Cook is a city in Saint Louis County,

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. The population was 515 at the 2010 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 Lake Vermilion is a shallow freshwater lake in northeastern Minnesota, United States. The Ojibwe originally called the lake Nee-Man-Nee, which means “the evening sun tinting the water a reddish color”. French fur traders translated this to th ...

History

The city of Cook was known initially as ''Little Fork'', because of the river of the same name that runs through the city,"Chronology: Cook", http://www.cookmn.com/L-History.htm 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 Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the G ...

". 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 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 , all land.

Demographics

2019 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 2019, there were 515 people, 268 households, and 134 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 306 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.0%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 4.9% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.3% 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 2.4% 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 ...

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 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 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, 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

was 790.1 people per square mile (304.0/km²). There were 302 housing units at an average density of 383.6 per square mile (147.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.78%

, 0.16%

, 1.61% Native American, 0.80% from

, and 0.64% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.64% of the population. 20.3% were of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 16.7%

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

, 13.9%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 12.7%

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, 6.6%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and 4.9%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry. There were 275 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were

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 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 $15,848. About 9.5% of families and 13.0% 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 18.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

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 Noel Wien (June 8, 1899July 19, 1977) was an American pioneer aviator. He was the founder of Wien Alaska Airways. Biography Wien was born in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, but the family moved to a homestead in 1905, to a place now called Cook, Minne ...

, aviator

References

External links

Cook, Minnesota – City Government website

Cook Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in St. Louis County, Minnesota