Marine on St. Croix or Marine on Saint Croix ( ) is a city in Washington County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States. The population was 689 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1839 as Marine Mills. The city was the site of the first commercial sawmill on the St. Croix River. A substantial portion of the city is listed as a historic district on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and by the state of Minnesota.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water. Minnesota State Highway 95 serves as a main route in the community. The city is located at 45.19804 N, 92.77316 W.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 689 people, 302 households, and 196 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 348 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 302 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 50 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 13.2% were from 25 to 44; 42% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 602 people, 254 households, and 178 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 290 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.34%

, 0.33%

, 0.17% Asian, and 1.16% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population. There were 254 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were

living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 35.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $66,250, and the median income for a family was $77,633. Males had a median income of $51,705 versus $37,232 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $32,383. About 3.1% of families and 2.8% 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 ...

, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

History

Marine on St. Croix was founded in 1839 as Marine Mills. The city was the site of the first commercial sawmill on the St. Croix River. The sawmill was built by

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

lumbermen David Hone and Lewis Judd, who saw the opportunity to cut the St. Croix River valley's abundant white pine. They named the mill after their hometown of Marine, Illinois. The mill began operation in August 1839, making it the first commercial sawmill within Minnesota. It was first powered by water and then by steam, and it operated through 1895. Over of lumber was milled through this sawmill. Although the frame buildings were demolished and the sawmill equipment was sold, footings of the buildings are still visible. The Marine Mill site is now a historic site operated by the

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...

. The Village of Marine Mills incorporated in 1950 as the City of Marine on St. Croix. The city retains several historic sites in addition to the Marine Mill, such as the General Store, built in 1870; the Stone House Museum, built in 1872; the Village Hall, built in 1888; the Lutheran Church; and the Fire Hall.

Marine on St. Croix Historic District

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

in Marine on St. Croix was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for having state-level significance in the themes of architecture, commerce, exploration/settlement, and industry. It was nominated as the birthplace of Minnesota's lumber industry and for its representation of two separate but interdependent waves of immigration that created the town. The district encompasses three distinct areas: the original business district bounded by Oak, 5th, and Mill Streets; the residential area of the Yankee business owners on the bluffs to the north, now bisected by Highway 95; and the residential areas of the Swedish working class, initially on the low areas to the north and south of the village center, and later on the bluff to the west. 60 buildings and three sites of ruins were identified as the contributing properties to the historic district in 1974.

Politics

Notable people

* Marjorie Edgar (1889–1960), folklorist and Girl Scout leader * Walter Kirn (1962-), novelist, literary critic, essayist * Ellen Torelle Nagler (1870–1965), biologist, author, lecturer * Butch Thompson (1943-2022), Jazz pianist

References

External links

City websiteMarineOnStCroix.comWashington County Barn Quilt Trail
- is a 16.4 mile (or 26.39 kilometers) route that winds through the beautiful communities of Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, and the Town of May in Minnesota. Along the way, there are 18 barn quilts that are based on quilt patterns in the book ''The Quiltmaker's Gift''. The founder of the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail, Olivia Nienaber, wanted a theme that would tie the quilts together. At the time she began developing the concept for the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail in 2015, she was 12 years old. {{DEFAULTSORT:Marine On Saint Croix, Minnesota 1839 establishments in Iowa Territory Cities in Minnesota Cities in Washington County, Minnesota Historic districts in Minnesota Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Minnesota