Detroit Lakes is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsummers, due to seasonal residents and tourists. U.S. Highways 10 and 59, and Minnesota State Highway 34 serve as the primary routes through the city. Detroit Lakes is located 45 miles east of the

Fargo–Moorhead Fargo–Moorhead, also known as the FM area, is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota–Minnesota border, on opp ...

ND-MN statistical metropolitan area. The nearest major metropolitan area with a population over 1 million is

Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota) ...

, which is approximately 205 miles southeast of Detroit Lakes. Detroit Lakes is a regional summer and winter recreation destination, attracting large numbers of tourists and seasonal residents each year. Its economy is fueled by seasonal population increases, with tourism being the area's chief industry.

History

The city of Detroit Lakes was founded by Colonel George Johnston in 1871. The city's current name has been extant since 1927, to avoid confusion with

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. Beforehand, it was simply called Detroit. The name was given by a French missionary. Détroit is French and translates to strait or narrows, referring to the sand bar separating Big Detroit lake from Little Detroit lake. The sand bar was dredged and partially submerged to make the Pelican River watershed navigable by steamboat in the late 19th century. Detroit Lakes was a resting place on the Red River Oxcart Trails. The Ojibwe name for Detroit Lakes is "Gaiajawangag", meaning a lake with a crossing in a sandy place. The city grew quickly with the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1877, an election finally decided that Detroit Lakes, then still known as Detroit, was to become the county seat. Detroit won the election by a ninety percent majority. The nearby cities of Frazee, Lake Park, and

Audubon The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...

were also in the running for the county seat. By 1884, Detroit Lakes had many businesses, including the Hotel Minnesota, the Lakes Hotel, a bank, a newspaper, and an opera house. The first county courthouse was built in Detroit Lakes that year also. Some of the city's historic buildings still stand, such as the 1908 railroad station and the historic Holmes Theater. The Becker County Museum, located near the Holmes Theater in Detroit Lakes, has information and exhibits on the history of the city and the surrounding area.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 8,569 people, 3,864 households, and 2,093 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 4,535 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 4.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.6% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 3,864 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,348 people, 3,319 households, and 1,845 families permanently residing in the city. The

was 980.4 people per square mile (378.3/km²). There were 3,782 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile (194.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.98%

, 4.50% Native American, 0.53%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...

, 0.42%

, 0.01%

, 0.59% from

, and 1.96% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population. There were 3,319 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,264, and the median income for a family was $42,267. Males had a median income of $28,939 versus $21,439 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,509. About 9.9% of families and 15.0% 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 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Detroit Lakes is the county seat of Becker County, with the county courthouse and law enforcement center. District headquarters for the

Minnesota Department of Transportation The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state ...

and the Minnesota State Highway Patrol are also located in the city. A nine-member City Council serves the city, with the mayor voting in case of a tie. There are three wards, with two council members serving each of the three primary wards and three serving the "at large" area. There are 14 city boards and commissions, including the Park Board, Library Board, Public Utilities Commission, Planning Commission, Police Civil Service Commission, the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Airport Commission, and the Tourism Bureau. Detroit Lakes is located in Minnesota's 7th congressional district, represented by

Michelle Fischbach Michelle Louise Helene Fischbach (; born November 3, 1965) is an American attorney and politician who is the U.S. representative from Minnesota's 7th congressional district. The district, which is very rural, is Minnesota's largest congressiona ...

. The city is in Minnesota Senate District 4 after 2012 redistricting, represented by Kent Eken (DFL), and Minnesota House District 4B, represented by Paul Marquart (DFL).

Education

Higher education

The Detroit Lakes campus of the

Minnesota State Community and Technical College Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) is a public community and technical college with multiple campuses in Minnesota. The college is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. It offers more than 70 ...

system is one of four campus locations (others are in Moorhead, Fergus Falls, and Wadena). The Detroit Lakes campus, located on Minnesota Highway 34, enrolls approximately 650 students in 25 different degree programs. The college offers both classroom and online distance education programs and grants AAS, AS, diploma, certificate, and AFA degrees.

K–12

*Rossman Elementary School (K–5) *Roosevelt Elementary School (K–4) *Detroit Lakes Middle School (5–8) (Only 5th grade from Roosevelt) * Detroit Lakes High School (9–12) *Lakes Area Learning Center Alternative High School (ALC) (9–12) *Holy Rosary Catholic School (K–8) ''(Private)'' *Faith Christian School (K–8) ''(Private)'' *Adventist Christian School (K–8) ''(Private)''

Carnegie Library

Built in 1913 with a $10,000 grant from the

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...

Foundation, the Detroit Lakes Public Library is a branch of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library Network (LARL). Originally on two floors, the library was designed by the architectural firm of

Claude and Starck Claude and Starck was an architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm was a partnership of Louis W. Claude (1868-1951) and Edward F. Starck (1868-1947). Established in 1896, the firm dissolved in 1928. The ...

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th ...

. The building today is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most notably, the building features a

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago School, a mentor to Frank Lloy ...

exterior frieze, lead and stained glass windows and doors, and a completely open and unobstructed interior. The building, designed in the

prairie school Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped ...

architectural style popularized by such architects as

and

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

, is also noted for its orange clay-tiled hip roof that defies regional construction convention. In 1985, due to space issues, the original Carnegie building was expanded.

Architecture

National Register of Historic Places

Numerous works of architecture and engineering in Detroit Lakes have been added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The Detroit Lakes Carnegie Library of the

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped ...

architectural style, by architects

and significant of the period from 1900 to 1924, was added to the Register in 1976. The Graystone Hotel, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, was added in 1999. The Amtrak Depot, formerly the Northern Pacific Passenger Depot and later the Burlington Northern Depot, significant of the periods 1900–1924 and 1925–1949, now primarily serving as a small shop and eatery, was added in 1988. The Homer E. Sargent House on Lake Avenue, currently a privately owned domestic dwelling of the Queen Anne architectural style and significant of the periods 1875–1899 and 1900–1924, was added to the Register in 1988. The Edgewater Beach Cottages, also known a
Stovewood Cottages
by architects George Jewell and Frederick Wright and significant of the period 1925–1949, were added in 1989. Fairyland Cottages Historic District on W. Lake Shore Drive, significant of the period 1925–1949, were added to the National Register in 1989. Finally, the Holmes Block (also known as the Opera House Block), including downtown commercial buildings occupying addresses 710–718 Washington Avenue, are significant of various historical periods ranging from 1875 to 1974. The downtown block was added to the National Register in 2001.

Economy

The city's economy is largely driven by summer tourism and seasonal population increases. A variety of health care services, retail stores, and service businesses are available to area residents and tourists. Detroit Lakes is home to approximately 15 chain and independent hotels. Numerous resorts in the area provide many additional units. The city's downtown offers a shopping center, including Washington Square Mall. Most newer chain retail businesses, including discount and home centers, restaurants, and strip malls, are located along Highways 10 and 59. The city is also home to a number of businesses servicing tourism ranging from sporting goods retailers to amusement parks and river tubing companies. With two industrial parks in the city's outskirts, it is also home to many manufacturing and industrial businesses.

Recreation

In and around Detroit Lakes are several lakes used for fishing, boating, wake sports, sailing, jet-skiing, swimming, and freshwater scuba diving. Most prominent and heavily used is Detroit Lake, which features the mile-long city beach. The beach annually hosts the city's

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

celebration and fireworks display. In and around Detroit Lakes are 14 golf courses. The area also features an amusement park, a paintball arena, two river tubing companies, and a horseback riding ranch. The city also hosts the annual Becker County Fair. The Shrine Circus performs in Detroit Lakes each year at the Kent Freeman Arena. In the winter off-season, the area remains a popular recreation destination for ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and downhill skiing and snowboarding at the newly renovated Detroit Mountain Recreation Area. The city is one of perhaps five in the Nation that has a park dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic (rededicated on April 15, 2015).

Culture

Historic Holmes Theatre

The Historic Holmes Theatre, a physical and organizational branch of the Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center complex, is a recently renovated

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

theatre that hosts year-round music, drama and dance performances. With seating for nearly 1,000, the theatre features a wide variety of professional national and international touring shows (including

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gu ...

, the Chinese Golden Acrobats, the New York Theatre Ballet, and the

Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gut ...

), local performing groups (Playhouse 412, Fargo/Moorhead Jazz Arts Group, Wadena Madhatters) and events (wedding receptions, business meetings, and Detroit Lakes' Annual Festival of the Birds).

Music Festivals

Each August since 1983, the city has hosted

WE Fest WE Fest is a three-day country music festival that has been held each year recently on the first weekend in August at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, United States. The next WE Fest was scheduled for Aug. 3-5, 2023. Ownership o ...

, a prominent camping and country music festival. Campgrounds packed with tents surround a large stage, and the three-day concert attracts around 50,000 music-lovers each summer. In 2007, the attendance reached a record high of 83,000 people over the weekend at the themed "Heavin in '07" concert. The music festival is held annually at the Soo Pass Ranch on Highway 59 south of Detroit Lakes. Formerly held in July each year at the Soo Pass Ranch venue, the

10,000 Lakes Festival The 10,000 Lakes Festival (abbreviated as 10KLF) was an annual four-day music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at the Soo Pass Ranch that was held from 2003 until 2009 before going on indefinite hiatus due to financial losses and has not bee ...

was put on hiatus as of December 18, 2009. According to 10KLF.com the festival could not grow to financial success.

Community & Cultural Center

A recently built Community & Cultural Center serves Detroit Lakes, incorporating a new fitness center with the completely renovated brick building that once was the Holmes School. The fitness and aquatic area features an 8-lane Olympic regulation pool, an indoor track, a fieldhouse featuring 2 basketball courts, a weight room, cardio fitness center, racquetball courts, and a golf driving/putting range. The old 1931 school building houses the renovated 837-seat Historic Holmes Theatre featuring orchestra and balcony level seating, and conference rooms. When completed in 2001, a building of was the result of $9.5 million in expenses.

Religion

There are several

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

churches in and around the city of Detroit Lakes. In greatest number are Lutheran churches of varied

synods A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mean ...

. In addition to Holy Rosary Church (

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

), the city contains one of each of the following denominational churches: Episcopal Church,

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...

Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the R ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

, Community Alliance Church Christian & Missionary Alliance,

Vineyard Church The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination.Despite the fact that some might see denominational labels as divisive, the founder of the movement John Wimber said ...

. There is also an interdenominationa
Christian Fellowship Church
At present, no religious denominations outside of Christianity have places of worship in Detroit Lakes.

Local media

Radio

Television

*TV3: Lakes Area Television (

News News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to event ...

/Local Programming)
TV3 is a "commercial supported

Public-access television Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

station" that broadcasts out of Detroit Lakes for the regional Arvig Communication Cable System.

Newspaper

The

Forum Communications Company Forum Communications Company is an American multimedia and technology company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. With multiple online and print news brands throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Forum Communication ...

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo (Help:IPA/English, /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the ...

, owns and operates the '' Detroit Lakes Tribune'' (twice weekly publication) and also provides the regional daily newspaper, '' The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead'', with coverage spanning the

metropolitan area and much of northwest

and northeast

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

. *'' The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead'' (daily) *The '' Detroit Lakes Tribune'' (published on Wednesdays and Saturdays) *''White Earth - Anishinaabeg Today''

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

(stops daily at Detroit Lakes' Amtrak station) * Jefferson Lines Intercity Bus Line * Detroit Lakes Airport * DL Taxi Services * Becker County Transit * Clay County Rural Transit * White Earth Transit

In popular culture

Detroit Lakes is referred to in the author

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

's book, ' ''Travels with Charley'', depicting his 1960 road trip across the United States with his dog, Charley. In the novel, Steinbeck purports to have passed through and stayed the night near Detroit Lakes. A postcard depicting the Fairyland Cottages in Detroit Lakes appear in the opening credits of the 1983 movie ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American road trip comedy film directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brink ...

'', though the cabins no longer stand as they were destroyed in May 2008 by the Detroit Lakes Fire Department, in a training exercise. It is now home to a condominium complex. A fictional version of Detroit Lakes' courthouse and rural countryside is featured in Ali Selim's 2006 independent film '' Sweet Land'', a love story revolving around a German immigrant's settlement in rural

Becker County, Minnesota Becker County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,183. Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. Part of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county. The county was created in 1858 an ...

in the aftermath of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The scene was filmed in

Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern co ...

, Minnesota. The late Ed Schultz, former

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek � ...

of the

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

'' Ed show'', often taped or broadcast his show live from a studio in Detroit Lakes. The 2016

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

documentary, '' The Seventh Fire'', exposing gang culture on American Indian Reservations, was filmed on location in Detroit Lakes, surrounding towns, and the nearby

White Earth Indian Reservation The White Earth Indian Reservation ( oj, Gaa-waabaabiganikaag, "Where there is an abundance of white clay") is the home to the White Earth Band, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in the state by land area. T ...

. A popular

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel named CBOYSTV films and is Headquartered at nearby Cormorant Lake (8 Miles East of Detroit Lake). CBoysTV is an American comedy and motorsports channel consisting of 5 guys. Their channel has amassed over 1 million subscribers.

Notable people

* Tillie Anderson, prominent in bicycle racing in the 1890s, spent summers at a lakeside cabin, died there in 1965 *

Dick Beardsley Dick Beardsley (born March 21, 1956) is an American long-distance runner best known for tying for first place with Inge Simonsen in the inaugural 1981 London Marathon and his close finish with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon. Runn ...

, marathon runner, motivational speaker and author, third-fastest American-born male marathon runner,

Grandma's Marathon Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The ...

record holder,

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ...

silver medalist (1982), founder of Dick Beardsley Running Company, formerly resided in Detroit Lakes * Jason Blake, retired NHL player, resides in Detroit Lakes * James Evans, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes *

Mary Evelyn Fredenburg Mary Evelyn "Mev" Fredenburg (January 12, 1923 – January 12, 2020) was an American nurse and a missionary in Eku, Nigeria for over forty years. Early life Mary Evelyn Fredenburg was born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the daughter of David R ...

, nurse missionary in Nigeria, born in Detroit Lakes in 1923 * Phil Hansen, retired NFL player,

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

defensive end 1991–2001, three-time

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...

participant, resides in Detroit Lakes * Jessica Lange, Oscar-winning actress, briefly resided in Detroit Lakes, where she attended her junior year of high school (ca. 1966) *

Collin Peterson Collin Clark Peterson (born June 29, 1944) is an American accountant and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1991 to 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, or the DFL. he was chairman of the Hous ...

, former

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

, chair of

House Agriculture Committee The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of s ...

, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, 7th Congressional District of Minnesota, resides in Detroit Lakes * Dennis Poppenhagen, Minnesota state legislator and businessman, resides in Detroit Lakes *

Dave Reichert David George Reichert (; born August 29, 1950) is an American politician, veteran, and former sheriff who served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. He is a Republican and is the former ele ...

, former

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

, 8th Congressional District of Washington, was born in Detroit Lakes * Ed Schultz, former syndicated talk radio host, cable news anchor of ''

The Ed Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' on

, seasonally resided in Detroit Lakes until his death in 2018 *Caroline Smith, musician, singer/songwriter for

Indie Rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

band Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, grew up in Detroit Lakes *

Adam Thielen Adam John Thielen (born August 22, 1990) is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota State and signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free ag ...

, wide receiver for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

, was born and grew up in Detroit Lakes * Loren P. Thompson, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes from 2009 until his death *

Harriet Hilreth Weeks Harriet Hilreth Weeks (February 28, 1875 – May 24, 1939) was an American politician and teacher. Weeks was born in Clay County, Minnesota. She lived in Troy, New York from 1882 to 1895. Weeks married Dr. Leonard Case Weeks in 1898 and they l ...

, Minnesota state legislator, resided in Detroit Lakes

References

External links

City of Detroit LakesDetroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce websiteDetroit Lakes websiteWE-FEST website10,000 Lakes Festival websiteMinnesota State Community & Technical College websiteDetroit Lakes Public Library website
*http://www.outsideonline.com/2314716/seamstress-conquered-bike-racing-1890s {{authority control Cities in Becker County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota