Soudan 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in Breitung Township, 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. As of the 2010 census, its population was 446. The community is located immediately east of the city of

Tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

on State Highway 1 ( MN 1) and State Highway 169 ( MN 169). It is the home of ''McKinley Park'', a park and campground operated by Breitung Township, named in honor of former

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

, who was in office from 1897 to 1901. The

Soudan Underground Mine State Park The Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park is a Minnesota state park at the site of the Soudan Underground Mine, on the south shore of Lake Vermilion, in the Vermilion Range (Minnesota). The mine is known as Minnesota's oldest, dee ...

is located nearby. The park contains the University of Minnesota's Soudan Underground Laboratory which houses detectors, including MINOS, over 700 meters below the surface of the Earth. Both the mine and the underground laboratory are open for tours. It has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

with the ZIP code 55782.

Demographics

History

The village of Soudan was established March 3, 1885. Soudan obtained its name from D. H. Bacon, general manager of the Soudan Underground mine. Bacon said that the severe winter cold is a strong contrast with the tropical heat of the Soudan (or Sudan) region in Africa, according to the online resource "Minnesota Place Names" from the Minnesota Historical Society. The village had a post office, established as Tower Mines in 1887 and changed to Soudan in 1888; associated with Tower Junction. Soudan has since returned to being an unincorporated community. The first mining exploration of the area took place in 1865. According to the 1905 Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota, the first mining done in northern Minnesota took place at Soudan in 1882. The Duluth & Iron Range Railroad had been built to the area. In 1886 the road was sold to the Minnesota Iron Company, which was absorbed into the Federal Steel Company and then into the

United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

(operated by the Oliver Mining Company). In 1903, the town was described as being located on the property of the mining company and no stores or saloons were allowed. The number of mine workers varied between 500 and 700 men. Darby Nelson (1940-2022), writer and politician, was born in Soudan.Darby Miles Nelson-obituary
/ref>

References

* Rand McNally Road Atlas – 2007 edition – Minnesota entry * Official State of Minnesota Highway Map – 2011/2012 edition

External links

Lake Vermilion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park
(Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) {{authority control Census-designated places in Minnesota Census-designated places in St. Louis County, Minnesota Mining communities in Minnesota 1885 establishments in Minnesota Populated places established in 1885

Demographics

History

See also

References

External links