Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji (/bəˈmɪdʒiː/ bə-MIJ-ee) is a city in Beltrami County (and county seat^[5]), in north west Minnesota, United States. According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the United States Census Bureau estimates the total population of Bemidji as of 2016 to be 14,664, making it the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth, Minnesota. Bemidji houses many Native American services, including the Indian Health Service. The city is the central hub of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, White Earth Indian Reservation and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Bemidji lies on the south west shore of Lake Bemidji, the northernmost lake feeding the Mississippi River and as such is deemed "The First City On The Mississippi." Bemidji is also the self-proclaimed "curling capital" of the U.S. and alleged birthplace of Paul Bunyan.

Bemidji, Minnesota
City
Statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
Flag
Nickname(s):  B-Town
Motto(s):  "The First City On The Mississippi"
Location of the city of Bemidji within Beltrami County in the state of Minnesota
Bemidji Location in the United States
Coordinates: 47°28′25″N 94°52′49″W / 47.47361°N 94.88028°W
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Beltrami
Incorporated	1896
Government
• Mayor	Rita Albrecht
Area [1]
• City	19.22 sq mi (49.77 km2)
• Land	14.34 sq mi (37.13 km2)
• Water	4.88 sq mi (12.64 km2)  8.63%
Elevation	1,365 ft (416 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• City	13,431
• Estimate  (2017)[3]	15,366
• Density	1,071.92/sq mi (413.87/km2)
• Urban	14,500 (roughly)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (Central)
ZIP code	56601
Area code(s)	218
FIPS code	27-05068
GNIS feature ID	0655325[4]
Website	www.ci.bemidji.mn.us

Etymology

Its name derives from the Ojibwe Buh-mid-ji-ga-maug (Double-Vowel orthography: bemijigamaag),^[6] meaning "a lake with crossing waters". On occasion, in Ojibwe, the city of Bemidji is called Wabigamaang ("at the lake channel/narrows"), because part of the city is situated on the Lakes Bemidji/Irving narrows, located on the south end of Lake Bemidji, and extends to the eastern shore of Lake Irving. Some sources also credit the name to Chief Bemidji, an Ojibwe chief.^[7]

History

Bemidji Township was surveyed in 1874 and organized in 1896 twenty-four days after the village of Bemidji was chartered and is the oldest township in the county. In 1897, the county attorney declared the original Bemidji township organization illegal (no reason given) and the township reorganized June 26, 1897.^[8]

Beltrami was created on February 28, 1866, by an act of legislation.

About 50 Leech Lake Indians lived along the south shore of the lake prior to the 1880s. They called the lake Bemidjigumaug, meaning “river or route flowing crosswise”. Freeman and Besty Doud claimed 160 acres west of and including, what is present Diamond Point, and were Bemidji's first homesteaders. The Porter Nye family soon followed them.

Art Lee created the story that the folkloric figure Paul Bunyan came from the Northwoods which then led to the creation of the statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Per Discover America, the Paul and Babe statues are "the second most photographed statues in America" surpassed only by Mount Rushmore.^[9] The Statue of Paul Bunyan was commissioned by the Bemidji's Rotarians as another tourist attraction. It was unveiled January 15, 1937, to kick off a Winter Carnival that drew over ten thousand visitors.

John Steidl's sawmill was located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, close to Carson's Trading Post. Remore Hotel and Carl Carlson's blacksmith shop were on the west side of the river. Bemidji was incorporated on May 20, 1896, and by that time there were three publishing companies, Alber Kaiser, The Bemidji Pioneer, and the Beltrami County News. William Bartleson's Stage and Express Service was created to carry mail between Bemidji and Park Rapids. He was advertised by Speelman's Eagle, owned by Clarence Speelman, along with other stores. By 1898, railroads came to Bemidji and brought even more business. By 1900 the Village of Bemidji's population had grown to 2,000.

