Wadena, Minnesota
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Wadena ( ) is a city in Otter Tail and Wadena counties in the
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
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 ...
. It is about one hundred sixty miles northwest of the
Minneapolis – Saint Paul Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 census, it is the state's most populous city. Located in the state's center near the eastern border, it ...
metro area. The population was 4,325 at the 2020 census. It is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Wadena County. Wadena is an agricultural community and serves as a region hub for the Tri county area. Wadena is located at the crossroads of Highway 10 and Highway 71.


History

The first permanent settlement at Wadena was made in 1871. The city is named after Chief Wadena, an
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
Indian chief of the late 19th century in northwestern Minnesota. A post office has been in operation at Wadena since 1873. Wadena was incorporated in 1881. Four properties in Wadena are listed 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 ...
: the Commercial Hotel built circa 1885, the Wadena Fire and City Hall built in 1912, the Northern Pacific Passenger Depot built in 1915, and the Peterson-Biddick Seed and Feed Company built 1916–1936.


2010 tornado

On June 17, 2010, Wadena was hit by an EF-4 tornado that cut a quarter-mile-wide path of destruction through the town. The Wadena tornado was part of the largest single day tornado outbreak in Minnesota state history, 48 tornados were recorded that day. The tornado that struck Wadena was over a mile wide at its peak, packed winds of up to 170 miles per hour, and was on the ground for about 10 miles. At least 232 homes were damaged in the city accounting for roughly 30% of homes in the city. Though no one in the town was killed, 34 people were treated for injuries at local hospitals. The Community Center was damaged "beyond repair", and the high school was also severely damaged. Both were later torn down and rebuilt. The city continues to recover with roughly 20 lots abandoned throughout the city. City officials are encouraging rebuilding by offering tax free land incentives. The Wadena Tornado was covered extensively on the December 1, 2010, episode of the
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series ''
Storm Chasers Storm chaser or stormchaser may refer to: Weather * Storm chasing, the pursuit of any severe weather condition * Storm chaser, colloquial term referring to scammers who enter areas recently afflicted by disasters offering false or shoddy servi ...
''. In the aftermath of the tornado, students from the high school attended classes at the Wadena campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College, at a school that was previously no longer in use in nearby Deer Creek (Deer Creek having consolidated with Wadena in 1991), and at the Wadena Elementary School. In order to accommodate the high school students, some early childhood classes at the Elementary School were further moved to Saint Ann's Catholic School. Outdoor athletics were largely unaffected, but home volleyball and basketball games were played in the Elementary School gymnasium. In fall of 2012, a new Middle-High School was opened.


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 , all of it land. U.S. Highways 10 and 71 and Minnesota State Highway 29 are three of the main routes in the city.


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 4,088 people, 1,840 households, and 1,013 families living 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 2,010 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.6%
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 ...
, 1.6%
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 ...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.8% 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 1.4% of the population. There were 1,840 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.9% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 42 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.


2000 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 2000, there were 4,294 people, 1,871 households, and 1,062 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,964 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.88%
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 ...
, 0.84%
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 ...
, 0.28% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.16% from other races, and 0.63% 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 0.61% of the population. There were 1,871 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% 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 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,947, and the median income for a family was $39,511. Males had a median income of $28,286 versus $21,297 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,452. About 10.3% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.


Media


Television

Wadena is served by three local TV stations: * KCCW Ch. 12
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
(
Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...
) * KAWB Ch. 22
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
( Brainerd) * KSAX Ch. 42 ABC (
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
) The local cable TV providers are Spectrum Cable and Arvig Communications.


Radio

Wadena is served by three local radio stations:


Newspapers

* Wadena Pioneer Journal


Arts and culture

With over 100 hand-painted murals decorating downtown buildings, Wadena depicts 1,000 years of Minnesota history known as the "Largest Puzzle in the World". The Alley Arts Committee beautified the alleys while creating an interesting tourist attraction. Over 40 artists worked together to finish the collection of 100 puzzle panels. Group guided tours are available along with a map at the train depot. During the 2015 Christmas season, Wisconsin-based group Freedom From Religion threatened legal action against the city of Wadena over the display of a city-owned nativity in a city park. To avoid a lawsuit, the city sold the nativity to a private buyer who was able to feature it in an even more prominent, privately owned location. As a result of the actions of the Freedom From Religion, many nativity scenes sprang up around the city, estimated to be over 1,000 in total. The former site of the city-owned nativity was rented out a day at a time by individuals who were legally able to display a nativity. The story captured the attention of national media outlets. Wadena is home to the Cozy Theatre, which in addition to showing contemporary films, hosts a film festival.


Economy

The city's economy is largely driven by a mix of manufacturing, agriculture, and small businesses, which collectively contribute to its growth and resilience. Wadena is home to several trucking logistics companies as its strategic location along major transportation routes, facilitates the distribution of goods and services. The manufacturing sector in Wadena encompasses a range of businesses, including laser machinery manufacturing and outdoor furniture.


Notable people

* Don A. Anderson, businessman and Minnesota state legislator * Ernest P. Anderson, businessman and Minnesota state legislator * Frank C. Mars, founder of
Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated (doing business as Mars Inc.) is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services founded on June 23, 1911, headquartered in McLean, Virgini ...
, was born in Hancock, Minnesota but lived in Wadena around the time of his son Forrest's birth in 1904. *
Forrest Mars Sr. Forrest Edward Mars Sr. (March 21, 1904 – July 1, 1999) was an American billionaire businessman and the driving force of the candy company Mars Inc. in 1911 as well as founder of Pedigree Petfoods in 1957 He is best known for introducing Milky ...
, son of Frank C. Mars and eventual owner of
Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated (doing business as Mars Inc.) is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services founded on June 23, 1911, headquartered in McLean, Virgini ...
and
M&M's M&M's are color-varied sugar-coated dragée chocolate confectionery by the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars Inc.. The candy consists of a candy shell surrounding a filling which determines the specific type of M&M's. Each piece has ...
, was born in Wadena but moved away as a child. *
Jack McBride John F. "Jack" McBride (November 30, 1901 – October 11, 1966) was an American football player who played the positions of halfback, fullback, and quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. ...
, Alaskan legislator, born in Wadena


Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
’s ''
Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...
'', which operates between
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
/
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
and
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, passes through the town on
BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...
tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Staples, to the southeast.


Images

Wadena Depot.jpg, Wadena Depot Former Fire and City Hall, Wadena Minnesota-02.jpg, Old Fire and City Hall Post Office, Wadena Minnesota-02.jpg, Post Office Jefferson Street looking N at Bryant Avenue, Wadena, Minnesota.jpg, Jefferson Street looking N at Bryant Avenue Cozy Theater, Wadena Minnesota-01.jpg, Cozy Theater Water tower, Wadena, Minnesota.jpg, Water tower


References


External links


City Website
{{Coord, 46, 26, 33, N, 95, 08, 10, W, type:city_region:US-MN, display=title Cities in Otter Tail County, Minnesota Cities in Wadena County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Populated places established in 1871 1871 establishments in Minnesota