Breitung Township is a township in 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. The population was 605 at the 2010 census. State Highway 1 ( MN 1) and State Highway 169 ( MN 169) serve as the main route in the township. The unincorporated community of Soudan is located within Breitung Township. Breitung Township is located along part of

Lake Vermilion Lake Vermilion is a shallow freshwater lake in northeastern Minnesota, United States. The Ojibwe originally called the lake Nee-Man-Nee, which means “the evening sun tinting the water a reddish color”. French fur traders translated this to th ...

. 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 ...

is nearby.

History

The township is named after Edward Breitung, who was a miner from

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

and a former U.S. Representative from that state; in the 1880s, he helped to develop the Soudan Mine in the township.

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 within Breitung Township.

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 t ...

, the township has a total area of ; is land and , or 40.80%, is water. Stuntz Bay, Armstrong Bay, Bass Bay, and Canfield Portage Bay of Lake Vermilion are located within Breitung Township.

Adjacent townships, cities, and communities

The following are adjacent to Breitung Township : * The city of

(west) * Greenwood Township (west) * Fortune Bay (west) * Eagles Nest Township (east) *

Bear Head Lake State Park Bear Head Lake State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, providing ready access to outdoor recreation in the Boundary Waters region. It boasts scenery similar to the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with the added co ...

(east-southeast) *

Bear Island State Forest The Bear Island State Forest is a state forest in Minnesota bordered by the towns of Ely, Babbitt Babbitt may refer to: Fiction * ''Babbitt'' (novel), a 1922 novel by Sinclair Lewis ** ''Babbitt'' (1924 film), a 1924 silent film based on th ...

(southeast) * Kugler Township (south) * The unincorporated community of Wahlsten (south) * Vermilion Lake Township (southwest) * The unincorporated community of Peyla (southwest)

Census-designated place (CDP)

* Soudan – Unincorporated community

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 662 people, 292 households, and 190 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 523 housing units at an average density of 22.7/sq mi (8.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.89%

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, 0.45%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.76% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.15% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.45% from two or more races.

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Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.45% of the population. There were 292 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.75. In the township the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $40,750, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $40,000 versus $29,107 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 township was $20,134. About 10.9% of families and 17.3% 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 31.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Breitung Township History
{{authority control Townships in St. Louis County, Minnesota Townships in Minnesota