Blaine, Minnesota

History and Culture Blaine is no longer a small rural town like it started out as. Yet Blaine has still reserved its natural areas.

Until 1877 Blaine was considered to be part of the City of Anoka, Minnesota. Phillip Laddy, a native of Ireland, is recognized as the first settler in Blaine. He settled near the lake that now bears his name, Laddie Lake, in 1862. Laddy died shortly after his arrival and his survivors moved on to Minneapolis. He was followed by Englishman George Townsend, who lived for a short time in the area of Lever St. and 103rd Ave.

It was not until 1865 that Blaine’s first permanent resident, Green Chambers, settled on the old Townsend claim. Chambers was a former slave who moved north from Barron County, Kentucky[?], following the Civil War. In 1870 George Wall, Joseph Gagner, and some others settled in the area and it began to grow.

In 1877 Blaine separated from Anoka and organized as a Township of its own. That year the first election was held and Moses Ripley was elected as the first Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Ripley, who had come to Minnesota from Maine, persuaded his fellow Board Members to name the new Township in honor James G. Blaine, a senator and three-time presidential candidate from Maine. By the year 1880 Blaine’s population had reached 128.

While many of the other communities in Anoka County experienced growth due to farming, Blaine’s sandy soils and abundant wetlands discouraged would-be farmers and it remained a prime hunting area. Blaine’s growth remained slow until after World War II when starter home developments began to spring up in the southern part of town.

Blaine’s population went from 1,694 in 1950 to 20,640 in 1970. As the Minneapolis/St. Paul area began to enjoy rapid growth, Blaine’s wide open spaces became attractive to many people looking for the suburban life style just a short distance from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

With the development of Interstate Hwy. 35-W, State Hwy. 65, and State Hwy. 10, Blaine’s accessibility to the twin cities was greatly increased. Because of this, Blaine has become a very attractive location for business and residential development. The estimated population for Blaine in 1997 is over 44,000 people. Blaine has attracted many new corporate residents, such as the Aveda Corporation and Dayton Rogers Manufacturing. Blaine is also home to the National Sports Center, an Olympic class training facility, as well as home to a TPC golf course.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 88.1 km² (34.0 mi²). 87.7 km² (33.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.50% water. Blaine is 13 miles away from both of the twin cities[?]: Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 512.6/km² (1,327.6/mi²). There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 184.4/km² (477.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.46% White, 0.86% African American, 0.63% Native American, 2.54% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. 1.72% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 15,898 households out of which 41.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% are married couples living together, 11.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% are non-families. 17.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.19.

In the city the population is spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $59,219, and the median income for a family is $63,831. Males have a median income of $40,620 versus $30,452 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,777. 3.0% of the population and 2.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.0% are under the age of 18 and 3.7% are 65 or older.

External Links Source: Blaine, Minnesota official website (http://www.ci.blaine.mn.us/)