Thomas Barlow Walker, John S. and Charles Pillsbury invested millions into timber in 1874, since beaver pelts were nearing depletion by the mid-1890s. Walker owned Red River Lumber Company of Crookston that claimed almost half of Beltrami County's timber. He soon sold his sawmill and timber claim to Thomas Shevlin and Frank Hixon. Logging was done in the winter while sawmilling was done in the summer. Crookston opened 13 logging camps, which provided jobs and homes for lumberjacks. Between 1907 and 1910 were years that brought drought and local forest fires to northern Minnesota. Lumber production was Bemidji's major industry, but because of a fire that occurred on July 19, 1914, a sawmill burned down causing disaster for business. It was later rebuilt. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Bemidji's business profited, providing food, materials, and services for the Civilian Conservation Corps and Youth Conservation Corps programs. However, during the war years lumber business stopped, but when men came back from war lumber business was booming, since many people needed homes.

By the 1870s, timber cruisers were already making forays into the great pine forests that surrounded Bemidji. They were seeking new timberlands for T.B. Walker, the Pillsburys, Henry Akeley, Charles Ruggles and Frederick Weyerhaeuser, the barons of the wood industry. Today Bemidji stands as an important educational, governmental, trade and medical center for north central Minnesota. The wood industry is still a significant part of the local economy with Georgia-Pacific, Potlatch and Northwood Panelboard all having waferboard plants in the local area, utilizing wood species that were once thought to be waste trees.^[10]

Parks and recreation

Bemidji is near Chippewa National Forest, Itasca State Park, Lake Bemidji State Park, Big Bog State Recreation Area, and state forest areas. Bemidji has 400 lakes within 25 miles (40 km), 500 mi (800 km) of snowmobile trails and 99 mi (160 km) of cross country ski trails.

There is a Paul Bunyan State Trail that runs from Brainerd, MN, and Lake Bemidji State Park. The trail can be used for walking, biking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.^[11] There is also a bike trail around Lake Bemidji that is about 17 miles. There is an event every year where families and individuals bike around the lake with rest stops along the way.^[12]

Art in the Park, hosted by Paul Bunyan Communications and Watermark Art Center is held every year in the Bemidji Library Park across from the Watermark Art Center. Art in the Park has been a summer highlight for the residents of Bemidji since 1967. Art in the Park features over 100 artists, food vendors, and live entertainment. They will sell anything from wood and ceramics, clothing and jewelry, photography, metalworking, greeting cards, homemade preserves, food, candles, soaps, and much more. The annual attendance rate is roughly 4,000 people.^[13]

Every year, in the first week of August, teams compete in the Dragon boat races. The races are not the only thing that people can enjoy. There are also many food vendors, kid's activities, music, cultural performances, and more. An interesting fact, dragon boat racing is currently the fastest growing water sport in the nation.^[14]

The Bemidji Polar Days, also known as Winterfest, is a week-long festival that includes many different activities such as polar plunge, sled derby, broomball, and a 5k polar walk/run. Some other activities that can be found at the festival include curling, pond hockey, and a cornhole tournament.^[15]

Bemidji is home to a couple more recreational events throughout the year. The Paul Bunyan Triathlon is the 3rd Saturday in August. The Minnesota Finlandia Ski Marathon is also held in Bemidji.^[16]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.14 square miles (36.62 km²), of which 12.92 square miles (33.46 km²) is land and 1.22 square miles (3.16 km²) is water.^[17]

Four-lane U.S. Route 2, U.S. Route 71, and Minnesota State Highway 197 are three of the main routes in the city. Minnesota State Highways 89 and 371 are nearby.

The largest earthquake on record for the Bemidji area was recorded on September 3, 1917. It is claimed that it shook houses down in Bemidji and across northern Minnesota.^[18] The epicenter was about 95 miles (153 km) away in Staples, Minnesota, and affected an area of 48,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi) with a magnitude 4.4 with a maximum intensity of VI to VII. The closest and most recent quake occurred in Walker, Minnesota, on September 27, 1982, with a magnitude of 2.0.^[19]

Climate

Bemidji has a hemiboreal humid continental climate, Dfb in the Köppen climate classification: short, warm summers, and long, severe winters. The average mean annual temperature in Bemidji is 37.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest month is January with an average daily high of 16 degrees and an average daily low of −4 degrees. The warmest month is July with an average daily high of 79 degrees and an average daily low of 57 degrees. The average annual humidity is 47%. The average annual snowfall is 41.1 inches and the average annual rainfall is 23.8 inches. The average day Lake Bemidji freezes over is November 26 and the average day the ice goes off the lake is April 26.

Annual snowfall in the Bemidji Area increased 5% in the 21st century vs. the 1930-1999 period, according to the National Weather Service.^[20]

Climate data for Bemidji, Minnesota 1981–2010 Normals, snowfall 1987–2018
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	52 (11)	60 (16)	72 (22)	95 (35)	94 (34)	94 (34)	101 (38)	101 (38)	98 (37)	95 (35)	73 (23)	56 (13)	101 (38)
Average high °F (°C)	16.3 (−8.7)	22.9 (−5.1)	34.6 (1.4)	50.8 (10.4)	64.5 (18.1)	72.9 (22.7)	77.4 (25.2)	75.2 (24.0)	65.5 (18.6)	51.6 (10.9)	34.4 (1.3)	20.3 (−6.5)	49.0 (9.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	5.9 (−14.5)	11.2 (−11.6)	24.2 (−4.3)	39.1 (3.9)	53.1 (11.7)	62.6 (17.0)	67.2 (19.6)	64.7 (18.2)	55.1 (12.8)	41.9 (5.5)	26.1 (−3.3)	11.5 (−11.4)	38.6 (3.7)
Average low °F (°C)	−4.6 (−20.3)	−0.4 (−18.0)	13.7 (−10.2)	27.4 (−2.6)	41.7 (5.4)	52.3 (11.3)	57.0 (13.9)	54.2 (12.3)	44.7 (7.1)	32.2 (0.1)	17.8 (−7.9)	2.7 (−16.3)	28.4 (−2.0)
Record low °F (°C)	−50 (−46)	−47 (−44)	−44 (−42)	−13 (−25)	11 (−12)	24 (−4)	37 (3)	30 (−1)	22 (−6)	2 (−17)	−30 (−34)	−45 (−43)	−50 (−46)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.73 (19)	0.66 (17)	1.09 (28)	1.78 (45)	3.05 (77)	4.38 (111)	3.95 (100)	3.21 (82)	3.10 (79)	2.54 (65)	1.35 (34)	0.79 (20)	26.63 (677)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	10.7 (27)	7.9 (20)	6.8 (17)	4.8 (12)	0.7 (1.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.1 (0.25)	1.7 (4.3)	6.1 (15)	7.9 (20)	46.7 (117.35)
Source #1: Climatography of the United States[21]
Source #2: XMACIS[22]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	2,183		—
1910	5,099		133.6%
1920	7,086		39.0%
1930	7,202		1.6%
1940	9,427		30.9%
1950	10,001		6.1%
1960	9,958		−0.4%
1970	11,490		15.4%
1980	10,949		−4.7%
1990	11,245		2.7%
2000	11,917		6.0%
2010	13,431		12.7%
Est. 2017	15,366	[3]	14.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[23] 2015 Estimate[24]

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 13,431 people, 5,339 households, and 2,557 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,039.6 inhabitants per square mile (401.4/km²). There were 5,748 housing units at an average density of 444.9 per square mile (171.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3% White, 1.2% African American, 11.3% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 5,339 households of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.1% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 27.1 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 26.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 17.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% 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 census of 2000, there were 11,917 people, 4,669 households, and 2,427 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,011.8 people per square mile (390.6/km²). There were 4,948 housing units at an average density of 420.1 per square mile (162.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.31% White American, 0.76% African American, 11.52% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.

There were 4,669 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.0% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% 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 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 24.9% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,072, and the median income for a family was $37,250. Males had a median income of $28,312 versus $20,694 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,264. About 13.2% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Industries	Number of Employees
Healthcare and social assistance	6,782
Retail Trade	2,669
Accommodation and food services	1,327
Professional, scientific, and technical services	760
Other services (except public administrations)	550
Finance and insurance	351
Information	343
Wholesale trade	335
Transportation and warehousing	222
Arts, entertainment, and reaction	165
Manufacturing	149
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	130
Educational services	109
Utilities	93
Real estate and rental and leasing	60

These are the top 15 industries in Bemidji. On the United States Census Bureau American Factfinder, some industries had a range of employees, so the average number of employees were used. Also, some industries such as healthcare and social assistance, professional, scientific, and technical services, other services, arts, entertainment, and reaction, and educational services were split into three different categories. The number of employees for the three categories was combined into one category.^[25]

Government

Mayor	Rita Albrecht
Council Ward 1	Michael Meehlhause
Council Ward 2	Roger Hellquist
Council Ward 3	Ron Johnson
Council Ward 4	Richard Lehmann
Council Ward 5	Nancy Erickson
Council at-large	Dave Larson

Bemidji's government is made up of a mayor and a council, with at least 5 council wards.^[26]

Culture

Bemidji is a college city with strong arts influences. The city's streets are lined with small shops and adorned with sculptures and other forms of public art.

The Concordia Language Villages are located near Bemidji and have been influential in the existence of several language conversational groups (including French, Chinese, Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, and German) that meet weekly in local coffee houses. An article written and published in the Bemidji Pioneer in 2018 states the Concordia's Korean Language Village received a five million dollar grant. The Korean village is the newest addition to the Concordia Language Villages.^[28]

In 2011, Red Lake Ojibwe Nation Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr. complimented the city for its Ojibwe language signage in places of business.^[29]

During the summer, the Paul Bunyan Playhouse operates a non-Equity, summer stock theater at the Chief Theater.^[30] In the same venue, Bemidji Community Theatre also provides live theatre for the Bemidji area when Paul Bunyan Playhouse is not in operation.^[31]

The statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are a popular tourist spot in Bemidji, with many people photographing themselves in front of them. The statues are right next to the Bemidji Tourist Information Center, where tourists can get information on activities, events, and attractions. The center also includes many artifacts of the lumberjack's legend. One cool thing that the information center has is a giant book that you can sign your name in; the names go back a long time. Finally, there is an ancient fireplace that was built with 900 stones from every state in the United States, most of every Canadian province, and Minnesota national parks.^[32]

Sports

The city is well known to fans of the sport of hockey. As a Division II team, Bemidji State was a hockey dynasty in the 80s and 90s. Bemidji was in the title game 8 straight years, winning 5 Div II titles. They then switched from a Division II team to a Division I team in 1999 and are still currently a Division I team. They have not won any division I titles.

Also, the city is known to fans of the sport of curling. Both men's and women's rinks from the Bemidji Curling Club won the right to represent the United States in the 2005 World Curling Championship and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Pete Fenson, the skip of the U.S. curling team that took the bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics, is a native of Bemidji, as is Natalie Nicholson, who was the lead for the United States women's team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A city referendum for a Bemidji Regional Events Center passed by a slim majority of 43 votes out of 4,583 votes cast in November 2006. Opening in 2010, the center was renamed the Sanford Center and serves as home to the Bemidji State University hockey team. The men's and women's hockey teams are both members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Beginning in the spring of 2014, the Sanford Center is the home of the city's first-ever professional sports team, the Minnesota Axemen of the Indoor Football League. They were terminated after the 2015 season.^[33]

From January 16th to January 19th, Bemidji hosted Hockey Day Minnesota a three day event aired on Fox Sports. The Bemidji High School and Bemidji State University boys and girls hockey teams both played on outdoor rinks outside of the Sanford Center. The Minnesota Wild team also played on the outdoor rinks

Education

Bemidji is home to Bemidji State University, Northwest Technical College, and Oak Hills Christian College. Public Education is served by Bemidji Area Schools is a part of the Independent School District 31 that includes 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. The rest of their public education schools include TrekNorth Charter High School, Voyagers Charter High School and Schoolcraft Charter School. Bemidji is also home to three private schools: St. Philips Catholic School, St. Mark's Lutheran School and Heartland Christian Academy.

Regional center

The City of Bemidji acts as a regional center for shopping, arts, entertainment, education, health services, worship, and government services. The Bemidji Area includes parts or all of Beltrami (Pop. 44,442), Hubbard (Pop. 20,428), Cass (Pop. 28,567), Itasca (Pop. 45,058), Koochiching (Pop. 13,311), Lake Of The Woods (Pop. 4,045), Marshall (Pop. 9,439), Pennington (Pop. 13,930), Red Lake (Pop. 4,089), Clearwater (Pop. 8,695), and Mahnomen (Pop. 5,413) counties. The Bemidji area also includes the White Earth (Pop. 9,192) and Leech Lake (Pop. 10,660) Reservations and the Sovereign Nation of Red Lake (Pop. 5,162). Lexington Realty International places the Bemidji Area population at 131,553.^[34]

Media

Newspapers

The Bemidji Pioneer is the local daily (except Mondays) newspaper.^[35] Now owned by Forum Communications Company, it was founded as a weekly in 1896.^[36]

TV stations

Most of Bemidji's TV stations primarily rebroadcast the television stations of the Twin Cities.

Channel	Digital Channel	Call sign	Affiliation	Owner
9	9	KAWE	PBS	Northern MN Public TV
12	12	KCCW (Located near Walker, MN)	CBS (WCCO-TV relay)	CBS Corporation
26	26	KFTC	MyNetworkTV (WFTC relay)	Fox Television Stations
28	none	K28DD	ABC (KSAX translator)	Hubbard Broadcasting
30	none	K30DK	Fox (KMSP translator)	Fox Television Stations
42	none	K42FH	TBN	Trinity Broadcasting Network
48	48*	K48KI	3ABN	Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Radio stations

FM

FM radio stations
Frequency	Call sign	Name	Format	Owner
88.5 FM	KCRB	MPR/NPR	Classical music	Minnesota Public Radio
89.7 FM	KBSB	FM 90	College radio/Top 40 (CHR)	Bemidji State Univ.
90.1 FM	KOJB	The Eagle	public radio/Native American/community interest
90.5 FM	KBXE	Northern Community Radio	Music, local news & arts, National Public Radio	Northern Community Radio
91.3 FM	KNBJ	MPR/NPR	News/Talk	Minnesota Public Radio
92.1 FM	WMIS	The River 92.1	Adult Hits	RP Broadcasting
92.7 FM	W224AB	Psalm 99:5	Christian (KBHW translator)	Oak Hills Fellowship
93.5 FM	K228EW	LifeTalk Radio	Christian (KOPJ translator)	We Have This Hope
94.9 FM	K235BP	The Bun	Sports (KBUN translator)	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
95.5 FM	KKZY	KZY 95.5	Adult contemporary	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
96.7 FM	KKCQ-FM	Q Country	Country	Pine to Prairie Broadcasting
98.3 FM	WBJI	Babe Country 98.3	Country	RP Broadcasting
99.1 FM	KLLZ	Z99	Classic rock	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
101.1 FM	KBHP	KB101	Country	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
102.5 FM	KKWB	Coyote 102.5	Country	De La Hunt Broadcasting
103.1 FM	K276EP	AM 820	Oldies (WBKK translator)	De La Hunt Broadcasting
103.7 FM	KKBJ-FM	Mix 103.7	Hot AC	RP Broadcasting
104.5 FM	KBUN-FM		Sports	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting
107.1 FM	KKEQ	Your Q FM	Contemporary Christian music	Pine to Prairie Brd.

AM

AM radio stations
820 AM	WBKK	AM 820	Catholic Talk	Real Presence Radio
1300 AM	KPMI	County Legends	Classic Country	Paskvan Media
1360 AM	KKBJ	Talkradio 1360	News/Talk	RP Broadcasting
1450 AM	KBUN	The Bun	Sports (KFAN/ESPN programming)	Paul Bunyan Broadcasting

Magazines

• inBemidji, a quarterly lifestyle magazine focused on Bemidji and the surrounding area. First published in December 2013 (as inMagazine) by The Bemidji Pioneer.^[37]
• Northwoods Woman, a bimonthly magazine published from 2008–2013, launched in Bemidji, Walker and Park Rapids and included articles about women who live and work in northern Minnesota.^[38]

Infrastructure

Major highways

The following routes are located in the Bemidji area.

• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 71
• Minnesota State Highway 89
• Minnesota State Highway 197
• Minnesota State Highway 371

Air service

Bemidji is served by Bemidji Airport, which has passenger services on 3 airlines, Delta Connection, Sun Country Airlines and Bemidji Airlines, the latter of which is based in the city of Bemidji. Bemidji Airlines also operates cargo flights, while Corporate Air is the only airline to operate all-cargo-only flights to the airport, on behalf of FedEx Express.

Banks

• Wells Fargo
• First National Bank of Bemidji
• Security Bank USA
• Deerwood Bank
• Bank Forward
• Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
• Ultima Bank Minnesota
• Trustar Federal Credit Union
• Citizens State Bank – Midwest
• Riverwood Bank
• Bemidji Holding Co
• Trustar Federal Credit Union
• Minnesota Finance

Notable people

• Roy C. Booth, speculative fiction, fantasy and horror author.
• Cade Bittner, actor, starred in A Beautiful Day
• Gary Burger, guitarist and lead vocalist for the band The Monks
• Dave Casper, Hall of Fame football player
• Pete Fenson, American curling skip
• Terry Frost, actor, starred in The Monster Maker
• Brian Hickerson, baseball player, pitched in the major leagues from 1991–1995
• Bob A. Johnson, Minnesota state representative and school social worker
• Joe Motzko, hockey player, member of 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks
• Kent Nerburn, author
• Jane Russell, actress^[39]
• Gary Sargent, Pro Ice Hockey defensemen, played in National Hockey League 1975–1983
• Drew Starlin, actor, starred in Mr. Monk and the Bird and the Bees
• Will Weaver, creative writing teacher at Bemidji State University. He is the author of Read Earth, White Earth, and A Grave Stone Made of Wheat.

In popular culture

The first season of the FX TV series Fargo, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman, is mainly set in and around Bemidji and Duluth.^[40] The series, however, was filmed in Calgary, Alberta.

In "How I Met Your Mother" S4E11 "Little Minnesota" Robin claims she's from Bemidji, so as not to get kicked out of a Minnesota themed bar to which Marshall takes her.

Gallery

References

1. ^ "2017 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jan 2, 2019.
2. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
3. ^ ^{a b} "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 24, 2018.
4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
6. ^ "Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary". Beaumont. 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
7. ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 36.
8. ^ "History". Bemidji Township.
9. ^ "Discover America – Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox". Discover America. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011.
10. ^ "Bemidji Minnesota History". A Guide to Minnesota Communities. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
11. ^ "Paul Bunyan State Trail". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
12. ^ "Biking". Visit Bemidji Minnesota. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
13. ^ "Art in the Park". Watermark Art Center. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
14. ^ "Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival". Visit Bemidji Minnesota. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
15. ^ "Winterfest on Lake Bemidji". Bemidji Chamber. Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
16. ^ "Home of the Minnesota Finalndia". Minnesota Finlandia Community Health Sports. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
17. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
18. ^ "Earthquake Shakes City". Little Falls Daily Transcript. September 4, 1917.
19. ^ "Minnesota at a Glance: Earthquakes in Minnesota" (PDF). Regents of the University of Minnesota. 1994.
20. ^ John Hinderaker (27 January 2019). "The Al Gore Effect Comes to Minnesota". Center of the American Experiment. Retrieved 28 January 2019. The nearest weather station to Bemidji is Cass Lake, just a few miles away. The National Weather Service records show that from 1930 through 1999, the average annual snowfall at Cass Lake was 50.2 inches. From 2000 through 2018, it was 52.5 inches–more snow, not less. And the 2008-09 total of 73.7 inches was the most since 1955-56.
21. ^ "Monthly Average of Daily Maximum and Minimum Temperature" (PDF). National Climatic Data Center.
22. ^ "Monthly Climate Normals (1981–2010) – BEMIDJI, MN". National Climatic Data Center.
23. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
24. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
25. ^ "2012 Economic Census of the United States". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
26. ^ "Bemidji City Council". City of Bemidji First City on the Mississippi. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
27. ^ Amble, Rosemary Given. "Bemidji Minnesota History: Original Inhabitants Meet White Settlers". LakesnWoods.com. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
28. ^ Hyatt, Kim (2 April 2018). "Global handbag king hands $5 million donation to Concordia's Korean Language Village". Retrieved 26 April 2018.
29. ^ Meurs, Michael (2011-09-21). "Native American Language Revitalization on Red Lake Agenda". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
30. ^ "History of the Chief Theater". thechieftheater.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
31. ^ "The BCT Story". bemidjicommunitytheater.org. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
32. ^ "Bemidji Tourist Information Center". Visit Bemidji Minnesota. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
33. ^ http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/3890871-indoor-football-axemen-axed-ifl
34. ^ http://www.lexingtonco.com//images/files/67/Demographics.pdf
35. ^ "Pioneer Web Site". Bemidji Pioneer and Forum Communications Company. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
36. ^ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059048/
37. ^ "inMagazine".
38. ^ "Northwood Woman". Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
39. ^ Wilson, Earl (Nov 27, 1969). "Small Towns Have Produced Many Big Stars". The Milwaukee Sentinel. pp. A33. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
40. ^ Joe Froemming, "Bemidji is 'Fargo': From characters large and small to the town itself, a fictional Bemidji plays a large role in new, much-anticipated FX television series," Bemidji Pioneer, April 18, 2014, http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/content/bemidji-fargo-characters-large-and-small-town-itself-fictional-bemidji-plays-large-role-new, accessed March 7, 2017.

External links

• City of Bemidji
• Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce
• The Bemidji Pioneer, newspaper
• Sanford Bemidji Medical Center
• Best of Bemidji Quarterly Magazine
• 360 Degree Virtual Tour of 2011 Beltrami County Fair
• First National Bank of Bemidji

Coordinates: 47°28′25″N 94°52′49″W / 47.47361°N 94.88028°W

2012 Bernick's Miller Lite Open

The 2012 Bernick's Miller Lite Open is being held from October 26 to 28 at the Bemidji Curling Club in Bemidji, Minnesota, as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. Though the event is listed as an event on the men's tour, it features one women's team, as it is open to both men and women. The event is being held in a round robin format, and the purse for the event is $18,000. In the final, Al Hackner of Northern Ontario defeated hometown favorite Pete Fenson with a score of 6–4.

Babe City Rollers

The Babe City Rollers is a women's flat track roller derby league based in Bemidji, Minnesota. Founded in 2009, Babe City is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).

Beltrami County, Minnesota

Beltrami County ( bel-TRAM-ee) is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. The county's name comes from the Italian count Giacomo Beltrami, who explored the area in 1825. The county was created in 1866 and organized in 1896.Beltrami County comprises the Bemidji, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows through the southern part of the county, through Bemidji. Beltrami County borders a total of nine counties, more than any other county in Minnesota, except for Renville County, which also borders nine counties.

Bemidji Airlines

Bemidji Airlines (Bemidji Aviation Services Inc) is an American airline based in Bemidji, Minnesota USA. It operates domestic cargo flights, as well as extensive charter and air taxi services. Its main base is Bemidji Regional Airport, with a hub at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

Bemidji State University

Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Bernick's Miller Lite Open

The Bernick's Miller Lite Open was an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, that took place at the Bemidji Curling Club in Bemidji, Minnesota. The tournament was held in a round robin format. The tournament was started in 2012 as part of the World Curling Tour and lasted for four seasons.

Cassandra Potter

Cassandra "Cassie" Potter (née Johnson) (born October 30, 1981) is an American curler best known for skipping the United States Women's Curling Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2005 Women's World Curling Championships. Her sister is fellow American Curling player Jamie Haskell.

Dave Casper

David John Casper (born February 2, 1952) nicknamed "The Ghost," is a former American football player best known for being a prominent member of the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). He was a tight end and also played as an offensive lineman. Casper has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame (2012) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2002).

Eric Fenson

Eric Fenson (born May 6, 1971 in Bemidji, Minnesota) is an American curler. He lives in Bemidji and curls out of the Bemidji Curling Club. He is a former national champion, and skips his own team.

Jamie Haskell

Jamie Haskell (née Johnson; born July 18, 1980) was a member of the United States women's curling team at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Ken Haycraft

Kenneth C. Haycraft (February 16, 1907 – June 29, 1995) was an American football player in the National Football League (NFL).

Lou Wangberg

Louis Wangberg (born March 27, 1941) is an educator who was the 41st lieutenant governor of Minnesota. He was elected on the Independent-Republican ticket with Governor Al Quie and served from January 1, 1979, to January 3, 1983. He also served as Quie's chief of staff for part of the term until he sought the governor's office on his own. In 1982, when Quie chose not to run for reelection, Wangberg was the Independent-Republican endorsed candidate for governor, but lost the primary to Wheelock Whitney. (DFL nominee Rudy Perpich won the election.)

As of 2019, Wangberg is the last male to serve as Minnesota's lieutenant governor.

Wangberg first sought the congressional nomination for the Seventh District when Bob Bergland vacated the office to become Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Agriculture. He lost the primary to Arlan Stangeland. Before becoming lieutenant governor, Wangberg served as a school superintendent in Bemidji. After his term of office he was an executive with the Jostens Corporation, a management consultant, professional speaker, and the president of Flagler Career Institute. Wangberg is the last man to have served as lieutenant governor of Minnesota.

Wangberg lives in Oakland Park, Florida. He taught Advanced Placement American history and government/economics at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, the largest charter high school in the United States (1,700 students). He is also a professor in the doctoral program at Northcentral University and the Keller Graduate School of Management.

Mike Falls

Michael Lee Falls (born March 3, 1934) is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Minnesota.

Natalie Nicholson

Natalie Nicholson (born March 10, 1976 in Bemidji, Minnesota as Natalie Simenson) is an American curler. She currently plays lead for Erika Brown.

Pete Fenson

Peter Fenson (born February 29, 1968 in Bemidji, Minnesota) is an American curler. He was the skip of the men's rink that represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where they won the bronze medal, the first Olympic medal for the United States in curling. He has won eight national championships, the most recent in Philadelphia in March 2014, and six as skip.

Russell A. Anderson

Russell A. Anderson (born May 28, 1942) is an attorney and former Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He served as an Associate Justice of the court from September 1, 1998 until he was sworn in as Chief Justice on January 10, 2006. He retired from the Supreme Court on June 1, 2008, at age 66, and was succeeded by Eric J. Magnuson.

Ryan Winkler

Ryan Patrick Winkler (born December 30, 1975) is a Minnesota politician and majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represents District 46A, which includes portions of the cities of Golden Valley, Plymouth, and St. Louis Park in Hennepin County.In February 2018, Winkler announced his intentions to run for the legislative office he previously held in District 46A. He was re-elected, succeeding Peggy Flanagan, who had left the house to run for lieutenant governor.

DFL legislators elected Winkler to serve as Majority Leader in November 2018, and he took office in January 2019.

Sanford Center

The Sanford Center is a 4,700-seat multi-purpose arena and convention center in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States that opened in October 2010. On October 18, 2010 the venue was renamed from the Bemidji Regional Events Center to the Sanford Center after Sanford Health Systems purchased naming rights for $2 million over ten years.

On Friday, October 15, 2010, the arena began hosting the home games of the Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey and Bemidji State Beavers women's ice hockey teams of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, replacing the aging 2,400-seat John S. Glas Field House.

Beginning with the 2014 season, the arena became home to the Bemidji Axemen of the Indoor Football League. The team was disbanded after the 2015 season.

Terry Frost (actor)

Terry Frost (October 26, 1906, in Bemidji, Minnesota – March 1, 1993, in Los Angeles, California) was an American actor who appeared in dozens of Western films during the 1940s and 1950s.