Brainerd ( ) is a city and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Crow Wing County, Minnesota Crow Wing County is a County (United States), county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 66,123. Its county seat is Brainerd, Minnesota, Brainerd. The cou ...

, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the

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 ...

several miles upstream from its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence. Brainerd is the principal city of the Brainerd Micropolitan Area, a micropolitan area covering

Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Cass, ...

and Crow Wing counties and with a combined population of 96,189 at the 2020 census. The city is well known for being the partial setting of the 1996 film '' Fargo''.

History

The area that is now Brainerd was formerly

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

territory. Brainerd was first seen by European settlers on Christmas Day in 1805, when

Zebulon Pike Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions through the Louisiana Purchase territory, first ...

stopped there while searching for the

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

of the

. Crow Wing Village, a fur and logging community near Fort Ripley, brought settlers to the area in the mid-19th century. In those early years, the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans was fraught. The most famous example of this tenuous relationship was the "Blueberry War" of 1872. Two Ojibwe were accused of murdering a missing girl. After they were arrested and jailed, a mob overpowered the sheriff's officers, dragged the suspects from the jail and lynched them. Shortly after these events, a group of Ojibwe approached the town, and troops from Fort Ripley were called in to prevent what residents assumed was a reprisal attack for the lynchings. As it turned out, the Ojibwe only wanted to sell

blueberries Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

and the settlers avoided a bloody misunderstanding. The guilt of the two Ojibwe was never proven. Brainerd was the idea of

Northern Pacific Northern Pacific may refer to: * Northern Pacific Airways, an upcoming airline * Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference, an NCAA Division I conference * Northern Pacific Hockey League, an American Tier III junior ice hockey league * Northern Paci ...

railroad president John Gregory Smith, who in 1870 named the

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

after his wife, Anne Eliza Brainerd Smith, and father-in-law, Lawrence Brainerd. The company built a bridge over the Mississippi seven miles north of Crow Wing Village and used the Brainerd station as a machine and car shop, prompting many to move north and abandon Crow Wing. Brainerd was organized as a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

on March 6, 1873. On January 11, 1876, the state legislature revoked Brainerd's charter for six years, in reaction to the election of local handyman Thomas Lanihan as mayor instead of Judge C.B. Sleeper. Brainerd functioned as a township in the interim. In 1881, the railroad, and with it the town, expanded. Lumber and paper, as well as agriculture in general, were important early industries, but for many decades Brainerd remained a railroad town: in the 1920s roughly 90% of Brainerd residents were dependent on the railroad. Participation in the nationwide railroad strike on July 1, 1922, left most Brainerd residents unemployed and embittered many of those involved. On October 27, 1933, the First National Bank of Brainerd became briefly famous when it was held up by Baby Face Nelson and his gang. Over the years, increased efficiency and the better positioning of the more centralized Livingston,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, shops led to a decline in the importance of a railroad station that once employed over 1,000 and serviced

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

s for the whole Northern Pacific line. The

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...

(successor to the Northern Pacific) continues to employ approximately 70 people in Brainerd at a maintenance-of-way equipment shop that repairs and maintains track and equipment. The former Northern Pacific railway station has been converted to breweries, coffee shops, and event centers available to rent for special occasions. The Northwest Paper Company built Brainerd's first

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

in 1903 and with the steady increase in

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

since the early 20th century the paper and service industries have become Brainerd's primary employers. The town's coating mill was sold by

Potlatch A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the United States,Harkin, Michael E., 2001, Potlatch in Anthropology, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Scienc ...

to Missota Paper in 2003 and then by Missota Paper to Wausau Paper in 2004. It is now used as a small industrial center called Brainerd Industrial Center (BIC). Due to the many lakes in the area, Brainerd is a popular summertime destination for those owning cabins in the area, better known as the Brainerd Lakes. Brainerd itself is now heavily developed into commercial and residential areas and has seen an uptick in development in recent years.

Geography

Brainerd is just north of Minnesota's geographical center, in a relatively hilly

terminal moraine A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front e ...

area created by the Superior Lobe of the Labradorian ice sheet. The town occupies land on both sides of the

, though its older parts are almost all to the east. Though the city itself has relatively few lakes, there are over 460 lakes within of Brainerd, mostly to the north. For this reason, Crow Wing County and parts of the adjoining counties are often collectively called the Brainerd Lakes Area despite most of the lakes existing closer to Nisswa. 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 an area of , of which is land and is water. Brainerd has been assigned ZIP code 56401 by the

USPS The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

Climate

Brainerd has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb'') with vast seasonal differences. Summers are warm, and occasionally hot, with high humidity, whereas winters are often severely cold.

Superfund site and environmental damage

The Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter)

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...

site is on the boundary between Brainerd and Baxter. The site served as a

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States–based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1995. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroad ...

tie treatment plant from 1907 to 1985. During that time,

wastewater Wastewater (or waste water) is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of do ...

generated from the wood-treating process was sent to two shallow, unlined ponds. This created a toxic sludge that contaminated both the underlying soils and the

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

with

creosote Creosote is a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood, or fossil fuel. They are typically used as preservatives or antiseptics. Some creosote types w ...

and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Demographics

2020 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 2020, the population was 14,395. 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 6,473 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.6%

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 ...

, 2.2% Native American, 1.6%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.5%

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.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 13,590 people, 5,851 households, and 3,069 families living in the city. The

was . There were 6,390 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.5%

, 1.2%

, 1.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 5,851 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.7% 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, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.5% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 32.2 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 20.5% were from 45 to 64, and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 13,178 people, 5,623 households and 3,036 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,847 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.83%

, 0.71%

, 1.44% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.26% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population. 31.4% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 28.1% were Finnish, 17.7% Norwegian, 7.1% Swedish, 6.8% Irish, and 6.1% United States or American ancestry. There were 5,623 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were

living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.0% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.94. Age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $26,901, and the median family income was $35,212. Males had a median income of $27,677 versus $21,217 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 $15,744. About 11.8% of families and 17.6% 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 20.5% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The Brainerd Lakes Area has a classical music festival during the summers called Lakes Area Music Festival. According to its website, the festival's mission is to connect the nation's best performers and audiences through excellent classical music and inspiring education. There are educational programs for children in the area with musicians from across the world and high-caliber concerts that are free to the public. The Lakes Area Music Festival, through its Outreach initiative, brings classical music into areas that normally do not get concerts. Among these are public libraries, women's shelters, retirement homes, and correctional facilities. The program is supported by many local and national organizations, as well as people in the community.

Education

Brainerd Public Schools is the local school district. Brainerd High School is the local high school, and the district also hosts an alternative high school, and online classes. Alternative schools in Brainerd include Discovery Woods Charter School (K-6) and St Francis Catholic School (K-8, run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth).

Central Lakes College Central Lakes College is a public community college with campuses in Brainerd and Staples, Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. The college was formed from the merger of three different colleges: Braine ...

is a local community and technical college offering associates degrees and technical certificates. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges system.

Media

Radio stations and television channels in the Brainerd Lakes area:

Radio

Television

Infrastructure

Major highways

The following routes are in the Brainerd area: * MN-18

Minnesota State Highway 18 Minnesota State Highway 18 (MN 18) is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 25 in Brainerd and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 23 in Finlayson ...

Minnesota State Highway 25 * MN-210

Minnesota State Highway 210 * MN-371

Minnesota State Highway 371

Airport

Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport serves the area with commercial airline service on

Delta Connection Delta Connection is a brand name under which Delta Air Lines has air service agreements with domestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to their network by serving passengers primarily in small and medium-sized cities in the domestic mark ...

and three

cargo airline Cargo airlines (or air freight carriers, and derivatives of these names) are airlines mainly dedicated to the transport of air cargo, cargo by air. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines. In 2018, airli ...

Notable people

* Solomon Flagg Alderman (1861–1928), Minnesota state senator and lawyer * John Carlton Atherton (1900–1952), artist * Roger Awsumb (1928–2002), TV and radio show host * Win Borden (1943–2014), Minnesota state senator * Bullet Joe Bush (1892–1974), member of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

' first World Series championship team in 1923 * Franklin E. Ebner, Minnesota state senator and lawyer< * Ronald Everson (born 1930), member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

in the 1960s * Joe Haeg (born 1993), professional football player * Frank B. Johnson (1894–1949), mayor of Brainerd and Minnesota state representative * Brock Larson (born 1977), MMA fighter *

Charles Marohn Charles Marohn (born 1973) is an American author, land-use planner, municipal engineer, and the founder and president of Strong Towns, an organization which advocates for the Urban consolidation, development of dense towns and the Urban growth b ...

(born 1973), author and founder of Strong Towns * Rick Nolan (1943-2024), U.S. Representative * Todd Revenig, professional baseball player * Hilding Alfred Swanson (1885–1964), Minnesota state legislator and lawyer * Dale Walz (1964–2024), Minnesota state representative and police officer

In popular culture

The 1996 film '' Fargo'' was set partly in Brainerd.

References

External links

City of Brainerd, MN – Official WebsiteBrainerd History site

Explore Brainerd Lakes.com – Visitor Information and official Chamber websiteBrainerd.com - The Official Brainerd Lakes Area Tourism Information Website
{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River County seats in Minnesota Populated places established in 1870 Brainerd, Minnesota micropolitan area 1870 establishments in Minnesota

History

Geography

Climate

Superfund site and environmental damage

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Education

Media

Radio

Television

Infrastructure

Major highways

Airport

Notable people

In popular culture

See also

References

External links