92°20′32″W / 47.53333°N 92.34222°W / 47.53333; -92.34222
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountySaint Louis
Area
 • Total9.95 sq mi (25.76 km2)
 • Land8.77 sq mi (22.72 km2)
 • Water1.17 sq mi (3.04 km2)
Elevation1,450 ft (440 m)
Population
 • Total961
 • Estimate 
(2020)[4]
961
 • Density110.47/sq mi (42.65/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
55708
Area code(s)218
FIPS code27-06148[5]
GNIS feature ID0660819[2]
Websitewww.cityofbiwabik.com
photo of town square on a sunny day with a life-sized moose and a gazebo
Biwabik town center with statue of Honk the Moose

Biwabik (/ˈbwəbɪk/)[6] is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 961 at the 2020 census.[7]

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: Biwabiko-nabik-wan. 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 award-winning golf courses and acclaimed ski area, plus trails, lakes, lodging and dining. With the Mesabi Trail connecting the community to Giants Ridge and Vermilion Trail Campground on Embarrass Lake, this scenic city is a destination any time of year. Visit during the Fourth of July for the popular Calithumpian Parade, in September for Honktoberfest, an Oktoberfest which honors Honk the Moose and come back the first Saturday in December for Weihnachtsfest, with fireworks, delightful music and food, and lights.[8]

Recreation[edit]

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.[9]

The Giants Ridge Bike Park features 10 lift-served gravity (downhill) mountain bike trails Featuring berms, jumps, rollers and rock gardens, our downhill trail system is designed for riders of all ability levels and embraces the scenic but rugged terrain of Giants Ridge. Giants Ridge welcomes XC riders to explore the 9.2 miles of purpose-built cross country mountain bike trail winding through the Superior National Forest.[10]

Biwabik is also plays host to road cycling, mountain biking, golf, skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, boating, fishing, hunting, ATV and snowmobiling. Biwabik is a recreational town. The Mesabi Trail and the East Range Multi Use Trail is in Biwabik, with several connection opportunities.

Events[edit]

The Biwabik Area Civic Association hosts several events each year:[11]

  • Music in the Park - Thursday nights in the summer
  • City Wide Rummage Sale - Spring & Fall
  • Honktoberfest - Third weekend of September
  • Weihnachtsfest - First weekend of December

Other events include:

  • Pepsi Challenge ski race takes place at Giants Ridge in March.[12]
  • The Minnesota High School League[13] State Alpine and Nordic Ski Meets at Giants Ridge in February.

Geography[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.15 square miles (26.29 km2); 8.97 square miles (23.23 km2) is land and 1.18 square miles (3.06 km2) is water.[14]

Unique to Biwabik is the Mary Ellen Jasper. Mary Ellen Jasper was first discovered in Minnesota in the early 1900s. Mary Ellen Jasper contains 1.88-billion-year-old stromatolite fossils, It's fossilized algae, so the stromatolite is what makes the Mary Ellen unique.[15]

History[edit]

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 of 1892. It was also the first Iron Range town to be served by two railroads, the "Duluth & 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.[16]

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.[17]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
Census Pop.
19001,299
19101,69030.1%
19202,02419.8%
19301,383−31.7%
19401,304−5.7%
19501,245−4.5%
19601,83647.5%
19701,483−19.2%
19801,428−3.7%
19901,097−23.2%
2000954−13.0%
20109691.6%
2019 (est.)969[4]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]

2020 census[edit]

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.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Biwabik, Minnesota
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  4. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ "5 More Minnesota Towns You're Pronouncing Wrong".
  7. ^ "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census. Retrieved 23 April 2011.[dead link]
  8. ^ irt_admin (2019-11-21). "East Range |". ironrange.org. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  9. ^ sandrakingadmin. "Giants Ridge Golf Course Reviews | Jeffrey D. Brauer/GolfScapes, Inc". Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  10. ^ "Giants Ridge on Trailforks". Trailforks. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  11. ^ "Biwabik Area Civic Association |". Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  12. ^ "Pepsi Challenge Main Page". www.pepsichallengeskirace.com. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  13. ^ "Minnesota State High School League | Education and Leadership for a Lifetime". Minnesota State High School League. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  14. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  15. ^ "Gems of the Iron Range: Mary Ellen Jasper". khou.com. August 19, 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  16. ^ https://books.google.com/books/about/Wpa_Guide_to_the_Minnesota_Arrowhead.html?id=5mvHrc_axisC "The WPA Guide to the Minnesota Arrowhead Country"
  17. ^ 'Former state representative Peter X. Fugina, 84, dies,' David Chasen, Minneapolis Statr Tribune (Minnesota), March 31, 1994, pg. 6B
  18. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 47°31′59″N 92°20′25″W / 47.53306°N 92.34028°W / 47.53306; -92.34028