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Northome, Minnesota One Place Study
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To add a profile to the study, insert the following text into the top of the Bio section:Most profiles should have one or both of these categories:
- [[Category:Northome, Minnesota]]
- [[Category:Forest Hill Cemetery, Northome, Minnesota]]
Name
Northome is a small town located in northern Minnesota, between Bemidji and International Falls, in the southwestern corner of Koochiching County. The name is a portmanteau of 'north' and 'home'. It is pronounced "nor'-thome". The nearby town of Kelliher is pronounced "kell'-yir", and north of that is Waskish, pronounced "Wash'-kish".
Koochiching County officially dissolved the townships, so the official U.S. Census designation for the surrounding area is the Unorganized Territory of Northome. This one-place study includes both the town and surrounding area, focusing first on the townships of Bridgie and Engelwood (which includes the town of Northome).
Geography
- Continent: North America
- Country: United States
- State/Province: Minnesota
- County: Koochiching
- GPS Coordinates: 47.873056, -94.278889
- Elevation: 1,440 ft (439 m)
Southwest Koochiching has arboreal forest mixed with cedar swamps and peat bogs. To the north of Northome is the Pine Island State Forest mixed with peatland SNAs (Scientific and Natural Area), a vast swampy, unpopulated area stretching nearly to the Canadian border 50 miles away. Sparsely populated land extends to the east and south. Modestly populated land is found to the southwest. There is a strong connection to the outdoor environment. Hunting, logging, farming, fishing, and snowmobiling are common activities. Winter air temperatures down to -40° (C or F) do not faze the locals.
Townships labeled in green no longer officially exist, but are still referred to by the locals.
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| Northome area population & townships |
History
The first Europeans in the Northome area started arriving possibly in the late 1880's. Some came in for unrecorded logging of pine trees, which were floated down river and collected. Settlers came in soon after. The paths at that time followed Indian trails, there were no roads that supported motorized travel. The nearest railroad ended at Tenstrike, to get to Northome people would walk the last 20 miles. Those living east of Northome walked farther.
The Department of Interior has this picture of a1930's Ojibwe summer house, made of bark
The township of Bridgie got its name from Bridget Moore, who started the first post office in the area in 1895 (she was not the first white child born in the township, despite some references). The adjoining Engelwood township got its name from the several Engelking families that were early settlers. The town of Northome is located on the west side of Engelwood township, near Bridgie Township.
At the turn of the century, the railroad was extended to Northome and beyond. The post office of Bridgie was not on the railroad path, so a new post office was established, called New Bridgie. Some sources say the town of Northome was originally called New Bridgie, but from early newspaper accounts these were two different locations that existed concurrently. New Bridgie was several miles SE of Northome (near the road now called Bridgie Road, previously called Orth). Northome was very briefly called Phena, then the town was established in 1903 as Northome. It was part of Itasca County before Koochiching County split off in 1906.
Logging companies with official claims came in, cutting the old-growth pine trees. Railroads with spur lines were created to haul out the logs. By the 1920's essentially all of the pine trees were gone, and farming families started outnumbering the loggers. They were often Norwegians, Swedes and from the British Isles. In the 1930's more farmers arrived, fleeing the Dust Bowl conditions in the Dakotas. This group was more often German, including Germans from Russia.
In 1950, the township governments were dissolved by the Koochiching County government (the only county in Minnesota to do so). Township names are still used by the locals. Logging continues to this day, but in smaller quantities and it has mostly switched to trees used for pulp to make paper.
Local Historical Sites
Smallpox Camp - A logging camp in Wildwood township, from the late 1800's or very early 1900's that had an outbreak of smallpox, and many loggers died. There is a mass grave on the site. This was not the first time smallpox hit a logging camp, there was resistance to the smallpox vaccine from loggers and logging camp owners. [1]
Lost 40 - A dozen miles to the south east, not far from Dora Lake, is the Lost 40. Actually 144 acres, it was never logged, due to a surveying mistake that identified it as part of a lake. This old growth pine forest has trails and is open to the public.[2]
Population
The population climbed until the 1940's, stayed essentially stable until the 1970's, and has been dropping since then. In the 2020 census, the population of Northome was 155, Mizpah was 58, and the surrounding area had about 500 people, over an area of 300 square miles (2.3 people per square mile).
The population is 96% white (primarily northern European as described in the History section) and 3% native American (the Ojibwe tribe). The Red Lake and Leech Lake Indian Reservations are nearby.
Given the remoteness of the area, and historically poor roads, the area has had low mobility. This resulted in a tight-knit community with shared experience, centered around the local school district. Despite the relatively short history of the community, most families have connections by marriage to at least some of the surrounding families.
Township Pages
Free-space pages for more information on the local townships:
- Bridgie
- Englewood
Statistics
This one One-Space Study was started Aug 15, 2023. By January 2024:
- There were 34 profiles linked to the study.
- The Northome, Minnesota category has 3 people, 2 subcategories and one page (this study).
- The Forest Hill Cemetery category has 20 person profiles.
- In Wikitree+, 73 profiles mention the place Northome, 10 with errors or suggestions, 13 have style issues according to Bio Check.
By January 2025:
- There were 66 profiles linked to the study
- The Northome, Minnesota category has 27 people, 2 subcategories and one page (this study).
- The Forest Hill Cemetery category has 48 person profiles.
- In Wikitree+, 120 profiles mention the place Northome, 12 with errors or suggestions, 3 have style issues according to Bio Check.
Ideally, the profiles in the study, profiles with Northome in the text, and profiles with the Northome category should all have similar numbers.
Sources
Potentially: Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
- ↑ MPR, Smallpox in lumber camps
- ↑ USDA Forest Service Lost 40
- Northome,_Minnesota on Wikipedia
- Koochiching County History pages
- Legislative Coordinating Commision-GIS Minnesota maps
- Genealogy Trails Koochiching County
- A lifetime of absorbing stories
