Knife River is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Lake 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; located on the North Shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

. The community is located between

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

and Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Drive ( County 61), at the mouth of the Knife River, from which it gets its name. Knife River is located 8 miles southwest of the city of Two Harbors. The boundary line between

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

and Saint Louis counties is nearby. Knife River is located within Lake No. 2 Unorganized Territory of Lake County.

History

The community of Knife River was originally established in 1856 as ''Buchanan'', located on the west side of the

Knife River The Knife River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 120 mi (193 km) long, in North Dakota in the United States. Knife is an English translation of the Native American name. It rises in west central North Dakota, in ...

. A separate community of ''Mellie'', located on the east side of the river was platted in 1899 following the building of the Alger–Smith Lumber Company's railroad in 1898; Mellie changed its name to Knife River in 1903. The two communities incorporated themselves as the village of Knife River on October 2, 1909; but since have returned to being an unincorporated community. The SS ''Benjamin Noble'' foundered off Knife River in April 1914, with the loss of all hands.

References

Former municipalities in Minnesota Unincorporated communities in Minnesota Unincorporated communities in Lake County, Minnesota {{LakeCountyMN-geo-stub