Northome is a city located in the southwestern corner of
Koochiching County
Koochiching County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,062. Its county seat is International Falls. A portion of the Bois Forte Indian Reservation is in the county. A small part of Voya ...
,
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 155 at the
2020 census.
The county seat is
International Falls
International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census.
International Falls is located on the Rainy River directly acro ...
, about away.
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...
and State Highways
1 and
46 meet in Northome.
Fair
The Northome Fairgrounds hold the annual Koochiching County Fair on the second weekend of August. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in August 2006.
Fair events include
* Mudding
* Fireworks
* "Scenic Sinkhole Scramble" (since 1982) - runs of a sanctioned 5k race and a 'fun run' of with a stroller category
* Animal and crafts judging and a related Bear Fest parade in the city of Northome.
* The fair grounds also has the "Harold Lowe Memorial Arena", a horse arena capable of hosting
barrel racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur a ...
and other equine activities
History
Northome was founded in 1903 and enjoyed a boom time early in the 20th century as a logging town.
By the 1930s the big white and red pines were gone and pine trees were essentially locally
extirpated
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
due to the unsustainable logging practices of the time,
and farming gained importance. Many farmers relocated here from the
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...
conditions in the Dakotas at that time.
The Burlington Northern Railroad had a depot in Northome until the 1980s, although passenger service discontinued in 1960. Today the abandoned railroad bed forms the ''Blue Ox'' section of a large network of snowmobile trails.
It is possible that the name "Northome" is derived from the Norwegian place name "Norheim", which is found in four places in Norway. The name literally means north home.
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.
Northome is located at (47.871986, -94.280248).
There are named former townships around Northome (Bridgie, Englewood, Wildwood, etc.) but in Koochiching County all townships are unorganized. Therefore, for Census and other government purposes, the city of Northome also lends its name to the surrounding
Unorganized Territory of Northome (approximately of SW Koochiching County, excluding Northome and Mizpah, with 500 people in the 2000 census).
Economy
Important sources of employment in the area include the Northome School, independent resorts, logging and farming, and the Shining Light Cafe. The local newspaper was the ''Northome Record'', produced from 1905 to 2007. Shortly after the ''Northome Record'' ceased the ''Northome Area News'' was created by a local family.
The nearest stop light is 40 miles away in
Bemidji
Bemidji ( ) is a city and the county seat of Beltrami County, in northern Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 at the 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,279, making it ...
, the regional shopping hub.
Wildlife
The town is on the shores of Bartlett Lake; to the south is Island Lake, popular for fishing and swimming. The lake holds
Northern Pike
The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
,
crappie
Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.
Etymology
The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...
,
perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Percif ...
, and Bull Head. Other smaller lakes are in the area as well, together supporting a variety of fish including walleye and northern pike. Unlike most of the rest of the Lower 48 states, timber wolves (the
grey wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly ...
) were never eradicated from this area,
and wolves can still be heard at night, though rarely seen.
Bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
s and
black bears are commonly sighted. There have also been occasional reports of
cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
sightings. This area is in the southern part of the
Taiga
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...
, or boreal forest, with a mix of
quaking aspen
''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...
(colloquially called ''popple''),
balsam fir
''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
,
cedar
Cedar may refer to:
Trees and plants
*''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae
*Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar
Places United States
* Cedar, Arizona
* ...
and others, including some remaining
white pine
''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...
and
Norway pine
''Pinus resinosa'', known as red pine (also Norway pine in Minnesota), is a pine native to North America.
Description
Red pine is a coniferous evergreen tree characterized by tall, straight growth. It usually ranges from in height and in trun ...
.
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 200 people, 89 households, and 53 families residing 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 104 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.0%
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 ...
, 1.0%
Native American, and 2.0% from two or more races.
There were 89 households, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the city was 49.7 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16% were from 25 to 44; 32% were from 45 to 64; and 23.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% 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, there were 230 people, 87 households, and 46 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 113 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.96%
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 ...
, 1.74%
Native American, and 1.30% from two or more races.
There were 87 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% 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, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 42.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 32.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 30.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 61.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,417, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $20,375 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 $14,758. About 13.0% of families and 24.2% 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 22.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.8% of those 65 or over.
Outdoor activities
Primary occupations in the area are logging timber, farming, healthcare and resorts/tourism. The largest single employer is the Northome School.
Fall brings the deer hunters and in the winter snowmobiling is a growing activity, supporting a small industry with a network of trails leading to nearby communities, including across the
Big Bog State Recreation Area
Big Bog State Recreation Area, a recent addition to the Minnesota state park system, is located on Minnesota State Highway 72, north of Waskish, Minnesota. It covers 9,459 acres (38.3 km2), primarily swamps, bogs, and upland "islands".
T ...
to
Waskish Township. Winters also support ice-fishing, as cold temperatures occasionally dipping down to −40° (F or C) create ice that can support small snowplows to clear roads on the lakes.
Media
Television
References
External links
City of Northome website - Link community calendar, etc.
Northome School website - Link District 363
collection of Northome information
{{authority control
Cities in Koochiching County, Minnesota
Cities in Minnesota
1903 establishments in Minnesota