Willow River is a city in Pine 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 ...

, United States, at the confluence of the

Kettle A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a device specialized for boiling water, commonly with a ''lid'', ''spout'', and ''handle''. There are two main types: the ''stovetop kettle'', which uses heat from a cooktop, hob, and the ...

and

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

Rivers. The population was 415 at the 2010 census.

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

, County Road 43, and County 61 (Cross Street) are three of the main routes in the community.

History

The first known settlement in what was to become the Village of Willow River, at the junctions of the Willow and Kettle Rivers, was an encampment of Indigenous Ojibwe peoples. In July 1850, a roadway connecting the upper

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

and the

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

country, named the Point Douglas to St. Louis River Road, and more commonly known as the government military road, went from just south of St. Paul to

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

. Willow River was chosen as a changing station for the coach horses. In 1861 the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad was organized with the financial help of

Jay Cooke Jay Cooke (August 10, 1821 – February 16, 1905) was an American financier who helped finance the Union war effort during the American Civil War and the postwar development of railroads in the northwestern United States. He is generally acknowle ...

. It was only in August 1879 that the completed line from St. Paul to Duluth was opened. The railroad helped settle and promote living in the northern part of Minnesota. The railroad also promoted the lumber industry. Many towns and villages, including Willow River, were organized once a lumber company set up shop. In March 1874, the Kettle River Township was organized and Willow River at this time consisted of a railroad depot, water tank, wood yard, and two section houses built for the railroad hands. Pine County records show that the three sections of land that would eventually make up the village of Willow River were homesteaded by Edward Clough, Albert Kinney, Peter Jarvis, Joseph Nebula, and Richard Abbott. In 1886, Abbott sold his section of land to the Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company. In 1888, Jarvis sold his section to Fox-Wisdom. In the spring of 1890, Warren D. Fox and John Wisdom opened the Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company in Willow River. The company then platted the land to build their business and offer lots for employees. By 1895, Kinney had leased his land to Fox-Wisdom, and Clough had sold all but 80 acres of his section in the northern part of the village. Joseph Nebula's section was past the lake and likely unusable to the company. The Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company sawmill was constructed and opened in March 1890. It was located on the south side of the present day Willow River dam. To ease the flow of logs, dams were built along the river to store water. There were as least three built and maintained by Fox-Wisdom. They were known as the "Mile and a Half," the "Willow Lake," and the "Oak Lake" dams. Sawmill operations began in the early spring and continued until the freeze-up of the mill pond. The mill produced lumber, lath, and shingles employing about 125 men. The mill cut 125,000 feet of lumber per day during their peak season. Many who worked in the logging camps during the winter came to the mill to work in the spring. On May 8, 1891, the village plat was filed in Pine County. The Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company and its employees made up the majority of property owners. Willow River, like many other villages in northern Minnesota, owed its existence to the lumber industry. In November 1891, Willow River was incorporated as a village by a vote of 37 to 18 in the upstairs hall of the Fox-Wisdom Company store.WILLOW RIVER: Flowing Through the Century written by Coral Popowitz, 1991, published by Kanabec Publications-Mora, Minnesota

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 , of which is land and is water.

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 415 people, 173 households, and 103 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 199 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 1.4% Native American, 0.2% from other races, 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 2.2% of the population. There were 173 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% 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, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 35.1 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 301 people, 130 households, and 69 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 155 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.88%

, 4.53% Native American, 0.97% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.94% of the population. There were 129 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.37. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,938, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $37,656 versus $25,417 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 $16,620. About 16.1% of families and 16.9% 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 21.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 18.6% of those 65 or over.

Notable person

Ernie Nevers Ernest Alonzo Nevers (June 11, 1902 – May 3, 1976), nicknamed "Big Dog", was an American professional football and baseball player and football coach. Widely regarded as one of the best football players in the first half of the 20th century, ...

, professional football player

References

{{authority control Cities in Pine County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota