Erskine is a city in Polk 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 ...

. The population was 403 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the

Greater Grand Forks The Greater Grand Forks (officially the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan statistical area), as defined by the Census Bureau as comprising all of Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota, anchored by the twin cities of G ...

region.

History

Erskine was laid out in 1889, and named for George Quincy Erskine, a Minnesota banker. A post office has been in operation at Erskine since 1889.

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 an area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

The population of Erskine was more than 800 in the 1920s. It hovered above 600 until the late 1960s, dipped to 571 (1970) and 585 (1980), and then plunged to 424 (1990), 428 (1995), and 437 (2000).

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 503 people, 234 households, and 131 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 273 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 2.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 2.4% 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 2.0% of the population. There were 234 households, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.0% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 38 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 18.2% were from 45 to 64; and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 437 people, 203 households, and 111 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 250 housing units, with an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.99%

, 0.23%

, 5.49% Native American, and 2.29% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population. The ethnicity of Erskine residents was as follows: · Norwegian – 48% · German – 13% · Swedish – 12% · Chippewa – 4% · American Indian tribes, specified – 4% · Irish – 4% · Russian – 3% · Danish – 3% · French (except Basque) – 2% · Scottish – 2% · American Indian tribes, not specified – 2% · Italian – 1% · English – 1% · Scandinavian – 1% Of the 203 households, 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 42.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 77.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,771, and the median income for a family was $35,278. Males had a median income of $33,333 versus $19,375 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 $18,122. About 17.3% of families and 18.1% 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 37.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Erskine's town festival is known as the Erskine Water Carnival and held in early June. The Erskine Fish, the concrete statue that is the world's largest

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...

and the town's principal tourist attraction, is on a lawn in a small park on the shore of Cameron Lake, just down the street from downtown Erskine. In addition, it is the center of a community of

Russian Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists (Russian: староверы, ''starovery'' or старообрядцы, ''staroobryadtsy'') is the common term for several religious groups, which maintain the old liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian ...

estimated at between 50 and 100 families. The

Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists ( Russian: староверы, ''starovery'' or старообрядцы, ''staroobryadtsy'') is the common term for several religious groups, which maintain the old liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian ...

began moving to Erskine around 1998 to escape a farming crisis and suburban sprawl that threatened their community near

Woodburn, Oregon Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley between Portland, Oregon, ...

Parks, recreation and public facilities

The Rydell National Wildlife Refuge is along County Road 238 about west of Erskine and miles south of U.S. Highway 2. The Oak Lake Golf Course is just east of town at the intersection of Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 59. The best local resort and fishing areas are Maple Lake, a lake near

Mentor Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

, and Maple Bay, as well as Union Lake and Lake Sarah, a few miles south of Erskine. Erskine's sewage was dumped into Cameron Lake until the

Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the primary respo ...

of 1970 forced the town to redirect its sewage to the new sewer plant near Badger Lake. Former residents and old-timers recall that the shores of Cameron Lake were littered with dead fish in the old days. Today the lake is much cleaner, and with the rising costs of lakeshore property in the area, there is an increase in development on the lakeshore.

Schools

Erskine is served by a consolidated multi-community K–12 school district known as "Win-E-Mac

which represents McIntosh, Minnesota, McIntosh and Winger in addition to Erskine. A vocational and technical college is in

Thief River Falls Thief River Falls, sometimes abbreviated as TRF, is a city and county seat of Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. History Thief River Falls takes its name fro ...

. The nearest four-year colleges in the vicinity include a branch campus of the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in Crookston and

Bemidji State University Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Coll ...

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 2022 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,946, makin ...

, in addition to the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

Grand Forks Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the state, after Fargo and Bismarck. Grand For ...

and

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...

in Fargo.

Media

Telephone and internet service

The oldest telephone cooperative in the state, Garden Valley Telephone Company, is headquartered in Erskine and serves most of northwestern Minnesota. It was formed to provide telephone coverage to the region at a time when it was difficult to get phone service to the area. Garden Valley Telephone Company now provides internet service, although other

ISP An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non ...

s also serve the area. The Erskine telephone prefix is 687, formerly Murray 7, and the area code is 218.

Newspapers

Erskine is home to the ''Erskine Echo'', a weekly newspaper that began publishing before 1900. Other weekly papers include the '' McIntosh, Minnesota, McIntosh Times'' and '' The 13 Towns'' (published in Fosston for the 13 townships of eastern Polk County). Area daily papers include the '' Crookston Times'', ''

Grand Forks Herald The ''Grand Forks Herald'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, established in 1879, published in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It is the primary daily paper for northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Its average daily circula ...

'', '' The Forum'', ''

The Bemidji Pioneer ''The Bemidji Pioneer'' is an American, English language newspaper headquartered in Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minnesota. It was founded in 1896 and is currently owned by the Forum Communications Company out of Fargo, North Dakota. The ''Bemidj ...

'', and the ''

Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

'', available by subscription and in vendor boxes.

Radio and television

Erskine has no radio or television stations, but nearby Fosston is home to three radio stations. Radio and TV stations from

, Crookston,

, Fargo, and

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

can be picked up in Erskine.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Erskine is just west of the intersection of U.S. Highway 59 and four-lane U.S. Highway 2, and about east of

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in North Dakota, third-most populous ...

, and north of

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

at Fergus Falls.

Air transport

The nearest airports with commercial service are Bemidji ( east), Thief River Falls ( north) and Grand Forks ( west). An uninstrumented grass airfield known as the Erskine Airport was in operation from 1954 until the early 1970s, but no longer exists. Nearby Fosston ( east) and Crookston ( west) both have private aviation airfields.

Rail transport

At the historic junction of the Great Northern Railway and the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway , one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Saul ...

, Erskine used to appear prominently on many national railroad maps and atlases that omitted much larger cities and towns in the vicinity. Both lines are still in place today, with the Great Northern tracks now owned by the

BNSF Railway 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 railroad, transcontine ...

and the Soo Line tracks by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

. Erskine's freight depot, while still standing, is closed for business, and rail passenger service was discontinued many years ago.

Bus services

Greyhound Bus Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as intercity buses in Mexico. B ...

no longer serves Erskine, but Jefferson Lines has taken over the Fargo-Minneapolis route it served. The Tri-Valley Heartland Express Bus provides scheduled weekly or biweekly service to Crookston, Bemidji, Thief River Falls and other destinations for seniors and others on an advance reservation basis.

Business and manufacturing

Historic businesses

Until 1980, Erskine was mostly a service community for the local agricultural community. In the early 1900s, the town had four

grain elevator A grain elevator or grain terminal is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lowe ...

s, an ice plant, a

lumber mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimens ...

and several

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shops. Even as late as 1980, the town businesses included a

, a

creamery A creamery or cheese factory is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has ...

, a

lumber yard A lumber yard is a location where lumber and wood-related products used in construction and/or home improvement projects are processed or stored. Some lumber yards offer retail sales to consumers, and some of these may also provide services s ...

, a fuel delivery service, and several farm implement dealers, junkyards and repair shops. As family farming in the area declined, the agricultural services component has diminished as larger growers took their supply and services business to larger communities.

Erskine Attachments

Erskine was once the home of Erskine Attachments, formerly known as Erskine Manufacturing Company, established in 1948. The company began as a manufacturer of heavy equipment snowblowers and grain hitch elevators before changing its name to Erskine Attachments when it began manufacturing a line of Skid Steer Attachments for the Ingersoll Rand Bobcat company. Now private, Erskine Attachments manufactures more than 40 skid steer attachments including brush mowers, snowblowers, blades, buckets, grapples, post drivers, stump grinders, tree shears, and others that fit all skid steers and some front-end loaders that utilize the skid steer style quick attach mechanism. Erskine Attachments was used as a pilot for the Minnesota JOBZ incentive program to revitalize Minnesota's manufacturing opportunities and has been referenced for its continuance as a viable success story. Erskine Attachments is now just outside of Fosston.

Other businesses

Other significant employers include Garden Valley Telephone Company and the Pioneer Memorial Care Center, a nursing home and retirement community. In 2008, Crookston-based Agassiz Energy, LLC, announced that it had indefinitely postponed its plans for a $58.5 million

ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...

plant at the junction of the former Great Northern and Soo Line railroads, near the interchange of U.S. Routes 59 and 2.

Notable people

* Hector A. Hanson, Minnesota state legislator *

Roger Moe Roger Moe (born June 2, 1944) is an American politician who served as a member and majority leader of the Minnesota Senate. He was the Democratic nominee for governor in the 2002 Minnesota gubernatorial election. Early life and education Born ...

, Minnesota state legislator *

Jan Narveson Jan Narveson (; born 1936) is professor of philosophy emeritus at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. An anarcho-capitalist and contractarian, Narveson's ideology is deeply influenced by the thought of Robert Nozick and D ...

, professor of philosophy

References

External links

City of Erskine – Official Website

* [https://archive.today/20130125035609/http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1G1:55182089&refid=ink_tptd_np_test2&skeyword=&teaser= A 1999 Article Explaining How and Why the Old Believers moved to Erskine]
Win-E-Mac School District website
{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Polk County, Minnesota Old Believer communities in the United States Russian communities in the United States Russian-American culture in Minnesota