Brooklyn Center is a first-ring suburban city in
Hennepin County
Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapol ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States in the
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities ...
metropolitan area. In 1911, the area became a village formed from parts of Brooklyn Township and Crystal Lake Township.
In 1966, Brooklyn Center became a charter city. The city has commercial and industrial development. The majority of land use is single-family homes.
The population was 33,782 at the
2020 census,
and the city has become the most ethnically diverse community in the state.
History
Pioneers organized town governments for Brooklyn Township and Crystal Lake Township when Minnesota became a state in 1858. Osseo Road was a main thoroughfare that brought settlers to an area centered around their school, post office, store, meeting hall, and Baptist and Methodist churches. That location thrived as a market gardening community. It abutted the encroaching development of Minneapolis to the south.
Steps were taken to protect the area from annexation by Minneapolis and to retain "simpler public business methods, and extra police protection" by incorporation. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners accepted a petition to incorporate the Village of Brooklyn Center on January 16, 1911. An election followed, the boundaries were set, and documents filed with the state on February 18, 1911. P.W. Reidhead was the first president. The population was 500.
By 1940, the village saw a need for more organized planning to deal with issues such as sewage and traffic. In 1942, a Planning Commission was established. Farmers were selling their valuable land to housing developers. The decade saw unprecedented population growth, reaching 4,000 by 1950. Brookdale, a new shopping concept by
Dayton’s, was constructed in 1960 when the population had grown to over 24,000. In 1963, even more new opportunities for commercial development were presented with the estate of Earle Brown, deceased, the heir of
Captain John Martin
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
who had been one of the wealthiest men in Minneapolis.
Earle Brown Heritage Center was the former Cap Martin country estate, built in 1878 and willed to his grandson Earle Brown in 1901. The buildings included the family home, office and garage, housing for the workers, a pump house, multiple barns, a hippodrome, an antique carriage collection, and a restored lumber bunkhouse and cook shanty. It is now a historic site in Brooklyn Center owned by the city and developed into a conference and event center.
Mound Cemetery of Brooklyn Centerhas been owned and managed by a not-for-profit organization since 1862. Its mission is to provide cemetery and perpetual care services to the public, and to preserve the historical burial grounds of the founding families of Brooklyn Township.
Th
Brooklyn Historical Society is a 501(c3) nonprofit all-volunteer organization founded in 1970. Its mission is to research, preserve, and provide access to historical information about Brooklyn Township – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The Society has historical displays at the city halls of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, and the Earle Brown Heritage Center. Its facility is in Brooklyn Park.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.
All of Brooklyn Center is in the Upper Mississippi Watershed Basin. The
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
is the eastern boundary of the city and is part of the
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a and protected corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro in the U.S. state of Minnesota, from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey, to just downstream of H ...
of Minnesota. The North Mississippi Regional Park, at 5700 Lyndale Avenue North, is managed by
Three Rivers Park District
Three Rivers Park District is a special park district serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Ramsey counties. Three Rivers's mission is "To promote environmental stewardship through ...
Board, on which Brooklyn Center is represented in District 3.
Southwestern Brooklyn Center includes Upper Twin Lake (117 acres) and connects to a chain of lakes that discharge into Shingle Creek, which discharges into the Mississippi River. Shingle Creek also runs through Palmer Lake. The city is a member of Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commission, which manages the lakes, streams, and wetlands in this area. Palmer Lake Park is a natural environmental preserve of lake and marsh habitat on over 200 acres.
All of Brooklyn Center is in the state's Deciduous Forest Biome. The Plant Hardiness Zone is 4B, with an average minimum extreme temperature of -25 to -20 Fahrenheit. The city has developed and maintains 26 parks and a 20-mile trail system. The majority of land use is single-family homes.
The historical route, Osseo Road, was renamed Brooklyn Boulevard by both Brooklyn Center and
Brooklyn Park in 1969. Interstates
94 and
694
__NOTOC__
Year 694 ( DCXCIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 694 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...
and Minnesota State Highways
100 and
252 are four of the main routes in Brooklyn Center.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, 30,104 people, 10,756 households, and 7,010 families resided in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 11,640 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 25.9%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 14.3%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 5.4% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 4.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 9.6% of the population.
