Braham is a city in Isanti and Kanabec counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. The population was 1,769 at the 2020 census. Braham is 12 miles north of

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, 15 miles southwest of Pine City, 16 miles south-southeast of

Mora Mora may refer to: People * Mora (surname) Places Sweden * Mora, Säter, Sweden * Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality * Mora Municipality, Sweden United States * Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Mora, Minnesota, a city * M ...

, and 12 miles west of Rush City.

History

A post office called Braham has been in operation since 1891. The city was named by railroad officials.

Pie Day

Every year on the first Friday in August, the people of Braham celebrate ''Pie Day''. This celebration includes craft sales, music, food stands, games, and entertainment, and various types of pie. Braham was declared the Pie Capital of Minnesota by former Governor

Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota, serving a total of just over 10 years. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34t ...

in 1990. Braham became famous for its pie in the 1930s and 1940s when Minnesotans would take the "shortcut to

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

through Braham." While taking this "shortcut," people would stop in Braham and visit the Park Cafe, the cafe that made Braham pie famous. Pie Day began in July 1990, after

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

, as an ice-cream social for fundraising and other charitable activities. The date was changed to the first Friday in August when the

Isanti County Isanti County ( ) is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,135. Its county seat is Cambridge. History The county was formed on February 13, 1857. Its name came from the I ...

Historical Society took charge of the event in 1992.

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 a total area of , of which is land and is water. Braham is along Lower Stanchfield Branch.

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, there were 1,793 people, 708 households, and 457 families living 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 755 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.7%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4%

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% 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 2.1% 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 ...

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 1.1% of the population. There were 708 households, of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% 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, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% 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 3.09. The median age in the city was 30.5 years. 30.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29% were from 25 to 44; 19.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,276 people, 511 households, and 331 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 566 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.18%

, 0.31%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, 0.94% Native American, 0.31%

, and 1.25% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.24% of the population. There were 511 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8%

lived together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was dispersed with 29.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,830, and the median income for a family was $43,229. Males had a median income of $32,455 versus $22,750 for females. The

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 ...

for the city was $16,693. About 13.1% of families and 14% 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 18.1% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

Former basketball champions

Braham's boys

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team, the Bombers, won three straight Class AA state championships in 2004–2006. The girls

team won the 2011 Class AA state championship. The boys team won another state title in 2016.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

The following routes are located in the Braham area. *

Minnesota State Highway 65 Minnesota State Highway 65 (MN 65) is a highway in the east–central and northeast parts of the U.S. state of Minnesota, which starts at its split from I-35W, skipping past the downtown Minneapolis core, only to resume at the intersection with ' ...

* Minnesota State Highway 70 *

Minnesota State Highway 107 Minnesota State Highway 107 (MN 107) is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 65 in Stanchfield Township near Braham and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State H ...

Highways 65 and 107 are two of the main routes in Braham. Highway 70 is nearby.

County Roads

* Isanti County Road 4 * Isanti County Road 36

Notable people

* Robert C. Becklin - Minnesota state legislator and businessman *

Noah Dahlman Noah Dahlman (born April 4, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Gifu Swoops of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball at Wofford College, where he was an All-American. College career Dahlman came to Wofford ...

– Professional basketball player. *

Marlene Johnson Marlene Johnson (born January 11, 1946) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Minnesota, the first woman to hold the office. She was elected as the running mate of Governor Rudy Perpich and s ...

– First female Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. * Jerome P. Peterson - Minnesota state legislator and educator.'Jerome Peterson "J.P.-obituary,' Minneapolis Star-Tribune, February 4, 2018

References

External links

City Website

Braham Area Schools Official Website

Braham Pie Day Website

{{authority control Cities in Isanti County, Minnesota Cities in Kanabec County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota