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Cook County, Minnesota
Cook County Courthouse
Cook County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Cook County
Location in the state of Minnesota
Map of the U.S
Minnesota's location in the U.S.
Founded March 9, 1874
Named for Michael Cook
Seat Grand Marais
Largest city Grand Marais
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

3,340 sq mi (8,651 km²)
1,452 sq mi (3,761 km²)
1,887 sq mi (4,887 km²), 57%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

5,600
Congressional district 8th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.cook.mn.us

Cook County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,600,[1] making it Minnesota's seventh-least populous county. Its county seat is Grand Marais.[2] The Grand Portage Indian Reservation is in the county.

History[]

Ojibwe people were early inhabitants of this area. The first non-indigenous people to explore the area were French fur traders, a few of whom settled in the area. By the 1830s, the French population was a few dozen. In the 1830s, settlers began arriving from New England and from upstate New York. Completion of the Erie Canal (1825) and settling of the Black Hawk War (1831) made migration easier.

Most of Cook County's 1830s settlers came from Orange County, Vermont and Down East Maine (modern day Washington County and Hancock County). Most were fishermen and farmers. By 1845 the future Cook County contained 350 people of European descent; by 1874 there were about 2,000. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church, Methodist, and Baptist churches. By 1900 there were about 3,000 people in Cook County.

The first decade of the 20th century saw a large influx of Europeans from Germany, Scandinavia, and Ireland. These waves introduced Lutheranism and Catholicism to Cook County.

The county was created on March 9, 1874.[3] It was named for Territorial and State Senator Michael Cook.[4]

Geography[]

Eagle Mountain, Minnesota

Eagle Mountain, the highest natural point in Minnesota at 2,301 feet (701 m), is located in northern Cook County.

Cook County is a rugged, heavily wooded triangle of land on Minnesota's northeastern tip. It abuts Canada's southern border and is largely surrounded by the northern end of the Great Lakes. It is heavily dotted with lakes, ponds and streams.[5] The state's highest point is in the county, at 2,301' (701m) ASL. The county has an area of 3,340 square miles (8,700 km2), of which 1,452 square miles (3,760 km2) is land and 1,887 square miles (4,890 km2) (57%) is water.[6] It is Minnesota's second-largest county by area. Minnesota's highest natural point, Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet (701 m), and highest lake, Lake Abita at 2,048 feet (624 m), are in Cook County. Lake Superior is at the county's southern border.

Major highways[]

  • MN-61 Minnesota State Highway 61
  • Cook County 12 MN Cook County Road 12 – Gunflint Trail

Adjacent counties[]

Cook County is in the extreme northeast of the state at the tip of the Arrowhead region; it is adjacent to only one other county by land. Its geographic neighbors are:

Protected areas[]

  • Cascade River State Park
  • Grand Portage National Monument
  • Judge C. R. Magney State Park
  • Kodunce River State Wayside Area
  • North Shore State Trail (part)
  • Pat Bayle State Forest
  • Superior National Forest (part)
    • Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (part)
  • Temperance River State Park

[5]

Climate[]

Climate data for Lutsen, Minnesota
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 22
(−6)
26
(−3)
35
(2)
47
(8)
56
(13)
64
(18)
70
(21)
70
(21)
62
(17)
52
(11)
39
(4)
27
(−3)
47.5
(8.6)
Average low °F (°C) 4
(−16)
7
(−14)
19
(−7)
31
(−1)
39
(4)
45
(7)
52
(11)
54
(12)
47
(8)
38
(3)
26
(−3)
11
(−12)
31.1
(−0.5)
Rainfall inches (mm) 0.9
(23)
0.7
(18)
1.4
(36)
1.9
(48)
2.8
(71)
3.5
(89)
3.3
(84)
3.3
(84)
3.6
(91)
2.5
(64)
1.6
(41)
1.1
(28)
26.4
(671)
Snowfall inches (cm) 15.2
(38.6)
8.1
(20.6)
8.1
(20.6)
2.2
(5.6)
0.2
(0.5)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.4
(1)
3.8
(9.7)
13.3
(33.8)
50.8
(129)
Source: Weatherbase[7]

Northern Minnesota offers extreme winter weather. While the averages are low, the extremes provide more details. A third of the year is below freezing (31.9%, 116 days, or 4 months). Of those days, 21 are below zero degrees Fahrenheit (−17.8 °C).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Days Below 32 °F/0 °C[7]
20 18 19 13 3.5 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.5 5.8 16 20 116
Days Below 0 °F/-17.8 °C[7]
8.2 6 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.5 4.8 21

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 65
1890 98 50.8%
1900 810 726.5%
1910 1,336 64.9%
1920 1,841 37.8%
1930 2,435 32.3%
1940 3,030 24.4%
1950 2,900 −4.3%
1960 3,377 16.4%
1970 3,423 1.4%
1980 4,092 19.5%
1990 3,868 −5.5%
2000 5,168 33.6%
2010 5,176 0.2%
Est. 2021 5,617 [8] 8.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]
USA Cook County, Minnesota age pyramid

Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 census data

2000 census[]

As of the 2000 census,[13] there were 5,168 people, 2,350 households, and 1,438 families in the county. The population density was 3.56/sqmi (1.37/km2). There were 4,708 housing units at an average density of 3.24/sqmi (1.25/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.45% White, 7.59% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.29% Black or African American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.6% were of German, 17.7% Norwegian, 11.5% Swedish, 7.2% Irish and 5.4% English ancestry.

There were 2,350 households, of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.73.

The county population contained 20.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,640, and the median income for a family was $47,132. Males had a median income of $31,211 versus $23,650 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,775. About 8.1% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[]

City[]

  • Grand Marais (county seat)

Census-designated place[]

  • Lutsen

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Croftville
  • Grand Portage
  • Hovland
  • Maple Hill
  • Martin Landing
  • Mineral Center
  • Pigeon River
  • Schroeder
  • Taconite Harbor
  • Tofte

[5]

Townships[]

  • Lutsen Township
  • Schroeder Township
  • Tofte Township

Unorganized territories[]

  • East Cook
  • Grand Portage
  • West Cook

Ghost towns[]

  • Chippewa City
  • Colvill

Government and politics[]

Cook County has generally voted Democratic. In 88% of presidential elections since 1988, the county selected the Democratic nominee. The county was a bellwether in every election from 1916 to 1984, except 1960 and 1976. The county was one of the rare white-majority rural counties to have its margin increase for Joe Biden in 2020 relative to Barack Obama's 2012 margin, with 65% of voters choosing the Democratic nominee.

Elections and officeholders[]

United States presidential election results for Cook County, Minnesota[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 1,203 31.61% 2,496 65.58% 107 2.81%
2016 1,156 34.05% 1,912 56.32% 327 9.63%
2012 1,221 36.75% 1,993 59.99% 108 3.25%
2008 1,240 37.04% 2,019 60.30% 89 2.66%
2004 1,489 45.08% 1,733 52.47% 81 2.45%
2000 1,295 45.92% 1,171 41.52% 354 12.55%
1996 1,010 39.94% 1,169 46.22% 350 13.84%
1992 878 33.54% 1,005 38.39% 735 28.07%
1988 1,078 49.36% 1,080 49.45% 26 1.19%
1984 1,219 51.63% 1,129 47.82% 13 0.55%
1980 1,147 50.62% 871 38.44% 248 10.94%
1976 1,034 48.54% 1,018 47.79% 78 3.66%
1972 1,047 57.62% 742 40.84% 28 1.54%
1968 853 49.33% 777 44.94% 99 5.73%
1964 764 43.86% 976 56.03% 2 0.11%
1960 987 60.15% 650 39.61% 4 0.24%
1956 1,078 61.67% 668 38.22% 2 0.11%
1952 946 65.06% 503 34.59% 5 0.34%
1948 674 47.94% 688 48.93% 44 3.13%
1944 513 48.12% 545 51.13% 8 0.75%
1940 673 49.27% 686 50.22% 7 0.51%
1936 387 32.14% 793 65.86% 24 1.99%
1932 418 43.27% 492 50.93% 56 5.80%
1928 609 72.59% 219 26.10% 11 1.31%
1924 471 67.97% 29 4.18% 193 27.85%
1920 467 72.85% 98 15.29% 76 11.86%
1916 125 34.44% 162 44.63% 76 20.94%
1912 30 8.62% 65 18.68% 253 72.70%
1908 255 77.98% 42 12.84% 30 9.17%
1904 207 82.80% 31 12.40% 12 4.80%
1900 81 52.60% 65 42.21% 8 5.19%
1896 81 42.19% 107 55.73% 4 2.08%
1892 68 51.52% 19 14.39% 45 34.09%
1888 24 45.28% 29 54.72% 0 0.00%
1884 46 85.19% 8 14.81% 0 0.00%



County Board of Commissioners[15]
Position Name District
Commissioner Robert Svaleson District 1
Commissioner Stacey Hawkins District 2
Commissioner and Chairperson David Mills District 3
Commissioner and Vice Chair Ann Sullivan District 4
Commissioner Ginny Storlie District 5
State Legislature (2018-2020)
Position Name Affiliation District
  Senate Tom Bakk[16] Independent District 3
style="background-color:#3333FF;" width=10px | " |  House of Representatives Rob Ecklund[17] Democrat District 3A
U.S Congress (2018-2020)
Position Name Affiliation District
style="background-color:#FF3333;" width=10px | " |  House of Representatives Pete Stauber[18] Republican 8th
style="background-color:#3333FF;" width=10px | " |  Senate Amy Klobuchar[19] Democrat N/A
style="background-color:#3333FF;" width=10px | " |  Senate Tina Smith[20] Democrat N/A

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Cook County, Minnesota

References[]

  1. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cook County, Minnesota" (in en). United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cookcountyminnesota/PST045221. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm. 
  4. ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 135. https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog. 
  5. ^ a b c Cook County MN Google Maps (accessed March 6, 2019)
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt. 
  7. ^ a b c "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Lutsen MN". http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=282312&refer=. 
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mn190090.txt. 
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  14. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  15. ^ "County Commissioners" (in en-gb). https://cocookmn.civicweb.net/portal/members.aspx?id=10. 
  16. ^ "MN State Senate" (in en). https://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1003. 
  17. ^ "Rep. Rob Ecklund (03A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/profile/15452. 
  18. ^ "Representative Pete Stauber" (in en). https://stauber.house.gov/. 
  19. ^ "U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar". https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/. 
  20. ^ "Home" (in en). https://www.smith.senate.gov/. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 47°55′N 90°33′W / 47.917, -90.55

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Cook County, Minnesota. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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