There were 10,756 households, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.43.
The city's median age was 32.6. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.1% were from 25 to 44; 22.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, 29,172 people, 11,430 households, and 7,383 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 11,598 housing units at an average density of . The city's racial makeup was 71.39%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 14.09%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.87%
Native American, 8.79%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.49% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.36% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.82% of the population.
There were 11,430 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The city's median household income was $44,570, and the median family income was $52,006. Males had a median income of $36,031 versus $27,755 for females. The city's
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
was $19,695. About 4.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those 65 or older.
Economy
When the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, also known as
MECC
The Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (later Corporation), most commonly known as MECC, was an organization founded in 1971 best known for developing the edutainment video game series ''The Oregon Trail (series), The Oregon Trail'' and i ...
, existed, its headquarters were in Brooklyn Center.
Brooklyn Center is home to regional favorite
Surly Brewing Company.
Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy is a martial arts training center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. It was founded in 1992 by Greg Nelson, a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler at the University of Minnesota.
History
The Academy provides training in ...
, now known simply as the Academy, an
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
training center, is in Brooklyn Center. It has trained such notable fighters as
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competitor ...
and
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
.
Brooklyn Center is home to the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
's new Minneapolis field office, which began construction in August 2010.
Top employers
According to Brooklyn Center's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Government
Brooklyn Center is in
Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey countie ...
.
Law enforcement
The Brooklyn Center Police Department was established in 1953, the city having previously had elected constables and appointed marshals. The department has about 47 sworn police officers; press reports indicate that none of them live in the city.
The department is organized into a number of divisions and units:
* Administration Division
* Community Services Division
**Juvenile Crime Unit
**Street Crimes Unit
* Investigations Division
**Violent Offender's Task Force Officer
**Auto Theft Prevention Officer
* Patrol Division
* Records & Property Division
Education
Globe University and Minnesota School of Business was a for-profit school network that Minnesota stopped from operating in the state in 2016, and of which all locations permanently closed by 2017 because it lost its federal student aid.
Notable people
*
Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon is an American film and television director. Her directorial television credits include '' Party of Five'', '' Sports Night'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''The Practice'', ''Grounded for Life'', '' The Loop'', '' White Collar'', ''Burn Notice ...
– TV/film director (''
Joe Dirt
''Joe Dirt'' is a 2001 American adventure comedy film, directed by Dennie Gordon (in her feature film directorial debut), starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Adam Beach, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Eri ...
'', ''
What a Girl Wants'', ''
New York Minute'')
*
Marcus Harris – former college football player, and a Brooklyn Center High School alum, was an
All-American wide receiver, played for the
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...
, and won the 1996
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
as the best college wide receiver in the nation.
*
Don Kramer
Don Kramer is an American comics artist. He has worked for both Marvel and DC, as well as on independent projects. Titles at DC include a Doctor Fate miniseries with Chris Golden, '' JSA'' with Geoff Johns and a run on '' Detective Comics'' wit ...
– Minnesota state senator and businessman
*
John Wingard - farmer and Minnesota state representative
References
Further reading
* A Church Grows in Brooklyn: A History of Two Hundred Years of Methodism in America, a History of the One Hundred Thirty Years of Brooklyn United Methodist Church. Brooklyn Center, Minn: Brooklyn United Methodist Church, 1984.
*Hallberg, Jane, Leone Howe, and Mary J. Gustafson. History of the Earle Brown Farm. Brooklyn Center, Minn.: Brooklyn Historical Society, 1996.
*Hoisington, Daniel John (2001). The Brooklyns: A history of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. ''Brooklyn Center Historical Society'', .
*Snodgrass, Pat. Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. Chicago, IL: Arcadia Pub, 2009.
External links
City of Brooklyn Center official website
{{authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Hennepin County, Minnesota
Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
Populated places established in 1852
1852 establishments in Minnesota Territory